The impact of modified ride-on car use on trunk control and development in children with disabilities: A feasibility study

This feasibility study aimed to examine the change in trunk control as assessed by the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo), and activities of daily living, mobility, and social/cognitive skills as assessed by the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) in young children with disabilities following MROC use. Eight participants received MROCs through a local GoBabyGo program and were instructed to use the MROC at least 1 hour per week for 8 weeks. Two participants did not complete the study. The remaining 6 participants (3 years, 0 months to 4 years, 5 months) were evaluated using the SATCo and PEDI-CAT 4 weeks before receiving their MROC, upon receiving the MROC, and after 4 and 8 weeks of MROC use. This study found improvement in SATCo level for 3 participants and no change or slight decrease in PEDI-CAT scores for all participants. No adverse events occurred. While improvement was found for the SATCo only in 3 out of the 6 participants, anecdotal reports of functional improvement and enjoyment from participant families indicate that further research is needed to holistically explore trunk control and the functional impact of MROC use in a naturalistic setting.