DavisMade - Home of the Standing Dani

Caregiver

Benefits of Independent Mobility

Children with special health care needs are inherently susceptible to learned helplessness. They are often prevented from participating in social activities simply because of their physical limitations. Placing children with special needs in a stationary device renders the child totally dependent upon the outside world to come to them for social interaction. When a stationary positioning device is used, children are prevented from following playmates as an activity moves across the room. Children are unable to spontaneously act on their curiosity or to explore their environment. They become withdrawn and learn to wait for whatever happens to come their way. The eventual outcome is often a passive child with low self-esteem.
Independent mobility affords children with physical limitations the opportunity to follow the crowd and demonstrate initiative at play. For children with special health care needs to realize their full potential, a barrier-free environment that accommodates the extra considerations necessary for assistive technology is a must. After all it’s about the child’s ‘Quality of Life’.

Physiological Benefits of mobile, prone, dynamic standing

• By participating in desirable activities, the child may remain in a more relaxed state, thus enhancing stretching.
• Self propelling strengthens the upper body and improves range of motion throughout the trunk and upper extremities.
• Dynamic weight bearing through lower extremities strengthens bones, lessening the incidence of fractures and osteoporosis.
• Stretching of key muscle groups throughout the lower extremities minimizes contractures.
• Proper alignment of the lower extremities while moving about promotes desirable joint development.
• Propelling over an uneven surface causes desirable vestibular activity to occur.
• Standing maximizes lung capacity, thus, lessening the frequency of respiratory infection and distress.
• Gravity, when standing, may enhance digestion and bladder, thus lessening the incidence of constipation, bowl impaction, bladder infection and kidney stones.

Psychological Benefits of mobile, prone, dynamic standing

Children are more likely to want to be placed in and to remain standing in their wheelstand when it is associated with play. Unobstructed access and independent upright mobility:

• Allows a child to better explore their environment and act upon their curiosities at will, thus stimulating the learning process.
• Enhances social interactions which occur in the socially accepted "normal" standing position.
• Enhances self awareness and self esteem because the child is now able to initiate playtime activities that were once considered improbable.
• Enhances social development because child can interact eye-to-eye with playmates.
• Enhances social skills because the child’s hands are free for intimate interactions, such as sharing toys

Prone vs. Supine

The key for developing a child’s physical potential is to identify and strengthen select muscle groups. For example, functional head control incorporates the use of neck and back extensor muscles. Prone positioning stimulates and activates those muscle groups.
Prone positioning simply means being supported while leaning slightly forward. A simple way to realize the effects of prone positioning on muscle development is to stand with your feet together and lean slightly forward. By placing your hands into your rear pockets, you will feel the muscles tighten as you begin leaning forward. Those muscles are an extension of the back extensor muscles used for head control.
Next stand with your back and head against the wall and your feet placed together about six inches from the floor board. This represents supine positioning (supported from behind). As compared to the prone position, you will feel that the back extensor muscles are relaxed, thereby, demonstrating how supine positioning allows for those critical muscle groups to remain inactive and underdeveloped.

Ordering Process

[For assistance or information regarding funding
of Standing Dani® wheelstands, please click here]

[To be contacted directly by a DavisMade Representative regarding
the ordering process, please click here]

We are here to assist you every way possible to get your child upright and independently mobile. We follow seven steps in the ordering process.

• Inquiry: Client information is gathered (name, address, diagnosis) [Click here for client profile sheet]

• Fitting: A DavisMade Representative will assess your child's standing needs and recommend the appropriate sized Standing Dani®. [Click here for a DavisMade measurement form (necessary for demo fitting)]

• Assessment: After trial fitting, DavisMade provides a written letter recommending appropriate equipment.

• Documentation: Family will provide DavisMade with a prescription from a Specialty Physician and a letter of medical necessity from a Physical Therapist. [Click here for a list of Sample Letters of Medical Necessity]

• Claim submission: Claim(s) will be sent to all third party providers for prior authorization.

• Delivery: Once prior authorization has been obtained, wheelstand is built and delivered.

• Billing: After wheelstand is delivered, a claim for payment (invoice) will be submitted to third party provider(s).

*** Cash customers need not complete insurance information but,
a prescription is necessary in order to purchase. If you are interested in purchasing a Standing Dani® or any other DavisMade Inc. product with cash only, please click here. ***