A Few Sensory Adaptations

My clients enjoy some of my sensory adaptations so much that they get mad if I try to rotate them amongst the program rooms. The ones that vibrate are usually the favorites. but here are a few more....

The gentleman with the cushions filled with sand has much difficulty to tolerate ANYTHING touching him. I finally figured out that I could drape a bag around his shoulders. It is filled with 3 socks filled with plastic bags of sand and the entire thing is inside a removable pillow case so that it can be washed.  I tucked a soft thick door snake used to keep cold out, around his waist and then the final cushion which is very heavy on top of his arms. He is learning to tolerate these items while his hands are in the usual position of wedged inside his legs. I am hoping to eventually encourage him to place his hands on top of the cushion and touch objects.

The gentleman in the lower picture likes the flashlight I attached to the ring stack. I figured that the clients who like to be busy during the relaxation periods of dim lights and soft music would enjoy having the light on and the option of manipulating the rings.

The gentleman in the video is using an insertion container that has a door jamb spring attached to the top. I bought it on Amazon for a dollar and I wound the bottom of the springy part through a hole in the lid and then duct taped. I didn't catch it in the video but he stabilized the container a few times while snapping the spring and this made him interested in the activity.

The other gentleman in the video has a lot of energy and loves the sensation of rolling the ball around. I found a tether ball and was able to wrap it tightly around the table to use in this way.

 

 

Stabilizing with the Non-functional Hand

My client does not use his left hand, it is relatively weak, often fisted and he requires assistance to use it to grasp. However, this adaptation enabled him to use it to the best of his ability to stabilize the ring stack. I wedged the tube into the bottom of the container so that he can grasp it from the horizontal orientation.

 I used the Easyhold strap to hold his hand in place. (the company gave me a few to try out). He was able to place rings on top of the dowel after I found just the right height for him to  be able to reach. reach. His left hand actually did help to stabilize the container after setting him up...

Some days he can stack rings with only verbal cues after it is placed in his hand. On other days he requires physical or hand-over-hand assistance.



Source: Adapted Ring Stack for Individual with Hemiplegia by RecyclingOT

Client Shaking sensory stimulation objects on Ipad holder attached to Tray

I was given a gooseneck Ipad holder that attaches to a tray with a C-clamp. I wanted to use it to help a client be able to shake objects that she has difficulty controlling when they are lower on her tray. I covered all of the parts that hold the Ipad with fabric, duct tape, tubing  so that there were no sharp edges. then I added yam and other pretty dangly things. but best of all was attaching the Brainy Baby Toy that her sister had purchased for her. It has a spring inside that vibrates when pulled and no batteries which is great... I know that this lady loves vibration and to pull objects and this was much easier to do when the pulling was from up above rather than across her tray. Also she has difficulty grasping for longer periods of time so I attached the  http://eazyhold.com/   strap to keep her hand inside. She is able to pull her hand out at any point and she did after about 10 minutes. So I alternated between using her right and left hand with the strap and time to touch without using the strap.  You can see in the video how excited she is the be able to pull for more than her usual few seconds....

 

 

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013TSXSI?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0013TSXSI&linkCode=xm2&tag=barbarasmitho-20

Roller Ring Stack

This is an easy way to make a sensory-based fine motor activity. Many of my clients love the sensation of rubbing their hands over the roller as well as the deep pressure sensory input when I roll it over thei9r hands. I attached a roller from the dollar store inside a plastic tube and wedged the tube inside a detergent bottle. I  made the rectangular pieces a bit small so that they have to motor plan to tilt each one before inserting over the roller. the young man in the video enjoys giving it some rolls while  performing repetitions.





Source: Paint Roller Ring Stack for Children with Autism by RecyclingOT on Rumble

Deep Pressure Beeping Bilateral Ring Stack

I had made this ring stack a while ago to promote reaching and using 2 hands. My clients really enjoy looking at the photos attached to the plastic. I had laminated the photos and some clients sewed them to the plastic that I had cut from large detergent bottles. But you can glue pictures to plastic or cardboard to use for stacking. There are may ways to make this. I inserted the 2 tall dowels into a large bottle and then inserted that inside the box and covered it with contact paper to look nicer.

 I attached a beeping toy by wrapping it up in fabric and then tying the fabric to the dowels. When they press down with force, they can hear the sounds.

This was a lot of fun . You can grade the difficulty level by making the holes in the plastic pieces larger or smaller.

Source: Bilateral Ring Stack for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities by RecyclingOT

Adding Motor Planning Challenge to Ring Stacks

My clients get bored with doing the same activities, so I try to make small variations to keep their interest. This ring stack has a couple of balls attached to the top. I can shake the pole to draw their attention to the top of the pole where the ring needs to go down. I cut the openings in the plastic to be small enough to require a bit of motor planning to make the balls fit through. I found that this worked well with some individuals while seated and others while standing at the table promoting reaching at eye level.

 

 

 

Two Shape Bilateral Ring Stack

My clients seems to really enjoy this ring stack.  I happened to have a cardboard tube, some plastic dowels and these rectangular shaped plastic containers. So I wedged 2 dowels into the tube and then attached the rectangular container.

 I knew that they would have to stabilize this because it rocks around otherwise. But they seemed to like the cognitive challenge of matching the small round shapes to the dowel and rectangular shapes to the rectangular stack. They realized quickly that the smaller round shapes won't  fit over the rectangular stack and understood where the larger green rectangular shapes needed to go.   In addition, the lady with the striped sweater avoids using her left hand so this activity worked on her goal to stabilize with it.

 

This activity works on many skills that are appropriate for individuals with  developmental disabilities.