My prosthesis in the classroom
By Dorothee
Hi, I'm Dorothee, I wear a forearm prosthesis, and I'm a primary school teacher.
My prosthesis was never an obstacle to choosing this profession. What adults might only consider after giving it some thought is actually no problem for children. Children approach you without prejudice, but they also blurt out their questions directly. Is that a problem? No, otherwise this profession wouldn't be right for me.
But my development in dealing with these many encounters and the prosthesis has changed with the VINCENTevolution hand prosthesis. For a long time, I wore a myoelectric forearm prosthesis with a silicone cover, which meant that it looked very realistic cosmetically and was not always immediately noticeable, but often only at second glance. This was pleasant, because I was not immediately the center of attention. The typical questions were, for example: “What is that?”, “Why do you have that?”, “Where is your real hand?”, “Why don't you have a real hand?”, “Is there a bone underneath?”, “Does it hurt?”, ... and only later: “How do you open it?” I answered the questions in more detail at times and more briefly at others when I had to repeat myself often. After getting to know the class for the first time, the focus then shifted more to the learning content. Nevertheless, the children saw exactly what I was doing and how I was doing it. The grip I had at the time supported me, but it wasn't always the best grip for many different things in terms of ergonomics and functionality, so I also had to use my other hand a lot for support. There came a time when my existing hand was overloaded. So I was open to advice on the prosthetic options now available on the market.
The VINCENTevolution from Vincent Systems impressed me at the time with its high-tech features, numerous functions, high reliability when gripping, and cool appearance. Of course, it took some getting used to learning and being able to use so many grips when you're in a situation where you need to act quickly. I had to give myself a little more time and be patient until it became routine and a real benefit to my everyday life! From my initial attitude of “a prosthesis is an option, but not a necessity,” I came to realize with my new robot-style hand that “Hey! The prosthesis really helps me!” I noticed, for example, that the apple stayed in my hand and didn't slip out. Or that I could hold the book well without twisting and cramping my shoulder. Many more moments followed, so that I began to enjoy consciously using my prosthesis. At first, I still wore the hand prosthesis with a skin-colored glove cover. To be honest, it bothered me when I looked down and saw the black hand standing out so much. When Vincent Systems launched the different color options on the market, I was happy and chose the skin-colored version.
What was interesting was how things developed at school. The children immediately asked more questions about the technology. “How does it work?”, “How can you change the grip?”, “Can you write with it?”, “Can you open this bottle?”, “Can you go in the water with it?” etc. So it was no longer so interesting why I wear a prosthesis, but what it can do and how it works. The focus was now on the technology or the thing itself and not directly on me, which I found very pleasant. The children's confidence in dealing with the “robot hand” strengthened and changed my perspective, and I now occasionally wear a loaner hand in a different color, not just my skin color. I myself became more experienced in using the grips and at the same time more confident with the many encounters and questions. When I have a new class and we get to know each other, there is always a question and answer session about the prosthesis. Anyone who wants to can touch it. Until their thirst for knowledge is quenched, it is impossible to continue with the lesson anyway. The students know what I am wearing, and it is normal at our school that I live and teach with a robotic hand.