Pawprint - March 2015

AOTA's 95th Annual Conference & Expo

It's that time of year again! Come see us in Nashville this year at AOTA's 95th Annual Conference & Expo in the Expo Hall on April 16th - 18th in Booth 809. We'll have plenty of fun products there for you to try and experience during the conference. If you would like a private demonstration of our new Clinic Management Software while you are there, please email cms@southpaw.com and we'll be sure to reserve a time to meet with you!

For more information about AOTA's 95th Annual Conference & Expo, you can visit their website here.

New Product Spotlight

Star Gazer by Southpaw

Bring peace and the night sky to those in need of soothing. The Southpaw Star Gazer can shine continuously in your home or facility. Gazers can add blue and/or white clouds to their experience and can also control the speed of the passing "stars." The unit has a cooling fan and a replaceable laser that lasts 3,000 hours, and Southpaw will cover the cost of changing 1 new laser, meaning this unit will last through 6,000 hours of reliable, maintenance-free gazing.

Developed in conjunction with the Hospice of Dayton, the Star Gazer has been instrumental in alleviating symptoms of anxiety, agitation, dyspnea, pain, and insomnia in patients.

Other data has shown that use of the Star Gazer has resulted in decreasing heart rate, respiratory rate and frequent need for break-through medications in many patients. Offer a peaceful presence to viewers with Star Gazer's starry night.

Star Gazer Details

Therapist's Corner

Swinging Into Something New From Southpaw

Deanna Macioce, MS, OTR/L

Therapists who have treated for a number of years and/or in a variety of settings tend to get excited when there is an effective new treatment approach or piece of equipment. However, years of experience have taught therapists, that for something to make it into their treatment spaces or bag of tricks it needs to be fun, versatile and beneficial. Southpaw's new Mini-U Boat Swing offers just that!

This swing is versatile. It can be used by children both big and small, and in a variety of positions. A child can sit upright, be placed in prone, high-kneel, or even sideways. The variety of positioning lends to the versatility of activities. Besides just providing vestibular input, children can be challenged to complete activities, such as tossing bean bags to knock down bowling pins, tossing a ball into a barrel or completing activities in prone. Similar to the Net Swing, in prone, children are given a mid-section base of support, allowing them to use extended forearms to negotiate the swing or complete tasks such as puzzles, Mr. Potato Head, or peg boards.

Vestibular input is used in the therapy setting for a variety of reasons; tolerating movement, improving self-regulation, increasing arousal level, or calming. In addition, using movement in more dynamic tasks enables a greater challenge to overall coordination and core strengthening. It has been found that the use of suspended equipment helps to achieve all of these.

The Mini-U Boat Swing can be placed at various heights eliciting increased movement and rotation. When placed higher off the ground, children feel as if they are soaring through the air, similar to an amusement park swing, but with a greater base of support. The swing can move in all planes, as well as in a rotational manner raised off the ground, increasing the amount of vestibular input provided and eliciting an increased arousal level.

When transitioning from the therapy room swings to your traditional standard swing found at the playground, the Mini-U Boat can help make this successful. Children can be positioned in the same manner, but have a greater base of support assisting with core stability. From there, they can be pushed from behind and work on "pumping" their legs with less worry of falling off. Children not only feel safer, but work through the coordination and motor planning skills needed to independently maneuver a swing.

Fun is found by the excitement of children asking to use the swing, and the giggles it elicits. Younger children find it fun to soar through the air, pretend to be in a boat, plane, or sled. Older children find it fun to try and figure out how to use their bodies differently in this swing. Due to it versatility, all it takes is a little creativity to find ways to use it in your treatment sessions.

This swing meets many of your therapeutic needs and is beneficial for children of all ages and varying diagnoses. It provides vestibular and proprioception input, addresses motor planning and coordination with movement, and most of all... it is FUN! It just may be the next piece of equipment to add to your treatment space!

See the Mini-U Boat Swing and it's big brother, the U-Boat Swing, online.

Southpaw Products

Zuma Rocker

The Zuma Rocker offers the movement students need to stay alert and pay attention, in a safe and non-disruptive way. In three sizes, this chair is great for circle time, reading, for working on a handheld or laptop device and for collaborative learning discussions.

Details

Interactive Hemisphere Mirror

The hemisphere is much like the Infinity Panel providing a new dimensional aspect to intrigue and spark the imagination. In a dark room the "stars" seem to float in space.

Details

Southpaw Offering MSE Training Again in 2015

Southpaw Sponsors AAMSE Certified MSE Training

ICE Mini Rover Southpaw MSE has created a new state-of-the-art showroom highlighting their equipment and is sponsoring a MSE Basic Training course at their facility in Dayton, OH. The training course has been designed by the American Association of Multi Sensory Environments and participants will receive AAMSE certification upon completion of all course requirements.

Training is designed to give the participant "Core Concepts", leading to the understanding and practice of a Multi-Sensory Dynamic Systems Approach. The courses and requirements will be geared to giving the student the knowledge and experience necessary to have a solid foundation in the Multi-Sensory Dynamic Systems Technique.

Linda Messbauer, MA, OTR/L or an Experienced Certified Trainer from AAMSE will conduct the training courses. Linda Messbauer is one of the world's leading experts on Multi-Sensory Environments. She has over 30 years experience and was the first person to create a Snoezelen/MSE room in the United States. Her mission is to assist organizations, groups and individuals who wish to utilize Multi-Sensory Environments to provide treatment and quality care to the people they serve. Linda is a recognized International Trainer and Founding member of the American Association of Multi-Sensory Environments.

Objectives:

1. Understand basic complex neural networks of the brain and their impact on the use of MSE with people with special needs

2. To understand interfering stress, its detrimental effects on the human being, in relation to age, stage and quality of life as it impacts our memory ability to focus, and attend

3. Understanding the Relaxation Process and how the MSE can reverse and prevent the detrimental effects of stress by using the joy / pleasure response

4. To understand the use of changing arousal to facilitate attention and focus

5. To understand and be able to demonstrate setting up MSE Equipment protocols and basic Sensory Diets

6. To develop, understand and write specific individualized outcome measurement strategies.

A Certificate of Attendance upon Completion of Basic Training course will be awarded with contact hours.

Choose from one of the two scheduled sessions:

April 12-13, 2015

June 12-13, 2015

Training will be held at the Southpaw MSE Showroom:

617 N Irwin Street

Dayton, OH 45403

Contact: Tom Marshall - 844-632-2191

Cost for the 2-day training session is $395 + membership in AAMSE. Registration can be made through the www.aamse.us website or contacting Linda Messbauer at lmessbauer@aol.com or Tom Marshall at tom@southpaw.com.

If you need to fly to Dayton for the training you will use the James A. Cox International Airport. There are a number of hotels near the airport. The Fairfield Inn by Marriott and the Hampton Inn and Suites have a shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Southpaw will provide transportation from the hotel to the training site.

EMBRACING THE WORLD OF SENSORY THERAPIES