After exploring the experiences of parents of young children with cerebral palsy (CP) who used AFOs, researchers concluded that to ensure AFO use is optimized and individualized, clinicians must be aware of the physical and psychosocial adjustment process as children and families adapt over time.
For the study, 11 parents of children ages two to six years old with CP who used solid or hinged AFOs participated. The researchers used interpretive description, a qualitative methodological approach focused on the application of findings to clinical practice, and conducted semi-structured interviews to develop themes using thematic analysis.
Four themes described parent experience with their children’s AFOs: 1) “Hear what I am saying”: Collaborative decision-making with families, 2) “Is my child going to be excluded because of AFOs?”: Parent and child adjustment was a journey, 3) AFOs created financial and practical challenges, and 4) The perceived benefits of AFO use.
The researchers concluded that adjusting to AFOs was a challenging and time-consuming process for parents and children, which may have resulted in lower frequency and duration of use than anticipated by clinicians.
They suggest that clinicians work with families to establish and monitor individualized wear-time schedules that align with family routines and provide information about AFOs, including appearance and alternative clothing, in advance of receiving AFOs.
The study, “Parent experience with ankle-foot orthoses for their young children with cerebral palsy: a qualitative study,” was published in Disability and Rehabilitation.
