Dennis,
Not only have you conveyed many of the things I know my father goes through,
you have also conveyed many of the things my students who have cerebral palsy
(CP) go through. You mentioned not being able to relax completely when sitting
back. It reminds me of my student with CP, who cannot sit back without his
back going into severe spasms (hyperextension). We have to keep his back bent
slightly forward. While this keeps the back from spasming, he cannot hold up
his head! I'm hoping his new wheelchair will help this.
I'm glad that you're going to describe the steps involved in picking up those
tools and handing them to someone else! I've tried describing this sort of
thing to others, and they finally realize just how difficult the things non-
PWPs take for granted are. BTW, the educational jargon for breaking a task
down into all the steps involved in executing it is called a task analysis. I
find myself doing this sort of thing now as a matter of course whenever I go
somewhere I might want to take my students or my parents.
One thing you might want to mention is that some PWPs fall often, whether
backward or forward. This backward falling means that opening doors, rising
from a chair at a table, and just stepping away from the thermostat after
setting it, are really dangerous.
Good luck with your speech!
Trish
