A headband for anterior head support.

The American}ournal 0/ Occupational Therapy W hen designing and providing wheelchair seating systems, the rehabilitation team aims for a balance of components that will provide external support for the person who, because of lack of neuromotor or neuromuscular control, cannot independently maintain a seated posture. Over the past 10 years, many new approaches to fabricating seat and back components have helped solve trunk and pelvic positioning problems (Bergen & Colangelo, 1985). Positioning of the head, however, is still a challenge, particularly for persons who drop or pull their heads into flexion. Secure positioning of the head can significantly improve functional skills because it allows the person to concentrate on task performance and not on maintaining head position (Taylor, 1987). Many anterior devices, such as halos and head straps, are used, but persons using these devices can hyperextend the neck and come out of the device or pull forward until the strap falls off. Soft cervical collars, chin supports, and collar and vest supports are other head positioning devices, but they are not always appropriate (particularly for persons who have swallOWing difficulties or tracheostomies) and can be bulky, unsightly, and costly. We have designed an inexpensive ($30) headband that, when used in conjunction with an appropriately fitted seating system, provides anterior head support and holds the head upright. Design criteria were as follows. The headband had to be (a) adjustable to allow some movement of the head in a sagittal plane when appropriate; (b) as unobtrusive as possible; and (c) easy to attach and remove, particularly in emergency situations.