Tutorial Eight

For Tutorial eight we were asked to first define assistive technology. Assistive Technology is described “[a]n item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (Cook and Hussey, 2000, p.5). Also cited in Cook and Hussy, 2000 is what these technologies include. This involves assistive, rehab or educational technologies, hardware and software technologies, general and specific technologies, appliances and tools. Saying this in my own words I would say assistive technology is any equipment that assists individuals to carry out desired occupations.

We were then asked to describe one to piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial by Star Mobility. The product I have chosen is a talking photo album. This comes in A5, A4 and A3 sized frames. A5 costs $98.00, A4 $105.00 and A3 $122.00. The description on the STAR mobility website says “Combine literacy and ICT with this Talking Photo Album. Record your stories, timetables or messages with our Talking Photo Album. Simply insert drawings or photographs into the plastic wallets and record up to a 10 second message on every page. Great for Dementia patients” (STAR Disability and Mobility Centre, 2011, para 1). Next we were asked Trev How the equipment increased occupational engagement for the user? Providing examples from the tutorial and lecturer. STAR Disability and Mobility explained that these talking photo frames were useful for a variety of reasons. Firstly they could be used to help individuals with that cannot remember (for example that have dementia or a TBI) a description of the image in the sleeve. This could be a holiday or vacation, family and friends photos or anything else. Secondly they could be used for nonverbal individuals as a way of communicating to others, giving them a voice. Thirdly they could be given to individuals with reading aphasia as a way to remember recipes or other daily tasks such as the steps in dressing oneself. Many other examples of how this assist are explained below This piece of assistive technology helps give individuals independent and communication skills increasing their occupational engagement in tasks. Provide examples of the equipment’s use from online sources (minimum or 2 examples).  This can be done by hyper linking to blogs, internet sites, You Tube videos, podcasts etc.  How does this relate to occupation concepts introduced in tutorial one e.g. occupational justice, occupational disruption, occupational transition, or occupational deprivation?  This site titled Talking Photo Albums for Independent Living by Talking Products Ltd is an advertisement on a talking photo frame similar to the one at Star Disability and Mobility is used. It shows many ways it can be used to enhance occupational engagement. These include audible guidance for daily tasks, audible reminders, a way of medication management, a place to put phone numbers or emergency procedures, visual and audible instructions for operating domestic appliances, and a voice for someone that cannot speak. Here's its hyperlink http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=X2Rfa-6RmbE&NR=1. Another You tube site I came across was a News cast of a Talking Photo Album Project at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Adelaide. It was used to aid Dementia and CALD patients. Many positive results came from using this assistive device. This included reminding them of who friends and family were, reassurance through someone’s voice recording when someone is not with them. Also it could be used to communicate with people from a different cultural back group; it can also help maintain a person’s dignity.  The project said 1 in 3 people will suffer with dementia and the end of their lives, which is a high percentage, this device is a way of enabling them independence through occupation.Here is the hyperlink it was achieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=X2Rfa-6RmbE&NR=1. This relates to the occupation concept used in tutorial one of occupational deprivation because it enables individuals to overcome some of their disabilities and become more independent with their occupations enabling them to overcome occupational deprivation. Some examples of this are shown above these include audible guidance for daily tasks, audible reminders, a way of medication management, a place to put phone numbers or emergency procedures, visual and audible instructions for operating domestic appliances, and a voice for someone that cannot speak.

References:

STAR Disability and Mobility Centre (2011). Talking photo albums. Retrieved from http://www.starmobility.co.nz/recordable-voice-devices-1/aids/talking-photo-album-a5.html?options=cart

  

Youtube (2012). Talking photo albums for Independent living by talking products ltd.retreived from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=X2Rfa-6RmbE&NR=1 date retrieved 23/04/2012

           Youtube (2012).Talking photo frame project retreieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=X2Rfa-6RmbE&NR=1

retrieved 23/04/2012

Tutorial Seven

For this tutorial we were asked to link to 5 blogs related to Occupational Therapy

The first blog I found was on Paediatric OT tips, it was written by Dr. Anne Zachry is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist with over 18 years experience providing OT to children, along with caregiver instruction and support-as viewed on her profile http://www.blogger.com/profile/12412811562160693665 . This is her site http://drzachryspedsottips.blogspot.co.nz/

Secondly I found was a rehabilitation therapy called “wii OT” this is written by Mershon Hinkel (MSPH, OTPH). A hyperlink for this site is http://wiihabtherapy.blogspot.co.nz/

The third blog I have linked to was written by a stroke survivor it was written to share how a stroke affected our lives, and how through our stroke recovery experience, stroke survivors, stroke victims, caregivers and others might find peace, hope and encouragement, this is the hyperlink

http://www.strokesurvivorblog.com/.

The forth blog I have linked to is called “practice reasoning and reflection-Jess’ blog” It is written by a newly graduate Occupational Therapy student here’s the hyperlink http://www.nzaot.com/resources/specialist.resources.php

Lastly I have linked to another second year Occupational therapy student called Roxanne Waru her blog has interesting topics and I have commented on it.

This is the comment I left on her blog "those videos are really interesting, good work in finding them". This is her page http://otrox11.blogspot.co.nz/

 

Tutorial Six

For tutorial six we were asked to choose a topic of interest related to Occupational therapy, we were asked to find three online communities related to this and relate them back to occupational concepts done in week one. My chosen topic is dyspraxia. The first online community I found was ‘wellsphere-health knowledge made personal this site is http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/Dyspraxia%20&%20Apraxia’. Secondly I found the online community of the Dyspraxia Foundation, http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/index.php this has links to how Occupational therapists help individuals deal with this diagnosis. Thirdly I found a site called net mums where members ask questions and others answer them. A member who’s child had just been diagnosed with Dyspraxia asked the other mums about it on this link here: http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/advice-support-40/special-needs-disabilities-support-502/389707-dyspraxia-occupational-therapy.html

We were next asked to provide a brief description of each community I will be answering these questions altogether. These questions were what do you think is the intended purpose of the site?  Information can be linked here from the specific sites. How interactive is this site? How can people contribute? What do they contribute? Make comment on why people choose to contribute to each community. What is it they are seeking? And is information shared one way or reciprocal? Wellsphere say they are is America’s fastest growing health information and technology company.  Their mission is to empower patients and caregivers with the information and applications needed, to permit better health outcomes through the use of their products and services. Professionals contribute by posting articles. This is an interactive site and people can comment like, or recommend the page. They can also view the profile and email the writer of the site and discussion page for discussions. However on the Dyspraxia part of the site no one has commented. People choose to contribute to this community to share and retrieve knowledge; this is what they are seeking. Information is shared one way and people comment on it. The Dyspraxia Foundation aims to support children, families and adults with dyspraxia. It is designed to help or inform parents and children with the condition, support them with their condition and educate others about it. This site is semi interactive, you can become a member and login, you can shop through the site, contact them and you can make a donation but there is no place to make comments etc. People chose to contribute to this site to connect with others like them, to educate others on dyspraxia and to learn more about the condition see Occupational Therapist page http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/professionals/pr_occupational.php. This information is shared one way. Net mums is a UK site designed for mothers on the internet to ask each other questions, connect in the community and share experiences of being parents. After logging in any member can ask questions and other member’s answer these with their own experiences. People can contribute to this site through becoming a member and commenting on other’s questions. They use this site to share advice and their experiences as well as making friends and meeting face to face with other members of the site in real life. They share experiences and make new friends through this. Information is reciprocal and in the link above the writers comment on each other’s answers again and again.

After this we were asked to concider material presented in the online package. I believe the concept of occupational disruption is shown through dyspraxia (Developmental Co-ordination Disorder) because the individual will know how to do an action or say a word but will take longer to or not be not be able to co-ordinate themselves to do so. Because of dyspraxia occupational disturbance is found in everyday activities such as the process of catching a ball, handwriting or tying a shoelace. Because of dyspraxia children will experience trouble completing developmental milestones such as crawling, building up vocabulary and getting dressed. This means they are left behind their peers in occupational transitions made in their life. This can cause frustration and for both the individual and their parents/caregivers.

Next we were asked to consider material presented during the course and comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability. In the first online community I found ‘wellsphere-health knowledge made personal’ ethical issues would arise on the authenticity of the professionals writing on the site. However they have procedures set up so only professionals can post answers on this site to counteract this. In the second site written by the Dyspraxia Foundation only the authors of the site can post anything on it therefore the identity and accountability of the author is certain giving reliability to the site.  In the third site ‘net mums’ where members ask questions and others answer them anyone can set up and an account to answer questions. This makes these answers untrustworthy and the identity of the author is anonymous. Therefore there is no accountability for the authors.

Lastly we were asked to consider material presented in the online package and comment on the benefits and limitations these communities provide relate to traditional geographical communities.  In these communities anyone can join and contribute no matter where in the world they come from, they can learn new information and share knowledge with each other. In other words there are no geographical limits. However there is nothing like seeing someone face to face and there are limits to developing a rapport with someone in these online communities. In these online communities people cannot share food, come together for a meal or simply stop by for a cup of tea like they do in geographical communities also there is more ethical concerns as someone can pretend to be someone completely different to who they are.

Tutorial Five

The OT topic of interest I have chosen is Sensory Integration Therapy to overcome Sensory Processing Disorder. It is a neurological condition that causes some children to be overly seeking or overly sensitive to touch, sounds, tastes, smells, movement, and/or visual stimuli. It affects 1 in 20 children. (more on this is found in the description to the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JlnqUhXeU) Sensory Integration Therapy helps children with Sensory Processing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other learning and behavioral challenges.

Next we had to find four videos related to this practice area, these are below:

Here is an overview of many fun ideas and initiatives been used with children with Sensory Integration Therapy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JlnqUhXeU

This video is a lot like the first it shows some more ways it is used at Sensory KIDS where they use the STAR therapy model, developed by Dr. Lucy Jane Miller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Jm9G0cpxU

Next is an educational video about a USC Occupational Therapist called Aki Funahashi, who works with children in a pediatric therapy setting. In this video he talks about his practice and how sensory integration therapy helps. This is the hyperlink http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY_JKPt7spc

The forth video I have chosen is shown here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfOov_bSwXg. Occupational Therapist, Jean Davison, discusses Sensory Integration Therapy and explains what it is and who it helps. She shows how it is used with the children. 

The last video I had way a video that shows Aquatic Sensory Integration with a Pediatric Therapist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAu6d_Pabpo, this is slightly tangential to the main topic but quite interesting anyway.

Tutorial Four

For Tutorial Four we were asked to do a one minute long video based on a Occupational Concept. For this I chose the topic Occupational Deprivation.  For this we used the quote “if you draw it for me, if you cut it for me, if you paint it for me, then all you show is that you can do it better than me” to show that by doing something for others although you may mean well all you are doing is showing them that they can’t do things as well as you can. This quote was a motto of Hamilton North School where Briony Barnette had one of her placements. I think this quote is so powerful in the way that it suggests we are depriving others if we take their occupations off them.

The audio sung by my Flatmate Caleb Young used the song “I can do anything better than you” from the musical “Annie Get Your Gun”, we thought this was fitting as it showed the occupationally deprived persons conclusion (the one that was getting everything done for them), that when others did something for them that is the way they felt.