--- title: Starting the Assessment with a Blank Slate - GTK description: In our busy clinical lives, it’s easy to rush through wheelchair & seating assessments, but one important aspects of an assessment is slowing down. Call GTK for help. image: https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/Starting%20the%20assessment%20with%20a%20blank%20slate%20image.jpg --- [1300 485 485](Tel:1300485485) [![GTK](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/logo.jpg)](https://gtk.com.au/) [![ndis](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/NDIS_logo_v2.jpg)](https://gtk.com.au/gtk-and-the-ndis) - [Home](https://gtk.com.au/) - [Products](https://gtk.com.au/products/) - [Manual wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/manual-wheelchairs/) - [Rigid Frame](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/rigid-frame/) - [Folding frame](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/folding-frame/) - [Tilt in space](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/tilt-in-space/) - [Power Assist Devices](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/power-assist-devices/) - [Paediatric Manual Wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/paediatric-manual-wheelchairs/) - 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[Tilt in space](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/tilt-in-space/) - [Power Assist Devices](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/power-assist-devices/) - [Paediatric Manual Wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/paediatric-manual-wheelchairs/) - [Off the Shelf manual wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/off-the-shelf-manual-wheelchairs/) - [Sport and Recreation wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/manual-wheelchairs/sport-and-recreation-wheelchairs/) - [Manual Wheelchair Accessories](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/wheelchair-accessories/manual-wheelchairs-accessories/) - [Manual Wheelchair Parts](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/wheelchair-accessories/manual-wheelchair-parts/) - [Powered Wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/power-wheelchairs/) - [Front wheel drive](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/powered-wheelchairs/front-wheel-drive/) - [Centre wheel drive](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/powered-wheelchairs/centre-wheel-drive/) - [Rear wheel drive](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/powered-wheelchairs/rear-wheel-drive/) - [Off Road Power Wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/powered-wheelchairs/off-road-wheelchairs/) - [Paediatric Power Wheelchairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/powered-wheelchairs/paediatric-power/) - [Electronics and Drive Controls](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/wheelchair-accessories/electronics/) - [Power Wheelchair Accessories](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/wheelchair-accessories/power-wheelchair-accessories/) - [Power Wheelchair Parts](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/wheelchair-accessories/parts-powered-wheelchairs/) - [Seating and Positioning](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/seating-and-positioning/) - [Cushions](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/cushions/) - [Backrests](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/backrests/) - [Seating systems](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/seating-systems/) - [Headrests](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/headrests/) - [Belts and harnesses](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/belts-and-harnesses/) - [Seating Accessories](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/seating-accessories/) - [Seating Parts](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/seating-and-positioning/seating-parts/) - [Strollers](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/strollers/) - [In the home](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/in-the-home/) - [Alternative seating and 24hr positioning](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/in-the-home/alternative-seating-and-24hr-positioning/) - [Beds](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/in-the-home/beds/) - [Commodes and shower chairs](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/in-the-home/commodes-and-shower-chairs/) - [Hoists and slings](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/in-the-home/hoists-and-slings/) - [Mattresses](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/in-the-home/mattresses/) - [Standing frames](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/standing-frames/) - [Walking frames](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/walking-frames/) - [Transport and access](https://gtk.com.au/product-category/transport-and-access/) - [Car seats](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/transport-and-access/car-seats/) - [Ramps](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/transport-and-access/ramps/) - [Online Store](https://gtk.com.au/disability-equipments/online-store/) - [About Us](https://gtk.com.au/about-us/) - [Resources](https://gtk.com.au/about-us/#) - [GTK and the NDIS](https://gtk.com.au/gtk-and-the-ndis/) - [GTK blog](https://gtk.com.au/blog/) - [Events](https://gtk.com.au/event/) - [Contact Us](https://gtk.com.au/contact-us/) - [Referral/Assessment Form](https://gtk.com.au/referral-assessment-form/) - [Service Enquiry Form](https://gtk.com.au/service-enquiry-form/) - Search ##### ULTIMATE ACTIVEWEAR # Starting the Assessment with a Blank Slate ![Ashleigh Haskins](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/Ashleigh_Haskins.jpg) By Ashleigh Haskins Apr 8, 2020 [Wheelchair](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/wheelchair) [![wheelchair & seating assessments](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/Starting%20the%20assessment%20with%20a%20blank%20slate%20image.jpg)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/starting-the-assessment-with-a-blank-slate) In our increasingly busy clinical lives, it’s easy to rush through wheelchair and seating assessments, relying on information gleaned from past assessments and solely using the client’s existing equipment to determine what their future wheelchair and seating solution will look like. But one of the most important aspects of completing a thorough, high-quality wheelchair and seating assessment is slowing down and starting with a blank slate. Walking into the assessment with a blank slate does not mean that you approach the assessment without considering the client’s medical and functional history, it simply means that you try to enter the assessment process without any preconceived ideas of what you are going to recommend.  While it’s important to be aware of a client’s diagnosis, when we arrive at the assessment with the diagnosis at the front of our minds it’s easy to overlook the client as a whole person. While it’s imperative to know whether their condition is degenerative or progressive, or whether people with this condition tend to experience certain functional limitations, we need to remember that everyone’s experience of their disability is different and people rarely tick every box on that particular diagnosis’s checklist.   A client’s current wheelchair and seating system can also often lull us into assuming a similar set up must be the best option for their next wheelchair. If a client is referred for a new wheelchair and they have a [tilt-in-space wheelchair](https://gtk.com.au/product/invacare-solara-tilt-in-space-wheelchair/) with custom seating, it’s easy to conclude that the person has complex seating needs with limited ability to self-propel, and that a new tilt-in-space wheelchair with a customised seating solution is the most suitable option to recommend. For many of our clients, this may be correct. But for some of our clients, their functional abilities and their needs may have changed. We may be missing the opportunity to find them a mobility solution which better suits their needs and increases their functional skills and quality of life.   It’s vital that we honour our skills and knowledge as clinicians and complete a thorough assessment that ensures our clients receive the most suitable recommendation for their needs. Such an assessment will usually include a MAT evaluation as part of it to ensure we’re properly assessing their postural needs. The assessment process might take longer but approaching each client with a blank slate will help to ensure that all our clients receive the best therapy service possible. [![Get In Touch With Us](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/4855549/b5649422-c4bd-4a45-ac97-db734c42de8c.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/4855549/b5649422-c4bd-4a45-ac97-db734c42de8c) Search ### CATEGORIES - [Insider (4)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/insider) - [manual wheelchairs (1)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/manual-wheelchairs) - [Mobility Scooters (1)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/mobility-scooters) - [power wheelchairs (3)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/power-wheelchairs) - [Wheelchair (7)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/wheelchair) ### RECENT POSTS ### TAGS - [Wheelchair (7)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/wheelchair) - [Insider (4)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/insider) - [power wheelchairs (3)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/power-wheelchairs) - [Mobility Scooters (1)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/mobility-scooters) - [manual wheelchairs (1)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/manual-wheelchairs) ![Ashleigh Haskins](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/Ashleigh_Haskins.jpg) **Ashleigh Haskins** [More by Ashleigh Haskins](https://blog.gtk.com.au/author/ashleigh-haskins) Share Tags [Wheelchair](https://blog.gtk.com.au/tag/wheelchair) [![Read](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/read-icon.png?t=1539529099080)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/starting-the-assessment-with-a-blank-slate) [![Creating Accessibility in Business](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/accessibility.jpg?width=720&name=accessibility.jpg)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-business) Oct122020 ## [Creating Accessibility in Business](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-business) In Australia, 1 in 5 people are living with a disability. And of those 20% (just under 4 million people), 4.4% are in a wheelchair. [Read More](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-business) ![Read](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/read-icon.png) [![Creating Accessibility in a Restaurant](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/resturaunt.jpg?width=720&name=resturaunt.jpg)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-restaurant) Oct082020 ## [Creating Accessibility in a Restaurant](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-restaurant) Dining out at a restaurant is a treat and who doesn’t want to spend that time eating delicious food, talking with friends and family, and not having to deal with cooking or cleaning up afterwards!? [Read More](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-restaurant) ![Read](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/read-icon.png) [![Creating Accessibility in a Service Based Business](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/service.jpg?width=720&name=service.jpg)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-service-based-business) Oct022020 ## [Creating Accessibility in a Service Based Business](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-service-based-business) A service-based business is just as the name suggests - the business owner sells skills rather than a product. This includes a range of business types, from plumbers and electricians, through to... [Read More](https://blog.gtk.com.au/creating-accessibility-in-a-service-based-business) ![Read](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/read-icon.png) [![The position of a pelvic belt – the secret is in your hands](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20position%20of%20a%20pelvic%20belt%20%E2%80%93%20the%20secret%20is%20in%20your%20hands%20image%20(1)-min.jpg?width=720&name=The%20position%20of%20a%20pelvic%20belt%20%E2%80%93%20the%20secret%20is%20in%20your%20hands%20image%20(1)-min.jpg)](https://blog.gtk.com.au/the-position-of-a-pelvic-belt-the-secret-is-in-your-hands) Apr302020 ## [The position of a pelvic belt – the secret is in your hands](https://blog.gtk.com.au/the-position-of-a-pelvic-belt-the-secret-is-in-your-hands) We all know that in seating, pelvic positioning is the key to postural alignment. It dictates the position of the trunk and head and as a result, how we use our extremities to function. Whilst we... [Read More](https://blog.gtk.com.au/the-position-of-a-pelvic-belt-the-secret-is-in-your-hands) ![Read](https://blog.gtk.com.au/hubfs/GTK_October2018-Theme/Images/read-icon.png) ### About GTK Because GTK provides more than just mobility, you will be purchasing the Ultimate Activewear. So how active will you be today... ©2017 GTK Privacy Policy ### Follow us - - - ### Newsletter