Four comments now posted

Please check out Stu's, Jess's, Shimoni's and Dave's blogs.
Annie

Blog six: Work, Plays, labour and ambiance

I am sitting in my office looking at a reproduced paining by John Constable painted around 1770-1837. It is called Cornfield and depicts a pre-industrial revolution scene of rural life in England.  There is a man scything a field late autumn, a dog rounding up sheep, a couple of donkeys and rustic/failed attempts to fence and tame the land. This painting reminds me of New Zealand where man has attempted and so far failed to conquer the land.

I have ancestral links to Europe, and have had several trips back to where my folks lived prior to immigrating to New Zealand.  We as a family have always identified strongly with agrarian pursuits, which continue to be passed down the generations. The picture above I realise has little resemblance to modern day England but records the more natural environment prior to the work past generations have put in.  New Zealand is a land with a younger history, a less intensified human habitation and more temperate climate that result in an unwieldy growth rate and more natural environment.

I feel my activity of clearing the gorse falls under the heading of work, as there is a linear idea of time with a definite beginning middle and end, where there is an element of destroying in order to conquer and prettify the land. As Hannah Arendt states in her work the human condition “work provides an “artificial world of things, distinctly different from all natural surroundings” (Arendt, 1958, p. 7) so change in nature is evident but also she adds latter there is an element of futility that despite the work leaving nothing behind (no food or produce resulting) this effort ”is born of great urgency and motivated by a more powerful drive than anything else because life itself depends upon it (Arendt, 1958, p. 87)’. This describes what I am trying to do well.

The gorse has been confronting me over the time we have built the house and lived here.  We have an evening courtyard where we barbeque during the summer months, and the gorse keeps encroaching over the fence line. Unfortunately we found that we own this gorse during the building process. We do not hope to utilise the cleared land but need the gorse to recede for aesthetic reasons. I know my aesthetic sense is dictated by taste (which leads back to ergonomics) but is still dominated by my European heritage thus there is an element of making the familiar in my pursuit if clearing the gorse.

I have naturally glided into plays with my making familiar and conquering the land. This denotes the more superficial type of activity, one that is done for more pleasurable reasons, where one inserts one’s self into the task. Class is a factor I have identified within what I am doing, as clearing gorse has elements of improvement of real estate or elevating ones status  in a social class. The fact that the gorse is in close proximity to the barbeque (socialising implement) is a big factor here.

Labour is about survival or making a living which is not related to my task as I don’t intend to use the freed up land at the end of my task. However I feel the need to do this task because of meditative forces that I need in life.  I have a need to see improvement over time, and while on field work the lack of this was a major frustration. Sometimes I just need to be challenged in a physical way and gardening is a great counterbalance to study. There is no challenges apparent within any relationships in the garden, thus real freedoms from life pressures.

Dave has also pointed out that the gorse is a great nitrogen fixer in the soil, thus another usable factor to be considered under labour.

With regard to aesthetics I have briefly mentioned the encroachment I felt and will attempt to  describe this as a tight and uncomfortable feeling for me. In one’s life I have learned that aesthetics is an innate personal visual representation or sense of what feels right. Thus what I see as aesthetically pleasing may be very different to you, or another. It is about a matter of taste, and my taste states that I don’t want gorse a s a close neighbour.

Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Blog Five: Ergonomic Analysis

I will start with a definition of ergonomics.

Ergonomics is about “examining and optimising the interaction between the human worker and the non human work environment”(Jacobs & Jacobs, 2009, p. 86).

You can evaluate ergonomics by considering the POE. The Person, Occupation and Environment framework.

Person – I adore gardening and find it restful although physically challenging. I am a middle aged woman, who is not afraid of big challenges, hard work or taking on traditional male roles. I also have a long history of back pain.

Occupation – Removal of well established gorse by cutting down with chainsaw and poisoning the stump.

Environment – The activity is performed on gently sloping boundary line of our land. The gorse is over fifty years old and one and a half times my height. This gorse has substantial trunks and requires a chainsaw rather than a handsaw. Gorse is prickly to handle, and the environment is covered with debris making the work difficult. The work space is restricted and cramped. My activity demands working uncomfortably at times.

Thus with ergonomics you would consider all three elements together and conclude several points;

These include my having to  work in sustained positions where I hold the chainsaw (weight + vibration), at any height from 0-2 metres in height. My working posture involves sustained high reaches and also bending, twisted positions as I work toward the stumps.

I have to know how the weight of the foliage that will press on the bar of the chainsaw and compensate with multiple cuts or wedges. Every action needs to be analysed carefully.

There is minimal optimisation of the non human environment, as the gorse is fixed, however I do analyse the execution of the activity to the environment I work in. This includes being aware of where a branch will fall making sure I’m not positioned there. Although they are not heavy enough to crush me they could cause an injury with the chainsaw.

The hat that I wear (to keep my hair clean) often restricts my view if I look up suddenly. Today I have trailed using a shower cap instead of the hat in the photo, and found that it was better, so I will continue to use that for the time being.

Even moving from one branch to another can be dangerous. The ground is often wet and slippery.  Debris on the ground can obscure solid ground. Today I placed my foot close to a branch prior to making a cut and my foot sunk 400mm below what I expected.  I am in the habit of having the chain break on, when I move within the worksite, as a safety precaution with the chainsaw.

The duration of the chainsaw activity is restricted to 45 minutes due to the vibration and load exausting me. I will spend another hour clearing using the prunning saw and secatores, and painting the stumps. The remainder of my two hours is taken up sharpening and maintaining the chainsaw.

30 sept 2011:Today I came home from politech where I study OT full time and in the remaining time before the kids come home from school, I find myself writing about gorse rather than cutting it because it is too windy today. If I was to work today I know that the gorse is liable to be pushed in the wind and that it would be dangerous to use the chainsaw in these conditions. I have been cutting the gorse every Friday for weeks and know that next time I work on it people will see a dramatic difference, as I near the stage where I can freely work, and clear the space. This will make me feel great as previously I felt quite depressed looking out over a sea of yellow flowering prickly scrub. The gorse seemed to be oppressive growing closer and closer to the house. I am left with the knowledge that I can single handedly impact upon the most overgrown unkempt patch of land and enable regeneration of the native flora and fauna Thus it provides me with a sense of occupational competence. Others might look at this land in years to come and see the beauty of the land. I can already see that the bird life appreciate the work I’ve done as they can now fly tree to tree, where before the scrub was too dense for them to move within.

Jacobs, K., & Jacobs, L. (2009). Quick refrence journal for Occupational Therapy. Thorofare NJ: Slack Incorporated.

Blog Four: Affordances

Here I will look at my activity- cutting gorse and assess how the environment impacts upon and changes my interaction with it. Christiansen & Baum (1997) break affordence down to the following concepts:

·         Anything the environment offers which will either challenge or facilitate the persons role within.

·         Aspects of the environment as perceived by the person including notions of “effectancies” toward competency.

Thus connection of the human (me) to the work (cutting gorse) with the environment represents affordance Past experience guides me on what tools are necessary, techniques/ next moves that I should do. Let me explain:

·         I have two whole in the gorse work-sites which create limitations for the next move. I am having difficulty in disposing of the trimmings. The only way I can manage the tight environment is to create piles for wood and the broken down follage branches.

·         The resources (wood harvested ) are saved as it is a hot burning fuel for winter warmth.

·         The fire risk that gorse possesses needs also be mentioned and my occupation allows another affordance of a fire wall to my property.

The work environment at the moment is rather inhospitable to all bar our cats who have set tracks through the brambles to their secret haunts. When I’m in there the chainsaw will scare all wildlife off with its noise. I protect my hearing by using ear muffs, so minimal communication affordances exist.

I have noticed an increase of bird activity within the area, as they can now fly from tree-to-tree and feed, which suggests that there are elements of sharing the activity and gifting a more hospitable environment to the natural fauna, wildlife, humans, and our friends.

The moral affordence has been discussed at length under ethics. Further to this my occupation and protecting role are represented by the interdependence of me the person and the environment. Thus to understand affordance is to recognise that ones behaviour can only be understood on terms of the environment.

Christiansen, C., & Baum, C. (Eds.). (1997). Occupational therapy: Enabling function and well being (2nd ed.). New Jersey, USA: Slack Incorporated.

Blog Three; Landscaping –Ethics

As an OT student I know that ethical standards are concerned with regulating professional behaviour and the societal and personal values that guide individual practice (Barnitt, 1993).
McKechnie defines ethics within Cook and Hussy introduction as “the study of standards of conduct and moral judgement ... and the system or code of morals of a particular... profession” (1995, p. 35)
 
I am trying to eliminate the gorse and broom in a way that nobody notices. I have a small tunnel to a “growing whole in the gorse” at present.  This is creating problems for me as I cannot easily remove the gorse from my work area. Given that I recognise the need to live and work within the bounds of occupational ethics, I see a moral, ethical dilemma, as I’m unwilling to jump over the fence and tell my neighbour that I’m clearing the gorse on the boundary.

I’m being sneaky because the land is believed to be the property of my neighbour. The fence-line would indicate this, and my neighbour certainly believes this, however land information, surveyors and we the owners see it differently.
To build we went through a lengthy notified resource consent (http://www.qualityplanning.org.nz/consents/limited-notified-con-app.php) process, and this neighbour was confrontational, oppositional and was successful in putting in the caveat that the dwelling had to be 5 metres from the boundary. In situating the house we were shocked to find the fence was 10 metres over our boundary at times
How or when this happened I don’t know, and I don’t care to speculate. The fence line is over 500 metres long and we haven’t approached the neighbour about this issue as we don’t really have time to use the land at present, and they are now retired and it would be expensive to change the fence.
Ethical dilemmas are never easy. Honesty, beneficence, autonomy, veracity and procedural justice are all issues here. While I do not want to deny the neighbour information I also don’t want to confront him with the issue as I feel a subtle approach will do the greatest good.
“Another way of understanding ethics is that it is about practicing in a way that is legal and /or where case law has established what is proper behaviour, that is ethical behaviour in a particular set of circumstances” (Barnitt, 1993, p. 208). Given that the surveyors have placed the boundary pegs, the land is mine to use in a socially acceptable way- to clear the land of gorse. I think I am behaving in a legal and beneficent way.
References

Barnitt, R. (1993). What gives you sleepless nights? Ethical practice in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(6), 207-212.

Cook, A. M., & Hussey, S. M. (1995). Assistive technologies, principles and practice. USA: Mosby Year Book Inc.

Blog Two; Landscaping Practical Considerations 12.9. 2011.

Today I have decided exactly where I am going to landscape over the next seven weeks. I own three properties that all require lots of work, but the property where we live full time is the greatest challenge.  We built the house over two years ago on a lifestyle block of regenerated native bush and old man gorse, broom blackberry and muehlenbeckia vine(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muehlenbeckia)

I will clear the gorse and broom from a strip of contentious land on our boundary (more about this latter). Techniques for clearing these weeds have now been honed to techniques that make the greatest impact over the shortest amount of time. This always involves bringing to the job the correct tools that are well maintained.

The practice considerations have been pre-considered and the appropriate tools for the job have been assembled.  Gorse is horrible to work with. I consider that a hat and hooded Jacket to be essential for my comfort, as old man gorse gets in your hair, eyes, clothes and footwear.  Gloves are a necessity as the splinters become septic and problematic for weeks. I take my chainsaw (bought over 15 years ago and suited to my strength and stature), my pruning saw (needed for smaller work and for releasing the chainsaw when it gets stuck, as happened today) and the secateurs for smaller work and cutting muehlenbeckia vine. Finally I have a small drop bottle full of an appropriate stump killer.

I am trialling a new product at the moment as per photo, but usually I would use Tordon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tordon) for gorse and broom.

Forgetting any one item can slow or stop the occupation. Had I forgotten the pruning saw today I wouldn’t have been able to release the chainsaw. Without the secateurs I would be in a complete tangle as I wouldn’t be able to clear the prunings from the worksite, or easily move around as I frequently get stuck without room to manoeuvre.

Over the course of the next blogs I will go into greater detail about the activity in terms of exploring the ethics; ambiance; affordances and the ergonomics of this activity.

Activity analysis Blog

Landscaping as a creative exercise.  My history of landscaping started as a child as I would build a garden on an island in the middle of a river close to where I lived. As the river would flood on an annual basis this would start with the importation of the soil. Here I learned about the different qualities of river silt, clay, and humus. I learned how to plant and tend plants and seeds, and how to shape the landscape, With my island garden I would create smaller streams often unsuccessfully with the view of watering the plants, which eventually eroded the soil around the root mass and eventually killed the plant. This illustrates A lifetime obsession with plants-manship and changing  the landscape to suit my needs.

Why this occupation holds meaning for me lays squarely on my upbringing. I remember going to a family owned nursery as a kid that was in the centre of town, close to my bus stop. I would regularly buy primroses that had edged petals and plant them in my island garden. My paternal grandparents were nurserymen who specialised in primroses and polyanthus back in England prior to immigration to New Zealand, and once here worked as gardeners in some of the stately homes in the region where they settled.

The habits and routines held by my family, reinforced how individual members within it spend there time.  John Bargh notion of "automaticity" within Christiansen & Townsend's introductory paragraph suggest that behaviour and choices are triggered by subconscious mechanisms reacting to features in the environment (2010). For me this activity holds a strong familial tradition, and is something I innately want to do.

I have experimented with all aspects of landscaping and gardening for over forty years, and come to this activity with a fair degree of expertise.

Christiansen, C., & Townsend. E., An introduction to occupation, in Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (Eds.). (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.

Robotic Legs Let Wheelchair Users Walk Again By Chris Brandrick, PCWorld Jul 15, 2010 1:14 PM New Zealand firm Rex Bionics has been working on an admirable tech-savvy way to enable wheelchair users to walk again.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/201228/robotic_legs_let_wheelchair_users_walk_again.html

Tutorial Seven: Exchanging comments

 The five blogs that I have formed linkes with are Dave Armstrong's blog, as well as
http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=yy#stream/user%2F16505732136094657565%2Fstate%2Fcom.google%2Freading-list, &
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2408866/ &http://mastersinoccupationaltherapy.org/2010/top-50-occupational-therapy-blogs/ and I have posted the following comments on this site
http://counsellingresource.com/features/2011/04/04/positive-effects-of-solitude/#comment-61914

Tutorial 6

The topic I will be covering here will be assistive device suppliers for  OT. This is the local rehab equipment source
http://www.weka.net.nz/equipment/bathroom2,  another NZ one
http://medspec.co.nz/, and Invcare NZhttp://www.invacare.co.nz/index.cfm/1,93,0,33,html?gaw-nz-gen&gclid=CJSjt83Hi6gCFQrzbwod_wtHCg

All three links provide online catalogs, are intended to;
1. improve OT accessibility to rehab equipment
2. educate about new equipment
Designed for ease of use and easy maneuverability. 
As a practicing OT I'm sure I would use these sites extensivly

This is helpfull for understanding the p value within Statistics for OT

flag 2

flag 2, a photo by anubelu on Flickr.

Tutorial Seven: Assistive technology

A definition of assistive technology: According to Cook and Hussey (1995) assistive technology is "an item piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".

Ex model Dave came to share his knowledge about assistive technology in this Tutorial. Dave now an OT at Kimiora School, a specialised school for disabled children in Wellington. Dave uses assistive technology all the time in his practice to maximise the functional ability his children can have in their day to day lives.

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.

Dave showed us  many pieces of equipment  but the one that I would like to share with the OT world was  the Help kids learn site a educational programme to be used in conjunction with a interactive white board.  The set up costs are only possible with a decent budget as the white board is several hundred, and the video projector is over $ 4000.00. 

This Help kid learn soft ware is particularly useful as it teaches on many “Vark” levels at once. It is Colourful interactive and has a good audible quality. On one game demonstrated “hidden grid” the audio produced vibration like sensations accompanied with a visual pulsating vibration dot pattern tracing the movement of the hand on the screen. It would be useful to use with people with any impairment, and would encourage interaction even in the smallest ways as any movement is  large enough for people who have less control.

How does your chosen piece of equipment increase functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.

It would increase function because it gives the user an exciting platform to see the results of action where they may otherwise have very little to note due to the lack of motor skills. This also helps clients participate in occupations they may not otherwise have been able to participate in.

Heres the link 

COOL WEE VID

Wheelchair blog: continues from post below

This post is about a wheelchair project which allows the user to stand up easily. “The Leeding E.D.G.E” also features easy drive handles with different gearing options to promote accessibility and combat shoulder injury generally caused by traditional wheeling techniques. Designer Time Leeding proposes this wheelchair alleviates pressure sores and makes moves toward closing social boundaries which “inhibit the lives of the disabled day to day.”
It is a world that I do not pretend for a moment to understand, that being the world that a person that must be in a wheelchair lives in. I believe that each person lives a different life, and that each person deals differently with a situation that they might not find ideal, for example becoming confined to a wheelchair partway through life. Does allowing a person with no use of legs the ability to stand up temporarily work toward a better life for that person?
That question asked, this wheelchair seems to me to be quite the fabulous looking bit of engineering. “The Leeding E.D.G.E” features “dynamic drive” handles that work with a rowing sort of motion. More energy efficient and less strenuous than traditional techniques. The chair features geared hubs featuring 2:1 drive, 1:1 drive, neutral and revers gears, and of course, that excellent standing mode.

The Leeding E.D.g.e Wheelchair

spikey

spikey, a photo by anubelu on Flickr.

been mucking around with editing photos

Our film "Displaced People"

Tutorial Four & Five: Video Production

Good practical lesson on how to make a film, including equipment and processes we will need. Had a lively discussion , allocated tasks and decided on a theme effortlessly.

The following week our group shot about 5 mins of raw film to be condensed into a fast speed action sequence. Teething troubles at first with the editing software, however James came to our rescue. As it took ok heaps of time to film and edit the shots we run out of time to load on everyone’s blog. Spose that’s something we will be doing today. Still  a work in progress.

When my group made our film "Displaced" we used the technique of story boarding  which  included technical information such as camera angles, movement which enabled us to create the visual and audio picture that we wanted. Opps, Ive just been informed that it didn't eventuate, so I'm a liar. However in theory it sounds like a good idea.  Our group had a cohesive idea of what the end product should look like and the type of sound track necessary.

This is helpful info my daughter wrote for me on posting videos to my blog. How lovely.

How to put viddys on ye blog!

1. Find viddy on ye youtube.

2. Click the imbed button below the viddy. 

3. Highlight the dibble drabble text that turns up and copy it.

4. Go to ye bloggy.

5. Make a new blog post and switch to html view.  

6. Paste ye dribble drabble from the imbed link into ye bloggy wotsit. And press post!
My chosen area of topic is about occupation.
I have included a new age wheelchair that allows the user to stand up, any time any where.The explanation of p values, has cut through to help me remember how to validate an assessment. The artist who  just does it in a few seconds and proves that occupation is about the doing. And a good sociological demographic thingy.

Tutorial Two: Digital Camera use and applications

I  have always  loved the  effects I could bring  to photos in the darkroom. In the past 20 years I have always owned a SLR (single lens reflex camera) and over the years have taken  many a good photo. The manual mechanisms on the SLR I found captivating as I tried to focus on objects from different distances and try new and special effects. As digital came out I embraced it but never really took to it because our model of camera was largely automatic and I hardly use it. It’s just too easy and frankly I enjoyed the wait to view the image. It was exciting.

"A new technology is really superior to an old one in every feature"
Over the years though digital cameras have improved and the better models are now rivalling  if not exceeding the old SLR technology.

Digital cameras.
Digital cameras have functions which film cameras do not, like displaying the images on a screen as you take them. The memory allows you to store many images at once or record moving images with sound. It’s cost effective as you can delete images to free storage space.

Being digital images can then be transferred to other digital formats like the computer/television/projector where they can be viewed or edited. When travelling in the south of France I meet relatives who had not caught up with our branch of the family for twenty four years. A quick email back home we were able to share current photos with them the following day. This was a very special moment, as it bought out there stories and photos of the day my grandfather left France, to start a new life in NZ. We left them with the digital data on USB so they could process the images if they wanted.

There are many ways that digital images can be stored, transferred and manipulated using software such as photoshop. Digital images can then be easily  manipulated in ways such as
adjusting  the colour (by cooling the temperature, tinting, saturating, black and white effects), adjusting the exposure (changing brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights), zooming and cropping of images, fixing red eyes, re orientation or straightening the photo.

Images  can be uploaded onto a computer or a social networking site, memory stick, mobile phones and Email.
There are some negatives though film cameras can create quite a different quality of printed photo, with sharper images. And film cameras don’t erase or lose data. 

Pronominally in my household there is the belief that digital data is inferior in quality to film or analogue. I can’t really argue as hubby is a film maker and kinda knows what he’s talking about. No digital display medium can match the brightness and vividness when projected . He still shots film, only using digital for supplementary things like daily’s and previews.   As I type we listen to a record.  Call us biased, ok maybe we are. But we are not alone in the belief that digital image is inferior in quality to film, and there is always the risk of losing photos when the computer crashes/ or that accidental deletion.

The learning I gained in class about  digital photography lecture were the difference between digital and optical zoom:
Optical zoom works by bringing the subject in the viewfinder closer, using moving parts within the camera. Digital zoom simulates optical zoom by enlarging part of an image electronically, rather than with moving parts, thus here you could well end up with a pixilated effect.
A megapixel is one million pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit of picture that can be controlled. The more mega pixel the better quality photos.

Ethical issues with the use of cameras:

Ethical considerations need to be taken into account  when taking photos of people. The  human right to privacy means  it is unethical to disclose private details of people. We also need to be careful when taking  photos of people if exploitation or misrepresenting the truth is possible .Therefore  it is important to get informed consent whenever taking a professional photo. The person giving consent must understand the facts, implications, and future consequences of the uses of the image.

In  Occupational Therapy practice digital images can be with effect used for:

1.         Showing instructions to patient’s e.g. step by step instructions.
2.         Showing before and after of housing modifications

3.         Measuring treatment progress,
4.         To illustrate a piece of equipment to a client (www.invacare.co.nz)

Flickr
Flickr.com is an image and video hosting website, web services suite and an online community, where you can create an account and upload and organise your photos .It also allows you to edit them as well. Then photos can then be shared with either  flicker , another photo storage website similar to Flickr ie Snapfish.co.nz or with sites like Blogger. com.

Tutorial Three: Blog Creation

BIG CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the technologically challenged i.e. myself, this was a big learning curve. I look around me and see people freely trying things and just having fun. They come up with some great additions to their blog. I have a reticence; i worry that everything will disappear if i play too much. Got there in the end though, although still haven’t been able to get into flickr.

A brief summary about the services offered by Blogger:

Blogger offers a free web page to allow anyone to express their views and ideas. Users are able to design their own blog and post videos, they can connect with people from around the world, and their news can be published. Another blog host is www.myspace.com

Back Bench

bench black, a photo by anubelu on Flickr.

Where I often like to sit. It's very reminiscent of New Zealand, a place I like to be.

Trololo Man!

Great video. Whole family thinks it's hilarious.

Tutuorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues

In recognition of the fact that information technology (IT) is used frequently in occupational therapy (OT) settings, I am posting my initial understandings of my learning and understanding of the topic. The purpose of this blog is to record the content in the paper Participation in Occupation 1. The postings on this blog will discuss and describe the diverse range of information technologies and how they could be used in Occupational Therapy.

A definition of Information Technology is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer based systems, particularly software application and computer hardware" (retrieved 4,3,2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology).

As a mature student I recognise the fact that I have a lot to learn, and that I am somewhat resistant to explore the benefits of IT devices and applications. I am confident when using mobile phone, email, pagers, websites and computers programmes, search engines, telephone,  and DVDs.

Understanding ITC and any ethical issues associated with its use will help us in our practice and daily lives. Our awareness of different technology can facilitate access to more resources and treatment options to the benefit the client. Examples of use within my first Fieldwork placement were:
Within common use where mobile phones, texting, digital diaries, and email, phone, fax. 
Also computerised assistive technology (computerised wheelchairs), Gameboy and computer programmes to test memory, attention span and reaction. this is an example of one

Lumosity Brain Games

Cognitive training/ retraining: Is using therapeutic strategies that seek to improve or restore a person's skills in the areas of paying attention, remembering, organizing, reasoning and understanding, problem-solving, decision making, and higher level cognitive abilities. These skills are all interrelated. Cognitive training/retraining is one aspect of cognitive rehabilitation. (Cognitive retraining, n.d).

Game example : Top Chimp - Attention, visual field, sequencing, reaction time

Aim: To reveal the numbers in ascending order.

Attention: According to Grieve & Gnanasekaran  (2008) it is active processing directed to particular sensory stimuli for perceptual and semantic analysis. Examples of different types of attention.

Divided: The ability to divide attention between two or more activities that are competing.

Selective: Processing in which a person selectively attends to certain high priority environmental stimuli in preference to others.

Sustained: Attention maintained over prolonged periods of time or in repetitive activity.

Focused: Specific stimulation being able to concentrate on one task.

Alternating: To be able to move between two tasks effectively.

Ethical implications arise, from capturing, sharing and transferring of information intellectual property (such as information being displayed on the internet for everyone to see).  IT devices like mobile phones and internet are so prevalent now that images and story’s can be conveyed to the other side of the world in seconds. A good example of this was when the British tabloid newspaper ran with the breaking news of the Christchurch earth quake as told via a cell phone from a reporter within the stricken Canterbury press building.

Computer Ethics can be defined as "a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct" (retrieved March 2, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics).

As trainee Occupational Therapists we are encouraged to recognise intellectual property using APA references.  Intellectual property can be defined as a "a term referring to a number of distinct types of legal monopolies over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the compensating fields of the law" (retrieved 3 March, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property).

References:

Brain Training (n.d). retrieved 1 April 2011 from http://www.lumosity.com/

Cognitive retraining (n.d). retrieved 6 April 2011 from http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Cognitive-retraining.html

Grieve, J. & Gnanasekaran, L. (2008). Neuropsychology for occupational therapists. Cognition in occupational performance. (3rd ed.). Victoria: Blackwell Publishing.