Purpose of the study:

• Use of low cost furniture in children with cerebral palsy

Methodology:

• Collect scrap, waste items like paper, magazines, TV and Fridge cartons/cardboard boxes, paper bags (cement, jute bags etc). To make APBT from paper and cardboard we use paste made out of flour (wheat/maida).
• Pressure on the paper and cardboard glued by this flour paste dives us different designs of furniture.

Discussion: The role of a paediatric therapist is very vital in facilitating the child's development and maximizing function, minimizing contractures and deformities.

The therapist handles the child, guides parents to facilitate varied movement patterns for function, attaining proper alignment of body segments. Various adaptive equipment like stools, H-table, tilt-board, prone-wedges and standing frame are required to achieve these skills.

For a growing child, equipments if made out of wood, plastic or metal can be a financial burden on parents especially those from a low economic strata. 'Appropriate paper based technology' is a technology which is easily adaptable, strong, durable, light in weight and less time consuming, requiring no special tools.

Conclusion: This technology is being used at the Children's Orthopaedic Hospital since 6 years. We have been using these adaptations in the treatment of our children. Workshops conducted at the hospital have given parents an insight in the use of this simple method. Having got a positive response, we would like to share and encourage its use in the community.

Childhood Disablity 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_furiture_children_cp.asp