Access to Learning and Leisure!!!

This course has allowed me to re-think my vision of accessibility. From our first class with a message of assuming ability in our students I have re-thought how I approach students with special needs in my school. When I think of the ways ipod touches, ipads and the variety of apps including proloquo2go, dragon naturally speaking can change the way students with all level of ability can learn in our schools I am amazed and inspired. When I consider all of the "low tech" options that the class created and demonstrated I am excited to apply these low tech and low cost options out at school. Examining switches and Boardmaker Plus! to increase accessibility for students to access learning and truly show the world their abilities. As we finish off and I re-connect this all back to my experience with swimmers with a disability I have come full circle.
An inspirational course!

100 fly at the paralympics

If you have ever tried to swim butterfly stroke you know how hard it is!! Having raced the 100m fly probably 100 times in my life I am impressed by these athletes.

Swimming Canada SWAD Athletes

The Canadian National Swim Coach for Swimmers with a Disability says it best ... "everyone who comes to swim is first a swimmer, then a person, the a person with a disability."

In 2005 when I went to Canada Games with the Nova Scotia Swim Team I was excited to be a part of the only truly inclusive sport at the games. In the sport of swimming swimmers with a disability compete just like able bodied swimmers. All provincial teams had come to the games with the best swimmers in all categories (able bodied, SWAD, and CSO's (Canadian Special Olympians) All swimmers competed and contributed the provinces medal count.

This video is a promotional video put out by Swimming Canada to encourage participation in the program at the grass routes level. I have witnessed the success first hand and have seen local athletes progress and compete internationally.

Boardmaker plus!!!

Boardmaker Plus! is a program for developing communication boards, curriculum based books, and other materials. It is easy to use and flexible for developing materials for students who use switch access and are non verbal. With minimal instruction it is possible to put together packages for students to use to communicate their feelings and knowledge. This is another great tool to help students meet their program goals.

Boardmaker Plus! webpage


Here is a sharing site for teachers to share materials - a big time saver for us busy teachers.

Learning Center for Teachers

I found this great website, it is a giant list of information about all types of assistive technology. It is Canadian too!! The British Columbia Special Education Technology.
More information then I can possibly ever hope to work through, but it seems to have it organized in an accessible way.

check it out!!!

Special Education Technology British Columbia

Switches Turn on Accessibility!!

What is a switch?
A switch is a mechanical device that closes an electrical circuit to turn on a device. An open to circuit is turned off. By closing the switch the wires connect.


Adapted switched can come in many forms. They are organized into two categories:

1. Simple Switches: activated by touch

2. Specially Switches: activated by breath, blink, motion, inferred light

Why do we use switches?
Purpose is to replace any action of the user, goal to make switch easy to access and easy to use, gives access to any task


List the selection criteria for choosing a specific switch.

1. What is the end users goal?

2. Position: sit; lay in bed, at table, in wheel chair
- Must be able to access the switch with stability all skeletal and muscular issues must be examined.

3. Movement pattern – consistent voluntary movement for a part of the body that can be controlled and allow them to use the switch. Need to be able to operate with minimal fatigue

4. Control site: area that the end user uses to activate the switch.
5. Types of switch: Simple v. Specialty
6. Force – strength, weakness of users – take into account tremors
7. Feedback – auditory - click, visual - bright colors
8. Tactile - smooth, rough surfaces - depending on the user
9. Kinesthetic - muscles receive feedback - grasp switch
10. Proprioceptive - hard surface or soft surface - compressive
11. Travel - rest to switch closure - how far the end user has to move to use the switch.
12. Play - amount of give in the switch
13. Size and weight of the switch (consider the mount)
14. Complexity: Single switch - Dual Switch - Multiple switches - joystick, wafer switch, Latch and Timer.

What specifics need to be considered at all times?

The user must be considered and their goal or task.

Example of Task - focus on the task not the process
- Say” turn on the light”
- Not “hit the switch”

Switches come in a variety of sensitivities that are necessary for different students.

Student must have cause and effect understanding it is essential before moving to scanning switch.

Switch positioning: involves control site, patterns of movement - occupational therapist makes these decision.

Inclusion: Motivation for student is be in class and able to engage in social involvement.

Low Tech Assistive Technology! ( Thank You Dollarama)

OFF THE SHELF LOW TECH AT

Technology:

Carrying bag with exterior picture sleeves

Student personality:

This item is for a student named Molly. Molly is a 12 year old girl who has profound global delays. Molly has memory issues and needs support with appropriate communication with adults and peers. Molly also needs support organizing herself for her classes and following routine. Molly is integrated into the regular grade 7 classroom with the support of an EPA.

Task and Environment:

Molly will use this bag to carry her school supplies to class. The picture sleeves will be used by Molly as a visual checklist reminding her of her schedule, her teachers and the items she needs for her upcoming classes. The photos on the bag can be updated (by the EPA) and Molly can check her photos before transitioning to her next class. Molly will be able to prepare for and go to and from each classroom with independence using this tool that also helps her to stay organized with her supplies. Molly will also enjoy carrying this trendy canvas bag as they are popular with the teenage girls in her class.

MODIFIED LOW TECH AT:

Task 2

Molly is working on classifying numbers, pictures, and objects according to sorting rules. For example, given numbers, coins, or Molly will sort them as smaller, bigger and same. To do this Molly must move items around on her desk using a graphic organizer or by circling items. This classifying is difficult as she struggles with fine motor and often gets distracted from her tasks. She also tends to mix up her piles (smaller, same, larger) on her desk even when using a flat jig.

Technology

We have adapted a three compartment snack tray that fits easily on a classroom desk top. We have labeled each compartment (ie smaller, same size, larger) and using manipulatives (foam cards, playing cards, number blocks, coins) Molly can sort with more structure and support. The EPA or teacher can alternate the category labels by swapping removable cards using sticky-tac.

Other low tech AT found on the Dollar Store adventure:

• Foam dominoes for counting, adding and classifying
• Large key calculators
• Adding and Subtracting flash card game
• Red plastic ashtray sets used upside-down replicating the small math counters used regularly in class
• Large clothes pins used as paper stabilizers or label holders
• Two sided tape
• Multi-coloured laser finger pointers

I made a movie...

Here is a link to my groups video social/ preparation story.




I was fun and easy to do with a basic ipod nano, conversation software (prism)and imovie editing software. (FYI - more RAM is necessary as your video editing gets more complicated)

The purpose of this video is to support a student with short term memory loss to begin his day successfully. It would be great to have had the student star in this film and used his school environment and his own voice as the voice over.

Social Stories made with IPod Nano Videos with IMovie

Using social stories to teach social behavior for people who need to learn behaviors explicitly. Designing a social story it is important to focus the story on the desired behavior. It is important to focus the story around the student. The following link has many stories in book form.

Using an Ipod Nano we were able to create a video which can be converted and edited to make a video social story. Which can be uploaded to a student's ipod touch or shown on a computer to teach a student a behavior.

Video editing seemed daunting as it was a new skill for me to try, but in minutes I was cutting and transitioning and adding text and voice over. It was a learning process and I am excited to bring this back to my school and use this strategy to work with the students in my school.

I found a blog supporting this technology I thought I would share the link.

Inventing Low Tech Assistive Technology "ATlite"

Seeing the wide variety of inexpensive items that can be used to support people with a disability. Curlers to adapt pencil grips, Large balloons to adapt physical education. Kitchen tools to enhance passing, cutting, as a jig to help set the table made from place mats and jogs for colouring made from glitter glue.

I began to think about the tools students use in my math classroom. Adapted calculators with larger buttons, or guarded keys. Manipulatives that are enlarged and easier to move or adapted with velcro or a sorting dish.

I found this PDF file that had a huge list of possible ATlite ideas.

Stay Tuned for our ATlite creations.

ipod Touch Shopping Spree! Yippee!

Logging into the itunes and shopping through the numerous APPS available for use with an ipod touch, I wanted to examine how I would identify apps for a specific student. I chose to shop with a student in mind. I searched for Apps that would support the programming already in place for a student.

I have changed the name of my student but the details are still real.

Meet Pete:
Pete is a 14 year boy with William’s Syndrome. He is very social and has excellent receptive vocabulary. He is a strong oral communicator and his listening comprehension is a relative strength. He is an emergent reader and need to work on comprehension strategies while he is reading. He struggles with written work and complex operations in math. He requires manipulative and visuals to perform operations in math. He is in band and plays the drums. He is fully integrated into the grade 8 classroom. He does not have an EPA to support him in the classroom. He requires repetition to master new skills. He is slow with keyboarding but is able to use a computer.

I believe that Pete would benefit from using an ipod touch to meet his program plan outcomes. Pete is able to use speech to text software on the school computer to support his writing and would be able to employ dragon naturally speaking, as well as a text prediction software program. Pete would also benefit from the schedules and calendars on the ipod touch.

APPS for PETE:
Brainpop: I have added a free app called BrainPop which when able to connect to the internet will download a short informational video each day. These information videos are on a variety of topics anything from science to history to health and mathematics. The videos are about 3 – 5 minutes in length and can be repeated if a student needs to watch the video more then once. The program also provides a comprehension assessment that goes with the video. Pete has a difficult time during silent reading block ( 30 minutes each day devoted to independent reading) This program would have Pete engaged in learning during this time and working on his listening comprehension. Pete could us this app as an alternative to listening to an MP3 File from Kurzweil.

Math Magic: Pete is working to develop his number sense as well as basic adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. This program gives drill questions with a bank of answers and gives students a hint with visuals if they need to answer the question. This would be a great app for Pete to use to work toward meeting this goal of adding and subtracting numbers between 0 – 50 using manipulative, symbols, and pictures.

Drum Kit Lite. Pete loves rock music and plays the drums in his school band. He would enjoy this app and it would give him a chance to practice his rhythms for band.

Additional APPS for Pete: Apps for leisure: fish pond, bejewelled ( helps identify patterns), Are you Smarter then a 5th grader which could easily be modified to play with other students and provide a structured social setting.

Teaching the Teacher

I believe that students need us as educators to willing to change our roles and engage in the learning process as often as we can. Reflecting is at the root of this learning. Reflection is a form of professional development that costs schools little financially and has the power to improve student achievement.

AT learning can be a very daunting and frightening process. For many professionals learning about a new technology is risky. It means accepting our deficiencies and trusting that we will be successful at what we are learning. Also involved in learning technology is the fear that you could hurt or damage an expensive piece of equipment. Learning about technology can cause stress, when under stress we can easily become over whelmed and want to give up. This learning is hard work. We must remember how hard our students work and be willing to commit to the process of learning so that we can support them.

Learning technology for me has been like learning anything else, if I relax and let myself make connections and build on my prior knowledge, if i take risks and try things, then reflect on how this worked, if i then share and collaborate with others I will succeed. I know other teachers will too.
I guess my message today is that teaching is great, but learning is better.

Ipod touches!!! yeah!!!!!!!!

Looking at the ipod touch technology and the variety of apps available for educators and students I think the power of this technology is exponential. I think that training and consultation is critical to making affective use of these tools. The program planing team (teacher, support teachers, parents, students, SLP's, OT's and others) need to be involved in the process of planning how the technology will be integrated. It will only be optimal if all parties are on side and able to support the situation. Student success is dependent on the professionals working hard collaborating to create an optimal situation for empowering the students.


The versatility of ipod touches and the power to employ them for student success excites me to the future of schools and teaching. Here is an article I found from a Minnesota school.

ipod touch and proloquo2go video

Another Framework for identifying AT

The SETT framework is a similar approach to the MPTT model. It breakdown the assessment considering aspects of the student, the environment, the tools and the task involved. There are many similarities between the various models or frameworks for assessing and matching the student to an appropriate assistive technology. with so much to consider it is important to have done the research and fully understand the strengths and needs of the student, to have analyzed the task the student needs to do, to understand the environment(s)of the student and the strengths and limitations of the tools or technology being considered. The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Institute has an extremely thorough checklist that it employs to assess the AT and student match. Finding the "right fit" is critical to the student's success and progress. Ongoing assessment and training is a critical role for the support team.

Assistive Technology: Assessment Framework

When looking at assistive technology for a student there are many factors to take into consideration. Many factors must be considered in order to determine the technology that will be the "right fit" for the student. In the following diagram the MPTT model is shown. In each of the 4 bubbles ( Milieu, Personality, Technology, Task) there are many factors that further breakdown the process of matching technology to the primary user.

Autism is a world : Sue Rubin ( CNN video)

Today we watched a video about Sue Rubin. Sue Ruben is a women who lives with Autism. Sue uses a small key board with a display screen to communicate with her family and supportive care people. (a facilitator for communication and for emotional support to stay on task while communicating)


Until she had a communication device she was unable to communicate with the people in her world. She felt she was a "non person" when she was unable to communicate. She felt that language washed over her and that she was not a participant in language.

Her communication device enabled her to slow down the wash of language and learn the literacy skills necessary to use language to communicate with the world.
Communication gave Sue access to her world and gave the people in her world access to her. This communication gave Sue the ability to share her competency and intelligence with the world and allowed her to embrace her love of learning. As a college student she learns with the support of her friends / caregivers.

One of the interesting issues that this video raises is the idea that people with autism are not capable. It is the assumption that people with autism are not thinkers. Sue Rubin proves that these ideas and assumptions are simply not true.



http://www.sue-rubin.org/
Check out this link for more information on Sue Rubin