If this is your first visit, check out the community guide. You will have to Join us or Sign in before you can post.
Receiving too many notifications? Adjust your notification settings.
Occupational Therapy

Hi everyone,
Can anyone recommend an occupational therapist in the London area who specialises in neurological vocational rehabilitation? For assistance with return to work/college type practicalities
Many thanks
Best wishes
Can anyone recommend an occupational therapist in the London area who specialises in neurological vocational rehabilitation? For assistance with return to work/college type practicalities
Many thanks
Best wishes
Replies
I hope you find what you are looking for, please keep us posted, and let me know if I can be of any further help.
Noah
It's one of those red tape referral conundrums. I see a really great Neurologist really helpful and supportive. He referred me to the exact place I needed to go to a vocational occupational therapist to assist with right sided Hemi and RSI in unaffected side (what a combo
I have sent a post to Chris the adaptive technology community advisor as I suspect a lot of my solutions will be in the form of hands- free technology, I guess. Do you use any tech you would recommend?
Thanks again Noah
Best wishes
Stayce
I have a very large mouse, and some gel pads the help prevent RSI. I also use a tablet computer to help with my visual impairment. Access to work many years ago did suggest I try voice recognition software, but I work in a shared office and it's not that practical. Although it is something I would like to try and make more use of in the future. Epecially as voice recognition is improving all the time. I find myself using the voice recognition via my smartphone a lot, which is very effective.
Is there anything that your consultant can recommend to help your RSI recover? What about a wrist brace or something from DM orthotics? Has your osteopath got any suggestions? Such as using kinetic tape?
I love my new lycra splints btw, the sensory feedback is amazing. Yet I have got some issues with my right foot and not being able to give it enough lateral support, despite Nero insoles, two lots of ankle braces and the extra lateral support straps. But it's work in progress and I will be in a better position to give a full appraisal once I've had them for a few more weeks.
I use Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition in an open plan office (and shared your concerns) If your employers use a standard windows / Mac desktop it will work pretty well with a headset recommended by the manufacturers of the software. I taught myself the basics okay. You can feel a bit of a fool talking to yourself all the time, but I would say give it a go. My employers work on the Cloud which creates problems for Dragon to run as efficiently as it could. I am not using it completely hands free at the moment finding it difficult to move between different programmes via voice so am having some professional training on the package shortly.
I am currently testing out a couple of trackball mouse and a track pad. What is
your large mouse and gel pads like?
I am really glad you are enjoying the sensory feedback with your lycra splints. DMO may be able to add some additional pannelling to your right sock or perhaps even harder reinforcements like they use in their scoliosis suits. Alternatively ask them if a neuro Beagle ankle brace would be suitable. I have one of these that fits over my lycra Sock to give me further lateral support when I injured my ankle Really light weight. (just a thought)
Best wishes
I can understand why the voice recognition software may be more of a challenge to use if you use cloud based software which is bespoke to your organisation. I imagine you can configure voice recognition software to carry out very specific tasks on a voice command, which may help.
I'll try and do some research on that to, because with cloud based software applications increasing, it's very important that it's possible to fully navigate via voice recognition software, to enable the software to be fully accessible.
Thanks again
Is the Trilock ankle splint a Bioskin product?
This is the Beagle splint I have http://www.beagleorthopaedic.com/products/foot-and-ankle/neurodyn-foot-lift-orthosis
It's the best ankle brace I have experienced (most others have hurt me)
Maybe ask @ your review appointment if they think it would be suitable for you. I got mine on the NHS. It's fabric based which makes it work really well with the lycra splints if need something a bit extra laterally. There is also a figure of 8 one which may offer even more. Given they are a neuro range may work better.
Yes, I totally agree with you about cloud based applications. For a long time I had two separate desktops one with Dragon on and another with my Cloud desktop which meant Dragon could not talk to any application on the Cloud it was most frustrating. I am hoping the professional training being arranged for me will assist with some answers to this problem in the form of some shortcut commands. I would be very interested in anything you come across on this.
Best wishes
Stayce
Thanks again
The Beagle splint is definitely easy to put on I can do it one handed
Best wishes
My mouse is
http://www.posturite.co.uk/contour-mouse.html?mkwid=EtGDN2CP&pcrid=45767286285&pdv=m&gclid=CjwKEAiAova1BRDS15OXjcug_FMSJACWNAKZ6GK46e847Ci4VwblnWNsL3whdlLs5auklO9yu3ZtJxoCyAXw_wcB
My gel pads are made by Belkin and just give some wrist support when typing and using the mouse.
Hope that's of some help,
Noah
Are you aware of an ergonomic showroom for trying out ergonomic equipment mainly mice. Been through 4 so far so looking for somewhere to try out before buying. Any thoughts welcome
Best wishes
Are Postrite able to advise? Maybe they can send you out a demo so you can work out if it's suitable. I would think you would be covered under the distance selling act and should be able to return and get a refund if unsuitable. Another option, maybe to go to a large technical exhibition like the bett show in London - all the top providers of specialist assistive technology are there and you can try out all the latest hardware and software. The bett show is once a year around January time, I'll research tomorrow some other possible ideas for you.
Today I received in the post some trilock ankle braces that are the next size up as the old ones were a bit tight and painful after wearing all day, so that should help and I have a further appointment at the RNOH in about a weeks time, so I will be making lots of notes to feedback, and hopefully a solution can be found to give further lateral support to my right foot. The last few days I've had to go back to plastic afo's, planning to wear new setup again tomorrow now I have better fitting ankle braces. Still work in progress :-)
Thanks for asking
Noah
Also it might be worth contacting https://www.abilitynet.org.uk/ they maybe another good source of advice and are also a charity.
What operating system do you use on your work computer? Have you had an assessment from hands free computing yet?
Wish you all the very best and hope that you are able to find something that works for you.
Much happier with my new Lycra splints, the larger ankle braces are not as unconformable, and today I have bought some new boots that have a flatter and wider sole rather than slightly tapping up at the edges, this seems to have at least improved the lateral support issue, so some very positive steps forward!
Noah
That's really great that you are making positive steps forward with your lycra splints and new orthotic set up. I wear trainer boots with a flat sole. Have you ever tried Nike High Dunks? - These work really well for me.
Best wishes
Let me know how you get on at your review appointment for your lycra splints.
Best wishes
The Bett show is mainly aimed at technology within Education, yet a great place to go and talk to all the assistive technology suppliers and try out the latest solutions.
It is possible to control the windows 8.1 operating system computer just from voice commands without any additional software, although I imagine it would take some quite a lot of practice and possibly some training!
A link that you might find helpful http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/using-speech-recognition
Let me know how you get on.
Noah
I had my first occupational therapy session yesterday. They feel I have the right equipment - so all that research does pay off
I am however having a few sessions of occupational therapy on fatigue management, which I hope will prove very useful. ( so will write another post soon on that)
The RSI is okay thanks; still working really hard on rehabilitation. I feel like a prime athlete near retirement at times, without the athleticism
How are you - How is it going with carbon fibre AFO design?
Brest wishes
A post on fatigue management, would be good, I look forward to reading that.
You clearly have a lot of very useful information to share with the Scope Community and we really appreciate having people like you on here, thank you for all your very interesting and helpful posts.
Picking up muscular-skeletal injuries is very much part of having CP in my experience, it sounds like you are doing all the right things though to help your body get heal and recover, and you are certainly are good at doing your research.
We all push our bodies tremendously hard, are extremely determined, and we hate giving up, so having CP has a look in common with being an athlete apart from we don't retire!
I wish you a speedy recovery, and I hope you continue to discover smarter not harder ways of doing things so that you can keep going, and doing the things you are passionate about. We are learning all the time, how to do our best to avoid the injuries that seem to be a regular part of life with CP.
The AFO's that are being made for me at the RNOH are not going to be Carbon Fibre, not just yet anyway. They are working on a brand new bespoke design, which hopefully will be less bulky, and improve function. It is being made out of traditional plastic so it easier to modify etc, if the concept works, then we will look at our options regarding carbon fibre construction!
My fitting appointment is early June, unless a cancellation should become available sooner. The team at the RNOH know me very well, and I speak to them most weeks to see if a cancellation has become available!
Noah
Best wishes