What is it?
Measuring Mobility. Guiding Rehabilitation.
Walking is often a top priority of individuals after a spinal cord injury (SCI). To support this goal, physical therapists, who are tasked with providing interventions focused on standing and walking, need reliable tools to guide rehabilitation and track progress. Historically, there was little consensus on which measures to use and when.
To address this, Praxis launched the Canadian SCI Standing and Walking Measures Group in 2012. Together, researchers and clinicians developed the Standing and Walking Assessment Tool (SWAT)—a comprehensive resource that combines five validated balance and walking measures with a unique 11-point staging system. This standardized approach helps clinicians select the right measure based on an individual’s strength and functional standing and walking abilities.
SWAT does more than measure mobility – it identifies fall risks, flags readiness for walking, and tracks milestones like walking speed for safe street crossing. It empowers therapists to tailor interventions, set realistic goals, and optimize independence.
SWAT is now being done at all 14 Registry rehabilitation facilities, and is part of the Implementation, Evaluation and Quality Care Consortium (SCI-IEQCC) benchmark indicators. Recently, persons with lived experience of SCI (PLEX) helped co-develop a SWAT Progress Report to share meaningful data with those attending rehabilitation. SWAT is also being explored as a research tool in Activity-Based Therapy (ABT) for people with SCI.
List of Support & Educational Resources by Praxis
SWAT CLINICAL TOOLKIT
A practical guide for clinicians using SWAT, adaptable for different data collection levels—basic, advanced, and research. Includes rationale, tips, and resources to support clinicians and teams for broader implementation.
SWAT TRAINING
Interactive workshops (in-person or virtual) designed to help clinicians from our Registry sites confidently apply SWAT in clinical practice.
CLINICAL LEAD MEETINGS
Regular sessions facilitated by Praxis and the SWAT Lead Group to support ongoing implementation, share priorities, and provide learning opportunities.
SWAT WEBINAR
An on-demand resource offering an overview of SWAT, detailed instructions, and case studies to guide data collection and use.
mSCI-FAP VIDEO
Step-by-step video tutorials for four common walking tasks: Walking on carpet, Timed Up & Go (TUG), negotiating obstacles, and stepping up/down without handrails.
INSTEP E-LEARNING
Praxis provides access to ASIA’s online e-learning program (InSTeP) with certificate for clinicians affiliated with our Registry sites.