ITAA-KSCT Joint Symposium

Assessing the Needs of Children With Sialorrhea in Relation to Clothing Protectors

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Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify general needs and users’ perceptions of current clothing protectors for children with sialorrhea. The Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic, Accessibility (FEA2) consumer needs model (Hall & Lobo, 2018) was used, which is an expanded version of the FEA model (Lamb & Kallal, 1992) and helps assess the broader needs of functional apparel of end user. Results showed that teachers and parents caregiving for children with sialorrhea have some needs that are met and others that are not met by the existing clothing protectors. They are generally satisfied with the function and affordability of their existing solutions, although affordability becomes more of a concern for users who have less access to homemade, donated solutions and need to turn to commercial products. These results highlight the need for commercial clothing protectors that incorporate textiles with greater color and pattern options and improved breathability.

Keywords: sialorrhea, needs, assessment, protector

How to Cite:

Ren, J., Li, B., Cunha, A. B., Palmer, D., Cao, H., Gorea, A. & Lobo, M. A., (2022) “Assessing the Needs of Children With Sialorrhea in Relation to Clothing Protectors”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13379