Occupational Therapists's Involvement in Safe Transportation for the Handicapped

The rapidly expanding demand for occupational therapy services encompasses the area of safe transportation for children with physical handicaps. Federal and state legislation, as well as societal trends, mandate changes in the quality of vehicular restraints for those who cannot be safely transported using conventional car seats because of conditions such as cerebral palsy, orthopedic surgery and casting, ventilator dependency, or low birth weight. Potential for and barriers to occupational therapy involvement will be discussed in this paper as well as the potenhl impacts that involvement in safe transportation will have on the traditional role and education of occupational therapists. Occupational therapist involvement in the growing area of safe transportation will be analyzed using the system approach. The Automotive Safety for Children Program at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children will be described.