VA begins testing on Dean Kamen’s prosthetic Luke arm
Alright! Dean Kamen’s prosthetic “Luke” arm is one step closer to helping amputess, especially injured veterans:
Last week, VA announced the start of a three-year clinical trial that represents the first large-scale testing of the arm, a critical step before it can be made widely available. The first patient was fitted with an arm in April.
The device was developed by Deka Research and Development, the New Hampshire company whose founder, Dean Kamen, invented the Segway and various medical devices.
The robotic arm, nicknamed the “Luke arm” after the artificial arm worn by Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films, allows those who have lost a limb …
Help Jude! 4PawsforJude.com
I recently wrote about the amazing difference a service dog can make for a child with autism.
Colleen Bell contacted me about getting the word out about helping their autistic son, Jude, receive a service dog.
Jude is an amazing 6-year-old boy who loves to laugh and to make other’s laugh. He’s smart, handsome, funny, loving, lovable, clever, and honest. He tries harder than most anyone you’ll meet. He makes us proud every single day. He also has Autism.
Jude has qualified for an Autism Assistance dog from 4 Paws for Ability, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Xenia, Ohio, which …
Questions the Judge may ask in epilepsy or seizure case
Disability cases based on seizure disorders are a very special kind of disability case.
If your case goes in front of an Administrative Law Judge, you can expect to be asked these questions:
How often do you have seizures?
What happens during a seizure?
How do you feel after a seizure?
What do you have to do after a seizure (lie down, sleep etc)? And for how long?
Are you treating with a doctor?
Are you taking your medications as prescribed? How long have you been taking your medications?
While seizure disorders (epilepsy, partial complex seizures, etc.) are often disabling, simply having a seizure disorder is not enough to be found disabled. In many cases, …
Guide dogs excel in helping children with autism
I recently twittered about the surprising uses of service dogs. We are all familiar with service dogs used by individuals with blindness or other visual impairments. However, there are other ways these wonderful dogs help people with disabilities.
One of my clients uses a service dog to help identify seizures before they occur and to provide protection during a seizure.
Service dogs can also help children with disabilities such as autism. The Journal News recently covered this topic:
The dogs purpose is to provide safety and therapeutic companionship to children with autism, a …
What to do for a person having a seizure (video)
One of my favorite shows on the web, GeekBrief.tv, now GeekBrief with Cali Lewis, interviewed actor Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman on “Heroes”). Greg’s son, Jake, has epilepsy and Greg talks about what to do for someone during a seizure and what not to do (don’t put something into the person’s mouth!).
It’s a great video! Greg talks about seizures starting at 3:50.
Twittering with your mind
We previously talked about brain control interfaces. Here is a new device that lets you twitter with your thoughts.
A new device developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison allows users to tell a computer what to do simply by concentrating on a letter or action on the screen.
via Twittering For Those Who Can’t Talk Or Type – Disability Scoop.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Here is a great video explaining sleep apnea, what causes it and the risks associated with sleep apnea.
The video starts with a lot of promos. Just zip to the 1:10 mark for the good stuff.
The subjective nature of pain and the disability case
Former disability examiner, Timothy Moore, writes about his experiences with lower back pain and the Social Security Disability Process:
About one week ago to the day, I injured my lower back. And though I am now fully on the road to recovery, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be saddled with nagging lumbar back pain indefinitely …
… light jobs would be difficult because handling any amount of weight, let alone, say, 20 pounds, would aggravate a back problem. I rediscovered this reality yesterday as I, in a limited fashion, tried to help my wife with groceries. The simple weight of a gallon jug of milk was enough to make me wince. How about a sedentary job? Well, the problem with sedentary jobs has to do with…being sedentary.
As many claimants with chronic lower back pain will attest, being in a seated position can become very uncomfortable even after a few minutes. But even “sedentary jobs” are not entirely sedentary. Most sedentary work still involves having to get up and down from a seated position dozens of times during the course of a day. And this can obviously present a problem for someone with lower lumbar pain. …
Disability examiners, their supervisors, and the medical consultants with whom disability examiners work all too often slap decisions on cases without allowing claimants reasonable consideration with respect to their pain.
Tim goes on to discuss why disability examiners do not give reasonable considerations to pain. Read the entire article here.
How to diagnose fibromyalgia
It can be very difficult to win Social Security disability benefits based on fibromyalgia. However, it can be done!
While Social Security no longer considers fibromyalgia as a “imaginary” condition, or a “junk” diagnosis, you still need to make sure the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is backed up by medical findings.
I have reviewed many medical records which mention fibromyalgia, but don’t say how the doctor made the diagnosis. There is no mention of physical examinations or findings. Social Security may throw out the diagnosis because of a lack of medical support.
Without a diagnosis, all you have are symptoms and Social Security cannot approve disability benefits on symptoms alone.
This can stop a case dead in its tracks!
So, what do you need to properly diagnosis fibromyalgia?
Life with Asperger’s Syndrome
I came across this story about the joys and hardships of living with a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. I just wanted to share it with you.
Life with Asperger’s Syndrome can be very confusing. Many days, Caleb is very high functioning and you would never expect that there is something different about the wiring in his brain. Other days, it’s quite obvious that this child has some real issues.
….
As a parent of a special needs child I have learned that I must command authority and respect. I can not let my child use his diagnosis as an excuse to misbehave on a daily basis. I see that all to often …
