I met Venesha Moodley, OT and Clinical Educator for Astris PME in New South Wales, Australia, at the International Seating Symposium this March. She and her colleagues are using Dynamic Seating with some clients and I asked if she was willing to share some of their experiences. Venesha and Laurie Grace collaborated on the following feedback:

How long have you been working with Dynamic Seating? 

As a company, we have been using Dynamic Seating for a period of six years.

How are you using Dynamic Seating in Australia with the clients you serve? 

In the pediatric population, Astris PME has used Dynamic Seating with children in Australia who have dystonia, cerebral palsy, and other movement disorders. The primary goal is to reduce equipment breakage.   They have also used Dynamic Seating with adolescents and adult clients who have increased tone and who are seeking sensory feedback. Many of these clients are also non-verbal.

What Dynamic Seating components are you using? 

The team is most commonly using Dynamic Backs and Dynamic Footrests with their clients.

Have you had any difficulty with funding Dynamic Seating components? 

With changes in funding, reimbursement has improved since July 2017. If the justification is there, they have not had issues with funding.

What is the clinician response to Dynamic Seating in Australia? 

As noted previously these are often the only products that work for some clients, so when we approach clinicians with a solution, they ‘love it’. Some clients have a history of breaking back canes and leg rests or have positioning issues because of their intense movement. Adding Dynamic Seating can solve a lot of these issues, makes the equipment easy to justify, and provides a long-term solution for the client.  Generally, if the idea is proposed and the benefits are well explained, the clinician feels more motivated to consider Dynamic Seating and apply for the funding.

What feedback are you getting from families? 

Comments from families include:

• They love it because of the low maintenance.
• It makes the chair a lot heavier.
• The back canes no longer fold down to fit into a smaller car.
• This is the best they have seen their child seated after being in the wheelchair all day at school.
• I have also had a parent mention that their child is in a lot less pain because of the dynamic movement.

Thanks, Venesha and Laurie for your input! And keep up the great work Down Under!

“Amazing product. This has saved the wheelchair from being destroyed through unintentional impulsive movement. Thank you!”

Steve Joyce

Managing Director, Astris PME

See more from Venesha at the Apexpo 2021 Assistive Technology Expo where she will be speaking, along with Seating Dynamics’ Michelle Lange and many other AT professionals.