Remember the simple joy of zipping around the yard in a toy car? Every kid should have that experience, and thanks to Lil’ Rhody Riders—an ongoing student leadership project at the University of Rhode Island (URI)— they can.
Lil’ Rhody Riders provides mobility, freedom, and plain-old fun by modifying toy cars so children with disabilities can operate them. Annie Kostenbauer and Cara Pineau, doctoral students in physical therapy in the College of Health Sciences/Academic Health Collaborative, are leading Lil’ Rhody Riders this year. In 2015, Sandra Maliangos and Coral Hines, then doctoral students in physical therapy, launched Lil’ Rhody Riders. Each year two new students in the program take over.
Kostenbauer and Pineau are designing and building four cars with help from College of Engineering students.
Their first car, for a boy with cerebral palsy, has proven challenging on several fronts. “His legs and arms have trouble bending, and he’s very tall and thin,” said Kostenbauer. “He can’t fit in the car, so we made a seat on top of it.”
Getting the design right matters because the car is more than a plaything. It provides therapeutic benefits. “The main goal [of the car] would be to get him to develop the flexion to bend his knees and his elbows,” said Pineau.
Biomedical engineering students Miranda Mitchell, Alaa Eid, and Celia Dunn pitched in with Lil’ Rhody Riders as part of their capstone projects. They created a push button that acts as a gas pedal because the boy has better control of his upper body. It automatically brakes when he releases the pressure.
Some vehicles are controlled by a joystick so a child can work on fine motor skills; push buttons help children who lack the dexterity to turn a wheel; and lateral supports ensure safety and bolster the trunk and pelvises of children who need that, Pineau said.
The team also built a car for a child with spina bifida who was referred by Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island. “We put the gas pedal behind his leg so he has to push back. He’s a little weak with that, so we want to strengthen him,” Kostenbauer said.
Two other cars were given to Meeting Street in Providence, a nonprofit organization that educates children with special needs.
The URI students begin by assessing each child and measuring flexibility, strength, motor skills, and range of motion. They also talk to parents about their goals for the child’s development. “In class you have case studies, but when you have the person in front of you, it’s easier,” Kostenbauer said.
As part of the construction, Pineau and Kostenbauer have learned to use drills and saws and problem solve as they go. “We’re definitely showing some girl power,” Pineau said of the all-female team.
The students publicize the program on Facebook and rely on donations and fundraisers to purchase the cars (which cost between $200 and $400 each) and materials.
“It’s very rewarding just seeing the kids being able to play,” Pineau said.
For more information or to request a modified ride-on car for a child with limb loss, visit www.facebook.com/lilrhodyriders.
This article was adapted from information provided by URI.
