JumpStarts in Practice

by Charmayne Ross, DPTSc

My experience using JumpStarts in my practice has been positive. They have worked well with my young population, children between 16 months and 3 years of age, with low muscle tone (i.e. Down syndrome). The children have found the JumpStarts to be comfortable and easy to break in, with very little or no areas of pressure.

The flexibility of the plastic material used has been a major factor in the comfort and ability to break them in quickly without problems or need for any additional padding. The slim lines and non-bulky shell have been important for patients in purchasing proper shoes. Shoes that fit with the JumpStarts do not need to be so large to accommodate the bulk of the brace.

The affordability of the JumpStarts has also been very positive and welcoming, since I primarily treat very low-income families without insurance. Due to the reasonable cost, many families have been able to afford them, and our local regional centers have been open to authorizing to pay for them, versus the traditional custom-made DAFOs.