Cause and effect play is essential for the development of young minds. However,
for children with mobility impairments, like cerebral palsy, this type of play might be
harder to achieve. The goal of StarRider is to provide these children with an alternative
way to move and participate in cause and effect play. Over the past nine months we
have been developing a cause and effect vehicle for infants and young children with
severe mobility impairments. Essentially, the vehicle is a motorized cart that can be
actuated by the user with a panel of buttons. This vehicle is intended to be used in
supervised therapy sessions, and allows the user to get the most out of cause and
effect play. StarRider includes a controller for the physical therapist to ensure the safety
of the child, and it also offers multiple control locations on the vehicle in order to
accommodate as many users as possible.