Until April 15, RESNA will offer a $50 discount off its usual $250 fee for the Seating & Mobility Specialist (SMS) exam.
The discount applies to applications received from March 5 till April 15, the organization said. The SMS exam focuses specifically on seating, positioning and mobility, and builds on the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification, which indicates “a certain standard of knowledge in numerous areas of assistive technology,” RESNA said in a news announcement about the discount.
To qualify to sit the SMS exam, a candidate must have ATP certification as well as 1,000 hours of direct delivery experience in seating & mobility and must prove professional involvement in such service categories as continuing education, presentations/formal instruction, mentorship, advocacy or publication.
Carmen DiGiovine, Ph.D., RET, ATP/SMS, the chair of RESNA’s Professional Standards Board, says of the SMS certification, “Wheelchair users and the clinicians and suppliers who serve them are being directly affected by a number of initiatives, so raising the bar by creating a standard that sets the professionals apart who have specific expertise is important. We are excited to support the professionals who have dedicated five, 10, or 15-plus years of their professional career to the field of seating and mobility by offering this discount, so that they can benefit from the competitive and professional advantages of SMS certification.”
RESNA describes the 165-question exam as covering the sectors of seating & mobility assessment; funding resources, coverage and payment; implementation of intervention; outcome assessment and follow-up and professional behavior. The test uses case studies, videos and photographs.
To download the application, visit resna.org/certification.