looking for a SN seat for my son

A

Andbabymakessix

New member
My son is currently 5.5yrs 32lbs and about 39-40" tall sitting height I am not sure but his is RFing in a Radian and he is at the 3rd slot up. I am looking for a SN seat that would give him good lateral support due to low tone. I know the Britax traveler but what else is out there that would be a good seat? I'd like to be able to harness him for as long as possible. We just started again with PT (we have moved) and we'll get her input as well but wanted some ideas before we talk more about it. I know it can take 6+months for insurance to approve thats why I want to start to work on things now. I will keep him RFing at this point.

We also have the MyRide and it works OK for short quick trips FFing but not long ones to Dr's, hospitals and if he is sick. I also have a Marathon again works OK for short trips when he is NOT sick.


Thanks

Amy mom to Tyler
 
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A

Andbabymakessix

New member
He will slouch, he has poor truck muscles Typlically sit on his tail bone/spine vs bottom. Chest clip will end up in his neck vs where it should be on his chest. I know and does his therapists that he will need something with lateral support. Thats how his wheelchair is now and we almost always need his laterals.
 
TerisBoys

TerisBoys

Well-known member
Is he getting too tall to RF? His Radian should go to 40 or 45# depending on model, and I'd push that as long as possible in the main vehicle.

Have you tried rolled blankets alongside him in the MyRide?
 
carseatcoach

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Not my favorite seat in general, but what doesn't USUALLY work may work perfectly here -- how about a Recaro Signo? Very narrow inside, very supportive, very high harness straps.
 
safeinthecar

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
It is really complicated to try to recommend SN seats online since I can't physically try the child out in seats and see the effect on his posture. Are you willing to try a few experiments with me so I can get a better feel for his needs?

The My Ride has great lateral support, so my thought is that lateral support alone is not all he needs. Would you be willing to post pictures of his wheel chair with all supports in place and him sitting in the wheelchair so I can see what system you have already in place that works for you?

There are a couple of different ways to help correct trunk posture when lateral support is not enough.

How he sits in the Radian may also give you a clue about what might work. Does he straddle the sides or prop his feet up so that his knees are raised?
 
A

Andbabymakessix

New member
right now he still fits fine RFing in the raidan BUT i know insurance can be a pain to get things approved and if it takes 6-12months to get approved (and it can) he could be that much closer if not out growen his seat by then and for that I feel we need to begin the search now. he won't tolerat the towles rolled up beside him and I also don't like adding anything to the seat....just me being me.

I don't have any pic's anymore our computer that had them on there died :( but its a pretty basic support it has laterals and a butterfly harness and lap belt. he does and is able to push his butt forward to sit more on his back bone/hips. you can google Kimba wheelchair and see what he has.

as for how he sits it depends on if he has his DAFO's on or not. He wears tall braces so he can't cross his legs when he has them on. Usually I will see him have one foot crossed the other hanging. If he doesn't have his braces on then he crosses his feet.

he does have a physically theapist and we will have her help us find the best fit for him. I am just one that likes to do research and know what I/we are talking about before.

so far I have seen the britax traveler, special tomato seat and the recaro monza but that one looks like it has a 40lbs harness limit (not sure though).

thanks

amy
 
ketchupqueen

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I would suggest finding a SN trained tech. There are a LOT of seats out there for kids who need trunk support, similar to wheelchair positioning, and a tech who is trained in use of these SN seats can work as part of your team with your PT to get the BEST seat for his individual situation. There are many of us on this board, as well as many more around the country. Where are you located? We can help you find one. :)
 
safeinthecar

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Andbabymakessix said:
right now he still fits fine RFing in the raidan BUT i know insurance can be a pain to get things approved and if it takes 6-12months to get approved (and it can) he could be that much closer if not out growen his seat by then and for that I feel we need to begin the search now. he won't tolerat the towles rolled up beside him and I also don't like adding anything to the seat....just me being me.

I don't have any pic's anymore our computer that had them on there died :( but its a pretty basic support it has laterals and a butterfly harness and lap belt. he does and is able to push his butt forward to sit more on his back bone/hips. you can google Kimba wheelchair and see what he has.

as for how he sits it depends on if he has his DAFO's on or not. He wears tall braces so he can't cross his legs when he has them on. Usually I will see him have one foot crossed the other hanging. If he doesn't have his braces on then he crosses his feet.

he does have a physically theapist and we will have her help us find the best fit for him. I am just one that likes to do research and know what I/we are talking about before.

so far I have seen the britax traveler, special tomato seat and the recaro monza but that one looks like it has a 40lbs harness limit (not sure though).

thanks

amy
Click to expand...

My thought based on this is that he tends to abduct his hips and raise his knees to some degree. Look for a seat that has an abductor wedge and a thigh support. The Roosevelt has customizable lateral supports that are inserted under the cover and that adhere to the shell so that he can't pull them out. That may be a good bet for you also.

Here is a website of a few other seats you can look at as well. The Spirit 2400 is another option to look at. The supports swing in and out easy loading, but still provide pretty fair support. http://pediatrics.about.com/od/carseats/a/special_needs.htm

Your biggest challenge is going to be finding someplace to try different seats out. For this reason alone, the Roosevelt is a good seat to look at. The company has an excellent reputation for really working with families to help them find a way to try their seats out IRL.
 

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