Purpose:

• To reinforce the significance of low-cost devices in reducing the total cost of rehabilitation of children with disabilities.
• To study the effect of use of low-cost aids in impairments of communication, feeding, gross motor function, etc.

Methodology: Cerebral palsy children undergoing therapy at our centre were evaluated by professionals for requirement of adaptive devices. Parents were interviewed to identify their priorities, home environment and motivation to use aids. Appropriate low-cost devices such as communication board, feeding seat, arm-rocker, tilt-board, cut-out table, bench, were fabricated using easily available or waste material in coordination with parents. Then children and parents were trained to use the aids in the centre by therapists. Subsequently these were used at home.

Results: The cost involved in making each of these aids was less than Rs.100. These aids were durable, required minimal expertise and saved manufacture time. Adequate trials were possible while making the aids so that they met each child's current needs perfectly.

Discussion and Conclusion: It is possible to drastically reduce the cost of devices used for overall rehabilitation of children with disabilities.

Often therapy aids needed for short-term use are not prescribed by therapists, as the cost is high for the period of usage. The low-cost devices discussed here can be made by the therapist herself and can be used for development in many areas like communication, feeding, motor skills, etc. Thus, low-cost devices can be a boon to facilitate therapy outcomes to the maximum.

Childhood Disability Update 2005 - Conference Abstracts. Pediatric Oncall [serial online] 2006 [cited 15 January 2006(Supplement 1)];3. Available from:
http://www.pediatriconcall.com/fordoctor/Conference_abstracts/
Low_cost_aids.asp