low tone

Often times a stander can be a great way to position a child with disabilities upright to play. A tray can be attached to the stander to provide a surface for playing with toys. The tray can also be removed so that the child can be moved close to participate in other activities like splashing in a water table or digging in the sand at a sand table. You may need to raise the level of the water table by placing it on blocks so that the child can reach the sand or water. Don’t forget stools for siblings and peers so that they can reach the stander tray or water table to play with the child.

This plastic desk can be used in multiple ways. The desk can be placed on the floor next to the family sofa so the child has back support while playing near other family members. It's great for those children with poor sitting balance because the two side pockets act as support. It can also be used to help children learn to complete tasks. Items are placed in the left pocket, the child completes the task on the table top and when done, sets the completed task in the right pocket. In this picture, the desk is used with a laundry basket for a child who has low tone.

This inexpensive stander was designed by an O.T. and can be easily built by someone with minimal carpentry skills.

A piece of foam was cut into a wedge and placed under the dislocated hip when the child was sitting which improved her posture and her ability to use her hands to play. When used in the highchair, she had more support and was able to feed herself more successfully. The wedge was also used under her foot when standing to improve her stability and posture to facilitate easier play at the couch with toys. The wedge was also easy to transport: just throw it in the diaper bag and it could be used in other settings.

Materials Needed:
A. 2- 24” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill holes at 6” and 13” from one end on both lengths)
B. 2- 10” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill hole at 4” from one end on both lengths)
C. 1- 12 1/2” length of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
D. 2– 11” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
E. 2– 6 1/2” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC (drill hole at 4 1/2” from one end on both lengths)
F. 2– 6” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC
G. 2– 3” lengths of 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC

Directions:

1. Use 5-ply plywood.
2. Overall measurements are 36 x 27 inches
3. Attach four 2-inch hard rubber casters
4. Attach three adjustable straps across the bottom of board, at the two lower corners, to hold the legs, and at the center where the board narrows for the chest, to hold the trunk in position.