Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology.

Provide a definition of “Assistive Technology”:

Provide a definition of "Assistive technology":

Assistive technology or adaptive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish such tasks.

Likewise, disability advocates point out that technology is often created without regard to people with disabilities, creating unnecessary barriers to hundreds of millions of people. Even the makers of AT technologies will often still argue that universal design is preferable to the need for AT and that universal design projects and concepts should be continuously expanded.

Assistive technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

Interpret this definition in your own words:

To me “Assistive technology” means anything that might help and assist an individual in some way.

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

A couple of weeks ago we had a guest speaker, Dave Speden, come to talk with us who is the head Occupational therapist at Kimi Ora school, which is for children with severe disabilities, and is located in Wellington.  Dave talked to us about many different assistive technology devices that the children get to use at school. It was a great talk, and we had a lot of fun the next day using the equipment, he brought with him.

One of the devices that I found really, interesting was the apple Ipad.  It can be used for many different activities, all by just touching the screen. It is great for using interactive applications with a class, or just with some friends. 

The ipad 2 is which is one of the later models and is 33 percent thinner, and 15 percent lighter than any other model, so feels much more comfortable to hold in your hand. It is about the size of a regular novel and is priced from $799.00 and comes with the following great features:

·         A dual core A5 chip

·         Multitasking system

·         Photo library

·         Smart cover

·         LED – backlit display

·         Multi-touch technology

·         Built in advanced 802-1 wireless technology

·         Gyro

·         Accelerometer

·         Compass

·         Allows you to AirPrint

·         Maps

·         Contacts

·         Calendar

·         Email

·         iBooks

These are just some of the amazing things you can do on an ipad 2 .

For a person who may have difficult using equipment because they are not able to use their hands easily the ipad is a great accessory for them to use because it only takes a touch of the screen – in whatever way they are able to work it so will enable them to be able to do so much more.  http://www.kimiora.school.nz/move.html

Below is a Youtube clip showing an autistic boy using an ipad to do his home work:

Assistive technology does not just need to be used for physical conditions - another example of the Wii being used to increase social interaction in older people is seen in the following YouTube clip:

 

Tutorial Six: The Internet and Online communities

Here is a very interesting blog about Autism.

Here is a Facebook site which allows people to talk about autism, and different aspects of this condition

This is Partricks success story. He is a child with Autism and it shows how he how he has learnt to deal with his autism at the Dan Marino Centre. Check it out!

Provide  description of each community. What services are provided on sites, how interactive are they, and can people contribute to them?

Shaping behaviour secrets blog:

This blog is as you can imagine by the title all about autism and talks about some of the different aspects of autism and how we can help shape an autistic persons behaviour.

Blogs are a great way of communicating information to the public about any topic you would like to share and it also enables people to ahare their own experiences of the different topics as well. It is a great way of informing people about topics and also learning more from others about it.

Patrick's Youtube video:

Youtube is a site on the internet which enables people to share photos, movie, and music clips with the public.  These can be made public so everyone can see them, or they can also be private so only those you want to see them can.  In Patrick's video clip it shows him hard at work learning new skills at the Dan Marino center, where an Occupational Therapist is working with Patrick to help him learn how to do these new activities.

These youtube clips are usually not able to be changed, or contributed to,  but people can make comments on the bottom of some of them.

Facebook site - autismspeaks:

This is a site that enables people to communicate, share information and ideas with others, and is also a great way to support other people, who we may not be able to visit in person, or communicate with on the phone. Facebook is also a great site for gaining more knowledge from other people about topics of interest because everyone is able to make contributions, and share their opinion.

Consider material presented in the online package.  Why do people choose to contribute to communities, what are they seeking, and is information shared one way or reciprocal?

In each of these communities people are wanting to share with others their experiences of the topic which is being talked about because they want to inform others and also gain more information back through chatting with others.  In most of these sites information is reciprocal and people are able to share and receive information back. Youtube is more a one way site as it informs people but most of the time is not able to be replied to.

Considering 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:

There are many ethical issues to take into consideration when you are going to use one of these internet sites to share information.  Some of these are respecting peoples privacy and making sure you get their consent before using any pictures, or information about them on the internet. Something a lot of people forget I think is once your information is on the net anybody can see it and do anything with it, including making changes to it.  It can also allow access to personal information sometimes that people may not want everyone knowing. These are just a few of the issues which need to be taken into account when using the internet.

Consider material presented in the online package and comment on the benefits these communities provide over traditional geographical communities:

The benefits of online communities over geopraphical communities are massive, because a geographical community only allows you access to information from a given area, whereas when you go online you are able to access information from around the world on any given topic.  It also allows you to get more information and help from a much wider array of people, both from professionals in the topic and also other people with an interest in the topic.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or cannot provide which traditional communities can?:

Online communities are great because they enable use to gain so much more knowledge, but that information will never be quiet the same as getting it firsthand from the original source.

Tutorial Two: Digital Imaging

Some of the ways that digital images are stored, transferred, and manipulated using information technology:

When I was a kid I grew up using a film camera that unless you took a lot of photos all at once using the full reel of photos( which for me took a long time) you couldn't see your photos till they were printed out. This is a big process of using a darkroom, with chemicals to develop them that you needed to know what you were doing to prevent damaging the photos, or you could take them to a photolab and then not know how many would turn out till you paid for them. These old photos had to be stored in packets, or photo albums which take a lot more time and energy to work with, and could be lost a lot easier, because you are not able to be stored easily, or as safely.
I'm pleased to say I've upgraded now and have a digital camera, which is SO MUCH better because with it I am able to see the photos as I take them, and if there are bad shots they can be deleted straight away on the camera, leaving you so many more good photos to take. Digital photos are so much easier to store as well, because they are able to be transferred into normal photos that you put in an album, or they can be put onto usb sticks, cd's, or put straight onto your computer where they can be manipulated using information technology programs that enable you to change and enhance different parts of the photo.

Some examples of hardware and software I am familiar with:

Hardware:
• Digital cameras
• Computers
• Cell phones
• Webcams
• Video cameras
• Ipods
• External hard drives

Software:
• Photoshop
• Macromedia dream
• Facebook
• Itunes
• Moodle/blackboard
• Emails
• Skype


Examples of using digital imaging to provide information and recording:

• Blogs - These as you can see are a great way of sharing, recording, and communicating information to other people. You can see by looking at the top of my blog that I have put in a badge which has enabled me to share some of my photos of places around Dunedin which I spend a lot of time at.

• Flickr - This is a site which enables people to share and store your photos. These photos can be kept private, or the person may want to make them public and then anyone is able to see them. The photos someone has on flickr can be transferred to peoples blog accounts.

• Youtube - This is a public site that enables people to share music and videos with others. Some of the clips on this site may have copyrights laws placed on them so it is not so easily used, but generally they can be downloaded onto computer systems, and peoples blogs so they can share them with others. An example of this can be seen in the OT rap video clip which I have downloaded onto my blog.

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature” Discuss the pluses and minuses of using digital camera technology rather than traditional film based cameras:

There has been many debates about whether the new digital photos are better than the old traditional film photographs and here are some pros and cons for both style of photograph:
Traditional film camera photos:

Pros:
• Fun process developing photos
• Surprise of what you develop on photos
• Clearer colour tones

Cons:
• Can’t see photos till they are developed
• Photos can get damaged during development process
• Photos can be damaged easily trying to store them
• If you lose the negatives you can’t get the photos back
• You can’t get film rolls developed anymore, at shops

Digital Camera photos:

Pros:
• Can see photos immediately
• Can take way more photos
• Have instant photos
• They are transferable – so can be put on usb sticks, or straight onto your computer
• Have better aim and zoom
• Better quality photos
• They are really easy to take and process
• More people have access to them

Cons:
• Photos can be lost if the memory stick, CD’s, computer, or hard drive malfunction
• Need enough space to store all the photos
• Restricted life of storage devices e.g. cd’s
• Being able to post them on the internet means people can lose their privacy
• Digital cameras use non standardised batteries/cables

Ethical Issues:
As there is so much information technology available to us in society today, it is important to remember the ethical issues that surround the use of photographs. There are issues about making sure you get a person’s informed consent to use photos of a person, and is it the photographer or the person who is in the photo that owns it???
Another ethical issue is Privacy, because for some people seeing a photo of themselves up on an internet site can be a real intrusion into their life and privacy. So it is important to remember that getting a person’s consent before using a photo is essential. This is also the case if you take a photo in a public place with other people in it, you need to make sure you get everyone permission first off before you publish it online, in any form.

Photos in Occupational Therapy:
The use of photograph by Occupational therapist can really enhance their work and make it so much easier for them. Some examples of the ways photos can help are:
• When the therapist goes out to do a home investigation of what changes need to be made so client can go home, it’s is great if they can take some photos that they can take away with them thus enabling them to do follow-up work away from the clients house.
• Another good thing about photos is they are used in catalogues and show people what products are available to them, and what the product will look like. Here is a website that shows different types of wheelchair: http://www.wheelchairgear.com/

Tutorial Seven: Linking to blogs of interest and excahnging comments

As part of this course requirment we are to link with another students blog! I have choosen Shilmoni because not only is she a friend of mine she has got a really interesting youtube clip that I want! Take a look at her blog and the youtube clip that jumps out to me is on tutorial one and is about a man learning to walk again using assistive therapy! Thanks Shilmoni :)

http://shilmonipo1.blogspot.com/

Another students blog of interest is Judith. Judith provides an interesting overview of her enjoyment of Scottish country dancing, a meaningful occupation for her! She also links to a number of OT blogs that I find interesting. Check her out at the address below.
http://judithevanspio1.blogspot.com/2011/04/tutorial-5-youtube.html



In tutorial five I posted video links about Autism and the use of the Nintendo Wii. This is what I am intending on using for my assistive technology report. Below is a blog of a mother who has a son with Autism. She speaks openly about the use of Nintendo Wii and how this brings joy, and learning opportunities to her son. I found this very interesting and helpful as it confirms that what I was seeing on my fieldwork placement is also evident out in the wider community!
http://special-successes.blogspot.com/2011/03/product-for-autism-wii.html

The autism Hub is a blog that provides both individuals experiences of having a loved one with autism and it provides scentific and up to date research on the effects of autism. This is a very interesting and help site providing many stories of individuals struggling on a daily basis.
http://autism-hub.com/

This blog has been written by a mother of Four who is balancing the act of being a mother, with the day to day challenges of having a loved one with autism and all of lifes other challenges. This is a very touching and moving blog, that would support other mothers who may feel they are struggling with having a loved one with autism! I admire this mothers determination and active sharing of her families experiences.

http://www.joysautismblog.com/

Tutorial Five: What are the rights of wheelchair users when using public transport?

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by YouTube.

Youtube offers videos and movie clips which could be informative or music of interest. It is a way of providing information on a vast array of topics, and categories. It provides an opportunity for individuals to share and comment on any topics of interest or importance to the individual. In a way Youtube is a media online library that caputres a mutitude of opinions and perspective and speical or topical areas that may otherwise be lost and forgotten!

Introduce a chosen topic of interest to OT's
As part of this course we are required to show ability to find and post five video clips from other blogs. The videos that I have posted are of special interest to me,or topical in the media at present. I hope you enjoy these and find them as interesting as i have. I look forward to hearing your comments about the videos I have selected! Although some of the video clips below are not speicific to my fieldwork experiences I feel very strongly about the issues discussed, and would like to hear others opinions. Having being previously discriminated against having had a TBI, I feel that I can connect and somewhat understand the fustration and hurt that may be experienced by these wheel chair users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_S8MqPIkGQ

http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/s2011-04-12-video-4113027

This is  VERY  topical issue at the present time within NZ and Australia. Jetstar ( a cheap air line carrier) has denied wheelchair users the right to fly on their plane, stating that a "caregiver must accompany them". However, the individuals that have been denied the right to fly live independently, without the need for caregivers, so dont need caregivers to travel on an aircraft. Some of these indivdiuals are competive athelets who are representing NZ at the para-olympics. They have previously travelled on long haul flights without assistance and with other airline carriers and this has NEVER been a problem! This goes against everything that we as OT's believe in. Including enabling individuals with a disability to live and engage in human occupations, and this also is a human rights issue! Jetstar is not allowing these individuals with the right to travel and have equal rights to participate in special events like the paraolympics and general holidays with the experience of exploring other destinations.

So the question that I have for you is..... What do you think should happen in this situation? Do you think that an athlete that is stronger than perhaps you or I but may not have the use of their legs, should be denied the right to travel on international and domestic flights? Do you beleive that this is a human rights issue? And what would you like to see happen to ensure that this does not happen in the future?

I Look forward to hearing everyones thoughts on this matter


How can OT help children with Autism?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITpedLBIjrY&feature=BFa&list=PL63F32507593CBED4&index=8

Pediatrics is an area of interest and I have a lot of passion for this area of occupational therapy. I love working with children, and love the joy of seeing a child smile and knowing that I have made a difference for them and maybe changed their life for the better and taught them a new skill. Austim is also an area of interest because I have previously worked with a large number of adults with Autism, but my goal in becoming an occupational therapist is to work with children and hopefully transfer some of the knowledge and skill that I have gained previously.
This clip here shows some physical therapy and exercise that may be used to mobilise children. Although i may not have learnt a lot of the underlying skills yet in my OT training i look forward to being able to understand this further.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M9V4pM0b5M&feature=autoplay&list=PL63F32507593CBED4&index=9&playnext=1

Whilst on a clinical placement in school in first OT, I was fortunate to work with a group of students that have autism and other disabilities. One of the tools that was used a lot for therapy was the Ninento Wii, in particular the sports were used such as bowling, golf, boxing, and tennis. Using the Ninento Wii got the students moving and using their cognitive abilites to work out how to move their arms and sucessfully play the games. It also gave them a lot of enjoyment whilst it was still a teaching resource that improved their learning. It encouraged them to socialise with other children, and taught good sportmanship, turn taking, sharing, and it gave these children the chance to expericence positive verbal apprasie and feedback that they often lack within their lives. The immense joy that the Nintendo Wii and the environment and socialization that it create was evident all over their faces. One child in particular springs to mind who does not tend to socialize and is usually withdraw from everyone in the class room, came out of his shell and was contributing greatly to the group socialization.
Below is a video link of a boy playing bowls on the Nintendo. He has autism and appears to be enjoying this expericence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GWBYZZKFf8