Gadgets and Gizmos for Daily Living
Assistive devices are important for mobility and education. They are also important for the day-to-day functioning of your child. Independence is the goal; with independence comes increased self-esteem.
Daily Living Help for the Deaf
A child with a hearing impairment will probably use amplification to get the most benefit from her residual hearing. She will also use vision or feeling (vibration) for assistance in daily tasks. The phone and the doorbell can be hooked up so that a light flashes in addition to the customary sound. Special alarm clocks also flash a light. Some can be connected to the bed so that the bed vibrates when the alarm goes off.
“Phone calls” are made through a TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) — often called a TTY (teletypewriter). Frequently, however, a computer program is used that allows the participants to see each other on the screen and communicate through sign language.
Fact
The Telecommunications Act ensures that equipment will be available from manufacturers that allows individuals with communication difficulties (such as the hearing impaired) to communicate with others. Telephone relay services are included in this act as well as the closed captioning provided on television and in recent educational films. All televisions manufactured since 1994 have closed captioning display capabilities.
Other individuals who have a hearing loss communicate through a voice carry over (VCO) system. In this system, a person who is hearing impaired communicates with a hearing person by calling a relay center. She types her messages through a computer or TTY. The relay operator “voices” the message to the hearing person. When the hearing person responds, he types the message and sends it to the person who is hearing impaired.
Assistive Devices for the Blind
Children who have low vision, or who are blind, learn to use sound or synthetic voice equipment to compensate. Some sound/ talking gadgets are watches, clocks, calendars, calculators, and money identifiers.
Other gadgets that do not make sounds are also available. Magnifiers (up to 30×), raised-ine paper, writing guides, enlarged numbered dials, the stylus used for Braille writing, and the Braille typewriter are examples. In addition, Braille label makers assist families in creating stick-on labels to mark items that cannot be distinguished by touch (spices, medicines, colors of paint, and games).
Daily Living Aids for the Physically Disabled
Gadgets and gizmos to assist with hygiene and dressing include a variety of bathing chairs, long-handled combs and brushes, zipper grips, and button hooks. Adapted utensils, cups, and dishes are available for dining. Around the home, your child may use a “reacher,” a device that will help her grab a needed object that is beyond her range of motion.
Helpful Items for Children with Attention Difficulties
A watch with an easy-set alarm can aid the child or teen with attention difficulties to help her “remember” where she should be: home for dinner, at the door of the mall, leaving a friend's house. A small timer can also help to manage schoolwork and home chores. Perhaps fifteen minutes of practicing math facts is part of the homework routine. A timer can help your child stick with it.
