Head Control

This is something that I worry about with Nathan. Ramon tells me not to worry – it will come, he says – but worry I do.

I was searching around the web and found these articles:

Music as a feedback mechanism for teaching head control to severely handicapped children: a pilot study.

Sensory feedback for head control in cerebral palsy.

Training of head control in the sitting and semi-prone positions.

I am really intrigued by these ideas! Basically if I can set some switches up on his wheelchair, so if he keeps his head properly aligned he gets a reward – for example, music – but if he lets it fall, he receives negative feedback – this might help him develop better head control!

I’ve been doing something similar lately. I sit him up completely straight in his wheelchair. He likes to lean forward so his head is not held but the wheelchair rests. But then as soon as he leans forward, he lets his head fall to the side – usually the left side. What I do is I will vibrate him back to midline. He will then drop his head again within 10 seconds, and I fix him again. So in a 10 min walk I will fix him at least 100 times. This is annoying to do but today I noticed that he kept his head aligned for about 5 – 10 seconds. So I think there is something to it!

Does anyone have any ideas about how to implement this? Does it even sound like a good idea? Am I completely mistaken that he can learn head control through biofeedback? Would really appreciate some feedback!!!

Comments

  1. I think this is a great idea and I am sorta doing the same thing with Brandon but just I bribe him with kisses and if he does it I hold him for 5 min just simple stuff he loves and is doing very well. Of course they all have there bad days.

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