Referred to wheelchair services

[helensburgh]

My 6 year old has a few problems and we use a buggy still but it's become increasingly difficult as she's too big etc. one issue is if her school peers she her in it there are comments made etc, nothing cruel just why are you a baby etc etc.
So we asked physio re help to fund a bigger buggy and they have suggested a wheelchair will be better due to,size etc etc and also psychologically.

Anyone else have a child who uses a wheelchair when they need it rather than all the time .

Obviously I don't know and can't comment on your individual circumstances but I thought it might be helpful to let you know that the addition of a wheelchair has been a positive step for us.

My youngest son is in pre-school now and is a partial user of a wheelchair. Although a big step for us, it was much better for him. He sits higher and straighter, can manoeuvre himself and it's a lot easier to push and turn than his pushchair (added bonus). His chair has a fixed wheel base, which is a minor hassle compared to the pushchair. However you can get chairs that do fold.

It's not a negative thing. A chair can be extremely liberating for the child :-) He didn't want to be in the pram any more but because of his muscular dystrophy simply couldn't walk very far and wheels of some description became a necessity. We were referred to wheelchair services (NHS) by his physio - who had a similar conversation with us as you've had with yours. We've had his chair for a couple of months now. He was able to choose snazzy spoke guards and loves to put the breaks on or off.

It's very much his chair, rather than the family pram. He didn't want to be equated with younger children. It has also helped us all to negotiate our idea of 'normal', rather than extending his toddlerdom.

It does confuse other people, who think of wheelchairs as a permanent device but hey ho on we go!

Hope this reflection on my/his experience is useful in some way.

I was in a very similar position with my son at that age.
I think the aversion to wheelchairs is more from the parent than the child ( it definitely was with us) and in fact I did shed a quiet tear when he was measured up for his.
However, I agree that it's better for the child in terms of making a statement that they have difficulty walking rather than they are lazy or a baby.
We could hang his walking frame from the arms of the chair and now we have crutches they can be popped in a bag hanging off the chair.
Good luck, whatever you choose will be the right decision for you, your child and your family and don't be pushed either way, there are no right or wrongs in this.

I could have written this post. DD(6) has just been referred for a wheelchair too. She had her appointment yesterday and was whizzing up and down the corridor she's devasted it's going to take 8 weeks for hers to come.

I have mixed feelings about the wheelchair, it's a bit like getting dla award you now you need it but you wish you didn't.

:0

FFs I came on here to post this thread!

Dd just been referred, I was asking for a SN buggy and Physio said a chair would be better. After my initial woah! I'm slowly coming to realise that, if we get the buggy it has one purpose. To push her around in. The wheel chair still provides that option but it also provides her with the option to self propel, to start building the muscles and skills required.

It was a bit of a realisation for me. Because yes we can still put her in a buggy but that's not a long term solution and this is a long term problem. She IS going to need an alternative mode of transport than her just her legs in adulthood and a SN buggys not going to cut it then.

But yes I'm going to feel like a bloody fraud pushing her round in her wheelchair only for her to jump out and start climbing up the rocks etc

I remain ever grateful that she has that option but I can well imagine the looks on people's faces.

I'd love it if you come back and let us know how it goes.
We literally had the referral put in yesterday and I've no idea what the turn around is like