Assistive technology

In

 this blog I will be talking about assistive technology. The definition for assistive technology is “technological interventions (devices) designed to enable engagement or participation in occupations through energy conservation, accommodation for diverse physical abilities, or chomprehension for functional limitations or disabilities” (Christansen & townsend, 2010)  To me this definition means that no whatever the circumstance there is technology that will help with the difficulties that any person is having and that it will improve their life for the better.

The piece of equipment that I am going to be using is the ipad. The cost of an ipad in New Zealand at the moment is approximately $579. There are so many different functions on the ipad but to name a few are hands free control, the touch to control, the voice recorder, the conversational mode and the many different type of games that are accessible. In the lecture that we had with an OT who has used the ipad he had many different uses for it he had the children communicating on and he had specific applications for the learning of specific children.  The first example I am going to use to show how the ipad is significant to occupational participation is a demo of how when you talk to the ipad it writes out what you have said, this could be a means of communication for people partaking in occupation. 

The next video that I am using is a video is a truly great one, it shows the viewer how the ipad changes the lives for children with autism. This one tool enables children to communicate, to learn and to create. This tool is going to help these children feel that they are able to learn in a way that is good for them a way that they are able to experience themselves.

Christansen, H & Townsend, A. (2010) An introduction to Occupation the art and science of living. Pearson inc.

Video production session

It was so much fun planning and making this video! We used the idea occupational deprivation. Our film was based on the life of a poor student, the troubles that she goes through from not having enough money. the film is called the life of a poor student. occupation deprivation is  " A state of prolonged preclusion from engagement occupations of necessity or meaning due to factors outside  the control of an individual such as through geographical isolation, incarceration or disability" (Christansen & townsend, 2010) first we picked what idea we would use then we thought how it effects us as students. Then we planned out how we would portray this through a one minute film then we got to it and started filming. The film shows the student unable to buy food, having to get up early and go to class it also shows her unable to partake in leisure activities with her friends because of cost constraints. This film ends in the student graduating with honours from her degree and she is looking healthy and happy. The film shows the sacrifice that the student makes to gain her degree and in the end it shows that the sacrifice of different occupations worked in the long run and she ended up getting what she deserved.

Christansen, H & Townsend, A. (2010) An introduction to Occupation the art and science of living. Pearson inc.

Our Film!

Video production

For this blog we have to pick a topic of interest that we have experienced from placement using videos we have to show this topic in our blogs the topic that I have picked is sensory technology. In one of my placements they had a fabulous new sensory room with many different types of technology.

this video clip shows an awesome sensory room in the UK for school children who have autism. With alot of technology that would make the experience for the client amazing!

another amazing sensory room. With all different kind of technology to stimulate an individual.

this one is more focused on the lights and music, its a safe relaxing environment.

this one is a walk through of a sensory room in the progress.

this video is of a young boy enjoying and experiencing the sensory room

Information technology

This blog for my participation in occupation class will be about information technology and ethical issues. The definition of information “Facts provided or learned about something or someone” (oxford, 2008). The definition of technology is “Machinery and equipment developed from such scientific knowledge” (oxford, 2008) and the definition of information technology is "the branch of engineering that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information" (dictionary.com)To me these definitions mean that we use all different types of technology to communicate with the rest of the world and it shows how we keep moving into the future with the new technology that comes out on a regular basis. These definitions cover what information technology and also break down what each word is too.

In today’s modern day society information technology has become completely vital to everyday life. It is how we keep in contact, do our work, spend our leisure time, how we spend time with our family, how we look at the dollar, how we read the news, and how we see the weather. If someone doesn’t know anything their first reaction is to Google it. Technology has become so vital to us today there would be alot of people who wouldn’t get through a day without it.

On a daily basis I use many different types of technology, my computer to keep in touch with people, do my work, and to spend leisure time. I also use my cell phone daily I hardly ever now hand write letters I just call people on my phone. I am so comfortable using this technology that I wouldn’t be able do alot of things without it.

Throughout my placements I have seen many flash pieces of technology that are making occupational therapists jobs easier, new things like hoists and ipads are revolutionising  the OT industry. When I was on placement there was a brand new sensory room they had heaps of new technology that made the clients more eager to co-operate with the OT. Even the new iphone has revolutionised the industry with is state of the art hands free technology. I can only see the technology part of our industry expanding in the future. I think that a great understanding of IT is important in this profession as it is only going to keep expanding and we will need to keep up with it to stay at the top of profession.

When using information technology it’s key to remember that you need to have others permission to put photos or information on the internet.

Doing, being, becoming, and belonging

participation in occupation 1

View more PowerPoint from georgiacoghlanPO1

the occupation that I have chosen for the participation in occupation course is food. this includes all of the different stages; eating, preparing, gathering, growing, shopping for, sharing, celebrations involving food. in my slide share I have picked photos from the many different occasions that we have had celebrations, grown our own food and just spent time together bonding whilst making food. i thought that the subject of food was a good one to pick because throughout my life it has always been a way to bring people together and i have had experience of how well it works as an activity on placement. on my second placement i was in a setting with people who have mental and/or physical disabilities we often used cooking as on of the activities that we carried out daily it let the clients pick what they wanted to make do the hard work of making it themselves and having a finished product to show and eat at the end.

the definition of doing- "the activities in which a particular person engages" this means to me that doing is what you the activities that you carry out each day the way in which you occupy your time. definition of being-"living: being alive" this means to me the way that you feel alive the things you do to enjoy life. you only live once. the definition of belonging is "Be rightly classified in or assigned to a specific category" to me this means the social group you belong to the company you belong to your family that you belong to it is where you fit in with the people around you and feel that you belong together. the definition of becoming is "the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state" to me this means what your going to come to be in the future what you are going to achieve. in the slide of photos I have put up I have tried to show all of these words through the theme of food. in number 2 me and my family cooking over a camp fire this shows us doing as we had to set up the camp fire find sticks long enough to cook our sausages on and then we had to cook them another picture that I think shows doing is number 19 family cooking this shows the family doing the cooking together. I think that number 3 my sister eating the left over cooking shows being it portrays the essence of being, able to take time to just sit and eat yummy chocolate cooking. I think that the pictures that mostly portray becoming are number 1 me on my birthday with my birthday cake, number 15 Jakes birthday and number 9 Helens birthday all show becoming. these pictures show that food can represent an occasion such as the ones shown in these pictures, becoming a different age the two pictures that i think show belonging are number 19 cooking with friends and number 4. number 19 shows a group of friends eating tea together belonging in a group. i also think that number four shows this as it is my family together cooking a meal and belonging in a family

when picking these images i made sure with my family and friends that it was alright with them if I use these pictures of them on my blog for the class that i am taking.i made sure that i had their consent before i put the pictures online and used them in this blog. another ethical consideration i thought about was not using anyone in the pictures last names so that they stay anonymous to the people that will be seeing this blog. and the last one that I considered was that the people in these photos had to view them and be fully aware of what they are being used for on this blog before i put them up.