Tailor made programs to meet each child’s individual needs

Fine Motor Skill Challenges

• Occurring due to challenges with coordination and/or strength in the use of the small muscles of the hand or poor muscle tone of the shoulders
• Can also affect people diagnosed with; Cerebral Palsy (CP) - a neurologic disorder affected at or before birth that affects movement, muscle tone/motor planning and/or coordination, as well as, possible difficulty in; swallowing, seeing, hearing, speaking & cognitive processing Caused by an “insult” to the immature, developing brain, possibly due to loss of oxygen/blood, trauma, or mutations Global Developmental Delay (GDD)- can cause levels of delay in motor, speech and language skills, cognitive, social and emotional skills
• Down’s Syndrome (DS) – Born with an extra 21 chromosome, Trisomy 21. Can have varied levels of challenges both physically & intellectually (high, middle, low level).

WHY is this Important?

• To better understand the limitations or difficulties for a person that presents with fine motor challenges to perform daily activities of life (ie. use of knife or fork, buttoning or zipping up clothes, writing notes or signing name) or working (ie. using the computer, writing, manipulating tools) & traveling (ie. opening doors, picking up or sorting coins to pay maxi fare)

THE TASK:

• Using your non-dominant hand, pick up chopsticks (cannot assist with dominant hand)
• Use chopsticks to pick up & transfer 1 popcorn seed into a cup within 7 seconds
  
   

Mobility Limitations or Challenges:

• Cerebral Palsy, Full/Partial Paralysis (pre or post birth trauma)
• Physical disability, Acquired Brain Injury (automotive accident)
• Stroke, Sports/Work related Injury

WHY is this Important?

• To better understand the limitations or difficulties for a person that requires daily use of a wheelchair to maneuver at home (to reach: dishes & cups, food out of fridge, getting dressed, getting into shower, travelling to work, maneuvering in or out of cafeteria & work station, travel throughout Trinidad streets & airport or ferries
• Experiencing some challenges of daily living, working, travelling in Trinidad and abroad & social acceptance & considerations
• Reflect on the lack or loss of independence due to non-wheelchair accessible facilities, stores, malls, banks, restaurants & washrooms

THE TASK:

• Sit in the provided wheelchair
• Place any items you are carrying onto your lap
• Use your arms to move the wheelchair through the cafeteria doors
• Roll up to a table of your choice & position yourself ready to eat a meal
• Imagine if you need to buy food or use the washroom… is it easily accessible?
  
   

Dyslexia (Learning Disability)

A learning challenge causing difficulties with:

• Reading and/or writing skills (might have difficulty writing, miss letters/words spaces in sentences, reverse letters, spelling, difficulty recalling names/places)
• Reversal of right and left, recalling proper sequence of numbers
• Planning, organizing, auditory processing of information, being on time, sequencing days of week, month, year, retention of new/familiar information
• Speech delays (hesitance in finding words, uses analogies to explain stories), low self-esteem (possible lack of friends)
• BUT their mind typically works faster than others, and typically; an entrepreneur of multiple businesses, easily fixes and builds items, very creative (from architects, artists, craftspeople to engineers, physicians, surgeons, dentists), has strong memory skills, is a visual &hands-on learner, has strong people, imagination & intuitive skills
• Famous people: Albert Einstein, Steven Jobs, John Lennon, Tommy Hilfiger, Erin Brockovich

WHY is this Important?

• To better understand the challenges of studying, working, travelling
• Affects self-esteem & social acceptance
• Better understand those students or colleagues that exhibit frustration, embarrassment, punishment at being teased, bullied, yelled at by teachers or superiors

THE TASK:

• Read each paragraph out loud in less than 20 seconds & explain what you read
  
   

ADHD

• A learning challenge affecting 15-20% of school aged children & later adults (twice more in males): Three categories: inattention, impulsivity, & can include hyperactivity
• Challenged with; short attention spans & poor concentration & organization skills, having anxiety & mood swings (can be an addict), easily distracted, difficulty following directions, gets easily frustrated, bored & restless
• Can be an excessive talker, can interrupt & blurt out responses, procrastinates, has poor time management skills, can have fine motor challenges
• Possible causes (not conclusive) are hereditary, chemical imbalances or brain changes, have abnormal levels of glucose in their system
• Famous People: Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, Sir Richard Bransen, Will I. AM, Michael Phelps

WHY is this Important?

• To better understand the challenges of having a relationship, or studying & working
• To reflect on how this would affect self-esteem, social challenges, social acceptance
• Better understand those students or colleagues that exhibit frustration, embarrassment, punishment at being teased, bullied, yelled at by teachers or superiors
• To experience the frustration of having to refocus, listen and concentrate with constant distractions around you daily in order to complete a work or personal tasks

THE TASK:

• Spin 3 times fast in a circle
• Copy the design displayed on the sheet while looking through a mirror
• OR attempt to read the paragraph off of the laptop and answer the questions
  
   

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mood disorder that is common in most people due to multiple and/or nonspecific worries interfering with a person's life
• Common anxiety disorders are: phobias, panic disorders, obsessive/compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder
• Symptoms: behaviour or emotional changes in thinking that exhibit feelings of danger
• Treatment can involve, lifestyle changes, exercise regime, medication, group or private therapy

A learning disability causing difficulties with:

• reading/writing skills (might have difficulty writing, miss letters/words spaces in sentences, reverse letters, spelling, difficulty recalling names/places)
• Reversal of right/left, recalling proper sequence of numbers
• Speech delays (hesitance in finding words, uses analogies to explain stories), poor self-esteem (possible lack of friends)
• Planning, organizing, auditory processing of information, being on time, sequencing days of week, month, year
• BUT whose mind typically works faster than others, and typically; an entrepreneur of multiple businesses, easily fixes and builds items, very creative (from architects, artists, craftspeople to engineers, physicians, surgeons, dentists), has strong memory skills, is a visual learner/hands-on learner, has strong people, imagination & intuitive skills…
• Works better with: extra time given to complete assignments, use of a clear visual schedule, have someone edit their assignments (better on computer), using their hands to create items needed for work (ie. multimedia materials)
• Famous people: Albert Einstein, Steven Jobs, John Lennon, Tommy Hilfiger, Erin Brockovich
  
   

One of the leading causes of death and long term disabilities. Coronary disease & Stroke share some risks such as:

• High LDL (bad) cholesterol levels /Low HDL (good) cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure/ Diabetes
• Smoking
• Physical inactivity/Being overweight or obese

Better health practices can reduce chances of heart disease by:

• Getting plenty of physical activity /Eating a healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Stop smoking
• Managing your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
  
   

• Face-ask them to smile, does face droop?
• Arms – ask them to raise both arms, does one drift downward?
• Speech- ask them to repeat simple phrase, does speech slur or sound strange?
• Time – time to call emergency FAST! 8-1-1

Stroke symptoms include SUDDEN:

• numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg - especially on one side of the body
• confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, severe headache without cause
• seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  
   

• A common metabolic disorder called diabetes mellitus by doctors
• When a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both
• People with high blood sugar will need to frequently urinate, drink large amounts with no satisfaction and eat

All treatable, there are 3 Types of Diabetes:

• Type 1 Diabetes ,
• Type 2 Diabetes,
• Gestational Diabetes

Type 1 :

Juvenile Diabetes (in teens, early adulthood, before reaching 40yrs)

• The body does not produce insulin, will need to take insulin shots for life
• Must maintain blood-glucose level determined by regular blood tests & maintain a special diet

Type 2 :

Diabetes

• The body does not produce enough insulin or cells in body resistant to insulin produced
• Can control symptoms through weight loss, healthier diet, exercise, monitoring blood-glucose levels, can cause damage to heart and circulatory system
• Typically- progressive disease that gets worse, requires eventual insulin intake in pill form, person typically had pre-diabetes with non-alarming high blood-glucose levels
• Type 2 is often contributed to being overweight, having poor diet & lack of exercise
• Research says: 1 soft drink (non-diet)/day can increase risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 22%

Gestational Diabetes:

• Affects females during pregnancy due to very high glucose levels in their blood, their body is unable to produce enough insulin to transport glucose into their cells
• Causing possible difficulty in child birth, bigger baby & need for medication