Tutorial eight: Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology

Definition of Assistive:

The definition of Assistive Technology devices: “Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized that is used to increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (Assisstive Technology, 2000).

Assistive technology is a broad term used to describe all of the procedures, strategies, devices, and plans used to restore the problems faced by individuals who suffer from disabilities.

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial:

Talking photo albums:

Size: The size of a normal photo album varies according to photo size, e.g. A4, a5, and a3.

Cost: Around $115

Functions: Talking photo albums have many different uses for different clients. Photos are put in the photo slots and you are able to record a recording under each photo. So you are able to push a button to listen to what the photo is about.

How the equipment increased occupational engagement for the user? 

This can be useful for people with different conditions. For example people with dementia can use it to put in different photos of their past starting from the early stages and progressing through time. This helps them to remember who they and their family are starting from the past, and then they can listen to what each photo is about and who is in it. This is a very good strategy to help them to remember their children when they were young.

Provide examples of the equipment’s use from online sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UhPyj1asQA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMLV409Sbdw

Occupational disruption refers to a transient or temporary condition of being restricted from participation in necessary or meaningful occupations, such as that caused by illness, temporary relocation, or temporary unemployment. The talking book relates to this concept as it acts as an assistive device to help people do meaningful occupations that they can no longer do. In my first you tube clip it shows how it helps a boy with autism in structuring his morning routine. In my second you tube clip it describes the uses of a talking photo album and how it can be used to benefit different people. This is very interesting as it shows all the functions and gives a better idea of how it can be used to assist people suffering from occupational disruption.

Reference's:

 Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice: Cook, A.M., & Hussey, S.M. (2000). Assistive technologies:principles and practice. St Louis: Mosby

Tutorial seven: Linking blogs of interest and exchanging comments

Paediatric Occupational Therapy Tips
http://drzachryspedsottips.blogspot.co.nz/
The purpose of this blog is to provide tips to the occupational therapist working in paediatrics it includes great tips including crafts, sensory activities and to play therapy. I picked this blog because it was created by an occupational therapist, had recent updates from this year and there was at least 30 different topics relating to paediatrics. It relates to occupational therapy because it is written by and occupational therapist for OTs working in paediatrics. Has some very valuable and reliable information.
 

Enable Occupational Therapy
http://e-nableot.blogspot.co.nz/
The purpose of this blog is to highlight the company of Enable to and describes how it relates to occupational therapy. I picked this blog because it  i found it very interesting as it describes how enable can help people become more independent in there every day life occupations. It relates to occupational therapy as it is a website that is made for OTs to discover new equipment and get ideas from the different articles about the equipment made by the company of enable.

ABC Therapeutics Occupational therapy blog
http://abctherapeutics.blogspot.co.nz/
The purpose of this blog is to provide information on paediatric occupational therapy, physical therapy and hand rehabilitation. I picked this blog because it looked like a credible website that provides in depth information about a variety of topics that relate to different areas of paediatrics in occupational therapy.  It  relates to occupational therapy as it highlights occupational therapy in two different areas, hand therapy and paediatrics.

Thriving in school, for occupational therapists searching for ways to improve school function and student participation
http://hosmerot.blogspot.co.nz/
This blog is written by occupational therapist Hosmer school, and provides information to improve school function and improve student participation. I choose this blog because i am very interested in the paediatric side of occupational therapy and i think that this blog provides some great information. This relates to occupational therapy because it is providing information for occupational therapists about how to get children with disability's thriving in school.

Salford University Occupational Therapy Education Blog
http://www.frederickroad.blogspot.co.nz/
This blog provides education about occupational therapy from the University of Salford, including shared experiences, ideas, presentations and photos. I choose this blog because it seems to have some very good information from a very good source. This relates to occupational therapy as it is a education blog about occupational therapy and it is very valuable information around different areas of occupational therapy.


A record of at least one communication as a result of your blog postings:

I have got a record of one of the comments I made on the blog that had paediatric occupational therapy tips.

 Ashley Given said...I love this idea of a tactile sensory board i have never heard of this before but it is such a great idea. Children love being creative but its even better when you can play and feel different sensations with the finished product. Good idea for occupational therapist working with children.

 Ashley

Tutorial six: The internet and online communities

On line Communities:


On line community one: Stoke connection
http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/strokeconnect/viewforum.php?f=175&sid=0e5fbe78dca77eff19c22952bcd31d3a

  Provide a brief description of each community
• The Stroke connect forum is for anyone affected by stroke. Stroke Connect provides a safe place to build connections with others who have a similar experience, pose questions, find answers, stimulate new discussions, get information and share stories. It enables you to meet others affected by stroke without having to leave your home.
• The stroke connect on line communities is very interactive because there is a forum were members can talk to other members and get more information about strokes.
 • People can contribute to the forum by posting comments on the forum, stimulate new discussions and share stories.
. • People can contribute their personal experiences with strokes, whether from their own experiences or with their family members. They can share their own stories of their experiences or ask questions to stimulate new discussions.

 Consider material presented in the on line package.
• This is a very good website for people to make comments and contribute on because it is very interactive way to meet and talk to other people who have had a stroke. This can give people a sense of belonging and community. And also by posting comments you end up learning more from other people on the forum.
 • Members are seeking to build new connections, learn new information about strokes, share stories with others and ask questions.
 • The forum allows people to make posts and people are able to reply to those posts.

 Ethical issues that may arise in this community
• With all on line communities and especially on this forum of stroke connect there are some ethical issues around lack of identity as you can never be sure who you are talking to or if they are who they say they are. In posting on the forum accountability can be an issue.


 On line community 2: Stroke support group

http://www.mdjunction.com/stroke

Provide a brief description of each community
• The intended purpose of this site is to create a community of patients, family members and friends dedicated to dealing with Stroke, together.
• This site is also very interactive as there is a stroke group discussion that people can post comments and read other peoples posts. There is also a forum with different topics about stroke that is available for members to use.
• People can contribute to the on line community by becoming a member and commenting on the group discussion or the forum.
 • Members can contribute their own personal stories, information they want to share or to communicate with other members, all relating to stroke.

Consider material presented in the on line package
 • I think that people who choose to contribute to this community are looking for an on line community to be a part of with other patients, family members, and friends dealing with stroke.
 • I think that members are seeking other people who are dealing with stroke and are looking to find mutual support so they feel a sense of belonging.
• The information is shared on a discussion forum and other members are able to comment and reply.

Potential ethical issues that may arise in this community
• Ethical issues that may arise include lack of identity of some members and accountability may also be a issue.

On line community 3: Inspire stroke support group
http://www.inspire.com/groups/stroke/

Provide a brief description of each community
• The intended purpose of this on line community is connecting patients who have had strokes and their caregivers, family and friends. Inspire connects patients, families, friends, caregivers and health professionals for health and wellness support. Inspire works with trusted health partners to build safe and secure health and wellness groups.
 • This community allows members to be interactive through an on line discussion forum where you can read other discussions and create your own discussions.
• People can contribute to the community by posting their own discussion and by replying on other peoples posts.
 • People can contribute any information or personal experiences they have had with strokes. Most common topic is new research done about stokes.

 Consider material presented in the on line package
• I think that people choose to contribute on this community so they can connect with other people who are affected in some way by strokes. This is not just patients but also the support network of those patients. It’s a great way to gain more knowledge and make connections with other people.
• People are seeking the opportunity to build on line relationships with other people affected by stroke and to gain support from people going through the same experience.

Potential ethical issues that may arise from this communities 
• Being on line communities comes with ethical issues especially around lack of identity of members and accountability may also be an issue. How my chosen sites address the relate to the concepts of occupational disruption and occupational justice
• Occupational disruption refers to “A transient or temporary condition of being restricted from participation in necessary or meaningful occupations, such as that caused by illness, temporary relocation, or temporary unemployment" (Advance in Occupational Therapy practice, 2011, para 2).People who have suffered from stroke may be experiencing occupational disruption and use on line communities to connect with others who are having the same experience.
• Occupational justice refers to “A state of prolonged preclusion from engagement in occupations of necessity or meaning due to factors outside the control of an individual, such as through geographic isolation, incarceration, or disability"(Advance in Occupational Therapy practice, 2011, para 2). People can use the on line communities as a way to socialise and build connections with people having similar experiences. Some people can become disabled from the effects of a stroke and may be unable to participate in the community any more .The on line communities offer a solution and a chance to interact in an on line community.

 Benefits and limitations these communities provide and relate to the traditional geographical communities
• Benefits:
• Can compliment traditional geographical communities
• Can provide large amounts of information
• Can provide connections over great distances instantly
• Ability to connect with people of similar interests
• Can foster understanding and unity

 Limitations:
• Digital divide
•Misuse.
• Delusional reliance on virtual communities which can affect their participation in traditional communities
• Rapid growth may result in unwanted or unperceived changes
• Limited communication tools
• Validity of information being shared

Reference's:

Advance in Occupational Therapy practice. (2011). Occupational deprivation. Retrieved from http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Occupational-Deprivation.aspx

Tutorial five- Video Productions

My chosen topic of interest is stroke rehabilitation drawn on from my previous fieldwork experience when i worked in a rehabilitation ward. I have found five different sources of on line video content that help explain, demonstrate, or provide personal experience of stroke rehabilitation.

My first on line video is about the effects of stroke on the human body. This is important to know in stroke rehabilitation so you can understand what the patient is going through and will be able to be more knowledgeable in the rehabilitation.

My second on line video demonstrates how occupational therapists can work with clients in stroke rehabilitation.

My third on line video focuses on strokes and what to do to rehabilitate someone who has had a stroke

.

My fourth on line video shows stroke rehabilitation from a physiotherapists and occupational therapists perspective

 .

My fifth on line video is about how occupational therapy benefited a patient personally.

Tutorial Four

Occupational Deprivation

The task we were set to do was to work together in groups of three to plan and produce a short film which is approximately 1 minute in length. We could base our films around the one of the four concepts of either occupational justice, occupational deprivation, occupational transition or occupational disruption. We had to plan and storyboard the film before shooting and editing it.

Our group choose to base our film around the concept of occupational deprivation. This is a " transient or temporary condition of being restricted from participation in necessary or meaningful occupations, such as that caused by illness, temporary relocation, or temporary unemployment" (Advance in Occupational Therapy practice, 2011, para 2). Story boarding was important in the planning process as it is a method of visual storytelling which involves illustrating the sequence of events that make up a narrative. Scripting was also very useful as we could write down everything that will be in the film and everyone was clear on what was involved.

Reference's:

Advance in Occupational Therapy practice. (2011). Occupational deprivation. Retrieved from http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Occupational-Deprivation.aspx

Tutorial two

Poi power point presentation

View more presentations from ashleylianne.

Occupational Engagement: Doing, Being, Becoming and Belonging

My chosen occupation is art and craft which involves being creative and allows people to express their personalities. I choose this occupation because on my second fieldwork placement I was placed at a rest home and one of the activities they did with the residents to help occupy their time was art and craft sessions. On my placement I was involved in taking one of the art and craft sessions which required setting up the art area and helping the residents do the art and craft. They did different types of art and craft including painting, mosaics, colouring in and paper Mache

Doing: The concept of doing includes purposeful, goal orientated activities; doing has been the traditional preoccupation with occupational therapy (Hammell, 1998a).

Being:  Being is defined as a time to reflect, be introspective or meditative, discover the self, savour the moment, appreciate nature, art or music in a contemplative manner and enjoy being with special people (Hammell, 1998a).

Belonging: Duggan & Dijkers (1999) describes the necessary contribution of social interaction, mutual support and friendship, and the sense of being included, to occupational performance and life satisfaction.

Becoming:  (Hammell, 1998a) describes the idea that people can envision future selves and possible lives, explore new opportunities and harbour ideas about who or what they wish to become over course of their biographies and how their lives might be experienced as worthwhile.

Ethical consideration:

When I made my power point about art and craft I had to take ethical issues into consideration. I ensured that I had informed consent from the people I took photos of and that all my online sources were authentic.

References:

Hammel, K. W. (1998a). From the neck up: Quality in life following high spinal cord injury. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, Unpublished doctoral dissertation.

Duggan, C.H., & Dijkers, M. (1999). Quality of life- Peaks and Valleys: A qualitative analysis of the narratives of persons with spinal cord injuries. Canadian Journal of Rehabilitation, 12, 181-191

Tutorial one

Definition of information and communication technology:
“Information and communications technology (ICT) refers to all the technology used to handle telecommunications, broadcast media, intelligent building management systems, audiovisual processing and transmission systems, and network-based control and monitoring functions. Although ICT is often considered an extended synonym for information technology (IT), its scope is broader.ICT has more recently been used to describe the convergence of several technologies and the use of common transmission lines carrying very diverse data and communication types and formats” (Technopedia, 2012, para. 1). This definition of information technology and information communications technology is very broad and is used to define all of the different types of technology used today and even the transmission lines themselves. This show how diverse and what a wide range of it,

 How information technology has become prevalent in our society:
IT has become very common in today’s society and most people use it in their everyday lives. Most people have mobile phones that they carry with them every day. Laptops are now replacing bulky computers with most New Zealand households having the internet that is used on a daily basis. People are using the internet to keep in touch with friends and family through email and social network accounts. IT is used in the everyday work and school environment, with computers, calculators’, I phones, I pads all being used to increase productivity and increase the effectiveness of learning. IT is all around is in our society it is used in working environments, schools, universities and our home environments. Although IT is very useful to make our lives easier many people can become dependent and lose touch with the natural environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W26GFQo1ne0

 What IT devices that I feel comfortable and confident using:
I’m not a big technology person but when I think about it I do use IT a lot in everyday life. I always have a mobile phone with me and use it to keep in contact with family and a friend although it’s just a basic phone as all i want to use it for is texting or phone calls. I am comfortable using basic IT that I am familiar with, but I do feel uncomfortable using IT I am not familiar with. Since I have started studying at a tertiary level it has expanded my use of IT as I am having use a laptop, the internet regularly and use technology in my assignments. I live on a farm at Raglan and until one month ago we didn’t have the internet but we had to get it so could use it do my study work. This is very uncommon as most people have the internet and are very surprised that we are just getting it. Although it has been very helpful as I can access the internet to do my course work. I have to listen to lectures, audios and do readings relating to my papers that are all accessed on the internet. So I use IT to engage in the purposeful occupation of studying, and i use my cell phone to communicate with my employer. I work in a retail store and I use the intranet to work the tills and manage the everyday systems to report to the head office. If the intranet goes down at the store I am unable to work the tills or run the store.

How information technology is used in Occupational therapy practice:
Occupational therapists use IT a lot to research information, to write and store patient notes and using phones to communicate with clients, their families and other work colleges. Although there is some issues that come with OT relying on IT too much for their work. It can cause Dislocation from their role, routine and become common place. Sometimes it can Create more work, and sometimes it feels like are things are not being made simpler. It can cause stress to therapists as there is always updated equipment and it is stressful to keep up, learn and cope with the new IT. Relying on IT can lead to dependence and there can be power failures, storage issues and there is always something newer and better than you already have. Although I can envisage IT becoming a potential tool of practice as some hospitals are now trying to implement that all notes are typed and stored on computers so there is no paper trail. A great understanding of IT will help us in our practice and daily lives because our goal is to enable occupation. To help people to do occupations we have to do in depth research, using the internet and find adaptive equipment/ technology to benefit the client. There is a lot of amazing IT devices that can help people who have illness, disability or injury to be able to participate in meaningful occupations that they are now not able to do. This requires the OT to have in depth knowledge about all the IT devices and equipment that can benefit their clients. It also requires the therapist to have knowledge of were to source the IT devices and equipment from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Bf9Sv8JdE

 Ethical considerations that arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices:
Although IT is beneficial there are ethical implications that arise from capturing, sharing and transferring of information via it devices.
 • Informed consent
• Greased data
• Storage and access
• Ergonomics and environmental adaptation
 • Is there and easier or simpler way?
 Greased data is can be a problem once personal information is digitized and entered into a computer on a network; the information becomes "greased data" that can easily slip across networks. Many people rely on IT to store and access information this can be an issue as many people are stopping paper trails altogether and just relying on computers. If something happens and the computers break then this could be a big problem and all the information can be lost. information technology there is today.

References:

Techopedia. (2012). Information and communications technology. Retrieved from http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24152/information-and-communications-technology-ict