How can parents help children with spinal cord injuries participate in social activities? - Sara Klaas, MSW

One of the things we think is extremely important is participation in community activities. We want all children with spinal cord injuries to participate in the same activities they did before they sustained their injury, and maybe even add some additional adaptive sports or other participatory activities that they can do that they haven’t tried before. Parents are crucial in that process. Parents need to know what activities are available for their child, and most importantly, they need to advocate for their child. When they go back to their community, and back those school activities or scout activities, parents can really help ease the way by ensuring that they advocate for their child’s full participation in the community. Parents are also the ones who help their kids access new activities, whether it be wheelchair sports or wheelchair dance, they’re the ones who can help find those activities for their children and often times are the ones supporting them by transporting them back and forth to all those activities. Making sure parents understand the importance of social participation is a very critical part of pediatric rehab.