Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology

Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

Definition

Assistive technology is “Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities”

(Public Law 94-256: Medical device amendments of 1976.)

I agree with the above statement. I think assistive technology is really anything that can be given to an individual that can help them lead a normal standard of living, helping adapt to the impairment they have.

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial

For this I have chosen the Apple Ipad. This is the second generation that was released in March this year. It is a whopping 600g in weight!, 240mm in height, 186mm in width and 8.6mm in depth. It has many functions such as a touch screen, music player, video player, internet, games, thousands of applications from the App store and a ton more features that would take forever to list off!!!!.  These second generation Ipads can start eating your money at $799 soooooo  $800 (don’t know why they do that, make it cheaper by 1c, do they take us as fools????)

This is a great tool for occupational therapy. It’s a fun way of learning and also working on physical and mental impairments. Using your fingers to use the Ipad can help with coordination and games or features that challenge the mind are good for memory and problem solving. When Dave came to see us all the way from the windy capital (much appreciated) he brought with him a whole bunch of toys..i mean assistive devices and by far the Ipad was one of the favourites. There are some ethical issues behind this though as in.... can a leisure item help with occupational performance? (hells yeah it can), will the use of some features be limited? (that war game James wouldn’t get off), and will clients see this as a leisure activity or a tool for helping them?

Here is a good video of a patient using the Ipad as a tool for training who has had a stroke induced hemianopia

Ipad for rehabilitation 

Tutorial Seven: Linking to blogs

I just did this whole tutorial and it just deleted itself, so I cant remember exactly what I had, im not happy, so this will be a weaker, quicker version.

Advance outlook
This is a great page for OT's to find out what the news is in their field, this blog has things such as the past and the future of conditions, new research, new devices and tools etc. It is a good blog for any therapist to check out!

Therapist tells all.....
This blog is a good one for the non pc therapist or viewer. This guy takes a funny approach to blogging and addresses topics one doesnt normally e.g gender fascism.

Wiihab
This page is all about the use of the nitendo Wii for exercise or rehab in general. On this blog I have made a comment and this is the hyperlink to it =)

Meta OT
This blog is for any OT, be it a student or an OT in practice. It gives the chance for anyone to join in on a conversation about technology, research, opinions etc. Another great blog for the fellow OT!

Natasha's blog
And this is a link to a fellow OT companion at the awsum Otago Polytechnic, ladies & Gentleman, boys & girls............. Natasha's blog...........look at it

Thanks =)
And no thanks to technology that took away my hour of previous blogging for this tutorial =(