Special Needs Car Seat Program

MMI physical therapists / car seat specialists standing beside a child safety seat

Our Special Needs Car Seat Program is for families with children with special needs who are in need of a safe way to position their child in a car seat, booster or harness while being transported in a vehicle. Our team of board-certified pediatric physical therapists with specialized certifications as car seat specialists will determine with family input which seat most appropriately meets their child’s positioning needs.

Our guiding principles

We know that every child/dependent and family may have car seat needs that are not met with standard child safety seats or boosters.
Every child/dependent is required by federal law (LB 42) to be safely positioned while traveling in a car or bus.
Teamwork between families and their child/dependent, technicians, insurance companies and health professionals is key to meeting safe transport needs.

What to expect during a car seat evaluation

Our team needs a referral from your primary care doctor and approval from your insurance provider to do a car seat evaluation. One or two more sessions are needed after the evaluation to properly fit the car seat to the child/adult and to train the family on safe use of the seat.

Our hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Other scheduling options may be available at times.)

At your appointment, expect:

An evaluation that includes an interview about your child’s medical history and current car seat needs.
An evaluation of your child’s posture and strength as it relates to car seat positioning and safety during transport.
Discussion about types of seats and how they best match your child’s needs.
Coordination with durable equipment vendors to assist with ordering seats.
Follow up appointment(s) to assist with fitting the seat, placing it into the vehicle, and training the caregivers for safe use.

MMI accepts all forms of insurance. To make sure that insurance will pay for PT visits, we need the following:

Insurance company name, policy number and policy holder’s name; and
A prescription from your or your child’s primary care provider that says why PT is needed and in what setting PT is needed.

Special Needs Car Seat Program