Creating a Sensory Box for Under 25$

1.                   Include free online resources regarding calming breathing techniques and include a feather or pinwheel of any kind! Here is a PDF: http://www.lianalowenstein.com/articleProfDeepBreathing.pdf

2.                  There are all kinds of free resources for classroom friendly sensory breaks. Check out this roll the dice game at: http://www.yourtherapysource.com/rollsomefunfree.html

3.                  Theraband and Theraputty are must haves in every Occupational Therapy closet, complete a few quick exercises in between school tasks! If you don’t have Theraputty, try silly putty! Trial tying the Theraband around the base of the student’s chair to provide a bouncy surface for the feet.  

4.                  Chewy candies, sour flavors, and the oral input of sucking on a hard candy can be a quick way to regulate the sensory system. Offer as a reward for educational accomplishments!

5.                  Fidget toys such as water snakes, squishy balls, and stress balls are a great way to keep a student’s hands busy! Make sure to educate on appropriate and discrete use in the classroom.

6.                  Easy to make sensory baggies are a fun project for the student and rewarding to use during brain breaks! The baggies below include shaving cream, hair gel, marbles, rice, space foam and foam cubes. Add some funky duct tape, glitter, sequins and food coloring to spice things up!

7.                  Slap some two sided Velcro under the student’s desk for easy to access sensory input. It’s there whenever they need to feel it, it’s affordable and discrete!

8.                 A wiggle disc is a great way to promote prolonged attention while seated in the classroom. Most therapists have some on hand to loan to classrooms, but if not Amazon has them for as little as $12.00: http://www.amazon.com/Isokinetics-Brand-Exercise-Balance-Cushion/dp/B000WQ4Z7Q

P.S. I apologize for the upside down/ sideways positioning of a few of the images. I cannot adjust the settings :). 

All images were from my personal collection or gathered from google images (Wiggle Disc and Velcro)  

Independence: Just a Click Away

Windows: Ease of Access Center > Mouse options

The Ease of Access Center is a great Windows option that allows you to customize certain computer features to your needs. These features may enable a student to participate in a classroom setting and independently complete assignments. See below for some tips and tricks!  For more info visit: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-accessibility-features-windows-offer#1TC=windows-7 

1. You can find the Ease of Access Center from your control panel:

Note: Your computer may look slightly different than the images provided. 

Select the Ease of Access Center from the Control Panel Menu (4th Column on this image) 

2. Once you are in the Ease of Access Center you will see all of the available options. Select “make the mouse easier to use”:

3. Once you are in the Mouse menu, select “Mouse Settings” and a pop-up menu will appear (take special note of the tabs on top of the menu for more accessibility options):

4.  Details on the features you may choose:

·         Button Configuration: You can choose to switch the primary click and secondary click on the mouse. This would be helpful if a student has trouble clicking with their index finger. If there is more function in the middle or ring finger, you can switch the primary click to be activated on the right side of the mouse.  

·         Double Click Speed: Increase or Decrease the time allowed between clicks when making a selection.

·         ClickLock: Allows you to click and drag or highlight without holding down the mouse button. You just have to double click to activate, move the mouse to the desired location and double click to drop the item.   

·         Adjust your pointer to be more visible and have a trail.

·         Do you often lose your pointer? Does it move off the screen? There is a feature that will allow you to press the “control” button and your mouse will reappear on the screen.

·         Adjust your pointer speed for increased control and efficiency.

·         Snap To: is a feature that automatically moves the mouse to the default button in a dialogue box.

·         Adjust the rate of which the mouse wheel will scroll when activated.

Remember that the Ease of Access Center has options available for display, keyboard, and sounds – have fun exploring! 

eATing Without Barriers

A student has to successfully function in many environments when in school. These environments include: playgrounds, classrooms, lunchrooms and bathrooms. An occupational therapist in the school setting has the skills to analyze and optimize student’s performance in each of these environments with adaptations and accommodations (AOTA, 2010).

In school, the lunchroom is a fun and social environment. For some children, the task of self-feeding is a challenge. This challenge can take away from the social aspect of lunch time, making it a stressful situation.

Check out the assistive technology resources below that can decrease stress and promote success in the lunchroom for all students.

Eating:

•          Nonslip materials to hold plate in place

Dycem is a non slip product that can be used to stabilize plates/bowls. Shelf liner is also a great low-tech option. 

Dycem also makes place-mats! 

•          Materials to build up handles

Utensil handles can be built-up easily with foam. This makes them easier to hold when eating. They can also be weighted! 

•     Adapted utensils 

Utensils can be angled to facilitate independent self-feeding for individuals who have limited range of motion. 

A rocker knife is a great option for individuals who use one upper extremity - it eliminates the need to stabilize the plate/food when cutting. 

• Adapted devices to hold utensils 
  
  

  

  This is a universal cuff paired with a right angle to promote self-feeding for individuals who cannot independently hold utensils. 

• Positioning of the arm

A Mobile Arm Support is a mid-tech device that enhances range of motion for those who cannot get food from the plate to the mouth. 

Place this simple solution on top of a table to elevate the plate. This decreases the space between the plate and mouth while still allowing the student to sit upright when eating. 

•      Adapted dishes

Compartments provide more "ridges" to increase ease of piercing/scooping food without it moving around the plate. 

Scoop dish 

Plate guard

•     Liftware: Liftware is a high-tech device that assists in counteracting tremors when eating. It has attachments for a spoon, knife, and a key! 
•     For a video demonstration visit: https://www.liftware.com/how/

Drinking:

•        Regular cups (sippy cups, mugs, two handled, cups with covers)

Nosey Cup's have a nose cut-out to reduce spills 

Water bottle with a straw guarantees no spills and does not need to be picked up. 

Handled cups with a wide base

•     Adapted handles

•     Positioning aides for stabilizing cup or glass on table surface

Cup with base 

Rounded-base, Anti-tip 

•     Straws 

Bend to any angle or height 

Oxygen tubing is also a great option for heavy duty straws! 

Various sizes straws can increase or decrease flow of liquid 

•       Lids (spouted, recessed, flow adjusted, anti-splash/spill)

Flow Adjusting lid 

Anti-Splash Lid 

•     Self-Hydration
•      This is an image of a self-hydration system that I made on a fieldwork rotation for an individual who had no upper-extremity use. The water bottle hangs from the wheelchair and is supported by gravity. Oxygen tubing is used as a straw and is strung up through lock line. The tubing surfaces near the individuals mouth and is easy for them to access. It is also easy to bend out of the way when transferring! 

Transporting your lunch tray:

•      Carrying a lunch tray can be a challenging task. These simple and common items can be a great solution to facilitate independence in the lunchroom! 
•       Lap tray for wheelchair

•     Rolling cart

•      Wagon

Resources: 

AOTA, 2015: https://www.aota.org//media/Corporate/Files/AboutOT/Professionals/WhatIsOT/CY/Fact-Sheets/School%20Settings%20fact%20sheet.pdf   

****Note: There are MANY more examples of assistive technology, the ones mentioned in this blog are devices that I am becoming familiar with through my rotation.

All images in this blog were collected from Google images