c'mon get Appy (part II: Android)

Editor's Note: As we discussed last week, I started these entries soooo long ago. Lots has changed since I started the post but since I do have an Android device I use these apps more frequently. I have included resources for more information at bottom of the page.

I have an Android phone and have used these apps at various points. When comparing Apple and Android, there are a lot more free apps on the Android store, but they don't always work across platforms. So things like the Handwriting Without Tears app don't connect to my phone, so this is definitely a limited list. These are free unless otherwise noted.

Treatment Apps

Activity Timer Trial - this is essentially like the Time Timer, where you can watch the time disappear. You can customize the color of the timer and the length of the timer. I have the trial version of this, which only goes to 10 minutes, but I never really need to measure longer than that during a treatment anyway. My gripe with this is the same as with all Time Timers, that the kids sometimes fixate on watching the time disappear instead of whatever they are supposed to be doing.

Ultrachron Lite - this is a stopwatch and timer application that works well. The free version tracks a history of 10 times if you need to time several things in a row. 

Balance Ball - This game is really hard. You try to balance the ball between two clowns who are blowing on it. I can't make it longer than 10 seconds, so it's really too much for the kids.

Beautiful Bubbles - this is very simple and good for a little diversion if needed. Bubbles float around and you pop them. The free mode just allows you to pop the bubbles as you wish, and the challenge mode gives you points for popping the bubbles quickly and accurately. 

Double Balance! - this is another game that is deceptively hard. You are balancing one ball on a platform at the same time that you have to bounce a second ball off another platform. Moving the bounce platform causes the balance platform to move too. 

My First Tangrams Lite - Such a cute little app. It uses basic shapes and you drag them into the outline to form a creation like a butterfly or flower. Obviously there are a limited number of puzzles with the free version but it operates very well.

Tangram HD - This is the app that I use when I personally want to do Tangrams. It has multiple categories of puzzles and a large number of puzzles per category. The only issue is that you have to complete one puzzle before moving onto the next. 

Labyrinth Lite - This operates just like the old wooden labyrinth games. The nice feature is that you can connect this to a computer based account and make your own mazes.

Intellectual Education - This is a game with a little Japanese penguin that lets you choose matching or memory games. It's pretty cute and appeals to the kids.

Instant Heart Rate - I use this for myself, but if I worked in home health, I could see using this more in practice so that I could monitor vital signs. The app uses the camera to measure the heart rate and has been accurate for me more than 80% of the time. It offers you the option to save heart rates and a range of normal  values.

Memory Trainer - I love this app, and use it for myself. it allows you to do memory training exercises (games) in different categories: visualization, working memory, chunking, focus, spatial memory, and fluid intelligence. You can work up levels or choose a specific game to practice on. 

Relax Me - I haven't tried this out too much but it offers guided progressive muscle relaxation.

Black and White cards for the baby - This app allows you to pick a variety of black and white visual stimulation cards and choose time intervals, music, and movement for them. Apparently after a recent update they've started pushing more advertisements, I hadn't had this problem but I don't leave internet on all the time.

Classic Simon - exactly what you think it would be. I miss Simon.

Tactical Breather - this is a great app for relaxation and a bit of biofeedback. It gives visual cues for breathing- inhale/hold/exhale/hold all for 4 seconds each. I wish that you could customize the time frame because my kids can't really hold their breath that long and another program I use wants you to do inhalation for 4 seconds and exhalation for 6 seconds. But it is a simple and effective app.

Kids Preschool Puzzle Lite - Drag the pieces into the outlined slots to create the puzzle. Simple and cute.

MyChain widget - This is based on the Jerry Seinfeld concept of creating of chain of days that you met a goal.  The widget sits on your home screen and is labeled (briefly) for your goal. When you follow through, you touch it and it turns green and adds another number for that day. You also get a positive affirmation. Miss a day and it goes red and you start again. 

Other Apps

Due Today - I love this app, it is one of the only ones I have paid for ever. It's a very customizable to-do list based on the principles in Getting Things Done. Read my full opinion on this app on the AOTA Checking the Pulse blog.

A HIIT Interval Timer - This app is designed for exercise, and I used it for my Couch to 5K training. But you can label each time frame however you want. I could see where you could use this in the clinic, especially for work hardening patients, or if you had some kind of circuit training setup.

Days Left Widget - This is a cute little widget for your home screen that allows you to set a countdown to different events. You can pick a picture, color, and label for the countdown. On my "exercise" screen I had countdowns to the different races I was planning for, and on my "calendar" screen I had the countdown to my vacation.

Drive - I use Google Drive a lot. This gave me quick access on the phone to my documents and I could download the most frequent to view offline as well.

Google Voice - I have a google voice number that I use as my "work number" to give out to clients and then rings my cell phone. The widget for the phone allows me to switch easily from calling with my number to calling with my voice number, sending a text, and viewing messages. 

Pocket - One of the other apps I have actually paid for. This app used to be called Read It Later. It coordinates with a browser extension on my computer. When I am browsing articles, instead of pulling a TL;DR I can press the "read later" button and it will save it to my phone for when I have time. Does not work perfectly, can't do PDFs for example, but it is one of my favorites.

Speed Anatomy Lite - this is a cute little matching quiz on body parts and names. You can't customize which ones to test, but they do make specific ones for bones, muscles, and blood vessels. Kind of fun as a review, might be good for students.

Other helpful app resources:
AOTA 'Appy April series
AOTA list of OT related apps (members-only content)
Advance Magazine Speaking of Apps
Army OT Guy's Apps for mTBI

c'mon get Appy (part I: Apple)

Editor's Note: another example of how entries go awry. I started writing this a couple years ago when I was working in the school system and had an iPad to use. Since then, there's been a multitude of new apps and developments and there are many better sites that discuss apps (I have linked some at the bottom). But read on for some of my thoughts on the apps I was able to use.

When I worked in the school system, we got iPads as part of a grant. My fellow OTs and I developed a list of all the apps we wanted, and then that list got cut to a very small number. So I didn't get to use anywhere near the number of apps that I wanted to or felt would help for work. But here are my thoughts on some of the apps that we did have access to.

IPad Apps I Have Used:

- Camera - This is standard on the IPad. I could (and probably will in the future) use it to take grasp photos. But right now, my main use is to have a large mirror. You can flip the camera to face you, which can be very motivating for some of my lower level students. I wish I could make it make a noise when it was touched but it's handy.

- Photo Booth - Also standard on the Ipad and I use basically as a mirror with a bit of fun attached due to the extra features.

- Dexteria - this app purports to be developed in conjunction with OTs. It has 3 games: Tap It, Pinch It, and Write It. Tap It requires you to place a flat hand on the screen and tap the finger that is indicated. I haven't had any kids in the preschool or the other areas I cover that have been able to get through the calibration, let alone the game itself. I find that the Write It game is too unforgiving for even my older and higher level students. Pinch It is my favorite of the games. It starts with stationary crabs, progresses to moving crabs, and then adds in visual discrimination in the color of the crabs. It can be difficult to get a perfect pinch on the crabs, and the red/green crabs aren't exactly kind to the colorblind. But it is a fun game and the kids like it. It also keeps track of the times for all the levels and you can review it later after the session, even after switching to another app.

- iWriteWords - probably my favorite app for tracing letters. It has a "connect the dot" feel as you trace the letters and short words. It was forgiving enough for most of my kids to be able to succeed, without losing the intent of the letter formation.

- Sam_Phibian - this is a really cute game that works on a lot of concepts. Little bugs of different colors fly by Sam the frog and he needs to eat the designated number of each kind. If he eats too much, he falls off his lily pad and is eaten by an alligator (implied). The bugs move in different patterns and speeds, and there are also fun things to eat that will put outfits on Sam. Kids love making Sam eat things by tapping like crazy. Following the instructions was too high level for most of my kids, but might be better for your caseload.

- KandyFish- I like this app. The music can be kind of annoying, but it is cute. In this game you can choose color matching, pattern finishing, or tracing (prewriting) games. There is also a coloring feature. I like that you can control which game to play, and skip through the prewriting shapes to get the one you want.

- AMaze Yourself- This app allows you to create mazes of different sizes and guide a mouse through to find his cheese. It's nice to have unlimited mazes that can be so easily customized but the sensitivity is very poor, so it was very frustrating for the kids to try to get the mouse on the right path. 

- Pocket Pond- we have the free version which is kind of limited in what can be added to the pond. But my low vision kids like the sound that they get for touching the screen.

- Tanganku- This game presents as having potential but didn't really pan out well for me. You're presented with multiple colored moving dots and asked to press the black ones. But the touch controls don't seem to be sensitive enough to consistently activate. And there's no way to customize the game, it progresses in speed and difficulty no matter the accuracy of the user. It uses the same pattern for each game and only lasts about a minute.

- Monkey Preschool LunchBox - I have yet to meet the child who does not like this game. There are puzzles, counting games, identifying colors, and identifying differences games all presented in rapid fire with an animated monkey dancing every time you get something right. It also lets you pick a virtual sticker for every 3-4 games done correctly.You can't pick the games or difficulty level, and there's no automatic continuing if you struggle badly on a game. But kids love this crazy monkey... it was a major reinforcer.

- Caseload Tracker - This is an app developed for SLPs to keep track of their school based caseloads, when reports are due, what their IEP goals are. I had caseloads of 80-120 kids, and was not about to tappy-type in each kid's name and goals when I already had this information elsewhere. We had an online IEP system so goals were available there, and also usually printed out in a binder for the specific school. Simple charts accomplished all this a lot easier for me. Even with the few kids I tried this out for, I didn't really find the app useful.

- Redfish- this app comes packed with a lot of additional games that may not be readily apparent in the description. There is a regular piano which will do playback of your song, as well as a funny noise piano. There are puzzle games, different activities for each letter of the alphabet, and various games to encourage understanding of cause and effect. I like the variety of games involved though some are pretty limited.

- Labyrinth LE - remember the old wooden labyrinth games with the metal ball? Super fond memories for me of my great-grandma's house. This app allows you to get the same effect on the iPad. I think you were able to choose which level to try, but I can't remember. I thought this would be a great praxis task, but it was extremely hard for my kids just to hold the board steady. Most needed HOH assist to stabilize and grade their movements.

- Tangram - This is a very basic tangram game that allows you to choose which picture you want to attempt. You can touch the pieces to drag into place. My kids had a hard time understanding how to flip the parallelogram and how to use 2 fingers to turn the pieces. You get a really cool fireworks display if you complete the puzzle, but the sensitivity is off so even when the puzzle looks complete, it doesn't register as complete.

- Injini Lite - This is a great game that I continue to recommend to iPad owners for their kids. This app offers tracing, pattern recognition, matching and some easier cause and effect activities for kids. You can choose which section to work on and it was pretty reinforcing for the kids. The full version is expensive but the lite version is a must-have.


Other helpful app resources:
AOTA 'Appy April series
AOTA list of OT related apps (members-only content)
Advance Magazine Speaking of Apps
Army OT Guy's Apps for mTBI

Keeping Organized

I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute to a couple of OT Month pieces. One was on Abby's awesome pediatric OT blog and the other was for AOTA. In these, I shared some of the organizational tips that I use to try to keep life together. Here is a more elaborate and visual demonstration of some of the best.

My dad teaches high school seniors and as part of his unit on college prep always advises that the kids keep 2 calendars- one for the whole semester and another for the coming 4 weeks. I found this magnetic dry erase calendar at Sam's Club back in 2003 (?) for about $8 and have been using it religiously ever since. I only have to update a week at a time and get to use all the different color markers for coordination. It lives on the fridge and helps keep everything straight.

My high-tech method for the calendar is using Google Calendar, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to anyone who knows of my Google product allegiance. I love that it's integrated with my phone and google account on the cloud. Also, it's easy for my husband and I to add things to each other's calendars so we stay updated, and I can add additional calendars (WVU sports!) so I have other events automatically on my schedule. 

I love these accordion files for organizing all my different papers. I have 3 that I use for different collections of stuff. This one is labeled to keep track of my continuing education for the past five years (required in case of audit in my state), my various licenses, and papers needed for my early intervention renewals.

I got this finance organizer at the dollar store to keep track of my receipts so that I actually had them come tax time. I didn't write in the amounts because I want to reuse it and keep track of all my finances on a computer spreadsheet. You could also use a small coupon file for this same purpose.

In a super-useful variation of the accordion file, this one is broken down for all the days of the month. Especially beneficial when I was in the school system last year as I could place several copies of the relevant evaluation, a prior written notice, and a blank sheet for notes clipped together on the day for the IEP meeting. When I would get an email asking me to screen a child, I could throw the screening papers in the folder on the day I would next be in the school. Very handy when you have multiple sites to coordinate. I got this idea from the book Getting Things Done, which is the only productivity book that I've ever read and very useful.

Speaking of Getting Things Done, one of my favorite apps is Due Today which is based on the methods outlined in the book. You can check out my interview with Stephanie Yamkovenko on the AOTA website to see all the reasons I love this app (one of only a mere handful that I have actually paid for). On the shot, you can see that I have different priority colors, due dates, overarching projects (lots to do in the "baby" category, obvs), contexts, etc. I don't have any notes for these but they are helpful too. Subtasks also help to break up the large pieces and figure out what to do first- you can see that I need to get a cream colored shirt but only if the coral skirt fits. 

Do you have any great methods to stay organized that work well for your business or family? Feel free to share in the comments!

Product Review & Giveaway: Aimee's Babies DVDs

When I started making out my baby registries, and had one on amazon.com where the options were limitless, I decided to cast a wider net than the "standard" baby gifts. I have been interested in infant massage since my time in the NICU but not able to work out the time or money to go to a certification class. When I saw a massage video from an occupational therapist (one with a newly reactivated blog I had been following even) I decided to add it to my registry and try to learn a little about massage before I had my baby. Unfortunately, no one bought the DVD for me. However, I purchased the massage video for myself at a discount when the Aimee's Babies blog ran a promotion. Aimee then contacted me about reviewing the massage and developmental milestones DVDs on this blog.

My husband and I watched the videos together and collected our opinions on them. This way, we would have both an OT and layperson opinion.

The Baby Massage video is available as a DVD or digital download, and has a supplementary app also available. The video first briefly reviews infant development in motor and sensory systems. Aimee approaches the need for infant massage through a sensory integration perspective. After the introduction, she demonstrates performing the full body massage on an infant with description of her actions. She uses the Baby's First Massage method, which is intended for a typically developing child.

My husband and I both felt that the developmental section moved very quickly. While I was familiar with the information, he was less so, and would have benefitted from a slower pace. There was also some confusion because not all of what was referenced applied to newborns (which is what I think of when I hear 'babies') but also to the 6 months and up group. The developmental section would have benefitted from more of a multisensory learning method- listing out the developmental exercises that were being spoken about or just referred to through the pictures. Some senses, like position-in-space, were only briefly referred to and that confused my husband as well.

After the developmental section, we got to see the massage. I was happy to see that Aimee discussed specific contraindications to massage and referred to the general benefits of massage. I would have liked to see a brief discussion of the research that has been done on infant massage. Again, my husband and I felt the pacing was a little too quick. We will definitely need to watch the video again before trying the massage. My husband commented that it would have been nice to have this at the pace like an exercise video so that you could perform the massage on your baby at the same time.

Since I knew the benefits of infant massage before watching the video, I think I was more receptive to the overall concept than my husband. While there were a few parts of the massage that gave me the willies due to my own tactile defensiveness, I felt like the overall massage showed good face validity in light of what I already knew. My husband, in a phrase I never thought I would hear, said that he did not feel confident doing the massage on his baby because he still felt the baby would be a "porcelain doll" and was afraid it might hurt him. I think a larger reference to the research might have helped assuage his safety concerns.

Next, we watched the First Year Milestones DVD. Aimee described the purpose of this video to empower parents to be more vigilant about their child's development. She stressed that parents should not overreact to the exact timeframe of the milestone, but that they should be able to discuss what the baby can and cannot do with their physician and the importance of early intervention if there is a delay. The video was broken up well with menus to skip to the appropriate age range.

This video is considerably longer than the massage video, so I could only get my husband to watch the newborn section. This section again has a sensory processing base, and was primarily devoted to reflexes (which makes sense given the age of the child). The newborn section was very distracting to me because much of the video footage was done during a photo shoot, so there were repeated camera flashes. The audio and visual for this section could have been better coordinated as well. Watching this video before the infant massage would have been helpful since it was more in-depth than the developmental review in front of the massage video.

In the 3-12 month sections, this video really begins to shine. The skills Aimee discusses are really well illustrated in the videos of the different children. The developmental exercises that are discussed are pretty easy to do and Aimee gives suggestions for how to incorporate them into the day. I really appreciated that she gave a specific time range for tummy time at various points, because I have seen in my EI work that parents really have no idea how much time to shoot for (if they are aware that tummy time is necessary to start with). These sections were really well paced and developed and would be very beneficial to anyone looking to learn more about development. Some of the terminology may be a little over the head of a layperson but did accompany a video demonstration of whatever was being discussed.

My husband described the video as "very educational" and found the video footage of same-age babies to be helpful in understanding the developmental concepts. He stated that the video was helpful and made him feel more informed as a first time parent. He also mentioned that this was presented like a class, and might be good as part of a new parent class at a hospital or pediatrician's office.

I thought that the developmental video would actually even be helpful in a college level pediatrics class to illustrate the concepts discussed. We had photos and a day or two where we observed our instructor interacting with an infant, but a video would have been a valuable addition. The video would also be helpful for practitioners switching into pediatrics. With a little tweaking and adding footage of abnormal development, this video could be re-edited to really focus on educating OT professionals, but it is a valuable resource as is.

SUMMARY The Aimee's Babies DVDs would be helpful for new parents in learning more about development and appropriate ways to interact with your child. I think that the developmental DVD should be a prerequisite to learning the massage, so giving both together would be a good idea. Prices are comparable or better to similar products, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm excited to see the future of the Aimee's Babies line, as she has announced plans for toddler and preschooler videos.

GIVEAWAY!! To help share the love during OT month, I will be sending out the Developmental Milestones DVD to one lucky winner chosen at random. This would be great for a student, new parent, or anyone interested in better understanding the first year of development. All you have to do to be eligible is Like the Occupational Therapy Notes Facebook Page before next Friday, April 26, at 10pm Eastern time. The winner will need to send me their address by 10am Monday morning or a new winner will be drawn- I'm having a baby and can't afford to wait around!

I got the Baby Massage video at a discount during an Aimee's Babies promotion, and received the Developmental Milestones video for free. All opinions are my own, except where my husband's are noted, and I was not compensated or influenced.

Blogiversary Winners!

I should seriously know better by now about announcing plans... as soon as I had great ideas for the blogiversary, everything else blew up. I had started my new job, which had a lot of intense time in the up-front, reevals and the like. Hospital census exploded and they needed help, at the same time that the outpatient center needed extra coverage. Still balancing the early intervention caseload also, though trying to transition them to new therapists. I had to take the four hour glucose test, and then I got ill. So clearly, this month was just not meant to happen. Promised entries will still be coming, but just on a delayed schedule.

At any rate, we do have winners for our giveaways!

Sarah wins the Geriatric Grab-bag with great gifts from Maddak, The Pencil Grip, Handybar, Tactus Therapy, and AOTA!

Our Pediatric Playthings winner was commenter #12 Jenny M! She gets gifts from  Maddak, The Pencil Grip, Tactus Therapy,  AOTA, Miss Awesomeness, and me!

Our Student Stuffs giveway winner was commenter #6 OT Girl! She wins prizes mostly from me, but also from AOTA and The Pencil Grip! (note that the # of possibilities represents the number of unique commenters, some duplicates snuck in)

I solicited these gifts based on products that I like and use, and hope that you will love them!

Commenters named in this post have 1 week to comment here with your email address (name AT source DOTCOM to prevent spam) so I can contact you since none of you left contact info! If I do not hear from you by 8am EST Friday February 8, I'm picking new people!

Thanks to everyone for commenting, re-tweeting, and pinning! I love hearing from readers and hope to get more input from you all on normal entries too! We had a couple of other bloggers stop by: Abby from Notes of a Pediatric Therapist; Heather from Heather's Creative Concoctions; and Christie from Mama OT -- be sure to check out their blogs too!

Student Stuffs Giveaway!

Life as a student... sometimes fun, sometimes stressful, sometimes unbelievable. And for one person, it's about to be unbelievably lucky!!


I like students. I like them to know that life gets better when you are being paid to work instead of paying for work experience. I like to occasionally pick on students IRL but avoid it online since my wit just doesn't translate well to type. But seriously, being an OT student can be great, since it means that you're almost an OT or OTA (which we all know is terrific)! So students need a little something special

I'm sending some of my gently used and most useful study materials. This includes a Quick Reference Dictionary for Occupational Therapy, spiffy laminated cards on multiple topics (anatomy, TBI, SCI, low vision, neuro...), and hard to find guidelines on safety for patients in acute care.

The Pencil Grip is a company that makes more than just grips, and they have sent another useful item for students. They make dry erase file folder labels, which I think would be infinitely useful when you're changing classes each semester and gaining new knowledge to be organized by the minute.

Remember that AOTA is always your best resource no matter your practice area. They have sent items to promote and explain OT, including 2 T-shirts, brand posters, and pens. For your everyday life, they've included a great tote bag, umbrella, and car decal that I'm sure will have great usefulness no matter your job site.

Included are some Dycem sample sheets, which will be handy when on fieldwork or trying to construct new adaptive devices. Also is a nifty NBCOT lunch box and pin for the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, to remind you of helpful organizations in your post-student world.

If you're an OT or OTA student (even a very committed pre-OT student), enter now by leaving a comment below. Comments must be received before 11:59pm EST on January 31. Good Luck!

Pediatric Playthings Giveaway!

I never would have imagined when starting school, or even ending school, that I would someday consider myself a primarily pediatric practitioner. But it has largely become my OT identity and something that I really enjoy. Now I get to share some great pediatric related items with you!
The friendly folks at Maddak have been very generous in providing many items for all the giveaways. I have always liked Maddak because they provide a lot of unique tools that are very useful and they really respect the therapy professionals that use their tools. I love the awards they give out at the AOTA annual conference for therapist and student inventions that fill a new need, and now they have started a special "OT Circle" for therapists to provide feedback on their products.

Pediatric practitioners should get a lot of use out of a large roll of Tenura non-slip. Great for keeping games and materials from sliding off desks and slant boards, adapting toys for easier holding, and sometimes making it easier for little bottoms to stay in their chairs!

The Pencil Grip company makes more than just grips, but they have included standard, jumbo, and crossover grips for you to try. Their standard grip is my favorite for kiddos (and myself) and the jumbo version takes those teeny tiny hard to grip pens and makes them into comfortable arthritis-friendly writing tools. I haven't gotten a chance to try the crossover grip but the quality is quite nice. They have also donated some terrific Tri-Write crayons, which I love to use for the little ones who are just starting to color.

In the "intangibles" file is a great gift from Tactus Therapy. They will be donating a free download of their Visual Attention TherAppy app, a great tool for therapists working on cognition, attention, and scanning. This can be used on any iOS device, I'm anxiously awaiting their android versions.

There are two of the best blog resources for pediatric practitioners that I want to highlight. Karen blogs her school OT adventures at Miss Awesomeness and always comes up with terrific ideas for working with kiddos. I'm passing along some of her great tools for developing fine and visual motor skills- it's a great party pack to start or freshen your OT kit. She also developed the fun and exciting Lava Paper in conjunction with Tonya from Therapy Fun Zone. Tonya has started highlighting activities each week that therapists submit, so I'd definitely encourage you to check that out and stay fresh.

Remember that AOTA is always your best resource no matter your practice area. They have sent items to promote OT in your clinic, including a T-shirt, brand posters, and pens. For your everyday life, they've include a great tote bag, umbrella, and car decal that I'm sure will have great usefulness no matter your job site.

This pack also has some of my own personal items that I've used and enjoyed and pass along to you. This includes small travel versions of Spot It, Cranium, and Puzzominos. I've also thrown in a super toy for working on motor planning- the Astrojax.

I serendipitously found golf-sized colored pencils and my most favorite writing implements (for personal and professional use) the Bic Grips Mini. There are also a few extra sensory and learning surprises thrown in (including bubble wrap!!).

If you're a practitioner in this area, enter now by leaving a comment below. Comments must be received before 11:59pm EST on January 31. Good Luck!

Geriatric Grab-bag Giveaway!

Happy Blogiversary to me! I've spent a fair amount of time the past five years working with geriatric patients and adult phys/dys in general. Here are some awesome tools that will augment your outpatient, SNF, ALF, inpatient rehab, or hospital based practice!


The great folks at Maddak have been very generous in providing many items for this giveaway. I have always liked Maddak because they provide a lot of unique tools that are very useful and they really respect the therapy professionals that use their tools. I love the awards they give out at the AOTA annual conference for therapist and student inventions that fill a new need, and now they have started a special "OT Circle" for therapists to provide feedback on their products.

A hip kit is one of the essentially useful items that Maddak has provided for the giveaway. No matter where you work, there's always the day that you run out of reachers. The kit contains a reacher, sock aid, shoe horn, and long handled sponge. Also included is one of my favorite items- a leg lifter! So useful especially in those days immediately following a surgery. I've found that a leg lifter can also be very helpful in performing safe tub transfers when leg mobility is still limited.

Two more super useful items from Maddak are included in this package. A Tenura jar opener is better shaped than the typical flat openers and specially shaped for bottles and jars. I have difficulty opening items and know from experience these are beyond helpful. A pack of tubing to build up handles, pens, and utensils is also a great tool in the phys/dys world for so many uses.

The Pencil Grip company makes more than just grips, but they have included jumbo grips for our giveaway to assist those with arthritis. Their standard grip is my favorite for kiddos (and myself) and the jumbo version takes those teeny tiny hard to grip pens and makes them into comfortable arthritis-friendly writing tools.

My favorite car transfer tool is also part of the giveaway. The Handybar has been such a great help to my grandmother for getting in and out of the car. This tool is compatible in any car and provides a stable bar to push from and balance on while trying to get in and out of the car. It's also compact enough that it easily fits in a purse or the door console. This is such a great tool, and I love promoting mobility throughout the lifespan.

In the "intangibles" file is a great gift from Tactus Therapy. They will be donating a free download of their Spaced Retrieval TherAppy app, a great tool for therapists working in cognition. I think this would be really relevant to therapists in community based settings with high level clients, but their site also says it can be used with lower level clients. This can be used on any iOS device, I'm anxiously awaiting their android versions.

From my collection of OT stuff, I have included a faucet nozzle light. This light is supposed to change the color of the water whether it is hot or cold and I thought would be very helpful for clients with diabetes or other sensation impairments. I haven't been able to try it out but hope that it works as advertised! Also included is a Twist 'n Write pencil, what we called a rocketship pencil in the school system. This is another item that is very arthritis-friendly and can be useful even if you have limited finger control.

Last, but certainly not least, remember that AOTA is always your best resource no matter your practice area. They have sent items to promote OT in your clinic, including a T-shirt, brand posters, and pens. For your everyday life, they've include a great tote bag and umbrella that I'm sure will have great usefulness no matter your job site.

WOOOOOO! that's our geriatric tool giveaway! If you're a practitioner in this area, enter now by leaving a comment below. Comments must be received before 11:59pm EST on January 31. Good Luck!

10 Minute Tuesday- Intro and cell phones

I am going to start my new feature, which may dribble a bit in the holiday time but I want to make it regular in 2013. This involves me writing for 10 minutes and topic switches are permitted- anything to get the post written!

Obviously I missed getting this done on Tuesday but I essentially worked 13.5 hours and was nothing short of exhausted. Did inpatient hospital in the morning, outpatient in the afternoon, and an early intervention client late that evening. It's funny to see sensory overload sometimes, I came home and my husband wanted to talk to me about a video he was watching at the same time that there was something on the TV and I just had to tell him to choose. I could not possibly focus on all that when all I really wanted to do was get in a fetal position and sleep for 20 hours.

Sad that I missed today's #occhat which appears to be on adaptive equipment use and practices when issuing equipment. I have lots of thoughts on that and have posted before, may need to do another after reading their grabchat. I also have interesting really old-school AE pictures from when my mom was in school to do voc rehab. It's neat to me to see how people used to make certain things, and some of them have completely gone out of vogue but would still be useful. The copyrights are expired on most of them so I will have to scan in some pictures if people are interested.

OK my main topic was going to be cell phones, and how essential they really are in today's world and especially my OT practice. I seriously cannot imagine doing my early intervention job without my phone. For today' client alone, I was able to do the following:

- text to confirm the appointment before driving there

- access my master file of client names and addresses

- get directions and navigation from an unfamiliar starting point

- show an app that would be helpful to the family's goals

Seriously, without my phone, I would have had to use my rolodex to get their number,  just leave a message on their machine and hope they'd be home when I got there, have to add in an extra 25+ minutes to get back on my familiar route, and spend a lot of time making equipment by hand. I have also used my phone to show a picture of a toy that would be helpful, and in the school system it was so crucial to get a picture of hand function for the evaluation. That's barely scratching the surface of what it is capable of, but I really couldn't do without it in practice.

Time's up! Hope you enjoyed this post and that I'll be able to keep up the pattern.

Photo Phriday: Accessibility IRL

This week's photo pheme is about accessibility. The whole point of universal design is that one object can serve multiple people with varied abilities. So here are some examples of increased accessibility that I have lately seen in real life which I think are noteworthy.

I saw these toothbrushes at a friend's house. These are made by Radius and claim to be more ergonomic for reaching back teeth. The brushes come in right or left handed versions with a soft, large head. My friends are convinced that you only need to try them once to be hooked for life... there were 6 of these at the house.

My grandmother had an "accessible" hotel room when she came to visit recently. This included a doorbell, low step tub, and these nifty alternative to drapery pull cords. I liked it and was able to move with only gross arm movements.

This pill dispenser is named for Ease of use by the arthritis foundation. My grandmother found one like this in Walgreens and really likes using the push-button.

I follow the "One Man's Access" blog and he has a feature I featuring annoying/interesting/aggravating pictures of access. We saw this double doorway with stairs while on vacation, and while we were hoping it was just a terrible grammatical error, I had my husband take a picture just in case.

Getting Started in Early Intervention: Assessment

I have recently been able to get started an early intervention system, providing OT to families in their homes and communities. It definitely required a lot of paperwork to get started, but there was also a need for mental preparation and acquiring tools. Though my school system job involved using IFSPs, I was providing services in a preschool and had (ample!) materials provided. Here are some resources that I used in preparing to perform OT assessments and treatment in an early intervention setting.

I reviewed a number of assessments when I was trying to decide what to buy. Some were seriously outdated or limited the areas assessed. I wasn't able to consider others because they were made to be a true team assessment, which is true of the TBPA. While I can't speak to the practicality of using the assessment as a team arena approach, I do want to discuss the intervention book. So often, the intervention books that come with assessments are rather worthless. This is a book that I want to add into my own collection. The intervention book has many strategies to increase skills in all domains and adaptations for performance factor limitations. I think it would be helpful to anyone in early intervention because it gives you information from a multidisciplinary point of view, so it had info that I had not previously been exposed to.

After looking at multiple assessments (which had to be on an approved list), I decided to purchase the ELAP. The fact that I needed to be able to assess all domains of development, not just motor or adaptive, was a heavy factor in this decision. Also, I needed to keep costs low and the manuals and scoresheets for the test were very reasonably priced and the kit can be assembled in a non standard manner. This is a criterion referenced test which allows you to figure out an approximate age. I have friends who use the EIDP, which is even lower in cost, but I was a little worried that I wouldn't see enough during the test to get a good assessment. I also decided later to purchase an infant-toddler sensory profile (the SPM-P is not approved in my state, so it is the only sensory measure).

This picture shows some of the materials I was able to get for my testing kit. Many of the items came from yard sales or discount stores. I have always loved the pipsqueaks markers, so they were a must-have item for me. I liked the tactile puzzles we had at school so I felt fortunate to find one for sale. I found a surprising number of high quality wooden beads and blocks for cheap, which I was super happy about. The orb over on the right has spinning lights and I got it for a quarter... it is going to be a favorite toy. I need more things that make noise for kiddos with visual impairments, but the squeaky toy I got (in the pet section) is super responsive and loud, so it will do for now. Not pictured, but worth a mention is the formboard puzzle I got from Manzanita Kids on etsy. They were very responsive to my custom order, made it with high contrast materials as requested, and it is a very high quality piece.


Other Resources:
What to Expect from an EI eval- from the dual perspective of therapist and parent

Abby's blog has been featuring parent interviews which includes tips they'd like therapists to know

Photo Phriday- phinally uploaded style

Off topic: It is a little-kept secret that I use a lot of google products. Clearly I'm on blogger, I also have an android phone, and I use chrome as my browser. I do this since these products usually work very well. While I don't use google+ as a social networking option often, I've said before that our presentation team had great results with the video chatting and I also rely on the instant upload feature for these posts and for my own personal use. However, it has been very glitchy on my phone lately and only works when I actively force it to synchronize. Hopefully, they're fixing this to be a bit more "instant" as advertised, since that is the whole point. /end rant

On to the photos!

This is an old worksheet from when I was still in the schools. I thought it was a particularly unique and interesting perceptual take that this little guy started to copy the design correctly, just inverted.

Saw this cute little thermometer sign when I was back in my old hometown for high school reunion. The Junior League is apparently raising money for a universally accessible playground for the city park. I love seeing efforts to increase accessibility and really hope that accessible playgrounds start to take off in more places. There are often grants available for this kind of project, so get inspired and get one for your community!

This is a photo of my grocery list before my triathlon (which explains things like the protein drinks). I include this as another kind of hopeful note for people. 10 years ago, I would eat only 22% of these foods, and most of them would not have been things I would have willingly bought to eat (i.e. I would nibble at salad at the Olive Garden, but I never would have chosen to eat that as my daily lunch).

Had to get my scrubs out of storage when I started doing prn for my old hospital. I'm glad I didn't give them all away...

How can you tell an OT car? Mine has a sticker from OT school, one from AOTA, and this little MacGuyver'ed contraption to help me remember what I need to do everyday. It's become even more important now that I have a longer commute- just more time to forget about what I was supposed to do. But 2 papers and one of those little gold clips that lets papers rotate (what is that called?!) allowed me to make a simple reminder tool for the places I need to go most. It's a little big for the car, but it's worked out well.


I've been going to a lot of baby showers lately, it's just that time of my life. I do go off-registry for some super cool items. I have loved the Tommy Tippee crumb catch/roll up bibs and when I saw these bowls I could tell I would love them too. These bowls have corners and an inner lip to make it easier for toddlers to feed themselves.

Photo Phriday- more questions than answers

OK, so the stress of the challenge is getting to me a little bit. Just a little of that, combined with the fun and yet stressful NBCOT trip, and the upcoming AOTA presentations, doing my job, and trying to ensure an employment future. Yep, just a little stressful. So here's some of the cooler tangentially OT related pictures I've taken lately.

I'm going to start with a shout out and an unpaid product endorsement. When I first saw the RediSpace paper, I wasn't floored by it. But since trying it out with several kids with spacing issues, I have seen a lot of improvement. It doesn't work for everyone (what does?) but the teachers love it and it's very affordable compared to other specialty papers.

I see people talking about doing finger knitting or all out knitting as a fine motor exercise and I have tried these things for pre-shoe tying. On the left is an overhand knot around a pencil, the way that you make friendship bracelets. On the right is a series of loops pulled through one another. I have yet to find the kid who can do this, though I know I spent much of my childhood doing both.

Why do OTs have to take advanced maths and physics? So you can decipher the manuals for your tests. This is from the Adult version of the DTVP. It's been a long time since I used the word "bisect."

I hate this alignment error. What's worse, this is located at a place where you are often waiting a long time to turn, so then you stare at it extra long.

What are these things? we have a whole barrel full of each red and blue.

Someone suggested that they are meant as pencil grips. Others said it was just for developing pincer grasp. They look just ridiculous enough for me to enjoy. Until I figure out exactly what they are for, I know how I can use them-- iPad gloves! I saw someone had made them on pinterest, and here is an item with premade holes- it will work and save time.

Photo Phriday- creative style

I have always liked the idea if the SticKids program for making sensory plans and handouts, and now I actually get to use it! While I do have some issues with how the SticKids software works, I still think they make my job easier with the products I can create for students. Sometimes though, only your own picture will do. (this was an activity we had safety tested in the classroom)

Dycem Product Review

The good folks over at Dycem were kind enough to send me some free samples in exchange for a review. Click through to read (and win a prize!)

Dycem products have expanded since I was in school, learning about their use. They have even made a special section on their website just for OTs. I got a few products and started trying them out in my practice and handing them out to others.

I was a little confused by the mat that had a peel off on both sides. I am 80% sure that it was just like that for easy distribution and cleanliness, not to be adhesive. (There are adhesive strips/mats as well) I tossed one of these in my utensil drawer, because the force from me closing the drawer kept knocking the silverware tray back into the depths. I put it in a few weeks ago, and despite me purposefully slamming the drawer, the tray does not move. The silverware itself keeps trying to run away, but I digress. We will also use some for either the drawer holding baggies or for where the wine glasses are.

One of the rifton chairs at school has a piece of Dycem on the seat to help keep the child from sliding. This does work, but you have to be very conscious that you are positioning the child properly and with a good pelvic tilt since it will be hard for them to readjust themselves.

I like the coaster a lot. It doesn't slide on the surface and the glass doesn't slide either. The downside is that it cannot absorb any liquid, so the glass will get pretty drippy if you have a lot of condensation. I tried to use this in the car to hold my phone (illegally) on the dashboard, but it couldn't quite hold the phone during the turns.

The pediatric mats are quite cute. However, the shape cutouts can make it difficult to get the absolute best fit for the object getting stabilized. I have used the Turtle while in the schools, stabilizing slant boards, the Ipad, blocks etc while on the wheelchair tray or tabletop. The kids seem to like it, but it can be a little distracting. I sent the hippo to my grandma because her little fat dachshund dog is so eager to get her daily food portions that she attacks them and pushes them under the toe kick for the kitchen cabinets. This is annoying for my grandma, who really shouldn't be bending over and digging under the cabinet or all across the floor for these bowls. She swapped the old mat for the dycem one and has not had a problem with the bowls moving at all. I got a text message ("from the dog") that reads- "Dear Cheryl, I like my new mat. I don't have 2 chase my food dish. It is easy for my maid 2 pick up and clean. It doesn't take up as much space. Thank u for thinking of me. love, Annie"

The jar and bottle openers are my favorites by far. The jar opener has worked on everything I could try, and my elderly patients have always liked it. It is listed at $12.75, but really high quality. It is much better than the rubber or silicone trivets/openers I've tried before. The bottle opener is a little redundant, but lets me open my adult beverages without assistance.

Keep in mind, when using any of these products, your results are much better if the surface and the product are both clean and dry. I have to keep the portable mats in boxes so that they can be transported without getting nasty. It just takes soap and water to clean. I tried to use the placemat "off label" as a trivet. I wouldn't recommend it for that. It's better than a towel, but does still transfer the heat as time goes on. I actually checked the specs and material is supposed to be OK up to 50*C, but I like my silicone trivets better for this purpose.

Things I didn't try:

- On the website, you can see small furniture disks to keep chairs from slipping. I would be interested to know whether this provides enough stabilization to someone who is really pushing back hard on the chair (like a person with Parkinson's). I suspect it would depend on the angle of the push- might be ok for a person who pushes straight backward, but most are at an angle that causes the chair to tip back.

- Also on the website, they have a picture of a sheet of Dycem on a hospital bed presumably to keep a person from sliding down the bed. Would this really work? Soft surface of sheet plus either soft hospital gown or skin? I don't know that I would try it.

- I didn't have one of those mats to try out with sit-stand transfers. It would probably work with some, but the ability to adjust the person's feet is sometimes needed. Could still be useful.

If it were me, I would expand the product features in a few ways. I think the openers and the coaster could be more accessible if there was a magnet or clip to attach to the fridge or cabinet drawer. The jar opener could probably be made into a ring only and attached to a keyring for tailgating purposes. Some products could be integrated with others to increase their function. A silverware drawer with Dycem lining on the bottom and insides would be helpful. A coaster that could somehow have a cork middle to be absorbent while still retaining the non-skid would be great. Anything that could tolerate high temperatures, microwaving, or going through the dishwasher would be helpful. And more color choices are always enjoyed.

I really don't know of an alternative better to Dycem. It just works.

Free Giveaway!

Thanks for reading this far! Please leave a comment regarding this entry or the blog in general (polite only please, no email addresses, no spam plugging fake universities, etc). Get these in by 11:59pm (EST) Sunday November 6 and I will use a random number generator to pick a winner(s) and mail you a slightly used but not damaged Dycem product. You can also get brochures and free samples here.