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Innovative Uses of a Pool Noodle as Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology, Therapist Resources,

On Tuesday, August 11th, Therapro hosted another successful webinar, Assistive Technology Tips and Tools. Our presenter, Abbie King, M.S., CCC-SLP, engaged attendees with a fun activity, How Can You Use a Pool Noodle as Assistive Technology? Viewers provided some great ideas for new and different ways to use a pool noodle in the setting they are working in.  Check out some of the ideas below!  

Using a Pool Noodle for Physical Access:

  • Using on corners of desks/ edges for safety
  • Sitting balance for an infant with (decreased) trunk support
  • Side supports in a wheelchair
  • Holding utensils
  • Sliced open – place on the edge of a table or wheelchair tray to create a bumper
  • Place as a footrest border
  • Place a bungee cord inside and wrap it around the chair as a foot fidget

Using a Pool Noodle as Assistive Technology for Low Vision:

  • Put on the edges of desks so students can tell where the desks end, so as not to push items of
  • Use as a card holder
  • (Raised) border to a book or a slant board,
  • Cut into pieces and put different letters on them to make words
  • Hang beads to work on far/near focus
  • Bright colors can be used on handles
  • Prop ipad
  • Follow the moving noodle with your eyes in all planes
  • Tape together to make a circle, place over the desired object, visual/large core board
  • Stabilize cards
  • I spy games, looking through a pool noodle, scavenger hunts

Using a Pool Noodle as Assistive Technology for Hearing:

  • Talk through for sound
  • (Playing) telephone
  • Slap them together, hit balls, air wands
  • Play drums with pool noodles
  • Rubbing it with hands
  • Speak into one end and have the child listen to sounds on the other end to increase auditory feedback/sensory awareness

Using a Pool Noodle as Assistive Technology for Behavioral/ Emotional Challenges:

  • Sensory tool (fidget)  to squeeze, poke with golf tees, or roll a small piece 
  • Something to squeeze, grasp, or tap on the surface
  • As a reward, use it to play balloon volleyball
  • Rock right/left while grasping overhead
  • Take a turn talking
  • Deep breathing
  • Wrap around the child to create a “bubble zone” for teaching personal space and reducing anxiety from overstimulation
  • Attaching to the chair to kick to increase focus; hand fidget
  • Get anger out using a pool noodle to hit something…or make a “feelings fort” out of pool noodles

Other Uses for A Pool Noodle:

  • Theraband on the chair
  • Play as an obstacle course
  • Use for positioning
  • Boundaries on a table for a remote or switch-controlled doodle bug or car
  • Having a sword fight
  • Pencil grips

Assistive Technology Tips & Tools Webinar Recap

Assistive Technology, Therapist Resources, , , ,

On Tuesday August 11th Therapro hosted another successful webinar, Assistive Technology Tips and Tools.  Our presenter, Abbie King M.S., CCC-SLP, gave a great overview of  assistive technology  and shared some great tips and tricks for assistive technology with attendees!  

As a very important first step, Abbie shared the differentiation of assistive technology and augmentative-alternative communication. To further highlight this, she presented the Assistive Technology Industry Association’s definition of assistive technology:

Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. (https://www.atia.org/home/at-resources/what-is-at/)

Next Abbie elaborated on the differentiation of low, mid, and high tech assistive technology.  The greatest takeaways of the evening were the fantastic examples and explanations Abbie provided for each of the different types of assistive technology.

Tips & Tools: Low Tech Assistive Technology

To facilitate grasp, Abbie demonstrated the use of EazyHold Universal Holds.  These are a great way for individuals who have decreased hand strength to hold everyday objects, such as paintbrushes! Abbie had a great tip for attendees, use hair elastics if EazyHolds are not readily available. She also demonstrated some great ways to adapt books for individuals who have decreased manual dexterity, how to use a glove to facilitate iPad access, how to make hot spot books, and how to use mainstream items to solve a variety of access challenges.  Abbie’s creative ideas were well received by attendees, as one attendee commentented: 

“The examples of low tech materials were outstanding and so functional for day to day routines. Loved the diversity of usage for the materials!” -KE 

Tips & Tools: Mid Tech Assistive Technology

Abbie introduced and explained some great mid tech assistive technology tools including the Power Links, TalkingBrix, and Time Timers.  She also demonstrated ways to make everyday items, like a bubble blower, accessible by using a battery interrupter and a switch.  

PowerLink 4 Control Unit
PowerLink 4 Control Unit
TalkingBrix assistive technology communication devices
TalkingBrix
Time Timer
Time Timer

Tips & Tools: High Tech Assistive Technology

Given that many classrooms are continuing with some form of remote learning for the upcoming school year, one of the most relevant topics covered during this webinar was Google extension and built in computer accessibility features. Viewers left with some great tips for making virtual learning sessions more accessible with Google extensions for text to speech, spelling and grammar, and comprehension. She also demonstrated some great built in accessibility features like captions.

Therapro's Essential Classroom Kit - each

Exploring Therapro’s Everyday Essentials Kit

Company News & Announcements, Therapist Resources, ,

Therapro’s Everyday Classroom Kit is the newest kit to hit our shelves. This kit was created  with the thought of students returning to classrooms under new pandemic guidelines.  Therapro’s Everyday Classroom Kit includes all the essentials for day to day classroom use and is intended for a single user. In this way every student has the essential items they need for classroom participation while minimizing the sharing of these commonly used classroom essentials!  Included in each kit are:

  • 1 Standard Size Pencil With #4 Jumbo Lead 
  • 1 Swirl Foam Grip 
  • 1 Spike Tactile Pencil Topper 
  • 1 Fiskars Blunt-tip Kids 5″ Scissors
  • 1 Sensory Bookmark 
  • 1 Two Hole Pencil Sharpener
  • 1 Star Spacer 
  • 1 Reading Guide Strip

Set your pencil up right! Included in each kit is a Standard Size Pencil With #4 Jumbo Lead and just the right accessories, a Swirl Foam Grip and a Spike Tactile Pencil Topper! These are just the right pencil accessories for comfort and increased focus during writing tasks.  The swirl foam grip can be used by every student, it is not meant to correct grip instead it is simply for comfort.  The Spike Tactile Pencil Topper is a great accessory for every student; this small fidget is a great way to improve attention and focus! 

Improve handwriting legibility!  Included in each kit is the The Star Spacer; the Star Spacer is a clever handwriting tool made of see-through plastic which acts as a guide to help the child understand spacing, sizing, and alignment of letters and words to promote more legible handwriting. The blue star printed on the spacer is a great reminder for both letter size and space between words.  Here’s a bonus tip, turn it vertically to help line up columns of numbers during math work! 

Increase attention and focus!  Included in each kit is the Reading Guide Strip.  The Reading Guide Strip is a great tool to help all students attend to and focus during reading tasks. The Reading Guide Strips helps students track print through it’s transparent, tinted windows; a great way to improve attention when reading!  

To round out this kit we included  three “must have” classroom essentials;  Fiskars Blunt-tip Kids 5″ Scissors, The Sensory Bookmark, and a Transparent Two Hole Pencil Sharpener!  Scissors, bookmarks, and pencil sharpeners are frequently used multiple times through the course of a typical school day; by providing each student one of their own you can decrease cross contamination!  The Sensory Bookmark doubles as a fidget; users can run their fingertips across four different textured sections!