Observations
S.P.O.T.S.
Spots is a specialized, well organized facility where one on one interaction and adaptable, physical objects are the key to treatment. It was difficult to find a clear need in the site visit without getting to know an individual child or OT better. It seems the basic approach at this site is to work on over or under stimulation of the senses in a focussed age group. What I saw most was an OT using a physical object to set a goal for a child in a controled setting. Rewards were verbal and one on one from the OT. Tactile or auditory feedback could be one area to explore in an existing activity.
+ visual feedback is not such a great idea
+ sound is good
+ space is limmited
Foundling
Foundling is a large, more open facility with two main challenges or objectives, daily life for it's residents and activity/ stimulation. There was an abundance of devices created to handle the physical needs of sitting, standing, moving etc because of the variety of the body sizes and conditions. This was one of the most fascinating things to me in that to create an interaction you had to thing in terms of accomodating and facilitating so many specialized needs. On the individual level, there were examples like the custom foam insert for a chair that was created for minimal cost in-house. The inspiring lesson at this site was the need and interest in custom solutions both high and low tech.
+ need for paired play (challenge)
+ opportunity for something that is simply fun
+ great place to work with one individual on one solution and really make a difference
Rusk