Maximising Potential Through Ideal Environments

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Maximising Potential Through Ideal
Environments..THE HOME

• Sharon Drew MA (SEN) DipCOT
• Smart Consultancy Coaching
• www.smartcc.co.uk

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Enabling Rather Than Disabling

• Every one is an individual person centred
• 24/7
• Contextual variations home vs work
• Different tools for different jobs and needs to
  be appropriate and support the person/task
• Need to define the barriers SWOT
• Learning preferences

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Developing Ideal Environments

• Accessibility simplicity in which activities
  in society can be reached
• Often used in parallel with usability which is
  the design of the environment, tool, product that
  enables functioning and well being mainly from
  the users perspective

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Where does the solution lie?
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Individual

• Diverse nature of the conditions
• Execution motor skills
• Affect
• Activity levels
• Sensory
• Attention Control selective and sustained
  attention
• Cognitive flexibility working memory, attention
  shift, self-monitoring and conceptual transfers
• Goal setting planning and organisation/sequencin
  g, generating strategies for problem-solving and
  strategic behaviour.
• Time management

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The Task /Environment

• The tool/equipment being used
• The context layout/timing
• The complexity of the task
• The necessity of the task
• Individuals approach to the task

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Approaches

• FUNCTIONAL
• Emphasises facilitation of the mastery of tasks
  skills training
• COMPENSATORY
• Emphasises the minimising of the effects of the
  underlying deficits in difficulties in everyday
  life

• Self-care skills training
• Social skills training
• Teach coping strategies
• Use of equipment
• Use specific strategies e.g. colour-coding for
  perceptual difficulties
• Set appropriate levels of expectation
• Allow more time to complete a task

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• ADAPTIVE
• Emphasises changing the task or aspects of the
  environment to minimise the effect of the
  underlying difficulties
• MANAGEMENT
• Emphasises the minimising of the distressing or
  disruptive feelings or behaviour so that the
  individual can deal with the primary problems

• Modification of the environment
• Use adaptive devices or tools
• Adapt a specific task
• Promote understanding of the problems
• Consultation family
• Direct intervention - prevention of secondary
  psycho/social complications

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• MAINTENENCE
• Emphasis on preserving and supporting the
  individuals current level of function in a
  protected environment

• Recommend participation in community-based
  recreational, fitness and social activities
• Re-assessment and ongoing monitoring of needs

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Compensating Adapting

• Is this adaptation necessary?
• How will it benefit the individual?
• Is it the least intrusive way of accomplishing
  the purpose?
• Does it preserve the dignity of the individual?
• What does this say to others siblings, partner
• Does this adaptation generalise into other
  situations on holiday?
• Have the wishes and desires of the individual
  been taken into consideration?
• Does this adaptation say to the individual you
  are not able?
• Use learning styles as a mechanism
• When maximising the environment use concept of
  less is more

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Organisational Strategies

• Create schedules uni-task not multi
• Break tasks down into do-able parts
• Develop habits and routines
• Less is more
• Use resources around family friends
  professionals
• Use music track/CD for task completion
• Use a timer
• Use other gadgets watchmider/voice cue

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• Get a clutter companion. This is a
  (non-judgmental) friend or family member who will
  help you get rid of all the stuff thats
  cluttering up your house
• Create a launch pad near the front door. This
  is the place to stash things that family members
  need each time they leave the house

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• Organise Space into zones
• Create a document hot spot. This is a red,
  see-through folder for important, time-sensitive
  documents
• Switch to online banking
• Direct debits
• Keep plastic to a minimum

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Safety

• Create even lighting in dim spaces to prevent
  knocks and bumps
• Keep walking areas clear
• Have a rail on both sides of the stairs
• Remove mats to prevent tripping or use carpet
  tape to fix mats in place
• Have a plug in night light for mobilising during
  the night (useful if in an unfamiliar building)

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Dressing

• Simplify the wardrobe colour co-ordinate
  garments or store in colour sections
• Pre-assemble your clothes into complete outfits -
  Hang them on sturdy hangers in your closet
• Easy to wear garments/cotton, seamless socks due
  reduce sensory problems
• Logo/motifs for orientation
• Fabrics for ease of laundering

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In the bathroom

• Use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower
• Sit on a bath board
• Bath with handles
• Use a bathrobe to dry
• Bath mittens for washing
• Loofas to reach those unreachable parts

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Domestic Chores

• Cooker with knobs/handles on the front
• Eye level grills (wall ovens)
• Use scissors rather than knives to cut
• Keep the things that are used most often the most
  accessible.
• Sit down to cut peel and chop
• Smoke detector/fire blanket
• Hand held vacuum cleaners
• Non-breakable utensils
• Bean bag trays/non slip trays
• Shop on line
• Shopping lists

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Sleep

• Massage
• Use blankets rather than a quilt
• Sleeping bag
• bedtime routine/wake up routine
• Too much noise or light white noise
• TV in the bedroom
• Bed comfort
• Allergies

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Other Widgets and Gadgets
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• Sensory Environment

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Visual

• Calming
• Use soft lights.
• Paint walls in cool colours such as green or
  blue, with few contrasts.
• Remove posters, calendars and other visual
  distractions.
• Clear areas of materials except those in use.
  Keep items in cupboards.
• Use a screens to block out visual stimuli
• Diffuse bright light

• Alerting
• Use bright lights.
• Use a focused light on an object

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Auditory

• Calming
• Play soft/classical music
• Close doors and windows when working to prevent
  extraneous sounds from entering room.
• Close doors and windows when working to prevent
  extraneous sounds from entering room.

• Alerting
• Play music with varied pitch, sound, uneven/fast
  beat.

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Touch

• Calming
• Cuddle a warm hot water bottle.
• Sit with a pillow on lap or surrounded in
  pillows/blanket.
• Wrap up in a blanket.
• Warm bath and/or massage.
• Correct temperature
• Sit in bean bag chair
• Clothing organic cotton
• seem-less socks

• Alerting
• Provide light touch on palm
• Play with a fidget items (koosh balls).
• Quickly but gently rub the skin

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Movement

• Calming
• Rock, roll, swing or bounce slowly and
  rhythmically.
• Rocking chair
• Weights tin of beans
• Extend leisure opportunities e.g. tai chi

• Alerting
• Change position often, exercise, jump, dance,
  wiggle. Use trampoline and bouncy castles.
• Office chair (rotates)
• Chairobics
• Skipping rope

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Self within the Environment

• Health physical and emotional well-being
• Fitness use of leisure to support diversity
• Occupation leisure
• Social - friendships

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DCD so

• Able to learn with determination and plenty of
  practice
• Can be a creative and original thinker - think
  outside the box, often leading to more creative
  solutions and imaginative answers to problems
• Hard-working and determined to succeed
• Honest, genuine and sincere
• They are also described as
• Having strong compensatory skills.
• Persistent despite frustrations, many keep
  trying until they meet with success (Bridges to
  Practice 1999).

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Equipment Suppliers

• Home Craft Ability One Ltd
• Shelly Close, Lowmoor Road Industrial Estate,
  Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 7ET
• Tel [phone]
• Nottingham Rehab Supplies (NRS)
• Norvara House, Excelsior Road, Ashby de la
  Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1NG
• Tel [phone]
• www.nrs-uk.co.uk
• Lakeland Limited
• www.lakelandlimited.co.uk

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Useful Websites

• www.sensorycomfort.com
• www.shopgetorganised.com
• www.gadgets.co.uk
• www.betterware.co.uk
• www.watchminder.com
• www.addconsults.com

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Contacts

• Disability Living Allowance Unit
• Warbreck House, Warbreck Hill, Blackpool FY2 OYF
• Tel Helpline 0345 123 456
• Benefits Information Guide
• HMSO Publications Centre, PO Box 276, London
• SW8 5DT Tel [phone] (or from Stationery
  Offices)
• DLF (Disability Living Foundation)
• 380-384 Harrow Road, London W9 2HU
• Helpline 0870 6039176 www.dlf.org.uk