Do children hold the answer to adapting to disability?
Its an old saying that children adapt quicker to disability than adults do. Is it only the age factor? Or is it something they do that we don't tend to alot as adults?
I'm talking specifically about PLAY.
It's known that children learn through play, so I'm sure that children with disabilities also learn to adapt through play too.
As an adult who acquires a disability later in life, we are often bogged down with issues of how we we will do the housework, get to work, get the kids to school, walk the dog etc when we suddenly become immobile.
With usually no prior experience of disability (for most of us) this causes us to panic and then depression can (and does) often take hold. Mainly because we can't IMAGINE how we are going to cope. As Adults we don't tend to spend time playing imagination games like children do either. So we are less likely to play through a scenario in our minds and try and work out alternate way of doing something, often people just don't have the time as adults with family life and other events to juggle as well.
A child doesn't have these worries and because other agencies are involved they tend to get help quickly to make sure they can still attend school and get what they need etc. But I'm not just talking about physical help, I'm also talking about emotional well-being and how play makes a difference.
For example playing video games. A child who acquires ataxia at a younger age may quickly find ways around controlling their favourite game and been able to compensate for their difficulties. This child may also as a result retain their fine motor skills for longer or that area be less affected than a child who never plays video games. This may seem trivial but think of what you need your fine motor skills for as an adult: dressing yourself (fastening buttons/zips), writing (signing cheques etc) typing (for work or just accessing computer to chat to someone, dailling numbers on your mobile or sending texts) gripping things (holding cutlery to feed yourself, prepare food, holding a pen to sign your name).
As adults we often dont have time to play on video games due to all the other stuff we have to do as adults. Would someone who played video games since early stages of their ataxia also keep their fine motor skills for longer than an adult who never played them? Would it depend if or how much experience the person had with video gaming before they got ataxia?
Often when we exercise through play we dont relaise how hard we are exercising if we are enjoying ourselves. If you can't do something one way, a friend may come up with an idea or you might figure it out yourself. It seems children are in these types of situations more often than we are as adults and can achieve things we wouldnt think was possible when we were diagnosed.
With more access to the internet these days and sites like You Tube with people showing what they can do and how, it opens up a new avenue to learn from others for adults who maybe more isolated due to where they live or because of other difficulties that complicate access to social events.
When my arms first started to get twitchy movements and shake when i tried to do things my disability felt alot worse, I felt much more disabled in myself. I felt there was nothing I could do and I was in an hopeless situation.
Then a physiotherapist visited and pointed out I was using my arms and legs to balance myself to compensate for core muscles weakening and been more affected by the ataxia. Therefore when i tried to move one arm to do something, leaving only arm to balance myself with I was instantly more shaky which then affected my ability to do anything with my free hand.
She showed me some core muscle exercises which I had never been shown before and I looked it up on the internet. Ataxia UK also gave me the best explanation of Ataxia I have ever been told and I suddenly knew what I was dealing with and could work out on how I could compensate for my difficulties.
The shakyness has improved as a result of core muscle exercises everyday, although I still get extra movements I was not intending to make, I have learnt to compensate for them by aiming for a point further back or to the side in order to grab the item. This is a skill I have perfected mainly from trying to use the wii remote and can do more successfully with weighted wristbands on.
If we have better explanations in earlier days instead of neurologists blinding us with technical jargon, so we know how our bodies work and then having opportunites to learn to compensate ourselves (as children do) would that help adults to compensate quicker after been faced with a new disability?
Surely an official period of 'rehabilitation' would work out cheaper in long run for NHS as less people would be on things like anti-depressants for life and feel more able to do more for themselves?
I personally feel I have learnt alot about movement disorders and how to compensate from children who have been coping with them for years. In a way its not unlike when I went deaf as a teen and learnt most of my compensation skills from other deaf children.
I'm talking specifically about PLAY.
It's known that children learn through play, so I'm sure that children with disabilities also learn to adapt through play too.
As an adult who acquires a disability later in life, we are often bogged down with issues of how we we will do the housework, get to work, get the kids to school, walk the dog etc when we suddenly become immobile.
With usually no prior experience of disability (for most of us) this causes us to panic and then depression can (and does) often take hold. Mainly because we can't IMAGINE how we are going to cope. As Adults we don't tend to spend time playing imagination games like children do either. So we are less likely to play through a scenario in our minds and try and work out alternate way of doing something, often people just don't have the time as adults with family life and other events to juggle as well.
A child doesn't have these worries and because other agencies are involved they tend to get help quickly to make sure they can still attend school and get what they need etc. But I'm not just talking about physical help, I'm also talking about emotional well-being and how play makes a difference.
For example playing video games. A child who acquires ataxia at a younger age may quickly find ways around controlling their favourite game and been able to compensate for their difficulties. This child may also as a result retain their fine motor skills for longer or that area be less affected than a child who never plays video games. This may seem trivial but think of what you need your fine motor skills for as an adult: dressing yourself (fastening buttons/zips), writing (signing cheques etc) typing (for work or just accessing computer to chat to someone, dailling numbers on your mobile or sending texts) gripping things (holding cutlery to feed yourself, prepare food, holding a pen to sign your name).
As adults we often dont have time to play on video games due to all the other stuff we have to do as adults. Would someone who played video games since early stages of their ataxia also keep their fine motor skills for longer than an adult who never played them? Would it depend if or how much experience the person had with video gaming before they got ataxia?
Often when we exercise through play we dont relaise how hard we are exercising if we are enjoying ourselves. If you can't do something one way, a friend may come up with an idea or you might figure it out yourself. It seems children are in these types of situations more often than we are as adults and can achieve things we wouldnt think was possible when we were diagnosed.
With more access to the internet these days and sites like You Tube with people showing what they can do and how, it opens up a new avenue to learn from others for adults who maybe more isolated due to where they live or because of other difficulties that complicate access to social events.
When my arms first started to get twitchy movements and shake when i tried to do things my disability felt alot worse, I felt much more disabled in myself. I felt there was nothing I could do and I was in an hopeless situation.
Then a physiotherapist visited and pointed out I was using my arms and legs to balance myself to compensate for core muscles weakening and been more affected by the ataxia. Therefore when i tried to move one arm to do something, leaving only arm to balance myself with I was instantly more shaky which then affected my ability to do anything with my free hand.
She showed me some core muscle exercises which I had never been shown before and I looked it up on the internet. Ataxia UK also gave me the best explanation of Ataxia I have ever been told and I suddenly knew what I was dealing with and could work out on how I could compensate for my difficulties.
The shakyness has improved as a result of core muscle exercises everyday, although I still get extra movements I was not intending to make, I have learnt to compensate for them by aiming for a point further back or to the side in order to grab the item. This is a skill I have perfected mainly from trying to use the wii remote and can do more successfully with weighted wristbands on.
If we have better explanations in earlier days instead of neurologists blinding us with technical jargon, so we know how our bodies work and then having opportunites to learn to compensate ourselves (as children do) would that help adults to compensate quicker after been faced with a new disability?
Surely an official period of 'rehabilitation' would work out cheaper in long run for NHS as less people would be on things like anti-depressants for life and feel more able to do more for themselves?
I personally feel I have learnt alot about movement disorders and how to compensate from children who have been coping with them for years. In a way its not unlike when I went deaf as a teen and learnt most of my compensation skills from other deaf children.
Views: 34
Comment
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Comment by M.G.Rosales on October 13, 2009 at 10:37am -
with mittens I mean these things... http://www.activehands.co.uk/gallery/wii2.htm
http://www.activehands.co.uk/gallery.htm
but maybe the strap is enough .. to protect flat screen tv..
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Comment by M.G.Rosales on October 13, 2009 at 8:52am
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But I'm sure It would be really good If also has normal controllers for when He can't manage a game or part of it with his movements ..and good for my poor balance too..
the thing is finding somwhere to try before spending the money..
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Comment by M.G.Rosales on October 13, 2009 at 7:55am
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Thanks..
He is very mobile indoors but all over the place,extremmly uncoordinated so while I think he can manage to hold the handle of a wii with a special mitten as otherwise it will fly out of his hands ...i don't know If He will be able to win and to do levels using his body movements instead of his fingers as the ,ball,person,etc probably will move where his body ,arms moves and not where he wants his arms,body to move ..........He probably will throw the controller and kick the wii out of the window If He always lose........ I wonder if They also have normal controllers to use with hands ....I don't know about the balance board ..probably dangerous for him if playing alone .
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Comment by Kati on October 13, 2009 at 1:37am -
I thought I had been seeing things for a minute.. lol!
Maybe if your son likes gaming try a Wii this year with some more physical games like wii sports, wii fit (the first one that comes with balance board). It has section of particular exercises for muscle and balance games, I cant do all of them but you can do the same one several times, it unlocks things according to how much time you have spent on it, so doesn't matter if there's some you never do
It's something his friends could play on with him, all of wii sports and wii sports resort, can be done from sitting in wheelchair but most of wii fit you need to be able to stand on the balance board for at least 5 mins to complete an exercise. As it only does a few repetitions of an exercise I have found it manageable and can have a quick sit down before repeating an exercise or doing a different one. (i have the walker with seat on behind me to sit down between exercises)
At the moment I have been enjoying the 'Marbles! Balance challenge' which also has 100 levels for balance board as well as some for the wii remote. Tennis is one of best games for full range of movement in arms and i'm hoping to get another tennis one for xmas of a friend.
Today I'm up really early as I'm going for shopping and lunch with a friend, she takes me to a flat shopping centre so I can get round using the nu drive levers on my chair and that also gives me arms a really good workout but I don't get to go there often so the tennis is a good alternative for me.
I'm thinking of Mario Tennis to make it more fun cos i love little yoshi (the dragon mario rides on) rather than just regular human characters to play tennis with! :O)
I don't think I found your original post offensive but I just really feel the Wii has been great for physio and even my physiotherapist has said that several of her patients have one at home to make doing their exercises more fun.
The US, as always way ahead of us.. actually have a 'Wiihab' centre in a hospital! you can see video's on you tube, also popular in care homes for older people over there too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPTlqKjLD8
Anyway got to go get dressed, have Inca to take for a run and her breakfast to do before I can go out shopping!
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Comment by M.G.Rosales on October 12, 2009 at 4:18pm
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It was me...Accidentally I closed the account when trying to delete a new reply to your new post this morning ...Everything is gone now from the account for some reason.
I did not know you were talking about the wii...obviously the wii is great as You can practice all the important movements in the body and balance exercices,etc ... I just don't think using a normal controller like ps2 or similar helps much ...at least for my child .. I don't think I was rude or anything like that....it was just my opinion...
I just said that while kids that are born with disabilities learn to cope because the learn a way to do things in a way that works for them since they are tiny and they will use that way of doing the activities everytime and it becomes natural for them eventually ..
It is a different situation when a person adquires a disability after they already have adquired normal mobility and the disease gets worse over time ,They have to relearn to do things over and over again ... and it is not easy to keep adapting to the changes all the time ..I think It is as hard for both of them children and adults ..children get much more therapy and support though which is good but it is extremmly hard for them too . I don't think I was offensive really...In my son case playing with a PS2 controller is not helping his fine motor skills at all but he enjoys himself though ... And all the programmes that physio,ot,etc are doing with him..they maybe a bit boring and repetitive for him sometimes but we try to make it fun,games,etc ,he gets fed up sometimes,etc and tired ,etc and He needs to be push into doing them sometimes a bit...just like school work I guess ... but He really needs the therapy and exercices ...Im not doing because Im pushy or I want him to be bored and not to play but because the therapist are recommending it..HE still plays and enjoys himself ,etc but also we need to keep his skills at the current level for as long as possble....maybe im a bad parent but i don't think so... i know He used to get fed up,emotional,etc sometimes..children with ataxia too can have emotional issues and difficulties coping with the disease ,etc specially when they lose skills very fast or are very variable.... teens get depression,etc as they compare with their peers ,etc if their learning is age appropiate and understanding normal they can have lots of mental health issues too.. ...He is happy all the time now which in a way is good I guess.....
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Comment by Kati on October 12, 2009 at 12:40pm
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when i answered there was another one from someone called roslaes or somethin who mentioned their son and disagreed about video games helping.
I dont know what happened to it though unless person removed comment? i just got 4 copies of same notification that they had left a reply, but after mine went on there's seems to have disappeared!
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Comment by Kati on October 12, 2009 at 4:06am
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I disagree about the video game as I have been using Wii for several years now and it does help to make those boring repetitive tasks more fun. The wii balance board involves stand up/sit down exercises for me to get on and off it, keeping my balance and using strength in leg muscles to keep me upright. It's more fun that just doing stand up/sit down exercises and trying to stand for as long as you can with a walker or between parallel bars.
The co-ordination it takes to use wii remote has also helped with aiming skills for typing and using my joystick on both computer and powerchair, you have to keep hold of it (gripping).
I have found I often spend longer doing the exercises than I used to do when it was just a physio exercise as I want to get to the end of the level or game etc. I think its a good alternative to expensive physio equipment that I cant afford to buy cos particularly the nintendo wii allows you use it in a more physical way (wii sports etc) than consoles like x box and ps3 that are only controlled via the standard controller.
In Wii Tennis you use your arms in same way as you would playing tennis so you are doing stretching, lifting arms and moving them left and right and is good alternative if there is nowhere near you to play wheelchair tennis. I found it good for upper arm strength and I can still pull myself to standing, use crutches for a few steps and self propel manual chair.
I would recommend it to anyone who is having difficulty getting any physio or getting out as it is a fun way to exercise at home and you just stop when you get tired, don't have to worry about how long you got a court booked for, or add in time for travelling to a gym etc.. and go back to it later.
As I have to go out twice a day anyway to walk my dog which is enough for me to manage most days I find it convenient to be able to do the exercises for as long as i can manage at whatever time i can manage to do it and often diferent games use the same muscles/co-ordination skills to prevent boredom.
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Comment by Natasha Gochar on October 11, 2009 at 6:25am
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Amen girl. That is exactly what I believe/agree.
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Comment by Kati on October 7, 2009 at 10:15am
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That's a good idea about the Alternative's I'll have to see if I can think of some.
I think I was referring to routine where I mentioned about adults getting bogged down with daily tasks and then not been able to think of another way to do them causing panic and depression, but I think you explained it better with your term 'unconscious competency", I'm sure I've heard another term for that too but right now I can't think what it is!!
But you are right its about losing the ability to do something automatically which we dont normally have to think about like trying to walk. We do seem to be creatures of habit!
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