WORKSHOP – DAY 2: Friday, 24 April 2009
LAST UPDATE: 15 Apr 2009
Please note that the conference programme is subject to changes without any notification.
Download the preliminary programme and paper session schedule HERE (pdf format).
DAY 2: Friday, 24 April 2009, 8:30AM – 5:30PM
| Room | Session | Title & Description | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | 8:30AM – 12:30PM |
HW1: Assistive Technology – Assistive Technology Intermediate Course : Evidence, Principles and Measurement (Professor Katya Hill & Mr Barry Romich Augmentative and Alternative Communication Institute (AACI), USA) Synopsis: This full day workshop uses an evidence-based practice (EBP) approach to review the principles and practices applied in making clinical decisions about matching persons with assistive technology (AT). The ICF (International Classification of Disabilities and Functions) model will be the foundation to discuss the goal of assistive technology – maximizing the potential of individuals with disabilities. In delivering AT services, practitioners follow a code of ethics and scope of practice in recommending and advocating for what is in the best interest of the client. Consideration of the principles of human factors and universal design play an integral part of matching persons with technology. Practitioners apply basic principles of design in evaluating the effectiveness and usefulness of the full range of AT options. Participants will discuss how to compare and evaluate the primary, secondary, and tertiary features of AT for supporting consumer choice. Once decisions about the AT equipment and instructional methods have been made, teams are faced with monitoring progress to achieve the identified goals. Quantitative and qualitative data are needed to support intervention and drive clinical decisions to modify or change treatment. One or a combination of data collection procedures such as pre and post testing, probing, alternative treatments may be used to look at progress. A demonstration and discussion of the various automated data collection tools used with wheelchairs, computer access and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems follows. The use of outcome surveys to support a consumer-centered service delivery environment will conclude the day. Learning outcomes for the participants: Participants will be able to:
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Professor Katya Hill (Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, USA) obtained a Ph.D. on Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology, University of Pittsburgh in 2001. She is currently a Research Associate at University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, USA. Since completing her doctorate degree, she was on faculty at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she taught courses in AAC and Assistive Technology, computer applications, and childhood communication disorders, supervised the AAC clinical activity, and conducted research on language activity monitoring. Katya has mentored student research projects that resulted in over 20 student papers being accepted for publication or presentation. She has over twenty years of AAC clinical and teaching experience. Mr Barry Romich, Engineer by training and a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. Co-founder, Prentke Romich Company, USA holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, and has been an active contributor to many organizations working in the fields of assistive technology and AAC. Barry's interests presently lie in the areas of methods, tools, evidence, and other resources to support AAC evidence-based practice. He is also interested in human factors issues that can contribute to the optimization of communication performance by people who use AAC. |
| 1:30PM – 3:30PM | QW2: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems in the Classroom – Building Language with No-Tech to High-Tech (Mr. Barry Romich, Prentke Romich Company, USA & Professor Katya Hill, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, USA) Synopsis: This workshop will discuss how to select and organize vocabulary to build language competence and meet educational goals using the full range of aided AAC systems. The first half of the workshop focuses on using no and low tech communication boards and strategies. The new Pixon Project Kit is a low-tech communication approach created by Gail Van Tatenhove and a team of speech pathologists from around the world. Pixon offers a low cost, accessible approach to AAC that promotes the use of core vocabulary in manual communication board formats. The unique symbol set is currently available in both English and Chinese Mandarin languages! In the second component of this workshop we will introduce the new Vantage Lite speech generating device. You will see how this device utilizes all three AAC language representation methods: single meaning pictures, alphabet-based methods, and multiple meaning symbols or Minspeak. The Vantage offers a seamless transition from Pixon manual boards and continued growth to more effective language competence and independent communication. The Vantage Lite has the latest developments in assistive technology, including Bluetooth phone capability, extended battery life and exceptional in-built teaching tools. |
Mr Barry Romich, Engineer by training and a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. Co-founder, Prentke Romich Company, USA holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, and has been an active contributor to many organizations working in the fields of assistive technology and AAC. Barry's interests presently lie in the areas of methods, tools, evidence, and other resources to support AAC evidence-based practice. He is also interested in human factors issues that can contribute to the optimization of communication performance by people who use AAC. Professor Katya Hill (Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, USA) obtained a Ph.D. on Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology, University of Pittsburgh in 2001. She is currently a Research Associate at University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, USA. Since completing her doctorate degree, she was on faculty at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she taught courses in AAC and Assistive Technology, computer applications, and childhood communication disorders, supervised the AAC clinical activity, and conducted research on language activity monitoring. Katya has mentored student research projects that resulted in over 20 student papers being accepted for publication or presentation. She has over twenty years of AAC clinical and teaching experience. |
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| 4:00PM – 5:30PM | F2: Forum Discussion – Assistive Technology (AT) in Classroom (Moderator: Dr Melissa Wettasinghe, National Institute of Education, SINGAPORE) Synopsis: In this meeting, special education teachers, therapists and parent of a special need child will come together to discuss how assistive technology (AT) can be effectively used in classroom for teaching and promote independent participation in classrooms. As educational reforms include the application of technology to support and expand classroom curricula, assistive technology can provide both routine and customized access to the general curricula for students with disabilities. Does assistive technology has the potential to augment abilities and, bypass or compensate for barriers that disabilities create? |
Dr Marissa Wettasinghe (Assistant Professor, National Institute of Education, Singapore) is an Assistant Professor in the Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group at the National Institute of Education. She specializes in the use of ICT for mainstream education and special education. She also heads the Centre of IT in Education at NIE. In her role, she and her team are responsible for all e-learning activities, projects, development and acquisition of e-tools and applications for e-learning. Her areas of research interest include innovative use of IT in education, continuing professional development of teachers with the support of IT and classroom management in Singapore schools. | |
| 2.2 | 8:30AM – 12:30PM | HW2: Special Education – Imagination, Inventions, and Ingenuity (Dr Libby Cohen, Dr Marissa Wettasinghe & Dr Meng Ee Wong, National Institute of Education, SINGAPORE) Synopsis: This workshop will showcase new and existing technologies for people with disabilities, including technologies for persons with visual impairments, physical disabilities, and learning difficulties. The session will also explore computer software and web sites which can be used by educators and support staff when teaching students with disabilities. Dialogue and conversations among presenters and session participants are strongly encouraged. Other presentations during the session:
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Dr Libby Cohen, (NIE Visiting Scholar, "Professor Emerita" at the University of Southern Maine, United States) is a Visiting Scholar at National Institute of Education (Singapore). She is passionate about improving the lives of children, youth, and adults with disabilities, especially interested in teaching methodologies, universal design in education, and using technology to facilitate teaching and learning. She was awarded the title of "Professor Emerita" by the University of Southern Maine in the United States and holds a national reputation in the field of assistive technology and accessibility to science.
Dr Cohen taught in University of Southern Maine, USA in the College of Education and Human Development for more than 20 years, during which time she served the university with the utmost dedication, integrity, and energy. Dr Marissa Wettasinghe (Assistant Professor, National Institute of Education, Singapore) is an Assistant Professor in the Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group at the National Institute of Education. She specializes in the use of ICT for mainstream education and special education. She also heads the Centre of IT in Education at NIE. In her role, she and her team are responsible for all e-learning activities, projects, development and acquisition of e-tools and applications for e-learning. Her areas of research interest include innovative use of IT in education, continuing professional development of teachers with the support of IT and classroom management in Singapore schools. Dr Meng Ee Wong (Assistant Professor, National Institute of Education, Singapore) is visually impaired and earned his Ph.D from the University of Cambridge. He is Assistant Professor at the Early Childhood and Special Needs Education Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His responsibilities include researching and teaching both undergraduate and post graduate courses in special education. His research interests include transition and post-school outcomes of persons with disabilities; issues relating to persons with visual impairments and their development; education of teachers of children with special needs; support groups and their place in supporting vulnerable groups; assistive technology for the visually impaired. |
| 2.3 | 10:30AM – 12:00PM | QW1: Special Seating (Ms Pampi Ghosh, Spastic Children's Association of Singapore, SINGAPORE) Synopsis: The special seating workshop will provide an overview pertaining to the principles of seating and positioning. Through lecture and case study presentation participants will understand the complex decision making processes and learn how to address those through problem solving and measuring the desired outcomes for special seating. The workshop participant will be introduced to the Seating Assessment Form and to use it in translating the assessment findings towards identifying the right seating system. In addition participants will get hands on experience of the common modular seating systems available in Singapore. |
Ms Pampi Ghosh (Department Head of Occupational Therapy, The Spastic Children's Association of Singapore) is currently the Department Head of Occupational Therapy at The Spastic Children's Association of Singapore (SCAS). She has been a practicing Occupational Therapist (OT) since 1990 and did specialization in Sensory Integration (SI) from USA and Neuro-developmental Treatment (NDT) in pediatrics from NDTA (USA). Pampi's clinical experiences are primarily with children having physical and intellectual disabilities, namely cerebral palsy, developmental delay, autism, downs syndrome and other chromosomal syndrome. Her special interest is in the area of intervention of hand function, prewriting/hand-writing skills along with special seating for children with disability, whose functional limitations are due to sensory-motor and perceptual issues. Since 2002, Pampi had been leading the Special Seating project at SCAS and has gained considerable experience towards designing special seats for clients with cerebral palsy, muscular destrophy and multiple disability. She had conducted numerous training workshops for therapists, parents, and teachers on sensory integration, seating and positioning, prewriting/handwriting skills etc. |
| 1:30PM – 5:30PM | HW4: Motion Capture – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Fundamental Method and Practice (Dr Bala S. Rajaratnam, Nanyang Polytechnic, SINGAPORE) Synopsis: The following hand-on workshop will provide Therapist, Health and Medical Professionals, Biomechanics and IT specialists with in-depth exposure of how to use technologies to quantify human interaction and deliver rehabilitation services in a novel format. Technologies that participants will be exposed include motion analysis, electromyography, pressure sensor technology and augmented virtual reality. Areas of exposure include stroke rehabilitation, design of ergonomic devices for relieve of low back pain, facilitation of motor recovery, to name a few. |
Dr Bala S. Rajaratnam (Lecturer, School of Health Science, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore) from Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore is a Physiotherapist who works with engineers and IT professionals to develop and analysis human-machine interface of novel assistive technology products. These include design of an automatic sensing and corrective ergonomic chairs, e-rest walking aids virtual rehab@home concepts and biocool transport system. | |
| 2.5 | 8:30AM – 12:30PM | HW3: Workshop on Visually Impaired – Creating Effective Graphics for Classroom (Ms Kayleen Hagen, ViewPlus Technologies, USA) Synopsis: Participants will learn how to create, on a computer using Tiger software, meaningful tactile graphics to aid in teaching math, science and other graphical concepts. This hands-on workshop will include drawing graphics, scanning existing images, and learning how to convey important concepts. Graphics will then be labeled with braille, print and speech so that students can better interpret tactile graphics with access from the IVEO Talking Touch Tablet. Participants are encourage to bring their own laptops for this workshop. The Tiger Software works within the Microsoft Office environment to help you create, label and emboss tactile graphics with the Tiger embossers. |
Ms Kayleen Hagen is a Marketing Coordinator for ViewPlus Technologies (USA), a leading innovator of assistive technology providing everyday solutions for mainstream environments. She began with ViewPlus as an intern in 2006 while working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and International Business from Oregon State University. Upon graduation, she was hired as a Marketing Representative and was promoted to her current position soon after. As Marketing Coordinator, Kayleen is responsible for all public relation activities as well as maintaining domestic and international markets. She plays a major role in guiding product development by bringing her extensive experience in the field back to the developers at ViewPlus. Kayleen has been a ViewPlus trainer for over three years and has developed an extensive training program including both online and onsite training. Her combined experience of training and product development has allowed her to create comprehensive training materials. She now manages the training team at ViewPlus and continues to develop the training process in response to feedback from customers. |
| 1:30PM – 3:30PM | QW3: Power Mobility & Seating – Power Mobility – Plug it in! (Ms Susanna Koh, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, SINGAPORE & Mr Benjamin Ng, Otto Bock, HONG KONG) Sypnosis: This workshop will focus on the clinical applications of power mobility, covering four areas:
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Ms Susanna Koh (Senior Prosthetist / Orthotist, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore) obtained a Master of Science on Assistive Technology (King's College London, UK). She is the first local woman to be qualified as Prothetist / Orthotist, professionally trained to make artificial limbs and mobility aids. She also received Britain's limbless Association Award for being the best Prothetist student. Susanna is currently the senior Prosthetist / Orthotist in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She specialized in positioning and mobility and has conducted many workshops on seating and positioning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Mr Benjamin Ng (Manager, Otto Bock, HONG KONG) Biography available soon. |
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| 4:00PM – 5:30PM | QW4: Prosthesis & Orthosis – What You Didn't Expect an Amputee Could Do! (Mr Trevor Binedell, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, SINGAPORE & Mr Daryl Lim, Otto Bock South East Asia Co, SINGAPORE) Sypnosis: Discussion conducted by leading Prosthetists in Singapore's only Prosthetic Department will centre on the anatomy of a prosthetic limb, highlighting the different components and their advantages. This introductory presentation will incorporate a live demonstration of an amputee walking as well as a Q&A session to answer any queries the participants have. The attendees will also be able to experience what it is like to be an amputee simulating walking as well as controlling a myoelectric hand. There will also be a small presentation on the latest technology in computer controlled prosthetic knee (C-leg) conducted by Otto Bock – the worlds leading prosthetic company. |
Mr Trevor Binedell, (Senior Prosthetist / Orthotist, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore) Biography available soon. Mr Daryl Lim (Business Manager, Otto Bock South East Asia Co, Singapore) is the Business Manager of Otto Bock South East Asia Co., Ltd since Nov 2006. Prior to this, he was working in the Artificial Limb Centre, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore as a Manager. Daryl graduated with a honors degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics at School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, University of Salford in 1999 and also completed his Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University in 2002. |
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| Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium | 9:30AM – 10:30PM | F1: Disability & Employment Forum (in conjunction with ICAT2009) (Moderator: Mr Ian Leo, President of Disabled People's Association, SINGAPORE) Synopsis: Many people associate disability with mobility problems. Making an organisation accessible to disabled employees means more than ramps and lifts, although these are important. It's about looking at disability as it affects every aspect of the business. This means, for example, making sure our staff is disability trained; ensuring basic physical requirements for your disabled employees are met, researching the need for any special equipment for our disabled employees, who supplies it and how it is maintained. Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports set up "The Open Door Fund" to promote employment of people with disabilities. This is supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, and administered by the Singapore National Employers Federation. The term "Open Door" encapsulates the role of employers in opening doors for persons with disabilities to secure employment. It also signifies the effort needed on the part of persons with disabilities to acquire the necessary skill sets for work to walk through the open door. In this meeting, the panel will discuss on whether companies are ready for this accessible business and provide them with equal opportunities in employment? |
Mr Ian Leo (President of Disabled People's Association, Singapore) Biography available soon. |
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