Development of a reliable, valid measure to assess parents' and teachers' understanding of postural care for children EKHUT Internal Grant Reportwith physical disabilities.

Schools play an important role in facilitating the day time aspects of postural management programmes for children with physical disabilities, enabling children to participate at school and engage in functional tasks associated with school work; however, the majority of teachers and teaching assistants are inexperienced and lack confidence in how to manage the needs of children with a physical disability (Hutton & Coxon 2010).

“Definition: A postural management programme is a planned approach encompassing all activities and interventions which impact on an individual's posture and function. Programmes are tailored specifically for each child and may include special seating, night-time support, standing supports, active exercise, orthotics, surgical interventions, and individual therapy sessions. Gericke (2006)

A small exploratory study of the views of teachers and teaching assistants recommended that information about postural care be made widely available to parents and teachers in order to assist them in their role as care givers for children with disabilities. In response to these findings, a booklet, the “A-Z of Postural Care” was developed by a team of researchers, therapists, teachers and parents of children with a disability (Hutton et al., 2009).