Media Project

    For my media project, I was assigned to make a piece of adaptive technology for the client Joe. Joe is a 22-year-old male recently diagnosed with transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). This diagnosis has stopped Joe from participating in many of his chosen occupations including household chores and leisure activities, such as attending sports games. Joe is extremely determined to rebuild his strength and get back to as much of a normal routine as possible after his diagnosis.

    For Joe, I decided to create a grabber tool made out of popsicle sticks, toothpicks, bottle tops, and hot glue. I chose to create this tool for Joe to help him be able to access objects that he may not be able to reach due to his weakness in the lower extremities. For example, when we need to be able to stretch and reach something on the counter or table, we rely on lower trunk stability and strength to help us grab this item. Due to Joe's diagnosis, this action would be nearly impossible for him. This tool serves as an adaptive device for Joe and can even help him to partake in some of his ADLs (activities of daily living) such as dressing. When building this gripper, I ensured that the tool was long enough to be able to grab objects such as clothing off the floor. I added extra enforcement to the tool by layering the popsicle sticks and gluing them together to provide the gripper with more stability and the ability to pick up heavier items. 

    This assignment helped me apply the knowledge I have learned in Neuro Aspects of Occupational Performance to real-life scenarios and gave me a chance to think like an OT! The information I have learned in class about spinal cord injuries really helped me to be able to formulate a plan for this adaptive device. I knew that for this assignment, I would need to create something that would be useful and practical for his current roles and routines in which he is experiencing deficits. For example, if I were to give him a universal cuff to help with grooming that would not provide him with an adequate challenge or be beneficial to his daily grooming regime; this is because he is independent in most self-care tasks since his function above the waist has been preserved. From this assignment, I was able to apply the skills I've learned and got to practice providing a "just right challenge" to a client! I am very excited for more opportunities to be able to brainstorm and find creative ways to help clients in the future. 

My adaptive device!