Define Assistive technology
Assistive or Adaptive Technology commonly refers to "...products, devices or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities...", according to the definition proposed in the Assistive Technology Act of 1998.
Assistive Technology products can enable people with disabilities to accomplish daily living tasks, assist them in communication, education, work or recreation activities, in essence, help them achieve greater independence and enhance their quality of life. Assistive Technology devices can help improve physical or mental functioning, overcome a disorder or impairment, help prevent the worsening of a condition, strengthen a physical or mental weakness, help improve a person's capacity to learn, or even replace a missing limb.
Retreived on 01 of May 2011 from
http://www.rehabtool.com/forum/discussions/1.html
In a nut shell assistive technology, as mentioned in the above defination and as the word suggessts itself, to assist, support, enhance, improve, lengthen, accomplish ADL and overall improve the quality of life for an individual with disability with the help of technology.
Technology is tailor made to suit and fit the needs and wants of the individual, hence modified to cater to their needs. Assisitive Technology is developed to better the quality of lives of individuals who have impairments of kinds like physical or mental.
Recently we had a lecture on Assisitive Technology by Dave an OT form Wellington and i personally was very taken up with the amount of assistive gadgets to assist clients. There were Ipads, talking books, bed alarms, modified switches, white board, toys for young children, and wheel chairs etc.
I was personally very taken up and impressed with the white board/smart board.
The Smart Board is a reveloutionary white board in general having the features of a computer with touch screen facility on it.
The smart board can have either the 2Touch IWB which is an interractive way to resource and get access to the net and computer.
Due to financial constraints put upon educational systems , there is an alternative to the 2 Touch IWB which has the pen based affordability of the Interactive Gecko.
If you want to know more about them , you can click on the link below.
http://www.manzana.co.nz/html/solutions_intWhiteboards.php?sector=educ
http://www.manzana.co.nz/html/productDisplay.php?sector=educ&id=5634&return=L2h0bWwvc29sdXRpb25zX2ludFdoaXRlYm9hcmRzLnBocD9zZWN0b3I9ZWR1YyM1NjM0
http://www.manzana.co.nz/html/productDisplay.php?sector=educ&id=6018&return=L2h0bWwvcHJvZHVjdERpc3BsYXkucGhwP3NlY3Rvcj1lZHVjJmlkPTYwMTYmcmV0dXJuPUwyaDBiV3d2Y21WemIzVnlZMlZ6WDNacFpHVnZMbkJvY0Q5elpXTjBiM0k5WldSMVl5TTJNREUy
Manzana Limited 192C Wairau Rd, Glenfield, Auckland, NZ PO Box 34-619, Birkenhead, Auckland, NZ
0800-200-121 P: +64-9-440-9988 F: +64-9-440-9989 sales@manzana.co.nz
The above Address and ph np are of the company Manzana ltd. who specialise in the production and sales of White board and Smart Boards in NZ
Here is a cite i found on Daves Educational sector on Smart boards...... feel free to view the link below
http://davecormier.com/edblog/2010/05/15/smartboards-its-about-the-technology-and-it-isnt/
Retrieved on May02 2011 from
http://www.priceme.co.nz/Whiteboards/c-1704.aspx
the prices vary with different brands . You can follow the link above to get some quotes for the cost of White boards and their models and accessories.
This is a very useful and interractive device for the education system. It helps children to be more interractive and definately engages them more. They have a fun way of learning which helps in retaining the information better. Every child feels involved in the classroom and the interestlevel rises, learning becoming easy for all. especially for children with learning difficulties, it is a very useful assistive technology.
It is the new generation learning tool and is becoming ever so popular.
Here is a site i found where parents bring home the white board and it is marvellous.....
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2011/04/05/north-vancouver-parents-bring-smart-boards-to-school.aspx
If we can get our funding together and get the cost hurdel out of the way, then we should alll vouch for the smart boards for our children and the education system.
They are a great way of learning.
Monday 2 May 2011
Sunday 1 May 2011
Tutorial seven
Comments on fellow OT's blogs
Blogs are a great interractive tool and can allow you to leave comments and view one anothers blogs and keep up to date with the latest in the Ot world as well as other blogs of your interest.
It is also a great learning tool .
Ot's can suuport and teach their clients through the blogs as well.
We learnt quite a lot about blogging and it has been quite a new eye opener for me and i already feel empowered by learning how to blog and follow blogs. The Ot world has suddenly oened up for me and i can connect with other professionals and their expert opinions through blogs.
It is almost as addictive as Face book if not more!!!
Blogs are a great interractive tool and can allow you to leave comments and view one anothers blogs and keep up to date with the latest in the Ot world as well as other blogs of your interest.
It is also a great learning tool .
Ot's can suuport and teach their clients through the blogs as well.
We learnt quite a lot about blogging and it has been quite a new eye opener for me and i already feel empowered by learning how to blog and follow blogs. The Ot world has suddenly oened up for me and i can connect with other professionals and their expert opinions through blogs.
It is almost as addictive as Face book if not more!!!
Tutorial Six
Ethical issues
With online material and blogging, one thing we cannot be sure is the authenticity of the user or the viewer. There may be cases of dual identity and accountability. It is true that there have been many instances of people impersonating one another to hide their real identity.
Therefore the real accountibilty of who, where, and when, in the virtual world is questionable.
Suppose somebody uploads videos or photos on to the web and people watch it and forward it around and soon it becomes public property, one does not know how the wave started and where it is going to go.
It can develope into a viscious circle and can be very harmful at times.
There is no real control over picture and video material as it is not in person, but in the virtual world.
Benifits of Online material
Online communities can reach out to clients and people with their message and therapies and professional opinions in a much quicker time frame. They reach out to a wider community and can reach out globally without the constraint of space and funding organisation.
The message can be delivered over a wider strata of society and it can be easily accessed, without any fuss.
There is no restriction of geographical boundary, and do not have to travel over great distances thus eliminating time and cost of travelling.
Online communities offers you a wider choice of topics and they are updated regularly.
Everyone can access material without any cost involved.
Draw backs of Online communities
Online communities are not personally present therefore they lack the personal warmth and social touch, that only a face to face meeting can bring about.
One can also question the authenticity of online communities, as it is all posted online, and distance and geographical loaction could pose to be draw back rather than an advantage.
No one in particular is responsible for matters that could go wrong as there is no face attatched with Online communities.
One cannot sit down in a park or a cafe to enjoy a cup of tea and have a cosy chat with online communities.
The social element is lacking in Online communities.
With online material and blogging, one thing we cannot be sure is the authenticity of the user or the viewer. There may be cases of dual identity and accountability. It is true that there have been many instances of people impersonating one another to hide their real identity.
Therefore the real accountibilty of who, where, and when, in the virtual world is questionable.
Suppose somebody uploads videos or photos on to the web and people watch it and forward it around and soon it becomes public property, one does not know how the wave started and where it is going to go.
It can develope into a viscious circle and can be very harmful at times.
There is no real control over picture and video material as it is not in person, but in the virtual world.
Benifits of Online material
Online communities can reach out to clients and people with their message and therapies and professional opinions in a much quicker time frame. They reach out to a wider community and can reach out globally without the constraint of space and funding organisation.
The message can be delivered over a wider strata of society and it can be easily accessed, without any fuss.
There is no restriction of geographical boundary, and do not have to travel over great distances thus eliminating time and cost of travelling.
Online communities offers you a wider choice of topics and they are updated regularly.
Everyone can access material without any cost involved.
Draw backs of Online communities
Online communities are not personally present therefore they lack the personal warmth and social touch, that only a face to face meeting can bring about.
One can also question the authenticity of online communities, as it is all posted online, and distance and geographical loaction could pose to be draw back rather than an advantage.
No one in particular is responsible for matters that could go wrong as there is no face attatched with Online communities.
One cannot sit down in a park or a cafe to enjoy a cup of tea and have a cosy chat with online communities.
The social element is lacking in Online communities.
Tutorial Six
Three Online Communities
http://counsellingresource.com/features/
The above mentioned topics can be researhed and used in this blog. It is very interractive and involves active participation.
This interraction helps and supports people with mental health issues. It also educates other professionals with upto date knowledge and therapies.
There are doctors and psychologist online and you can ask them questions and the waiting time is not that long either. Just 5 to 7 minutes.
You can follow thsi blog on
The above topics are just a few topics that can be researched .
http://www.moritherapy.org/
The above mentioned website is yet another website that has many interractive sites about mental health. it is quite a personal blog with personal stories and experiences being narrated.
Change Therapy making lives better , making better lives and it literally offers people a space to express their views and personal stories.
Some of the catogeries discussed are:
"have you ever thought about killing yourself? i have. for many, many years i thought that was totally normal. it wasn’t until my life got much better that i noticed the absence of this soothing thought: to just disappear myself … now, when that kneejerk image arises occasionally, i know it’s a warning sign: something’s not right.
i grew up thinking that suicide was a completely normal way to die. some people die of cancer, others of old age, and others of suicide. the good thing is that this normalized suicide. the bad thing is that this normalized suicide."
here’s a strange question.
how does your brain feel?
yes, feel that brain. just for a moment.
sometimes it feels like it works well, doesn’t it? maybe that was a long time ago. but there probably was a time when it felt like it worked pretty well. maybe when you played with that dog. oh – dogs aren’t your thing. sorry. maybe – maybe it was when you hung out with your buddy when you were six … can you do me a favour, look for a time when your brain worked ok?
thanks.
so … i wonder … how does your brain feel right now, compared to that time when it worked well? is there a difference?
there is?
it feels a little – weirder, doesn’t it? maybe a bit cloudy? or perhaps it’s a just a bit noisy in there.
can you do me, and yourself a big favour?
Some of the interraction that was going on in the above personal story about a lady suffering with depression.
http://counsellingresource.com/features/
"Looking at life through the prism of psychology, philosophy, mental health and more. Originally created by counsellor, psychotherapist and philosopher Dr Greg Mulhauser, this blog is now the work of an international team of contributors." As the above mentioned blog cite mentions, this site was developed by Dr. Greg Mulhauser, but is a common site for many professionals. It shares many invaluable information and support tools for all online and is an interractive site. I enjoy reading up on the latest on mental health issues. It also has the facility to ask online questions for a psychologist.
- Mental Health Search
- Online Counselling
- About Therapy
- Types of Therapy
- Ask the Psychologist
- Types of Psychological Distress
- Tests & Quizzes
- Medications
- Blog & Features
- Mental Health News
- Bibliography
- Book Reviews
- Online Supervision
- Develop Your Practice
- Other Web Resources
- About
- Contact
- Privacy
- Feeds
- Advertising
This interraction helps and supports people with mental health issues. It also educates other professionals with upto date knowledge and therapies.
There are doctors and psychologist online and you can ask them questions and the waiting time is not that long either. Just 5 to 7 minutes.
You can follow thsi blog on
- yahoo
- Newsvine
- Webnews
- linkshares
- Myspace
- iorbix
politics public health relationships site news society therapy work-life
More mental health topics »
More mental health topics »
The above topics are just a few topics that can be researched .
http://www.moritherapy.org/
The above mentioned website is yet another website that has many interractive sites about mental health. it is quite a personal blog with personal stories and experiences being narrated.
Change Therapy making lives better , making better lives and it literally offers people a space to express their views and personal stories.
Some of the catogeries discussed are:
- Twelve step discussion
- Addiction
- Alcohol
- Blogs of note
- Cancer
- Communications
- Creativity
- Poetry
- Art
- Depression and mental health
"have you ever thought about killing yourself? i have. for many, many years i thought that was totally normal. it wasn’t until my life got much better that i noticed the absence of this soothing thought: to just disappear myself … now, when that kneejerk image arises occasionally, i know it’s a warning sign: something’s not right.
i grew up thinking that suicide was a completely normal way to die. some people die of cancer, others of old age, and others of suicide. the good thing is that this normalized suicide. the bad thing is that this normalized suicide."
here’s a strange question.
how does your brain feel?
yes, feel that brain. just for a moment.
sometimes it feels like it works well, doesn’t it? maybe that was a long time ago. but there probably was a time when it felt like it worked pretty well. maybe when you played with that dog. oh – dogs aren’t your thing. sorry. maybe – maybe it was when you hung out with your buddy when you were six … can you do me a favour, look for a time when your brain worked ok?
thanks.
so … i wonder … how does your brain feel right now, compared to that time when it worked well? is there a difference?
there is?
it feels a little – weirder, doesn’t it? maybe a bit cloudy? or perhaps it’s a just a bit noisy in there.
can you do me, and yourself a big favour?
Some of the interraction that was going on in the above personal story about a lady suffering with depression.
Tutorial Six
Online Communities
Surfing the net is a very common part of our everyday language. Acquiring knowledge and information has become very simple as almost everything is available on the internet. Any topic that we are unsure about or need more information on, we simply log on and google it. There are various types of online communities that are out there supporting, enhancing, meeting up, chatting for social reasons, etc. There are communities that are purely there for literary reasons, and others are interested in the arts and music and crafts area. There are clubs and online communities to support cultural and social issues on cruelty against animals and green peace corps etc. There are others that support all causes of human rights and have online campaigns. There is certainly no dirth of online communities.
I am particularly interested in the mental health side of studies and anything that concerns the mind interests me.
I have found some very interesting web links in other fellow OT's blogs.
Like,for instance, http://counsellingresource.com/features/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy
http://everyoneneedstherapy.blogspot.com/
Surfing the net is a very common part of our everyday language. Acquiring knowledge and information has become very simple as almost everything is available on the internet. Any topic that we are unsure about or need more information on, we simply log on and google it. There are various types of online communities that are out there supporting, enhancing, meeting up, chatting for social reasons, etc. There are communities that are purely there for literary reasons, and others are interested in the arts and music and crafts area. There are clubs and online communities to support cultural and social issues on cruelty against animals and green peace corps etc. There are others that support all causes of human rights and have online campaigns. There is certainly no dirth of online communities.
I am particularly interested in the mental health side of studies and anything that concerns the mind interests me.
I have found some very interesting web links in other fellow OT's blogs.
Like,for instance, http://counsellingresource.com/features/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy
http://everyoneneedstherapy.blogspot.com/
Tutorial Five
You Tube
You Tube is a media that is enjoyed by all who are logged into a net. We made a short clip in class and uploaded into our own blogs as well. It was great fun to create and and learn the new tools to enhance our video clip.
The You Tube is an online tool that any body can access it, and view it free of cost but some material that may be restricted due to its content can only be accessed by people who are 18 and above.
One can upload photos, videos clips, music videos and share it with the rest of the world .
To upload video clips one needs to have a regestration, after which you can upload and create your own space, and personalise it. Other users can follow your youtube clip and forward it to other users. You Tube has become very popular and is viewed by 2 million people and the great feature of it is that it can be attached with your blogs and websites facebook, twitter account etc.
I have chosen 5 different You Tube clip to demonstrate that Utube clips can be shared in the internet.
These are of great interest for me and keeps me occupied meaning fully.
I have used it a number of times for my daughters play centre for the children. I love arts and crafts and i could sit for hours creating a piece of craft.
Here are some of the clips that i would love to share with you...............
You Tube is a media that is enjoyed by all who are logged into a net. We made a short clip in class and uploaded into our own blogs as well. It was great fun to create and and learn the new tools to enhance our video clip.
The You Tube is an online tool that any body can access it, and view it free of cost but some material that may be restricted due to its content can only be accessed by people who are 18 and above.
One can upload photos, videos clips, music videos and share it with the rest of the world .
To upload video clips one needs to have a regestration, after which you can upload and create your own space, and personalise it. Other users can follow your youtube clip and forward it to other users. You Tube has become very popular and is viewed by 2 million people and the great feature of it is that it can be attached with your blogs and websites facebook, twitter account etc.
I have chosen 5 different You Tube clip to demonstrate that Utube clips can be shared in the internet.
These are of great interest for me and keeps me occupied meaning fully.
I have used it a number of times for my daughters play centre for the children. I love arts and crafts and i could sit for hours creating a piece of craft.
Here are some of the clips that i would love to share with you...............
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