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The new special interest group (SIG) reportedly will be focused on education and issues for physical therapy professionals and students in the field of Assistive Technology/Seating & Wheeled Mobility (AT/SWM). The new group was announced in a recent media release from ROHO Inc, Belleville, Ill. According to the release, ROHO Inc’s clinical applications manager, Tricia Garven, PT, ATP, is a key contributor in launching the group within the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Neurology Section.

The new SIG is said to fill a void. Although many members of the APTA’s Neurology Section serve individuals with conditions that impair their long-term function—oftentimes leading to the need for assistive technologies—there reported is currently no SIG within the APTA focused on developing knowledge and fostering evidence-based practice in the evaluation, prescription, and training of individuals to effectively use AT/SWM. Whether clinicians prescribe assistive technologies only intermittently, or as a routine part of the job, this SIG aims to provide valuable networking opportunities for problem-solving, knowledge-sharing, and impacting legislation and policy related to AT-SWM.

“At ROHO, we believe we all have a stake to improve outcomes for anyone at risk for deep tissue injury,” Garven says. “We have a long-standing commitment to what we call the science of safe seating. Working with and helping educate professionals in the area of AT/SWM is further evidence of that commitment.”

The new AT/SWM SIG is actively seeking members, including current APTA members and professionals not yet members of APTA. To join the new SIG, one must be an APTA member and a member of the Neurology Section.