Super Awesome Wheel Chair Tray!

Holy cow, I LOVE it when people allow me to share their brilliant ideas! Thank you to Marci Rizzo, paraprofessional, and Alex the SLP who work at school for children with disabilities for letting me share their brilliant wheel chair tray. Let me set the scene so you can fully appreciate why this is a brilliant idea. This tray is for a student that limited use of their hands, has a very specific visual field (the place in her field where she can see the best) and favors colors red and yellow (best colors ever for our kids!). This student is non-verbal but can make choices and use a switch. The yellow and red circles on the tray are the areas where the student can see the best and can make a choice. Just in case you don't understand this, if the teacher were to put an item or switch anywhere else on the tray, this student probably wouldn't see or acknowledge the object. SO: it is very important that you know WHERE your student can see.

Here's the materials:

Plywood
Semi gloss paint
Spray paint circles
*Use cornstarch for less friction so the student's hand glides like water (for cleaning the tray).

I couldn't believe that this tray was plywood when I saw it (and touched it) but Marci (and her husband) sanded down the plywood and cut it to fit on her tray. They painted it after the sanding. 

I also want to point out one more clever idea. This idea comes from the brilliant classroom teacher. Notice off to the side of the wheel chair…..there's a bucket strapped to her chair (tray). Do you know what that is? It's a FINISHED BOX!! It's attached so that the student can always use it (and it appears to be permanent part of the day because they always have to use it). Brilliant!!

Are you smiling right now after reading this? I am too! I love great ideas and I LOVE to watch great teachers working with our kids (that includes para's too!). We are all working together and making a difference :)