Origami, Therapy, and Brain Training
Origami and Occupational Therapy
Interactive workshop For the EKU OT Student Organization
April 24, 2017
Sylvia Cerel-Suhl, M.D
90 minute Program
Goals:
1. Learn useful terms and concepts for use of origami in occupational therapy practice.
2. Learn basic methods and sample models appropriate for "Mindful Occupation."
3. Consider factors influencing choices of materials, methods, and with various populations and individuals.
4. Discuss key concepts in origami pedagogy for therapy purposes.
5. Know where to obtain excellent further resources for further growth and reference.
INTRO:
This lecture and interactive workshop is the result of my study, (including at national origami meetings and with "Origami Masters"), research, and teaching experience over the past three and half years. It will not include the hypotheses for specific step-by-step occupational and speech therapy programming which I am beginning to investigate with your professor, Camille Skubik-Peplaski PhD OTR/L BCP FAOTA, and with Lumy Sawaki, MD, Ph.D., at UK/Cardinal Hill.
90 minute origami & therapy talk / EKU:
1) Introduction and First Definition of Terms.
2) History of origami as children's education, art form, and mindful education for over 1000 years. (esp. widely in Japan and Frabel in German Kindergarden movement)
3) Methods and specific terms with a specific example models: interactive workshop component.
A. Paper Crumple
B. Simple Animal
C. Simple House
D. " Storigami Heart" (KidsArt4Hearts site has video)
Terms: Pleat Fold, Valley Fold, Mountain Fold, Cupboard Door Fold, Squash Fold, Guide Fold, all learned via models. Teaching methods role-modeled as well.
4) Brief consideration of materials:
Types of paper relevant to size, cost, properties, as factors to consider related to type of population in therapy.
5) Origami pedagogy for therapy considerations:
A. Patient characteristics including impairments such as: hand strength and function, vision, cognitive, hearing, or language impairment.
B. Details when teaching:
i. Know your model well and have a sample.
ii. Use short, clear, and simple separate instructions. Often alliterative instructions are helpful. (e.g. "tip to the top," and "base toward your belly button")
iii. Consider "the different types of learners" then use the types of style each needs: visual, auditory instruction, demonstration, motion cues, diagrams, etc.
iv. Know how to use a diagram.
C. When teaching a model, teach it at least twice or three times then have the student save at least one copy for future homework practice. After the first clearly demonstrated step-by-step model, have the students repeat it at least once with a buddy, with you as back up, or in small groups. Then, depending upon the characteristics of the patient or group, either have them demonstrate again repeatedly in front of you, in teams with a buddy, in a group with solo practice but always with discussion with others available. After the model is confidently mastered and remembered, then you can use what you taught as homework to be returned to you later. ( The 21st Century Spiral curriculum method and an easy compliance measure.)
(My research group's homework was five days per week, 30 minutes per day in the Sanders- Brown B.E.S.T. Trial, which demonstrated improved verbal recall after an 8 week origami in cognitively normal adults 65-80, with a spectrum of common aging impairments. )
6) Resources and references: Authors with many books, clearly written, and highly recommended for simple models include:
John Montrol, and Michael Fosse, with Richard Alexander.
Websites with weekly topical lessons and clear instructions include:
http://www.origamispirit.com , and www.origami-instructions.com/
OrigamiUSA is the organization which has on-line, regional and national events, books and paper to buy, etc… https://origamiusa.org/
Results of Pilot Research on Origami and Memory:
Brain Exercises for Synaptic Plasticity (BEST Study): A randomized, placebo-controlled cognitive intervention trial for brain health in older adults .
Tyler Hammond, Sylvia Cerel-Suhl, Hardin Stevens, Brooke Beech, Yang Jiang, Allison Caban-Holt, Erin Abner, and Gregory Jicha.
Presented at American Academy of Neurology, April 28, 2017 - Poster Session VI - "Aging and Dementia: Therapeutic Approaches II
April 18, 2017, 88:16 Supplement P6.081; 1526-632X
Journal Articles:
Jiang Y, Jessee W, Hoyng S, Borhani S, Liu Z, Zhao X, Price LK, High W, Suhl J, Cerel-Suhl, S..
Sharpening Working Memory With Real-Time Electrophysiological Brain Signals: Which Neurofeedback Paradigms Work?. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022;14:780817. doi: 0.3389/fnagi.2022.780817. eCollection 2022. Review. PubMed PMID: 35418848; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8995767.
Abstracts:
For questions:
Sylvia Cerel-Suhl M.D.
Origami & OT Lecture at Eastern Kentucky University, April 2017
Dr Cerel-Suhl and Dr Subik-Peplaski
