Jessica Sapel

Some children need more help than others to learn to walk. For a variety of reasons, they may seek help from a piece of equipment to help them learn the "steps" of walking, and look to a physical therapist to help them find just the right walker, or gait trainer. As a pediatric physical therapist, I have found pros and cons to many kinds of gait trainers. While each child is different, I have helped children find great success with a gait trainer that is combined with an orthotic system.

One such gait trainer/orthotic combination is the TAOS walker – Therapeutic Ambulatory Orthotic System.  The basis of the TAOS is a custom orthotic to support the child's trunk, hips, knees, ankles, and feet, set on a mobile base.  The orthotic system helps to harness a child's energy and any extraneous movement and direct it into productive, forward motion for walking.

The TAOS website provides information about the history and development of the walker, as well as videos of children using the walker. 

Check back for more in this series about the TAOS walker–how it works as a system, who may benefit from this system, and how it is working for the clients we see every day.  If you have questions about if the TAOS walker may be right for your child, please contact Child and Family Development to speak to a physical therapist or set up an appointment for an evaluation.