Children with limb loss in low-resource environments, such as conflict zones, often lack access to appropriate prosthetic limbs for rehabilitation. This work presents a user-led pipeline for the development of a new affordable paediatric prosthetic knee that supports childhood growth in austere environments. The pipeline includes stakeholder engagement using novel questionnaires, clinical casefile analysis, technical design specification, international standard adjustment, computational biomechanical modelling, design, and product trials. Key results from each pipeline stage are described. To date, the product trial has included 3 children (age 9.7±1.7yrs) to compare the new Imperial College Knee with state-of-the-art mechanical knee designs from the UK national health service (NHS). Preliminary results show 1.3x improvement in satisfaction with the new knee and 90.7% gait symmetry. This comprehensive pipeline provides generalisable learnings for paediatric assistive technology design and highlights the need to include children with disabilities in research. The new knee is a promising avenue for improved rehabilitation and societal inclusion in this cohort.

While paratransit responds well to many of the transit needs of PMD for individual transit, the limited reliability and lack of flexibility in scheduling and adjusting to child traveling specifications mean it does not fully meet the needs of PMD who want to travel with children. Objectives were to 1) describe the perceived characteristics, facilitators and barriers of paratransit, and 2) explore the perceptions and experiences with facilitators and barriers of paratransit. Methods. A quantitative survey was first conducted asking questions about paratransit use habits, needs and barriers and facilitators to its use. Then a follow-up focus group was conducted to explore experiences and perceptions on a deeper level. Quantitative data from an online survey were summarized and qualitative data from 3 focus groups were manually transcribed into verbatim, coded and analyzed thematically. Results. Paratransit-eligible Parents (PeP) experienced mental burden at an intrapersonal level before using any type of transit from questioning and planning (personal situation, necessity, confidence and security). PeP expressed that the mental burden is explained by interpersonal, politic/institutional and social factors (services offered and their availability, relationship with the services offered) that hinders PeP service use.

Children with fine motor impairments often encounter challenges in writing and may find using computers for schoolwork beneficial. However, traditional computer mice can pose difficulties for them. Consequently, specialized products like larger joysticks are frequently recommended following assistive technology assessments.

In Europe, video gaming is highly popular among children, with 68% of 6-10-year-olds and 79% of 11-14-year-olds engaging in this activity. Active video gaming has shown promise in improving motor impairments among children.

This pilot case study takes use of children's previous experiences with game controllers. We designed a 3D-printed casing resembling a game controller, enabling a double-hand grip, to encase a small joystick equipped with buttons for mouse clicks. We used this innovative setup to assess various assistive technology solutions for computer mouse use. Children with prior gaming experience demonstrated enhanced proficiency in utilizing computer mouse functions when using the 3D-printed game controller-mimicking joystick case, compared to other assistive devices. Additionally, the 3D-printed device was preferred by the children over more conventional assistive technology products, such as larger joysticks and trackballs.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges in communication, social interaction, and learning. The integration of 3D-printed assistive tools into their education has the potential to significantly improve their learning experience and enhance their motor and cognitive skills. The paper studies the functionality of 3D-printed assistive device, a pen grip, targeted at improving the handwriting/drawing skills of children with ASD. The results from the survey, carried out among 36 professionals in Bulgaria, are analyzed. The novelty of the paper is the development of a specialized module in AutoCAD environment which allows the automated modelling of 3D-printed pen grips personalized to the size of the hand of the user.