Wheelchair Seating Assessment: The Mat Assessment

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Video Runtime: 37 Minutes; Learning Assessment Runtime: 35 Minutes

What is a Mat Assessment? A Mat Assessment is the starting point of a wheelchair seating evaluation and critical to achieving a successful outcome. This course will present the key components of a mat assessment including important measurements. A mat assessment demonstration will take the participant through each step. The mat assessment determines specific seated angles and postural support requirements necessary for a final seating system recommendation.

Meet your instructor

Michelle L. Lange

Michelle is an occupational therapist with 35 years of experience and has been in private practice, Access to Independence, for over 15 years. She is a well-respected lecturer, both nationally and internationally, and has authored numerous texts, chapters, and articles. She is the coeditor of Seating and Wheeled Mobility:…

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Chapters & learning objectives

1. Introduction to the Mat Assessment

This chapter will provide an introduction to the mat assessment, including a definition of the mat assessment, goals and components. Components include describing the client’s posture in supine and sitting on the edge of the mat table, as well as muscle tone, reflexes and postural control. This is important for the participant to understand before moving into the supine and sitting assessment.

2. The Mat Assessment: Supine

This chapter will address the supine portion of a mat assessment, where the client is placed supine on a mat table. Specific components of the supine examination will be discussed and demonstrated. Checking available range of motion and postural tendencies with gravity eliminated allows the evaluator to determine an optimal seated posture.

3. The Mat Assessment: Sitting

This chapter will address the sitting portion of the mat assessment, where the client is seated on the edge of the mat table, with adequate postural support from the clinician. Specific components of the seated examination will be discussed and demonstrated. Checking available range of motion and postural tendencies with gravitational forces in upright further determines an optimal seated posture.

4. The Mat Assessment: Conclusion

This chapter will translate mat assessment findings into seating recommendations. A brief mat assessment of a client will be demonstrated.

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