Tuesday 22 May 2012

tutorial eight


Assistive Technology
Assistive can be defined in many ways as there are many forms of assistive technology. One definition would be that from Jensen (as cited in Pain, Mclellan and Gore,  2003, p.14) stating that “any product , instrument, strategy, service and practice, used by people with disabilities and older people – specially produced or generally available – to prevent, compensate, relieve or neutralise the impairment, disability or handicap, and improve the individual’s autonomy and quality of life”
My personal understanding of assistive technology is that it is any product or device which has been adapted or can be assistive to the user’s needs in the ways that they require.
One piece of assistive technology that I have had the pleasure of using is the Go Talk communication range. There are 3 types and sizes in the range, the Go Talk 4+, Go Talk 9+ and the Go Talk 20+. This range is an electronic communication device. These devices allow you to place in pictures in the provided spots and link them up with recorded sentences or descriptions for each picture through the built in microphone. The differences between the range is that the number represents the number of picture slots that device has.
This form of adaptive technology provides an interactive way for clients to learn to pronounce words and make links between sounds and imagery. It can also be used as a form of communication for those with loss of speech or speech impairments. This was one device I used when working alongside OT’s and speech language therapist who were working with clients with dyspraxia.
The cost of these devices range between $260 and $490, the cost is dependent on the size/ model that you buy. They are not very heavy, weighing around 700 grams, model dependent.
Relationship with Occupation
 This assistive technology could be linked with occupational transition. The process of children transitioning through education levels is one example of where this device may become a crucial learning aid improving the transition through the levels of education as it is a device which can be made very interactive. Secondly this deceive can be used as a communication aid. By recording sentences that may be basic answers or questions for a person who has suffered from some form of speech impairment it means that they can use this device to communicate with those around them. This may help them transition more easily if they have lost a previous ability to talk/communicate by providing a new way of communication that is easy for them to use and doesn’t use a lot of energy. Another area that this device may be use is with clients who have dementia. The picture slots may be filled with family members or important friends with recordings of who they are and how they relate to the person making the device like a talking photo album reminder for that person. This may help to ease or slow the transitions when the onset of dementia begins.


Links:


tutorial seven


Tutorial Seven
This post is all about some of the blogs that I have linked into and found very interesting.

Paediatric blog: This blog is one that is being actively posted on by an Occupational therapist. Some of the post that drew in my interest was the blogs discussing hand function rehabilitation. I have a younger brother who has high tone in his hand and reading about these exercises allowed me to relate some of the information back to my brothers’ case.

Diana’s Blog: This blog is a fellow students blog and discusses similar material to what is on my own blog. The post of hers that I found very interesting to read about is her blog about assistive technology, The talking photo album. This sound like a wonderful piece of equipment that could be used with a number of clients’ whether it is a blind client that wants to keep a book of memories or a client with dementia that has a deteriorating condition and require reminders of how people in the album relate to them.

Recycling OT: This blog has a post regarding autistic children and has YouTube clips on it showing an amazing story of an autistic child. The clip provided a view of an autistic child from their own view and explains some of the stereotypes she has no control over. The OT creating this blog has links to the child’s blog and provides information and reviews on books that have been written about autism.

Occupational therapy for children: This blog consists of a range of post relating to development disorder that can be found in children. It provides the information that you require to know about each disorder and also information on how to work with children with these disorders.

OT Education: This blog is a blog that has been created to help OT’s and OT students stay connected and discover active blogs that are maintained by working OT’s and OT students. It links to blogs all around the world and provides a way to gain some incite of the profession.

Tutorial six


Tutorial Six
As a sibling who grow up around family with disabilities I have a clear understanding for the need for support from places where you can express your feelings and needs in a safe environment. Due to this I am basing this post on of the support groups and communities who provide services to families who are living with individuals who have disabilities or special needs and want help dealing with their feelings and the aspects of life that they are experiencing.

Family Network
This community is made up of various parents and family members that are living with a child or children who have a disability. Their aim is to provide support, information and advocacy for these families. The sites purpose is to help people become aware they are not alone, there are people going through similar experiences. The site is moderately interactive with links to contacts for joining a support groups and also links to a blog set up by the support groups. By having this link to a blog people have the options to comment on the information provided on the blog and also gain more information of what the support groups do. By joining this support group web page and blog or contacting them to become a part of a specific group, there becomes an opportunity to meet people who are having similar experiences to yourself, receive information on family outing and also helps to increase the personal support you require to manage your own life experience. People choose to be a part of this support group as they get the opportunity to feel that they are helping others while also helping themselves. As information can be shared on a blog the people who want to contribute have the option to.
Kids Health, Support groups A-Z:
 This is an interactive site that is run by an organisation who are linked in with StarShip hospital. The site links people into all and any abailible support groups for all sorts of conditions including head injury support groups, ADHD support groups and even support groups for those with arthritis. The site is very interactive and easy to navigate your way around. It provides access to support for family, friends and even the person that is having the experience and requires support.
Kiwi Families
This web site that provides information, support and advice to families that may need it. It is interactive as it links you in to other sites such as parent to parent which are a site for parents to communicate with each other. The site helps to link you in with families that are having similar experiences or have family members with similar conditions.

By joining the sites such as family network, Kids Health Support groups A-Z  and Kiwi Families can enable a people to ease into occupational transition. Making a transition from their prior life and occupations, to having a life that requires them to care for a child with a disability. It could also help to prevent occupational deprivation from occurring as when life has large changes made to it such as having a child with a disability some people cut themselves off, depriving themselves of any occupations they did prior to this child coming into their life. By receiving support from others that are experiencing similar things to themselves people may be able to develop new occupations and be involved in new occupations allowing them to replace the occupations they were being deprived of with similar or better occupations. Ethical issues that may be made could be that if an individual does not have an understanding of the site they are using they may end up posting personal information that they meant as a private conversation.
Overall each of these web pages along with many more help to link together people who are going through similar experiences and allows them to gain the support they need while going through any difficulties. Most people think people won’t understand if they haven’t experienced it and though these support groups people are provided with a way to communicate with those who do understand and that are feeling similar or the same as they are themselves.