where parents of kids with special needs connect
Stroller-Wheelchairs?
My son with PDD-NOS is five years old. For the most part, he gets around just fine. But then again, I usually only bring him to places where he can be successful.
There are times, though, when I think it would be better for him to still use a stroller. For instance, when we traveled to Los Angeles and Florida in the spring, he used the stroller in the airports. He used the stroller at Disney. This past weekend, we went to A Day Out with Thomas, and he was miserable for the first hour. My husband had to carry him -- he's 50 pounds and over 4 feet tall -- very big for his age. And I wished I had a stroller.
My problem is that the stroller that we have for him is broken. He broke it on the trips -- he's WAY too big for it. We're planning on going out to Los Angeles again in October, and I know I will need a stroller again.
So I have been researching wheelchair-strollers -- those things cost a bundle!! I like the Maclaren Major Special Needs stroller.
Wondering what types of strollers like this any of you have used? Does anyone know if you can rent strollers like this? Or is there a good, discounted resource? Anybody willing to sell me their used one??
There are times, though, when I think it would be better for him to still use a stroller. For instance, when we traveled to Los Angeles and Florida in the spring, he used the stroller in the airports. He used the stroller at Disney. This past weekend, we went to A Day Out with Thomas, and he was miserable for the first hour. My husband had to carry him -- he's 50 pounds and over 4 feet tall -- very big for his age. And I wished I had a stroller.
My problem is that the stroller that we have for him is broken. He broke it on the trips -- he's WAY too big for it. We're planning on going out to Los Angeles again in October, and I know I will need a stroller again.
So I have been researching wheelchair-strollers -- those things cost a bundle!! I like the Maclaren Major Special Needs stroller.
Wondering what types of strollers like this any of you have used? Does anyone know if you can rent strollers like this? Or is there a good, discounted resource? Anybody willing to sell me their used one??
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leah on -
We have a Stealth Lightning stroller wheelchair. I really, really like it. But my son has a bit different needs.
Here's what I like about it:
*very solid swing-back true footplates
*I can fit a good amount of groceries in the under-basket
*the frame is aircraft aluminum, very strong, no flex, and all your steering and pushing force goes straight to the frame without being lost in flex like a regular stroller. My son is 100% wheelchair dependent if it is a place where he can't crawl so I need to save wear and tear on my body.
*three point harness
*optional rain and sun covers
*very strong wheels with four solid tires and great bearings
I don't like so much that it only has two angles and both are slightly reclined, but my son is very comfortable in it.
I think it was about $5,000 and it was covered by insurance. I have seen it online for a bit over $3,000 but I think that is before they add things like the harness and footplates so it is a deceptive price.
Having said that, though, there are some true strollers out there that can handle 50 pounds. They are going to be upscale strollers in brands that I had never heard of. I once did a search, signing up for some stroller boards and found a lot of experienced parents making recommendations for strollers that would fit that weight. The problem I ran into then was that it was difficult in product info to tell which had adequate foot support. The parents were willing to provide more info on that but about that time we got the wheelchair we have now.
If your son is 5 I would think about how *you feel about having something that looks like a wheelchair or not, and how he may feel now or in the future. If his issues are more about needing some rest and containment, you may want a more stroller-like appearance. For me, I actually felt better about having something that looked like a wheelchair than a stroller. When my son was in a stroller people often assumed he was just a big baby. Now they can see he is a big boy who has a lot of physical issues and can't walk, but still a person. That was a choice I made.
The other thing I would say is to choose the amount and type of physical support by the amount of time that will be spent in the stroller, and the physical and *sensory needs of the child. Some of the special needs folding strollers do not have much butt and back support. If the child needs firm foot support, a firm solid place for their bottom and back, make sure you know the stroller will provide that. If they need to be shielded from the outside, find something with some type of sun cover so that they can hide out when needed. Also consider whether you want a full recline for sleeping as some strollers, (but not stroller-wheelchairs as much) will still do that at that high weight.
Convaid will mail you paper copies of nice color brochures of their large selection of strollers and that helped me to get my bearings. Our local DME supplier also helped by bringing multiple models out to our house.
There are a few sites for sale and exchange of DME. I don't have the URLs but let me know if you need help finding them. And I have heard of people renting but it doesn't sound widespread.
Last, find a way to spend a week in the stroller you're thinking of. That really helped us.
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Permalink Reply by Janis @ Sneak Peek on -
You can try Craigslist or ebay for 2nd hand ones. Insurance would probably not cover it unless he had a "medical" need, but sometimes you can get a grant from an outside organization.
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on
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We have used the Maclaren Major Special Needs stroller for years, and my daughter is now fourteen. While she still fits into it, her head sort of comes too high over the back. I highly recommend the stroller -- it folds easily and is pretty lightweight. If you have more questions, let me know. Also, enabling devices and especialneeds.com have good deals on things like this.
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