Fun with google

[marydell]

Charlie is constantly frustrated by his inability to "read" books by himself.  We read to him a lot, but he wants to be able to lie on the floor and page through a board book, and in most cases he can't because the pages don't lay flat as he turns them--they keep flipping back.  This also makes it hard for him to turn to the particular page he wants.  He's not cognitively at a level to use an object to hold the page flat, or to use his other arm or prosthetic to do it. 

We're kicking around ideas--I'm probably going to be pasting binder-style offset tabs on a couple books to see if that helps, and we've asked the PT to ask her OT friends for ideas.  But most of the good tips on how to do things in unusual ways have come from the internet so far.

Googling "one-handed reading" produced a lot of hits, but mostly not the sort of links I was looking for. Duh.  *goes off to read erotica links*

Comments

[pnkrokhockeymom.livejournal.com]

Oh, this made me laugh out loud.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

All the assistive devices that would help do seem to be for grownups--book holders, book weights, etc. GRRR.

Have you thought about deconstructing some of his favorite books and binding them through an upper corner with a heavy binding ring (http://www.bindingbazaar.com/Binding-Rings.asp)? That might make it easier for him to move from page to page. Or not.

Of course that doesn't help with liberry books.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Or you can deconstruct the book and slip each page into a "sheet-protector" type holder (so both sides can be seen) and put them into a ring binder. You could actually put more than one book into a single binder.

[marydell.livejournal.com]

This is also a great idea.

[marydell.livejournal.com]

That is a great idea. And we don't do liberry books yet, because of the gnawing...

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Look for 'comb binding' or 'spiral binding.' A local print shop can cut up a book and punch it for this and put on this kind of spine.

Or could he read on screen, where all you have to do to 'turn a page' is click the mouse?

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Eventually he'll most likely use a computer or e-reader for a lot of his reading, but right now he's still at the age where books are toys--he even hugs his current favorite (http://www.amazon.com/Am-Bunny-Golden-Sturdy-Book/dp/0375827781) when we read it to him. I'll look into the comb binding, thanks!

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

You could try googling "reading for the one-handed". That might get you less, ahem, exciting and more useful links.