I 4th asking at Shriners since he already goes there and also the OT/PT. They should have a Social Worker who can help him with funding issues.
Also, working with an OT and/or PT who can help with fitting is really important. He should have access to them at Shriners and possibly also at school.
A couple of other things to think about:
1) Will he need it inside the house, or just when he is out and about?
If he needs it inside the house, a power wheelchair will be able to turn much sharper and fit into smaller spaces.
2) Does he have positioning needs? Scooters are usually a kind of basic seat, similar to an office chair. If he needs more specialized seating, that may only be available with a power wheelchair.
3) Power wheelchairs are usually more expensive than scooters.
4) Many scooters can be taken apart into smaller pieces to transport in a car trunk. Most power wheelchairs cant be taken apart in any way and will need to be transported in a van with a ramp or some other way to get it into the van. Same for getting into the house - power wheelchairs are too heavy to lift and if there are any steps, they may need a ramp to get it into the house.
5) If he will be taking it to school and rides a bus, the family will need to contact the transportation office in the school to arrange this. Even if a
scooter is tied down with a restraint system on the bus, its usually better to get off and sit in a bus seat instead of remaining on the
ECV. If someone can get off a power wheelchair, the company usually says it is safer to get off.
It is possible to get a power wheelchair with a transportation package that provides bolted on places to attach the restraint system.
6) Also, have her check her insurance. Wheelchairs come under the heading of "Durable Medical Equipment. There are usually copays involved in that kind of medical equipment - ours is a 20% copay, but different polices have different copays.
but that was just for the ramp.
