Seating clinic

An occupational therapist makes an individual assessment of the person with disability, to help them find the aids to posture and mobility best suited to the individual's functional condition, ordinary environment and lifestyle. Correct sitting posture helps to avoid complications with skin condition (pressure sores) or orthopaedic problems. Rome ILC follows a specific protocol for the choice of aids which consists in five essential phases:

1. assessment: to bring out the bodily measurements, ordinary environment and lifestyle of the disabled individual;
2. designating aids for trial: the person is helped to decide on a range of aids to test;
3. trial: the aid is fitted to the individual and tested over 24 or 48 hours. The aids to be tested are supplied either by the disabled individual's orthopaedic specialist or from the production company;
4. selection: the person with disability points out positive and negative features experienced during the trial period, and then, with the occupational therapist's help, selects the most suitable aid;
5. final fitting: the occupational therapist and the workshop technician assemble the new aids according to previously tested ways.

Furthermore the client is expected to attend a class in wheelchair care and repair.

Beside the occupational therapist, staff who may take part include: Peer counsellor, workshop technician, social worker.