Equipment, Aids + Adaptations

Hi there,

Do you remember what kind of toys you play when you are kid? Is there any toys that you use now in your therapy session? Let me share a little bit about my interest in traditional toys.

As an Indonesian who lives with various ethnicity, exploring traditional toys and games always been fascinating. There’s always fun part to analyze it. How to play? What sensory input that needed? What motor output that required? What about the praxis? These series of questions will come over and over. Then come to the most important question as an OT: how to use it as therapy tool?

Let me start with this toy.

• Name: othok-othok (Javanese). There’s another name in different ethnic.

• Made from bamboo and rubber band.

• Type of toys: noise toys.

This is how to play it:

• hold the handle

• do circular movement

• the stick will hit the drum and the sound comes out

This toy can be use in patient with problem in:

• hand movement

• laterality

• visual motor integration

This is the analysist activity for othok-othok:

• Sensory input/feedback provided: Tactile input from handle, proprioceptive input from circular movement, auditory input from the sound

• Motor output required: Grasp is required. Coordination to move wrist in circular. Accuracy in circular movement.

• Specific muscles used: arm flexor, adduction and abduction wrist, flexor finger

• Specific joints used: wrist, MCP, PIP, DIP

• Laterality and crossing midline required: Hand dominant, no midline crossing

• Strength required: This movement is against gravity to make circular movement

• Endurance required: Many repetition, endurance demand

• Position/posture required: Abduction upper arm

• Body awareness required: Must maintain handle to keep moving to produce sound

• Mobility required: Hand and wrist mobility

• Novelty of the motion/amount of praxis required: With repetition does not require high demand on praxis

It's your turn to find traditional toys in your place and do the same analysis. Let's embrace the diversity.