The MACA Guide
A best practice approach for allied health professionals supporting children with disabilities and medical conditions (under 16 years) with their vehicle seating needs
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Overview
Designed for health professionals (prescribers) who have completed MACA’s specialist online course, the MACA Guide is Australia’s leading prescribing resource. It is designed to be used with the resources and information on this website.
The guide assists prescribers with clinical reasoning and their decision-making process when working with families. It guides the selection of appropriate vehicle restraint products and strategies to support the child’s motor vehicle transport needs and the development of the child’s motor vehicle transport plan.
In addition, the guide supports the prescriber’s documentation for clients who are NDIS participants, demonstrating the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria has been met.
Components
Based on best practice, standards/regulations, government policy and research, the MACA Guide consists of three components:
Assessment and prescribing process
This outlines four steps in the assessing and prescribing process and includes a useful template that can be adapted to individual needs. Working through this process helps prescribers to apply their clinical reasoning to support a child’s motor vehicle transport needs.
Motor vehicle transport plan
This plan provides families with an essential record of their child’s motor vehicle transport needs. It assists with communicating their child’s transport needs and can be shared with other professionals in the child’s care team.
Advice to Parent form
The Advice to Parent form documents the prescribed vehicle restraint(s) for the child, the review period, and information about installation and use.
Assessment and prescribing process
The assessment and prescribing process outlines four steps in assessing and prescribing for a child’s motor vehicle transport needs.
Assess > Plan > Implement > Review
Step 1: Assess
Understand the needs of the child and family, and gather information about each vehicle the child travels in.
Step 2: Plan
Scan products, select, and trial vehicle restraint option(s) for the child, and develop strategies to support safe transport.
Step 3: Implement
Identify funding options, complete documentation for the prescribed vehicle restraint option(s) and provide education and strategies to support safe transport.
This step uses MACA's forms and templates to support families to comply with road laws.
Step 4: Review
Evaluate the current restraint option(s) and strategies to ensure they still meet the needs of the child and family.
Learn about standards, vehicle restraint options & products
Learn about Australian and overseas standards, vehicle restraint options and products used for children with disabilities and medical conditions.
I'm really looking forward to getting a copy of the MACA Guide through MACA's online training course and increasing my confidence in supporting child and family transport needs.
