Marguerite
Active Member
Moderators - I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. Also I need to make clear - this is not a commercial endorsement of a product but a recommendation from a user of a possible hidden benefit to our difficult children, which could save us money and also help our kids - in a product a lot of us might be at least considering using anyway.
This is only my opinion, but I believe the new Nintendo Wii is fabulous for involving kids in more useful computer-based activities. You also have more opportunity for group-based physical activities such as bowling, tennis etc.
And now we've bought Wii Fit. It does an initial assessment on each individual, assessing weight, balance, coordination etc. We had a group session last week with the whole family going through the process and playing the balance games. There are strength-based options too, as well as aerobic fitness. Lots of other stuff we're still finding out.
Now to DORE - I first encountered something similar to this when my sister's son was pre-teen. An Occupational Therapist they consulted gave them some exercises and some drawings of equipment to make - small bean bags, soft balls, cargo net swings and balanced boards. The idea was, to use these thing to help him both balance and coordinate. He would sit in a swing and throw a bean bag to his father, and then catch it, all while swinging. Fun games but also trying to re-program his brain.
Then in the early 90s I had some sophisticated tests on my balance and muscle coordination at a Sydney hospital clinic. It was an interesting experience even though for me, they didn't find anything they could help me with. I understand the clinic still exists. It was a free service, and a good one, as part of Australia's public health system.
Then about ten years ago I saw ads on TV for the DORE program. I made enquiries and they sent me a video. On the video I saw the same equipment that had been used when I was tested at the hearing and balance clinic. The price tag was a bit rich, though. And the more I found out about it, the more it seemed to resemble the ststem my nephew had been using to help him reprogram his ADHD brain. And all his equipment had been put together from scraps, by his father, according to plans given them by the Occupational Therapist (OT).
And now we've bought the Wii. Wii Fit has a foot board that works as scales as well as a system of monitoring pressure. Together, this determines how much weight you put on which part of which foot. Games help you to hone your balance skills and to also do other tasks all the while giving you feedback on your centre of gravity. It is all looking very familiar, but in a more sophisticated way. difficult child 3 loves it and has already spent a lot of time trying to improve his standard. His coordination could be a lot better and this is the way to do it. It's fun and helpful.
I can't prove that it would do the same as DORE, but it certainly seems to be sufficiently similar to at least give some of te same benefits, for a much more acceptable price tag, and without having to trek to a DORE clinic into the bargain. The fuel saving alone would pay for the Wii many times over.
So if you can, find someone who owns one of these and have a go, especially if your difficult child has balance or coordination problems. These can often be found with ADHD and also in some cases with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).
If you do decide to buy one of these, then if nothing else you will all have a lot of healthy fun. And you may even get more benefit than you expected.
If you want to try one but don't want to/can't afford to buy one, find someone who already has it and make friends with them - bake them a cake every now and then, or similar, so you can at least get your difficult child onto it at least once a week, if not more.
Marg
This is only my opinion, but I believe the new Nintendo Wii is fabulous for involving kids in more useful computer-based activities. You also have more opportunity for group-based physical activities such as bowling, tennis etc.
And now we've bought Wii Fit. It does an initial assessment on each individual, assessing weight, balance, coordination etc. We had a group session last week with the whole family going through the process and playing the balance games. There are strength-based options too, as well as aerobic fitness. Lots of other stuff we're still finding out.
Now to DORE - I first encountered something similar to this when my sister's son was pre-teen. An Occupational Therapist they consulted gave them some exercises and some drawings of equipment to make - small bean bags, soft balls, cargo net swings and balanced boards. The idea was, to use these thing to help him both balance and coordinate. He would sit in a swing and throw a bean bag to his father, and then catch it, all while swinging. Fun games but also trying to re-program his brain.
Then in the early 90s I had some sophisticated tests on my balance and muscle coordination at a Sydney hospital clinic. It was an interesting experience even though for me, they didn't find anything they could help me with. I understand the clinic still exists. It was a free service, and a good one, as part of Australia's public health system.
Then about ten years ago I saw ads on TV for the DORE program. I made enquiries and they sent me a video. On the video I saw the same equipment that had been used when I was tested at the hearing and balance clinic. The price tag was a bit rich, though. And the more I found out about it, the more it seemed to resemble the ststem my nephew had been using to help him reprogram his ADHD brain. And all his equipment had been put together from scraps, by his father, according to plans given them by the Occupational Therapist (OT).
And now we've bought the Wii. Wii Fit has a foot board that works as scales as well as a system of monitoring pressure. Together, this determines how much weight you put on which part of which foot. Games help you to hone your balance skills and to also do other tasks all the while giving you feedback on your centre of gravity. It is all looking very familiar, but in a more sophisticated way. difficult child 3 loves it and has already spent a lot of time trying to improve his standard. His coordination could be a lot better and this is the way to do it. It's fun and helpful.
I can't prove that it would do the same as DORE, but it certainly seems to be sufficiently similar to at least give some of te same benefits, for a much more acceptable price tag, and without having to trek to a DORE clinic into the bargain. The fuel saving alone would pay for the Wii many times over.
So if you can, find someone who owns one of these and have a go, especially if your difficult child has balance or coordination problems. These can often be found with ADHD and also in some cases with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).
If you do decide to buy one of these, then if nothing else you will all have a lot of healthy fun. And you may even get more benefit than you expected.
If you want to try one but don't want to/can't afford to buy one, find someone who already has it and make friends with them - bake them a cake every now and then, or similar, so you can at least get your difficult child onto it at least once a week, if not more.
Marg
