New Transfer Seat for the Car

This is a post from Junior's regular blog that shares about our new seat which is definitely and adaption/modification so I wanted to share it here as well.  This is from a few weeks ago so I am including a quick update at the end to share how we like it now that we have been using it longer.

On Friday we had the new seat put in my car for Junior.  He is now about 90 lbs and we had been trying to figure out a better way to get him in the car for outings.  A wheelchair accessible van would be optimal but is not a financially feasible option so we needed to find something that would help and not require us to purchase a new vehicle.

A few months ago an assessment was done and they looked at our current vehicle and Junior's needs and the options available to help.  We discussed that it is not the lifting that is the big issue but the leaning over into the car while lifting my 90 lb boy.  They recommended a rotating transfer seat(called a Bruno Valet seat), something I had heard of but did not think could be put in a small car.  This seat rotates and slides forward so that Junior is for the most part outside the car for transfers.  It removes the need to lean over into the car while lifting him.   He has used it a couple times now and we are learning the ropes and how it works best for him.  The first time we tried it I was concerned because it took some serious maneuvering to get his feet into place during the seat rotation.  Since then I have had a chance to play with things a bit and learn that the seat does not have to be so far forward to rotate out of or into the car.  Yesterday he had an appointment and transfers were much smoother and I was pleased with how it worked for him.  I can now lift him from his chair turn and sit him down on the car seat.   It allows me to be in a proper position to lift and transfer him and my back is oh so much happier now.
Junior was exhausted after his appointment yesterday, as you can see in the pics, but this gives you an idea of how the seat functions.  Once the weather is better I will get some pics/video of it in action.

So thankful for a program like Regional Center which provided funding and gave us this new tool to help Junior live life to the fullest.  We are blessed.

*Update*  3/19/16   We have had a busy few weeks with doctors appointments so Junior's new seat has gotten a great deal of use. Junior is on the short side at 4'8" and I noticed he seemed at a bit of an odd position when in the seat.  When I realized it was from the lumbar support hitting him high I ran to Walmart to see what we could figure out to help.  They had a memory foam seat cushion specifically for the car so I gave it a try.  Just 2 inches of rise to his seat and he looks far better and is now quite happy and comfy in the seat even for our lengthy drives to appointments.  The difference in lifting him is huge, not that he is any lighter but not having to lean into the car to transfer him is such a difference.  I was curious to see if it would really make a difference in things with repeated use and it absolutely has.  I get back from a day out where I have needed to transfer/lift him multiple times and am not completely exhausted.  I have also learned that putting his car harness on while he is in the "out of car" position in the seat is much quicker and easier.  Getting out is less stressful meaning we feel like we can get out more often and enjoy life with Junior. 

Junior enjoying his seat, he has his back brace on which is why he is able to sit so nicely in the seat like that.  Also with him being short we use a head rest from his old car seat which is the blue you see behind his head. 

Way Behind, Junior's Favorite Toys 2016

Wow, it has been a few months since my last post.  Things have been crazy and it has been a very tough winter medically for Junior.  The last couple weeks have been much, much better so we hope the winter time illnesses are over. 

I thought I would share some of Junior's favorite toys/sensory items.  Things that are favorites right now.
Of course at the top of his list would be his Ipad but that is something not new to our list and more a communication device then a toy.

Switch Toys - with his current favorites being his Fart Blaster, talking Minion, nerf dart gun, and disco ball
The fart blaster and talking minion were both given to him by a program called Santa's Little Hackers.  This amazing non profit group gives switch adapted toys to those unable to use toys the typical way.   Visit their Face Book page for more information Santa's Little Hackers
  (the thing hanging above his fart blaster is a switch adapted light saber which he also really enjoys)
 

His switch adapted dart gun, you can find the directions HERE

We purchased this disco light on Amazon and plug it into his powerlink box to make it switch accessible.  HERE is the Amazon link for it and HERE is a post about the Power link.

Junior has lots of toys he loves but I will just post a few of his top favorites and newer ones.
Here he is with his chimes, we hooked his extendable stylus from his ipad to his head so he could play them independently.  We found these on Amazon and I am not terribly pleased with their sturdiness but there were several other options when you search chimes(these were the cheapest so we got what we paid for though the sound is great).
 
He got this awesome R2D2 bubble blower for Christmas and it has been a huge hit.  It makes all the R2D2 sounds, the head moves back and forth and then blows bubbles.  Click HERE to see this toy on Amazon.

Another favorite which he got for Christmas is his Zoomer dog.
We put it in his inflatable sensory tray and set it next to him and he loves watching it run around, roll over, and do lots of other things. It also has light up eyes and barks.  HERE is an amazon link to see more about this toy.

This past week we visited Build A Bear and he got something he has wanted for a very long time. A wheelchair for his tubie monkey.  He loves it and was so excited to get it. 

At the moment Junior also loves all things Star Wars so his mini sensory tray currently has star wars characters on it.  For a post with more about the sensory tray click HERE

His basketball hoop and ramp would also have to go on this list though it is something I have shared about before.  Click HERE for more about the ramp and hoop set up and HERE for a more update version.  In the second version we replaced the pole with a piece of pvc covered in pool noodle and used velcro to secure it to the top of the IV pole. 

 

The loved switch adapted game spinner.  Here it is being used to play the board game Sorry but we use it for many other games and activities as well.  HERE is a post where I talk more about the spinner and where to get it. Here are links to posts we have done about adapted games. 
Cars Tip the Tractors , The Farm Game , Hi Ho Cherry O , Sorry , The Jelly Belly Game  , Trouble , Candy Land  , Chutes and Ladders   , The Toy Story Game   , Angry Birds , Puzzle Board(I guess puzzles sort of fall under the game heading), Smurfs , Cat In The Hat , Memory .  We are always on the hunt for adapted games or ones that we can adapt so if you have found a way to adapt a game we would love to hear about it.  Junior loves games and is very competitive.


Now on to his favorite sensory items.
We have used weighted blankets for many years and wanted one to take out with us.  This is his mini lap size version of his weighted blanket and it has become something that goes with us everywhere and really helps him when he is stressed.


The mini weighted blanket is what you can see folded on his lap in these pics at a doctors appointment. 

Mini Finger maracas, these are perfect for Junior.  The center is soft rubber so he can hold them and anytime he moves they make noise.  HERE is the Amazon link for these

 

Insta snow and water beads continue to be favorite sensory activities along with foam soap 

 

 

Moon sand, another favorite which we have talked about many times. 

 

Also can't forget his giant toy bar turned planetarium which continues to be a favorite spot to relax.
HERE is a post about his planetarium and HERE is a post about how we made the giant toy bar itself. 

  This list could go on and on with both toys and sensory items but this list hits his current favorite items or at least most of them. 

IV Pole Storage

Many special needs families use IV poles on a daily basis.  For us Junior has one attached to his medical cart which holds his feeding pump and farrell vent bag. 
The stand alone IV poles take up quite a bit of space because of the legs and I recently saw a picture of a pole with a bucket on the bottom to hold supplies.   I thought it was a fantastic idea and in the picture it was a very cute little bucket with lid.  For me I did not want the lid and also wanted something bigger so decided to see if a storage bin I had on hand would work. 

I first removed the top of the IV pole.  To do this I completely unscrewed the portion that tightens or loosens to adjust the pole height.  When you completely loosen it the top of the pole can be slid completely off the bottom portion.  I then used a sharp knife to punch a hole in the bottom of the storage bin.  This was far easier then I expected and after getting a small hole I then carefully carved it bigger until it was just large enough to slide over the pole. 
(pardon the mess in the pic, I was in the middle of cleaning out the closet when I found the storage bucket and decided to stop and try this out). 

I then put the top of the pole back on and your done.  Junior thinks everything is better with Spider-man or Minions so we added a big Minion wall sticker to the front of the bucket. 
At the moment this is our spare IV pole and gets used for a variety of things from medical items, to holding his ipad arm, his felt board, switch toys, etc.  Right now it has Junior's basketball hoop attached to it so we put basketballs, various other balls, and his basketball ramp in the storage bucket.  If we were using it for his feeding pump it would easily hold the months worth of feeding bags and likely could also hold his months worth of farrell vent bags.

 

Music

Junior is currently doing a music themed unit in school.  He is loving the musical activities and especially the crafts.  Feel free to click on over to his reg blog to check it out.  I will try to share a few of the ideas over here as well but things are very busy so it may be awhile. 

He is learning about a new instrument each day and here is enjoying the piano with his piano mat. 

 Learning about the drum and then painting with his drum sticks while playing(his drum is under the paper).

 Using his ipad to listen to various instruments.

 

Click on the link for his reg blog to see more of his music fun.  

Junior's Amazing Journey

A Few New Things

Wow, it has been so long since my last post.  Very busy summer and with the many fires in CA the air quality is bad which is hard on Junior. 
Recently we have been struggling with Junior getting lots of bruises because the seizure meds he is on cause low platelets.  I have been trying to find ways to keep him from getting the bruises which is a challenge. 
Not too long ago he got a wonderful new wheelchair and though it fits him nicely and he is very comfortable in it, I realized the tray and arm rests are the culprit for many if not most of the bruises.  When he attempts to move he presses into the tray or armrests and just that small pressure causes problems. 
Time to bruise proof his chair and tray.  I thought I would share here in case others have the same issues. 
I used 1 and 2 inch foam for these(found at walmart and very reasonably priced) and Junior's choice of fabric.
For now I am just going to share what we did for the padding and will try to do a few others posts with the step by step directions.
 First off his stroller/transport chair.  He is not comfortable in shoes and without them the foot plates hurt his feet. I used a large piece of 2 inch foam cut to the size we needed then covered with a fleece cover.  On the bottom is a pocket which allows this to slip over the foot plates easily so it can be removed quickly when the chair is folded for transport. 
We then made some fun covers with Junior's favorite fabrics. When it is cold Junior's feet can go inside the covers to stay warm. 
 
The slip covers can either be velcroed on top to act as a foot "pocket" or put over the whole thing when it is hot.

  

It has made a huge difference in his comfort

 

Next his wheelchair tray

For this I used 1 inch foam cut to the size we wanted. I wanted the pads large enough so his entire forearm is resting on the pad when his tray is used.   I used a piece of heavy duty velcro on the tray where the pads attach and then stitched velcro to the bottom of the pad cover. 

His wheelchair after bruise proofing.  I added a 2 inch piece of foam to the bottom of his foot box and also a piece on the back.  Neither are "attached" to the box itself because we often move and adjust their angel.  For the arm rests I used a strip of 1 inch foam covered in flannel material and then added velcro so it can wrap around the armrest and stay in place. 

Lastly Junior needed a "soft" tray to use when he sits in his recliner.  Typically we use his wheelchair tray but it is heavy and hard to get positioned just right.  Junior has his sensory tray which he loves but needed something to use when he wants to play with other toys or do activities in the chair.  

I only had 1 inch foam on hand so stacked 2 and added a thin piece of cardboard in the middle so it was a little more stiff.  I used a hot glue gun to secure the foam and then cut out the center so it would fit around Junior.  

I measure my material and stitched it into a cover leaving it loose around the center. I stitched velcro to the top edges so we could pull it tight to keep it in place.  

After sliding the foam into the cover I then used pillow stuffing around the edge that would be against Junior.  This way the tray can be snug against him without risking it pressing on his tubes or causing a problem.  I added extra stuffing to the bottom of the tray then velcroed it tightly closed. 

 Kind of like a boppy pillow except larger and has a flat surface for Junior to use for toys, books, ipad, etc.

Mini Basketball Hoop and Ramp

Now that Junior is older the typical Easter basket is not something he gets very excited about. He can't eat candy and it can be hard to find things to fill his basket that he will actually use.
I did a little hunting and happened to spot this mini, over the door, basketball hoop on clearance.  My first thought was "perfect Junior will love it".  Then I got it and had to figure out how in the world I could adapt it so he could reach it and actually enjoy it.

The basketball hoop is THIS one which can be found on Amazon. 
I discovered that an IV pole was perfect to make the hoop accessible for Junior and then the height can be adjusted. 
The challenge was how to hang the hoop.  I found a large dowel in my closet from something we weren't using(PVC might work as well if it wasn't too thin).  The pieces on the back of the hoop which are made to go over the back of a door easily hook on the wooden dowel.This set up can also be easily removed from the IV pole in case you need it for something else.

 I put the dowel with the basketball hoop attached over the upper cross bar on the IV pole.  Then I used two elastic straps with velcro stitched onto them to hold it in place.  It stayed in place without the elastic but I think with much motion it could be knocked down.

I could help Junior throw the ball but I like to allow him to do as much independently as possible.
He can push with his arm so with minimal help he can roll the ball into the hoop with a ramp.
He has a larger bowling/basketball ramp that we use outside for his larger hoop or inside for bowling but it is too long for this one.  Here is a post I did several years ago about how to make our original larger ramp.  This new one is made exactly the same way only shorter.   You could adjust to the size your need.
Here is a picture of both ramps side by side so you can see the difference in size. This time I wrapped the ramp in Ninja Turtle duck tape instead of the orange. 

  

This basket ball hoop has a spring so propping the ramp on it is not an issue.

 Finished product.

Can't wait to show Junior his Easter surprise tomorrow.

Update:  Now that Junior has played with his new hoop I will give a quick update. 
He loves it and it worked well.  Our only glitch was when I was lowering the hoop the bottom edge caught on the bolt on the iv pole and lifted enough to dislodge from the dowel.  Secure during play so not a huge issue but I am going to figure out something to either put over the pieces on the back of the hoop that are over the dowel or maybe put some of the industrial strength velcro on the dowel and underside of the pieces.  Velcro is likely easiest and should hold well. 

3 D Spiderman Light Adaption

Anyone who visits Junior's blog knows that he loves super heroes with Spider-Man being his absolute favorite.
Last week I found a 3D Spidey light and adapted it for him for Valentines.  It is made to be mounted on the wall but I wanted to switch adapt it and also wanted to be able to move it so Junior could play with it anywhere.

I didn't take step by step pictures but it was fairly easy so I think I can describe it well enough.
We used a Spider-man 3D light - this shows it on Amazon but other stores also carry it and we were able to find it on a good sale.
I also picked up an oval shaped painting canvas at Hobby Lobby.  It is the 16 X 20 inch size and was the perfect size/shape.

To start I place a couple strips of white duck tape across the area on the painting canvas where we were going to be mounting the light.  You have to put screws in to mount the light and I was concerned it might tear the canvas. 
Next I took the large wall sticker that came with the light and put it on the canvas.  I put it right over the white duct tape and with the canvas also being white you cannot see the tape(unless you get right up close and look for it).
I put a couple small pieces of cardboard behind the canvas so we would have something to screw the screws into.  I realized the cardboard would likely not hold long term so put a plastic lid between the 2 pieces of cardboard where each screw would go in.
Here is a picture of the container I used the lid from(I used 2 lids, one under each screw). I just broke the lid off so I could use it.

The wall sticker has marks where you need to put the screws in which makes it easy.  I put the screws in and then put duck tape over on the back of the canvas over the cardboard just to be sure it held.  I don't think it was needed but did it just to be sure. The light weighs very little so isn't pulling at all when mounted.  The spidey light has small slots for mounting and can be taken on and off as needed.
Here is a pic of the back of the canvas.

 This is the front of the canvas after putting on the wall sticker and putting in the screws.

 I then use a battery interrupter to switch adapt the light.  Click HERE for directions on using the battery interrupters.  I cut a small notch in the battery compartment for the cord then mounted the light on the screws and it was done.

I used 2 of the clamps pictured to clip the canvas/light to Junior's tripod.  I had an "arm" from something he no longer uses which I clamped to his tripod and then used the clamps to clip it to the bar on that so it sticks straight out.

 This pic shows it with the switch being used and the light on.

 Junior was on his bed when I showed it to him to first time and the tripod allowed me to put it in a place he could see it great and use his switch to activate it.  He loves it. 

 

There are several of these 3D battery operated lamps in various super hero themes available.  I may have to see if others will fit on this same set up.  That would be great and we could vary them without having to make a new canvas to mount them on.