Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist C.T.R.S.

A good friend of mine is Hard of Hearing and has been since birth, she got hearing aids at age three. While she had many assistive devices and knew how and what they did for her others would get confused. Her mother would baby sit other kids, especially as she got older. My friend would try to follow the conversation of the kids, but because of her hearing loss she struggled, she would try to explain what her hearing aids were for. Her mom in an effort to explain would tell the younger kids that she had "Magic Ears" that helped her hear. For me I felt that this is the incorrect approach. Kids understand so much more than we ever give them credit for. It is simple to explain to kids that hearing aids are like a microphone and speaker that puts it right into headphones into her ears to help her hear. More than that however it shows a huge need for showing kids diversity in their environment. They can understand so much of what is going on around them. Especially in a classr...

This topic covers helping those with learning, and more specifically reading, disorders. This covers things such as Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, and other cognitive or developmental disorders, it also can include Braille. This website shows what it is like to have dyslexia to help people better understand how difficult it can be to live with this kind of disorder. AT for this is so varied we have many apps that help with text to speech or will read back to the student. There are programs you can add to computers that perform almost a read along highlighted system for students. AT for this also, I feel, falls under assistive services, including one on one attention with students on how to read, pronounce phonics of different words, and how to write and formulate them as well. This is very important to promote as it can influence their quality of life in the future. This is the foundation of what everything else is built upon.

Accessibility is so important in our student's lives, from the smallest degree to the greatest. This is such a broad spectrum of care. You should discuss this with the student's to know what they need exactly. There is no "one size fits all" solution. Some of the things that this can cover: Captioning, ASL, or transcription for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Audio descriptions or large print availability for those who have visual impairments. Wheelchair ramps for mobility Plenty of space in between desks so a client with a chair or motor difficulties can get through.  Apps or programs for those with learning delays (this is covered more fully in another blog post) There are so many other simple ways to allow better accessibility in classrooms. The key thing for me in this area is to make sure there is open communication with the parents and student to see what they need and how to make it possible for them.

AC presentation by Tia, Julie, and Alysha

The mobility of our students is so important. Being unable to be included in the program can be very detrimental for students. In so many ways including their social growth. Equipment like walkers or wheelchairs, both manual and electric, can make all the difference. If a student has increased mobility they can interact with their peers to better increase their social life.This is also part of working with the idea of Self-efficacy, if someone believes they are capable in one area of their life the success caries over to other parts of their life to make them more confident and successful there as well. Positioning can be as simple as cushions on the seats or "wiggle seats".  Ensuring that students have armrests so that they can rest their arm at a comfortable level with the desk and not have to hold it higher than is comfortable. I can't imagine having poor access to learning for something as simple as not being able to move in a classroom or hold my arm at the hei...

AT Project Give personal weakness, what you use to cope, and how you use it.

Choice is important to every individual, especially for those who have difficulties expressing themselves. This post is all about a peer reviewed article and how to relate it back to the AAC in a classroom, or available to children. In the article What's on your mind? Conversation Topics Chosen by People with Degenerative Cognitive-Linguistic Disorders for Communication Boards* a study was done with the geriatric population with probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or primary progressive aphasia (PPA). In the study they spoke about how being able to have conversation added meaning to social roles and improved the health-related quality of life. But because of the difficulties that both AD and PPA have with finding words with speed, and other cognitive-linguistic difficulties many in geriatrics miss out. on opportunities. The article also states that many people with AD can improve their social network through the use of external memory aids. People want to have a vocabulary t...

Over this summer I had the opportunity to work in a facility that had all levels of clients within the programs. Their capabilities ranged from severe cognitive disabilities and severe physical capabilities and everything in-between, there were also a lot of very capable clients as well. Similar to what was available for Dan There were several clients who I would work with often, many were limited verbal or nonverbal. There was one client Dan* who I worked with often, he had his own adapted signs for his motor capabilities. He could express "Yes", would shake his head "No" and was able to sign a few more signs that he would commonly use. However he did have a speech binder, something with pictures in that he could use to point out other words he wanted to say. What I wanted to design for Dan The problem with the binder was it was too heavy for him to lift on his own. Once it was out Dan wasn't able to hold the binder himself, he needed you to hold th...