Level of Education of Students Involved

Graduate

Faculty Sponsor

Theresa Carroll and Reva Johnson

College

College of Nursing & Health Professions (CONHP)

Discipline(s)

Occupational therapy

ORCID Identifier(s)

0009-0008-6902-9772

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-30-2026

Abstract

Abstract

The GoBabyGo program provides modified ride-on vehicles to children with mobility impairments to promote early mobility, environmental exploration, and participation. Early powered mobility has been shown to support cognitive, social, and motor development in young children with disabilities (Huang & Galloway, 2012; Logan et al., 2016). Despite these benefits, the literature identifies challenges including inconsistent caregiver training, variability in program implementation, and limited standardized guidelines, which may affect long-term device use and participation outcomes (Logan et al., 2020; Hospodar et al., 2023). At Valparaiso University, an interdisciplinary team of occupational therapy, engineering, and health professions students collaborates to design and adapt these vehicles; however, variability in volunteer preparation may influence the consistency of family-centered interactions.

This capstone project aimed to develop a structured volunteer training guide to support family-centered engagement. The training materials were informed by family-centered care principles (Kuo et al., 2012), therapeutic use of self and the Intentional Relationship Model (Taylor, 2008), and occupational therapy frameworks including the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) and Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) models (Baum et al., 2015; Cook et al., 2020). Six modules were created to prepare volunteers for respectful, collaborative, and participation-focused interactions.

Content expert feedback was obtained and used to revise the training materials. Student volunteers will review the guide prior to the Spring 2026 build event, with post-event surveys distributed following participation to assess perceived usefulness. Future findings from student volunteers will be collected and presented. This project supports structured training to enhance family-centered practice and interdisciplinary collaboration in GoBabyGo programs.

 

 

 

Keywords:

GoBabyGo; Family-Centered Care; Occupational Therapy; Engineering; Interdisciplinary Collaboration; Modified Ride-On Vehicles; Powered Mobility; Assistive Technology; Program Development; Student Education

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