Assignment #3 AT Seekers and Inventors

Assignment #3 AT Seekers and Inventors
Morning Session
Terry Pike
Bev Anthony
Our student is a 10 year old girl in a wheelchair who wants to make play dough/cookies from the recipe her teacher has given to the class. She enjoys baking with her mother, but needs assistance from an adult to boil water and pour, (personality) The task is that she would like to be able to make cookies/play dough, but that the mixing utensils/ cookie cutters are hard for her to manipulate easily, as she has limited mobility with one arm ( simple grasp).
Task A: Using the MPTTT model, we searched the shelves of the dollar store to come up with low tech. assistive technology ( bulb planter- cookie/play dough cutter), as well as a garden trowel ( large mixing spoon to use in large bowl)

Using the kitchen at home as her milieu, she and her mother can use their leisure time to allow her to mix the ingredients with minimal assistance, using her large garden trowel spoon. She can also use the garden seed planter as a cookie cutter, she can create her own jam- jams and kool aid playdough. The timed factor means that she can create her cookies/play dough in about the same amount of time that her peers would need at home with their parents.
Task B: Again using the MPTTT model, we found that our 10 year old girl in the wheelchair wanted to socialize with her friends in her own back yard. It is the summertime, and her friends have chosen water play. Our student wishes to join in with her peers when they choose to use water guns, but she does not know how or have the dexterity to operate a normal dollar store water gun. As our student can only use one arm and a simple grasp, we wanted her to be able to participate in the leisure activity with her peers, from her wheelchair.
At the dollar store we found a large water gun, garden kneeling pad, sponge, long reusable velcro straps, ribbon and a water proof bottle holder(neoprene).
We wanted our student to be able to use her water gun with her dominant hand, but also keep her ipod touch close to her as she is non- verbal, but proficient with one handed ipod manipulation. ( Note: the modified device can be used on a right or left armed rest)
We used the colorful garden rubber kneeling pad as our support frame for the wheelchair arm- comfortable and soft for her arm. The sponge was folded to support the water gun up on an angle for better range and also targeting! The waterproof bottle holder was attached by ribbon to the kneeling pad so she could keep her ipod touch close by- but safe from the water. The Velcro straps are elastic, and firmly attach the kneeling pad to the wheelchair. The straps could also be reusable for other purposes. From her spot in her chair, our student could easily participate with good aim on her water gun, as her arm would be well supported at a comfortable angle.
Using the MPTTT model, we found that our water gun( low tech technology), could be adapted for a 10 year old girl with skill set mentioned above,( personality) would allow her to participate in a leisure social activity with her friends (task), in her own back yard in the summer (milieu). Once adapted by her friends and mother, the time it takes her to use the water gun would be the same as her peers, and with similar accuracy(time).