wearing AFOs

[sneezecakesmum]

Does anyone have any hints and tips about wearing AFOs. DGS is 2 and up til now wearing peadros. Do kids wear them all the time? Nights? what shoes go over them? Do children fight them? Bit about the practicalities.

For ds2 they were brilliant, break them in gently, the Physio or orthotist will gve you a plan gradually increasing wear.
Shoes need to be a size or two bigger but don't have to be any special fitting or expensive as the AFO's give all the support.
I find next velcro shoes are wide & open wide & far down.
They can take a bit of getting used to as the ankle doesn't bend so steps and things may need re learning.
We have a ule that AFO's are always worn with outdoor shoes, so he doesn't wear them at home.
If the physio does want them worn at night then they will cast a "soft splint" that helps keep the position but isn't as rigid.

ds2 didn't resist them at all & he was a similar age, they actually helped his condifence as they improved his stability.

hiya
my dd has worn afo's since 21 months

handy hints

long socks

build up wearing them - start off when going for a ride in the buggy(so child has them on but is not weight bearing)good idea to go the park and see if child will want to explore as normal(hopefully forgetting that they are wearing afo's)
30 mins on day 1 take them off and look for any marks(digi camera is a great friend to be able to show professionals)if the marks are still there after 20 mins then that is a problem and needs sorting out. 1 hour day 2
2 hours day 3 and continue increasing.

cheap trainers are ideal footwear as generally are wide enough to accomodate afo's and you can generally pull out the inner sole as the afo is doing the work and it will give you an extra bit of depth.but be aware check the length of the velcro reaches over when wearing the afo's(some are only half length velcro and that is no good)

my dd only wears afo's at the day time but has small toe splints for the night

when dd first got hers she was a little frighterned of the noise the velcro made when pulling it apart(and when at nursery and someone opened a pack of crisps she would cry! and think it was afo's)

for casting - only wear shorts , it makes the orthotist job so much easier and take along fave hand held(that won't concuss the ortotist when hit toy)to distract or even fave chocolate or sweetie treat

don't be afraid to ask questions or query why something is being done- or if you are not happy ask for another appointment as the correct fitting of afo's is important for a life time!
good luck

DS wears them. Agree with everyone else apart from the bit about cheap shoes - we have just never found any that go over his afos; but I think it depends on how much the child can walk - I've noticed that several of the children at ds's school who cant walk just have canvas shoes; but these wouldn't really do for ds in the winter.

We also buy a pair of shoes for when he isn't wearing them - and these need to be properly fitted.

THe physios adt ds's school recommend that any marks on the feet/legs which dont go away after an hour without the afos need to be looked into. Chatee - great idea about the photo, I will remember that one!

Thank you - these are fabulous tips! Velcro!! DGS used to freak but now doesn't bat an eyelid!

Another quick tip, take the AFO not the child to buy shoes that go over them. It will take alot of trial and error, much easier to try forcing AFO into a shoe without a wiggling child attached to it. My DD has very wide feet even wihtout the AFO so we have found impossible to find normal shoes to go over. We had to buy these

www.armbraces.com/about_hatchbacks_shoes.html

These socks are also fab esp in summer when they can get quite sweaty.

www.seenindesign.co.uk/childrens/accessories/smartknit-seamless-afo-socks.html

just a thought, my dh has AFOs they have really helped his stability, two of the kids at ds's SN group was thrilled to see an adult in them too... but disappointed that dh's are white until we re-assured the last pair were camoflage . colours seem to be an option if that would make them more groovy..

Have nothing much to add to the others, my DS has worn them at night since he was 2 and day from about 2.5. All I would say is try to get long socks that are as much cotton as possible, feet can get very hot and sweaty and I find the M&S long grey or black school socks much better than anything else. Before we needed school ones I used the triple roll GAP socks unrolled - they were also good. Cheaper, plasticy ones gave him soggy, smelly feet!

Hiya

Really the same as the others. Ds (3) has worn them since he was about 18 months. He only has them on if he's going to be 'walking' - really weight bearing in his walker or stander.

I really struggle to find shoes, even cheap ones, to stretch open wide enough to go over the splints and especially hard once you get them on, to get any velcro straps to fasten.

I found that going to Clarks and getting measured with splints on was a good idea. It revealed that the widest possible Clarks size fits well over the splints. Since he's not really walking that much outside, he really only needs one pair of shoes and they don't get that much use so they last. (got a pair in the clarks sale as the widest settings don't really sell!)

Agree with Hairy - nothing matches the Gap socks. They're meant to be worn rolled over but are perfect if you pull them up. They are a little more pricey than regular socks but really the best by far - nothing worse than the splints digging into the back of their calves.

When you have them made, get your DGS to choose the pattern (we have teletubbies).

Agree with the above posters - we use canvas shoes to go over them, but dd2 doesn't walk so doesn't need any better than that.

And I totally ignore the Black School Shoe rules: dd2 has to wear the damned splints so she can have pink glittery shoes, if it means she'll put the splints on!!! School rules can take a running jump!

DS got his first pair before christmas but has yet to wear them as we have been unable to find ANY shoes which go over them. The depth is the problem. I have seen the hatchbacks on the internet and they look good but is it a problem getting them delivered to the UK?

Thank you all. Looks like a bit of shop traipsing is on the cards - using the afos as a guide instead of DGS (he hates being mauled about) Its going to be cars, unless they have chuggington!

Depth is sometimes a problem, we often have to remove the in-soles, it just gives that little bit more depth.

I also don't take ds2 shoe shopping, i just take his AFO'S.

Oooh, my friend used to wear them, now has Air Boots as her feet tend to fracture quite a bit. One thing she told me her orthotist asked, was did she have a certain reflex.

I'm really sorry I can't remember the name of it, but basically some people with CP (which is what she has) have a reflex where if their legs are held in an unnatural position for too long, they'll basically kick whoever is doing the casting without warning and with no control of it. So if your DS has CP, and this particular reflex (I'm so sorry, I'm useless with stuff like that) then let them know :)

I got hatchbacks from the US to Spain from armbraces - link about. The lady was very helpful. Draw round the AFO then measure it. I think there was a good size guide on the website. I have a pair of pink and white trainers i will be looking to sell soon. Can´t remember what size, pm me if your interested

isw. I'd love to see DGSs daddy's face if he turned up in pink and white trainers!! Thank you anyway it is a lovely thought. DGS doesnt kick anyone but will scream the place down I'm sure.

My kids don't wear them, but used to work in a special school - to get reluctant wearers to co-operate, we would do Nice Feet Things - a massage/ stretch first, then standing in AFOs, then footspa or similar.

And watch like a hawk for marks, as PP said.