The most powerful tools in therapy are some of the simplest and most open, a group of sandbags, a large exercise ball, a mirror. For children with physical impairments, these tools provide a path to learning functional movement. Their progress hinges upon motivation. Applying the technology of video tracking and carefully designed interactive environments, an open and adaptable layer of inspirational feedback can supplement these simple tools and provide a catalyst for learning and development.

Back in September ‘05, I went on a tour of several resident care facilities for children with physical impairments and three things struck me that have become motivating factors in choosing physically impaired children as an area of focus for my thesis, opportunity, a clear need, and a chance to make a difference in someone’s life.

Designing playful learning environments for these children will require breaking new ground, pulling several pieces of technology together to work in a new way. When I observed the play and therapy areas of each of the facilities, I saw an open landscape of opportunity for much of what I have learned while at ITP. My design challenge is to match tools and technology with observation and ethnographic research.

As a designer, I enjoy the challenge of working outside of my own common experience. Good design in assistive technology requires that you study the subject and environment carefully to clearly understand the needs. Prior to ITP, I produced and wrote several television series programs. In this role, I developed a skill for listening and finding the story within an experience. This same skill is critical to finding the answer to this design challenge and I have conducted my reserch in much the same way, personal interviews, observations and the mapping of connections and insights.

I have been asked why so many of my projects focus on assistive technology and disabilities; did I know someone personally that was a motivating factor? There is no specific individual and I believe that my real focus is not disabilities but creating abilities. For the children I have worked with over the past year, I see the potential for creating a greater learning experience through technology. Any advancement I can make to this field will be extremely rewarding.

SITE VISITS AND OBSERVATIONS:

SPOTS
611 Broadway, Suite 902
NY, NY 10012
Treatment center for children with sensory integration disorders.
http://www.spotsot.com/

New York Foundling
590 Avenue of the Americas
NY, NY 10011
http://www.nyfoundling.org/

RUSK Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Unit
400 East 34th St.
New York, NY 10016
http://www.med.nyu.edu/rusk/services/pediatrics/occupational/index.html
RESEARCH:

Howard Gardner - Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Jean Piaget – Constructivist Teaching philosophy.

James Carse - Finite and Infinite Games

INSPIRATION FROM INTERACTIVE ARTISTS:

Camille Utterback
Scott Snibbe
Danny Rozin
Golan Levin

Everyone

Max, age 5, is a child with cerebral palsy, a condition that limits the range of motion in his arms and cognitive mapping of outer limb location. He joins Catherine, his therapist at RUSK, for his daily session in the sensory gym, a gymnasium like room filled with colorful sand bags, therapy balls, and weights. A camera is mounted high on one wall and a projector displays the large image of the room on the wall. Catherine positions Max so that he is seated on a therapy ball facing the projection wall and camera and hands him a red sandbag in his right hand. She guides his arm in a bilateral motion. As they move the physical object, (i.e. sand bag) they see their own projected image as well as an animation, a trail of color that is reacting to the object. The camera is capturing the motion of the object while a program adds the graphic animation to its path. On the wall, the projection shows the trail of color with every motion, similar to the stroke of a paintbrush. Max is able to comprehend the cause and effect of their participation and they begin making patterns. Patient and therapist make up a game and goals as the session progresses, first, a simple design, then letters, then reaching to heights. Later, they add another object for Catherine to hold and move on to a game of chase, then trace. There are several environments in the tracking system and all are designed to be open allowing the program to be dynamic and adaptable to the needs and goals of each individual child and therapist.

Create one or more interactive, kinesthetic play environments for use by young children with physical impairments and their therapist, teacher or parent.

Phase One - Identify observe and document several child/therapist sessions to learn the tools, challenges current successful techniques. I will compare this with observations of what children with full functionality are using.

Phase Two – Identify a specific child therapist relationship to design for and match the interaction to a technology.

Phase Three – Setup and observe the design solution in use.

Phase Four – Refine and re-introduce