A MONASH Children’s Hospital doctor has created an app to help children with cerebral palsy get the most out of their toys in therapy.
Paediatric occupational therapist Dr Brian Hoare launched CPtoys in Australia just before Christmas and already has his eye on the international market.
The app, designed for children under five, generates a list of recommended toys to help achieve a child’s rehabilitation goals.
For young children with one weak hand it might be as simple as recommending a big ball that encourages the child to reach with both arms.
“If you look at a bigger ball and it’s pumped up hard so you can’t grasp it with one hand, your brain is automatically, as part of the planning process saying, ‘I really need two hands to do this’,” Dr Hoare said.
Dr Hoare said playing with a toy that was just challenging enough helped kids with cerebral palsy meet milestones such as the ability to grasp, hold and release.
“The therapy we do is not just playing with toys, there’s science behind it,” Dr Hoare said.
Dr Hoare, who completed a PhD on effective therapies for hands and arms in 2010, said parents couldn’t be expected to be experts in therapy and a simple tool such as CPtoys could make all the difference.
Brooke Johnson, mother of two-year-old Rye who has cerebral palsy, said the app was fantastic.
“It eliminates a lot of time and frustration for parents searching for the right toy,” Mrs Johnson said.
Once CPtoys has generated a list of recommended toys, it directs users to online retailers.
Mrs Johnson said the variety was good.
“We constantly have to buy new toys, even for the same goals, when he gets sick of using the same toy,” the Mt Martha mum said.
Dr Hoare said he was continuing to call for stockists to add their wares to his list.
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