Thursday 12 May 2011

The Final Posting

I really hope that you have enjoyed reading my blog and have learnt something new...I know I have!!
Before I depart I would like to leave you with a quote to ponder on: The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential. - Steve Ballmer

Sunday 24 April 2011

Assistive Technology: Digital Camera

Canon is well known brand of the digital cameral. The PowerShot A1100 was recently released and captures clear high resolution pictures. It has 12.1 MP sensors that allows you to capture every scene with incredible detail. The clicks can be printed up to A2, which are then cut, then the deisred composition, without the data necessary for effective achievement of larger prints. This digital cameral has a 128 MB SD memory card, and has 4x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer that provides a wide range of choices in the composition scale. The USB cable is used for easy transfer from the camera to the computer.
Assistive Technology. (2010) Digital Camera. Retrieved from http://www.stimulus-assistive-technology.org/?category_name=digital-camera
Here is a youtube video to show what this digital camera has to offer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1d4Jt03o4o

Monday 18 April 2011

Assistive Technology

This blog will make reference to assistive technology and the benefits it has to the user.

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.


rehabtool. (2001) What is Assistive Technology? Retrieved on the 2nd April from http://www.rehabtool.com/forum/discussions/1.html

In other words, assistive technology is a adaptive and rehabilitative device for people with disabilities. It promotes a greater independence by enabling people to be able to successfully perform a task that they would otherwise find great difficulty in accomplishing. It provides them with a way of being able to intereact and engage in different activities by using the many varieties of this technology.

The SMART Board is a type of assistive technology that is a series of interactive whiteboards developed by SMART Technologies. The SMART Board uses touch detection from the user input and has digital coloured pens that are used for writing/drawing etc with. The cost of this interactive whiteboard can range from $1000 to about $5000. They come in a range of sizes and are said to last a very long time.

This equipment can increase occupational capacity as it allows a person with a disability to be able to play games, hear sounds etc just by touching the screen. There is a website called http://www.helpkidzlearn.com/ that has a variety of games, stories and different creative things that enable children to interact and engage in an activity that is fun and exciting.

Here is a youtube clip that shows different ways a SMART Board can be used for children with a disability.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kdvr7a0z1s

Linking to blogs of interest and exchanging comments

I have posted some comments on a few of my fellow OT class mates blogs. One of those is Gracie Prisk. Here is a link to the posting that I wrote on her blog.
http://gracieprisk.blogspot.com/2011/03/information-technology-and-ethical.html#comments

The Internet and Online Communities

This posting will introduce a topic of interest that has been drawn from my fieldwork experience. I will search three communties that relate to the topic and provide a brief discription, the services provided there, different ethical issues that may arise in this community and the benefits these communities provide over traditional geographical communites.

A topic that I'm interested in that has been drawn from my fieldwork experience is children with Autism.

The first cite that I would like to discuss is the Children's Autism Foundation, and that can be found by clicking on the link: http://www.autism.org.nz/support-group-childrens-autism-foundation.html
The following reveals what the vision of the foundation is, and how they can help.
Our vision is to see society fully accept and include people with disabilities; and the framework starts within the family. The goal of Children’s Autism Foundation is to help you create a rewarding and meaningful life for your child within your family dynamic.
We are here to help you. Our broad range of services include personalised advice, training and intervention, an educational resource library, information service, support groups, parenting workshops and one-on-one home visits to equip and encourage.
Autism is considered to be at epidemic proportions internationally, occurring at 1:110-150 people, with rates increasing. Children’s Autism Foundation is stepping in to meet the growing demand for quality services in Auckland. Our family-centred programmes are unique among service providers in Auckland, complementing services provided by other agencies such as Autism NZ and ihc.
While autism is a lifelong disability, much can be done to help autistic children enjoy life and participate in society. Studies indicate that one of the most significant factors in an autistic child’s later success in life, is a devoted parent. We look forward to helping you build a brighter future for your child – contact us now.

I find this cite not very interactive, however it did offer a lot of information and contact details if viewer required more information. Ways that the general public can contribute is by donating money so that they can continue with this service. Reason why people may contribute is if they have a child with autism, or no someone that has a child with autism, and can see the benefits and support that this service provides. Therefore to continue to see this service running and helping out other families in need, donating to them will be a way for an individual to contribute.

Here is an example of the text discussed above:
What we're doing to make a difference:
Services include personalised advice, training and intervention, an educational resource library, information service, support groups, parenting workshops and one-on-one home visits to equip and encourage.
Our track record:
Children’s Autism Foundation provides services to families in the Auckland region who have children up to the age of 21 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our organisation is a Registered Charity (CC11460) operating as Not-for-Profit service. CAF started its life in 2000 as a parent support group and now serves almost 300 families.
Childrens Autism Foundation. (2010). Give a little. Retrieved from http://www.givealittle.co.nz/org/childrensautismfoundation

The potential ethical issues that may arise from this community is the different photos that they have displayed on the web page. This community needs to ensure that they have consent from the family members (as the children are under 18), because this page can be viewed by anyone who wishes to see it.

This group is based in Auckland, therefore will only be appropriate to the people of this community. This means that people that do not live in Auckland, or are distant from this group will have to look elsewhere for a service that provides the same support.

The second community that I would like to discussed based on autism is Autism New Zealand Inc which can be found by clicking this link: http://www.autismnz.org.nz/
The following reveals the vision of this community and how they can help:
The main purpose of Autism New Zealand Inc. is to provide support, resources and information on autism spectrum disorders to those with these conditions, their family/whanau, caregivers and professionals working with them.
Autism New Zealand's key activities are to:
  • Raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders
  • Provide support, information and advice for parents and carers
  • Gather and distribute the latest information and research relating to autism spectrum and related disorders
  • Initiate and organise seminars and conferences
  • Provide training courses for parents and professionals eg S.P.E.L.L. and EarlyBird® programmes
  • Liaise with other agencies on behalf of individuals, parents and other family
  • Make submissions on relevant legislation and government reviews
  • Provide a quarterly newsletter
This cite provides a lot of information and is also very interactive as it includes helpful games that children with autism can play. There are many ways that the general public can contribute to this community and that is by:
  • Signing up with slingshot and they will automactically donate 3% of your bill to this community.
  • Gift with a difference: Instead of having a birthday or christmas present, you can ask family members to donate money on your behalf.
  • Shine a light for autism: The aim of the candle is to help raise awareness and funds for this organization.
  • Donating a gold coin and receiving a thomas and friends bumber sticker.
  • Payroll giving: This allows you to make donations to charities and receive immediate tax credit.
The potential ethica issues that may arise from this community could be Intellectual Property. As this cite offers a lot of ideas, artistic works and pictures etc, this could lead to plagarism.

Autism New Zealand has support groups all over the country that offer different things such as holiday programme groups, provide training programmes for parents, different seminars, teen and young adult groups and different conferences. Because this community is all over the country it can provide support to anyone who may need it.

The last community that I would like to discuss regarding this topic is Otago Children's Autism support group which can be found by clicking this link: http://otagokidsautism.org/. The following reveals the vision of this community and how they help:
We are a group of pro-active parents in the Dunedin area of New Zealand who have children with autism.
We are committed to helping organise and fundraise for intensive early interventions which help make easier the lives of affected children and their families
We are a group of pro-active parents in the Dunedin area of New Zealand who have children with autism.
We are committed to helping organise and fundraise for intensive early interventions which help make easier the lives of affected children and their families

This cite offers different news letters on different topics that viewers can read and comment on, and different ways to get support from this community. They too have a place where the public can donate money to keep the organization going, this is explained in more detail here:
In the past year, our costs have doubled to $10,000 per month, and funding is getting harder to find. We are always searching for more organisations who are able to contribute in some way.
Children on the autism spectrum have the ability to learn and interact, and ABA helps develop the skills to enable each child to reach their full potential. It is difficult for parents who want the best for their child yet are crippled by the financial burden. If you or your organisation can make a donation and help improve this situation, please either contact us or use the button below.
Otago children's autism support group. (2011). Please Contribute. Retrieved from http://otagokidsautism.org/funding.html

As this organisation is in Otago, it will only be useful for this community.

Thursday 7 April 2011

Video Production Sessions

This blog will look at what youtube has to offer, then I will use different online video content to to portray an interesting event that I had on my fieldwork experience.

YouTube is a video sharing website where the users can upload, share and view videos of all different areas. It displaysa a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short orginal videos. Most of the content upload is by different individuals that have a YouTube account.

Wikipedia. (2011). Youtube. Retrieved 2nd April 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube

A topic of interst drawn from my fieldwork placement in paediatrics was the use of play and activities for intervention. This clip shows a variety of activities that an occupational therapist did with a client.

Helping to build fine motor skill was something that we did a lot of on placement. Playing with play dough and creating different objects with it was very effective. It is also was a great texture for the children to play with. Here is a clip of an OT making a play dough chain and showing how it improves fine motor skills. Unfortunatly I'm unable to upload the video, but here is the link for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFa-dHZkAAY&feature=related

My supervisor and I also went to as school to work with a small group who had learning difficulties. I really enjoyed being a part of this setting. This video looks at how OT is done at school. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k76ETm50sCM&feature=related

Here is another cool video that shows how children can learn fine motor skills through play. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUQm26JR2Vs&feature=related

Doing activities to improve bilateral coordination was what we worked on with clients alot as well. Here is a clip that shows an example of one activity used to help improve this. Here is the long for this clip:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPk3iNra-6k&feature=related