Can anyone recommend an affordable mainstream or special needs car seat for an older child? I've just been told that we will not get funding for a SN car seat with swivel base (essential if I am to maintain my back intact). I have looked at the Britax ones and they seem ok although one is double the price than the other and I don't know whether to go for the expensive one now or whether the cheaper one will do for the next few years (my son is a big 2 and a half). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Mafala

We have the Britax junior traveller at the moment, but it doesn't have a swivel base - its quick and easy to fit. Philip is also 2 1/2 and it seems to give him good support - the first time he used it, his OT bought some other staff members out to see him as he was sitting so well. The most time consuming part was deciding which of the various inserts were needed to give him the correct support, but I've not had to change them at all since we got the seat.

I don't think that I would go for the bigger version of the seat when he's outgrown this one as it would be too difficult to lift Philip in as he's unable to help in any way. I imagine that Ethan would be the same. I think that we are going to look at getting a WAV eventually - need to have some driving lessons and pass my test first!

What do you think you will be doing in the longer term? If you're not going for a WAV I would definitely think about getting a swivel seat, rather than the one we've got.

HTH
Dom

PS it was £140 from Kiddiecare (Peterborough) when I bought it last summer. I think that they also do mail order.

I'm really upset that social service won't fund the swivel car seat as my back is really suffering. Ethan is a big child and doing things with him is increasingly difficult. He's also getting more demanding and refusing to go into his supportive seat or standing frame. On top of that I have to handle his NHS buggy that weighs a tonne. I'm still waiting for some ramps for the stairs outside the house. I've been thinking that I might get my GP to write to SS to see if that might help. The car seat we have looked at is over £1K which we can't afford, but neither are we eligeable to get money from charity.

I was thinking the junior traveller would do, but it still requires awkward lifting. We're hoping to get our first motability car this summer and I've decided for a Berlingo. It has enough boot space so I don't need to fold the buggy and I can get some special ramps to get it in the car. I think we're going to wait until our second car is due to see if we need a WAV. I'm hoping by then Ethan will be able to help a bit to get himself in and out of the car seat.

Below are the details of a company that we have found helpful on issues to do with car seats:

In-Car Safety Centre
Unit 5
The Auto Centre
Stacey Bushes
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire MK12 6HS

Tel:01908 220909

Hi. I used to work as an OT is SS and can understand your frustation. Have you thought about getting a swivel seat fitted in the car instead of a swivel base. Also have you tried a car seat with a swivel base as getting a child into them is not always as easy as you think it will be depending on head clearance etc? Your OT should still help you with the assessment even if they don't supply them. Hope this helps.

Slightly off topic, but should PTs (physios) also help with assessment even if they don't provide the equipment? (e.g. suggesting to an adult that they need a standing frame (not supplied by the NHS), but not offering help with assessment).

Hi Fesdufun,

Thanks for your reply. Good point about swivel seat and head clearance.

Swft,

I believe that the PT should help with the assessment even if they don't supply the equipment. It's worth asking them.

Mafala

Just to say I have an Otto Bock Lars Car Seat. See http://www.ottobock.co.uk/
and click on the paediatric support and then car seats and you'll see it.

It is good and supportive, but one word of caution, my daughter doesn't stand and if I am holding her it is REALLY hard to swivel the seat out at the same time. The base is actually welded into our car and the base swivels out.

My daughter is over 20 kgs and four and a half and the seat is plenty big enough for her and should last for some time.

We had to fund this ourselves but I did get her OT to be present and even organise the rep's visit to our house. We were told to seek assistance from te likes of the Rotary Club etc if we felt we needed to - perhaps a possibility for you?

Let us know how you get on - we are now thinking about getting a larger vehicle and a crash tested wheelchair and going for tha option as I'm struggling with any weight transfers due to her size and being pregnant!

hi mumto1

Thanks for your reply.

I'm going off swivel bases as I wonder whether it's going to make much difference to by back or not?. We might get a Britax Junior traveller and look into a WAV in three years time. I'm very excited about getting a Berlingo. It's going to make such a difference being able to take the SN buggy in the car. At the moment, we can't because it doesn't fit in our current car and it's actually stopping us from going to places. His birthday can't come soon enough!.

Mafala

I'm really interested that you are getting a Berlingo! Would it be possible to wheel the buggy straight in - this is what I am after with regard to a wheelchair (crash tested one) for my daughter as I'm finding the weight transfers quite hard now.

Please - tell me more!!

We have a berlingo it fits everything in really nicely (our wheelchair can just be lifted in whole) and I have seen them wheelchair adpted a couple of times.

One word of caution, none of the swivel seats we tried were suitable for the Berlingo - one didn't fit the seat at all;one needed drilling into the floor and a berlingo has cubby holes in the floor; the other one had to go behind the driver's seat and I didn't fancy taking the wheelchair into the road everytime.

In the end we got a new seat called a "carrot seat", I can't remember who makes it but it fitted our son much better than the Britax, has a 5 point harness and a seatbelt and is also attached to the back of the car seat by seperate straps (some of the other ones we looked at weren't and I had visions of trying to get him in the car when in a strop with the seat wobbling all over the place).

I tried a Berlingo and Kangoo and although I thought the Kangoo was most comfortable to drive, the Berlingo felt sturdier. I need ramps to get the buggy into the berlingo and I could just about get away with getting the buggy into the kangoo without the ramps. Unfortunately, London is full of speed bumps and I thought this might be a problem with a low car like the kangoo. I didn't need to fold up the buggy or do anything that would aggrevate my back once the buggy was in the car. I got a quote for some light weight ramps for the berlingo for around £200. The sliding doors and good head clearence are a plus with both cars.

This company converts vehicles specially for wheelchair access and passenger. I think this is what I would go for for our second motability car: http://www.gowringsmobility.co.uk/.

The carrot car seat can be seen on the JCM seating web site. Ollie has the Recaro car seat from JCM (about £575.00) It has a swivel base which just slots into the space between where the back of the cars own seat and the base of the seat joins. You then use the three point harness to secure the car seat in the car. So it is transferable between cars. It would work well in a Berlingo or Kangoo with the high head room you have in these cars.

I like it cos it means Granny and other people can take Ollie places in the car and he isn't tied to only using one car. Ollie also finds it very comfy and supportive.

Sarah

We have recently received funding from a local cp charity for a Recaro supportive car seat (from JCM) for my 3 year old son. Our Scope fieldworker put us in touch with this particular charity and she also sent me a 'FunderFinder' form which will connect you with any local relevant charities.

Another way in which we have secured support for my son's lycra suits and summer schools is through the benevolent fund of my professional institute. Their support has been amazing and although we don't fit into any of the usual categories and don't qualify when means tested, their support has been overwhelming. Maybe you or a member of your family pays professional subscriptions to an institute that have a benevolent organisation linked.

Lastly, I have seen many articles about a trust called The Caudwell Charitable Trust who help disabled or seriously ill children (www.caudwelltrust.org). Have a look at the donations page on their website to get an idea what they have provided for different children.

Good Luck!

OK. I've just checked the website again. To find info on grants go to the "About Us" section on the toolbar at the top. Click on "Site Map" then under the Parents & Patients section you will find "Child & Family Grants". There is a Child & Family Grant's Officer, named as Karen Dobson (0154304620777).
On the FAQs they do specifically state that removable car seats can be funded.
They also state that the child's condition must be "inborn" & not due to birth trauma. A doctor/health professional's opinion needs to be given. I hope that this doesn't disqualify you.

I have a 20 month old baby who at present is still in a rear facing car seat. As you can imagine he is quickly outgrowing his current car seat and I need advise.

James still has very little head control and I have been advised that a standard car seat would not support James in an accident, if forward facing.

I have found a company called JCM that have an excellent car seat at a price of almost £700. Can anyone advise me of any funding avaiable as I feel this could be the start of a long financial struggle to provide suitable equipment for my baby.

Carla

My 3rd (age 6+) car seat has been paid for by social services and they should help fund specialist equipment, over and above that needed for any other 20 month old.

If your son has very poor head control, you can get rear facing car seats made by britax that will last till age 3+. I think in some countries (possibly Sweden) they encourage children to be rear facing much longer. This may be better for your son because I found the Recaro (if thats the JCM seat), when we tried it, to be more suitable for a bigger child.

I also took advice from the transport advisor from the county council who was able to bring in a variety of seats for us to try when we needed our 2nd car seat.

Good luck, it may take some time

Kathryn

PS My advice is to try to predict what equipment you may need 6 months in advance, as at least that way you may have a chance of getting it when you need it!!!! I have even taken to getting Ben's feet measured for summer sandals in March, so we can have them by July!!

Have you looked at the Britax Junior Traveller?

http://www.britax.co.uk/Catalogue_2004/juntrvl_2005.htm

We have one of these and are very happy with it and it costs much less than the JCM one. When we first bought it our OT bought the other OTs out to see him as she thought he was sitting in it so well! We bought it last summer for £140, just after our son's second birthday. At that point his head control was much worse than it is now (still not brilliant) and it does have a good support cushion.

The only other suggestion we had was for a Nordic Freeway (also Britax) which is rear facing for children up to four years old, but if I remember rightly was about £400. The biggest problem with that is how easy it would be to try and get a long 4 year old into a rear facing seat? Our OT didn't seem to think that there was any funding for carseats when we discussed it with her prior to purchasing one.

HTH
Dom

I recently recommended a friend to the charity "Newlife" (www.bdfnewlife.co.uk) as she was needing to purchase a special needs car-seat. They were very friendly, quick to respond & she now has a spanking new car-seat for her daughter!
I spoke to the Newlife representatives at the NAIDEX exhibition in May & they are keen to hear from parents of children who have special childrenwith an inborn condition noticed at birth or later.
Their phone number is 08700 70 70 20. I've looked at their website but the details for accessing grants are quite hard to find so I'd suggest phoning!
Good luck.

Hi there,
I wondered if any one can help with their experience of buying a forward facing car seat?
My son is quickly growing out of his rear facing seat, he's 9 months and about the right weight to move to a forward facing seat but his head control is poor. I have seen that Britax do a special needs one called the Junior Traveller Si, does anyone know if it's any good? Or if its really any different to their other seats, as it seems to carry the usual 'special needs' premium on the price!

Any help is greatly appreciated
Thanks
KH

Any normal forward facing car seat that fits both your car and your son should be fine. We got advice from our OT on our second car seat and ended up with a britax renaissance which we were very happy with.

If your son's head control is very poor you may need to get a bigger rear facing car seat they're not easy to find but again your OT should be able help.

Good luck.
Kathryn

Hi Tedwin

We have one of the Junior traveller seats and it works well for us. However we didn't put him into a forward facing seat until much later that normal due to his poor head control - we borrowed one of the normal 0/1 carseats (Britax clubclass maybe) from a neighbour so he could stay rear facing after outgrowing his baby carrier.

The Junior Traveller has lots of adjustable padding so the seat can be adapted to provide the right level of support and a much bigger head rest than normal. The other difference is an additional buckle between the chest pads which helps to prevent extension spasms pushing the child out of the seat. Our OT felt that he sat very well in this seat, but it would be worth asking what your son's OT feels he needs.

Try doing a web search for the seat if you do want to buy one. We bought ours for £140 from kiddiecare (I think) while other retailers were selling them for £200.

HTH
Dom

[quote=Tedwin,Feb 12 2006, 10:44 PM]
Hi there,
I wondered if any one can help with their experience of buying a forward facing car seat?
My son is quickly growing out of his rear facing seat, he's 9 months and about the right weight to move to a forward facing seat but his head control is poor. I have seen that Britax do a special needs one called the Junior Traveller Si, does anyone know if it's any good? Or if its really any different to their other seats, as it seems to carry the usual 'special needs' premium on the price!

Any help is greatly appreciated
Thanks
KH
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hi we have just bought a car seat for my little girl who is now 14 months, she had hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, she can not sit on her own and requires support for this whole body. i have gone down the route of trying every car seat in the car and then sophia in the seat to see if it suits her needs. we ended up with the britax evola 123. i have also looked at the recardo seat which would have been perfect but did not fit in our car. also britax do one called a lord. it is esspecially built but costs £400, if you child needed this on ethe ot could try for the funding. i have heard about a place in Milton Keynes that do specialist car seats and again the ot should fund this.

This was a discussion thread at the end of last year too (have a look on page 3 of the early years topics). My son is 4 and we have tried many car seats - he currently has a Recaro which was funded by a local charity. Unfortunately, it doesn't help too much with Aidan's head support though it does have a neck cushion. One of the best things that we have found is the horseshoe shaped travel cushions generally sold with tweenies or pooh bear accessories from Halfords. Aidan has quite a collection of these - at home, nursery, car etc for help in all situations and we have sewn hook and eyes to all of the them to stop his chin dropping all the time.

In the early days the OT frowned as it didn't encourage Aidan to hold his head himself but it does help towards a more comfortable ride.

Hope this helps

Hi,
Re: Poor head control. We tried everything to develop my daughter's head control, but it seems very unlikely she will ever be able to hold her head.

I just want to mention that her "corset maker" here in Denmark has developed a technique where a head capsule is mounted onto her base corset (orthosis). This is a HUGE help and has really improved her quality of life. It also means that she can travel upright in a forward facing car seat and look out of the window.
She's now 6½

If anyone is interested in learning of the technique (or passing the info on to your child's OT/ the person who makes casts or orthopæd), you can contact the company through their website: http://www.helios-anatomic.dk

Hi

We had the same problem with our son, he is now 8 years old. After he grew out of the rear facing seat we went for a normal britax seat, one that you could recline slightly and although he had no head control at this point he did mange in it. As he grew out of this one we went for the Britax traveller plus which cost about £385 (ouch!) This one has been excellent for him and we still use it now, it is just slightly bigger than the one you were looking at i think.

Our OT said that they do not supply car seats at all so we had to pay for it. The one thing that i will say is that these seats are very heavy and bulky to move from car to car so you may be better to go somewhere you can try your little one in a number of seat to see which would be best. If you can get away from paying the "special needs" prices yet then you may be able to opt for the larger special needs one which would last you until he was older.

There is also a company called JCM that do car seat not sure on price www.jcmseating.co.uk or try www.r82.com as well i think they may do them

hope this helps

Lynne

Hi Tedwin

I am also facing this problem with my little one. I am seeing her OT this afternoon and I will be asking her for her recommendations. My little one has a little head control but not much.

I shall let you know what she suggests.

Thanks for all the advice. I did speak to The in Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes, who were very helpful. Funding is a definite no in our area, so we'll see how we get on with everyones alternative suggestions.

We use the britax junior traveller, but I find that Ethan hyperextends his neck even with the head support. Otherwise, it does the job. Not sure if it's any different from a 'normal' car seat. We are planning to move on to 'wheelchair straight in the car' in a years time, as he's going to get too heavy to lift.