Dunedin Blog Abstracts and Links

Gardening Therapy

Dave Armstrong

Gardens can be environments where your senses are enriched, challenged and where you can find peace from modern day life. This blog will look at how tailoring roles and the environment in different gardening projects can help vulnerable clients engage in their occupations. http://davesgardeningtherapy.blogspot.co.nz/

Institutions: Have They Really Stopped in NZ?

Grace Fairhall

Sunny side, Cherry farm, Lake Alice... OTs have all heard of these institutions that were home to many people with mental and intellectual disabilities, but how have things changed? This blog aims to look at institutions and the way individuals lived there compared to present day and the use of current community housing, exploring the benefits and barriers of both.  http://gracefairhall55.blogspot.co.nz/

Keeping Calm

Bree Quinn

Relaxation is a common intervention used by occupational therapists in mental health settings. This presentation will look specifically at progressive muscle relaxation, how it can be utilised, its benefits and why we might choose it over other relaxation methods.  http://progressiveelaxation.blogspot.co.nz/

Meeting Milestones, Developmental Coordination Disorder and Struggles at School

Gemma Campbell

Achieving developmental milestones, such as crawling, is expected at certain times during growth. When these are not met there is question of a developmental coordination disorder. This blog will explore developmental delays and their implications at school, and will link to how occupational therapists can help! http://developmentalcoordinationdisorder.blogspot.co.nz/

Young at Heart! Music Therapy for the Elderly

Matthew Janssen

This blog will explore how listening and performing music can help as an activity based occupational therapy intervention tool when working with the elderly. Proven physical/mental/emotional benefits will be also be explored and discussed. http://kiwi-ingenuot.blogspot.co.nz/

Friends for Life: Animal Assisted Therapy

Gemma Nicholson

Some have four legs, a tail, some are for assistance and others are for companionship. This blog will explore how animal assisted therapy can impact an individual with a mental illness positively and improve their quality of life and occupational performance. http://gemmasblog2011.blogspot.co.nz/

When East meets West in a Holistic Platform… What Happens?

Shilmoni Singh

This blog will explore issues for NZ immigrants; their engagement, settling into their new home country, and how it could benefit occupational therapist to have this knowledge. http://shilmonishilmoni.blogspot.co.nz/

Society Bias

Rachael Tracey

Occupational therapists have roles in returning professionals back to work after physical trauma, whose role is it to return tertiary students back to study? These students are the professionals of tomorrow and they're falling through the cracks! This blog looks at my personal experience and how we as future occupational Therapists can fill the cracks. http://returningstudentstostudy.blogspot.co.nz/

Cerebral Palsy

Elisabeth Tankard

Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common congenital disorders among children. At this stage, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. Through this blog, I will be exploring a broad range of treatments that are effective in improving a child’s functioning and how these can be integrated in to everyday activities. http://elisabethtankard-ot.blogspot.co.nz/

Hamilton Blog Abstracts with Links

How Traditional Occupations can be used as Intervention Tool when Working with Maori Youth in the Community

Patrina Hollis

This blog aims to inspire occupational therapists to incorporate traditional occupations as an intervention tool for therapy when working with clients from varying cultures. http://patrinahollis.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/hello-world/

Splish Splash Hydrotherapy for ASD!

Hayley Brown

For children with Autism, aquatic therapy can focus on therapeutic play-based functional movement, improving range of motion and body awareness, increased balance, sensory integration, mobility skills and most importantly, having fun. This blog will focus on how occupational therapists can use the aquatic environment to improve overall functioning in children with ASD.

http://splishsplashaquatictherapy.blogspot.co.nz/

Out and About Occupational Therapists

Nancy Sheridan

As an occupational therapist there are many areas of practice and practice settings. This blog will focus on occupational therapist's working in rural and remote areas in parts of the world. It will discuss the scope of practice an occupational therapist covers, and explore whether interventions and processes are approached differently in these settings. http://outandaboutoccupationaltherapists.blogspot.co.nz/

What are the benefits of engaging in leisure activities that are meaningful for the retired generation?

Cara Tate

Meaningful occupation is at the crux of occupational therapy practice. This blog will explore the perspectives of meaningful leisure activities for several retired persons and my own understanding of the benefits it has on their wellbeing.

http://meaningfuloccwellbeing.blogspot.co.nz/

Sensory Integration for Children with Autism

Milly Emery

How the environment and the adaptation of the environment can improve the ability of the brain to process sensory information so the Autistic child can function better with every day activities including play. I will draw on research as well as my previous fieldwork experience's to broaden my own and others knowledge. http://sensoryintegrationtherapy.blogspot.co.nz/

The effects of spirituality on depression and occupation

Ange Hughes

Depression and its impact on the ability to engage in meaningful occupation has huge implications for those who have this. Using the kawa model and the metaphor of "one's life river", this blog will look at ways that may assist people to check their flow to enable meaningful occupation. http://blackmoggy.blog.com

Mobilising via Wheels

Laura Yates

As occupational therapists we see the struggles wheelchair users go through in their transition to re-engagement in their life roles and chosen occupations. This blog will provide an in depth look at this process and will explore some of the new and improved wheelchair technology available for users to allow them to live a full life. http://laurayates1.blogspot.co.nz

Paediatric Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration: How deep pressure can help your child

Megan-Lee Carrington

Sensory integration is an intervention used with children and adolescents who have cognitive developmental delays or disorders. This blog will discuss the sensory integrative technique of deep pressure and how it is used with the stated population.

http://otsensoryintegration.blogspot.co.nz/

Play: Structured or Unstructured?

Shaani Nelson

This blog reviews the importance of both structured and unstructured play with children. It will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of both, as well as examine how this relates to occupational therapy and children with disabilities.

http://playstructuredunstructured.blogspot.co.nz