Day 12: Final Day

How did this class go by so fast and now here we are in the last day. I have learned so much from this course and I was amazed and impressed with how much knowledge and expertise I am taking away form this course. I am feeling quite confident about software programs like Proloquo2Go and Boardmaker Plus! and their applicability for students with various cognitive and physical abilities. I have learned how to put together social stories (and had a lot of fun doing so, too!). For someone who never even knew how to turn on an iPod I have to say that my confidence to continue such endeavors is amazing me! Already I am playing around with my son's iPod Nano and am not afraid to push buttons to see where it will take me! My son is not so impressed with my playtime with his beloved toy but technology is my new hobby, so it seems! I am feeling pretty confident with assistive technology and its benefits to all the students in my grade 3 class next year.


I especially enjoyed seeking out ready made and designing low tech AT to support the needs of students to help them achieve their outcomes. Technology is, after all, meant to assist us in a multitude of ways to reach a desired goal, but it is only by utilizing available technology and being open to new and creative innovations in technology that we can fully benefit from the wondrous and miraculous achievements that are afforded to all people no matter what disabilities or abilities they have. Thank you, Barb, for sharing your expertise with us and giving my colleagues and myself the opportunity to learn how to help others!

Ft. Collins, CO Inspirational Playground Video

This inspirational video shows an integrated playground built in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is designed so that all children can play together regardless of their disabilities. Where most playgrounds have sand or pellets as a base, this playground has a rubberized base to accommodate wheelchair users. This playground provides tactile kinds of play for kids who might have visual impairments and all signs in the playground are also written in Braille. The slides are made of metal instead of plastic for kids who have cochlear implants, as the plastic slides produce static which interferes with their implants. The playground is designed with swinging and swirling equipment to accommodate the needs of autistic children.

Besides incorporating equipment which accommodates many different kinds of disabilities, the playground provides programming such as the Giant Friends Club which is based upon an integrative play group with the goal of having kids building friendships. The playground's motto is that play is the language of all kids and this playground provides an opportunity for kids with and without disabilities to assemble together and have fun and play with each other.

To find out more about the Inspiration Playground visit this link:

http://www.fcgov.com/aro/inspirationplayground.php

Camera Mouse Head Controlled Computer

Camera Mouse is a free program that enables you to control the mouse pointer on your computer screen just by moving your head!

Check out this fabulous website:

http://www.cameramouse.org/

Day 11: Assistive Technology Presentations

Today each group presented their assistive technology device that they had invented and adapted for a student to improve his/her performance while achieving a specific task. Well, what creative and exciting new ideas were presented for sharing and viewing! I have to say I was impressed with the ingenious ideas that this cohort manifested today. Some of the ideas were as following:

-pencils inserted into foam and Styrofoam balls for better grip

-molded steel bolted to doorstop; user who can only grip items of small diameters can hold doorstop which is attached to the molded steel in which the Tim Horton's cup is held



-velcro used to wrap around brush and hand to give user ability to brush hair without having to hold brush



-velcro glued on pencil and placed on velcro glued on desk to help students keep track of their supplies

-sandbag sewn into stuffed toy animal for weighted control for autistic student

Marlene and I presented our kite with adapted handle for one of Marlene's students who had fine motor skill and handgrip difficulties. Marlene is quite excited to incorporate this AT tool into her student's IPP in the fall. (See Day 6: Assignment 3 for more detailed description of the student and kite) The overall message I am left with for today's lesson is that many of our students' physical, social, behavioral, visual and communication needs can be supported with creative thinking on the part of the student's program planning team!

Day 10: Boardmaker Plus!

How did Day 10 get here so fast? It seems like we just started and now we're at the beginning of the end! Learning Boardmaker Plus has been an easier experience since it reminds me so much of Clicker 5. Programming both are similar to each other, repetitive in nature, and both offer the advantage of having pages that are linked back to the previous. Just like Clicker 5 it chunks information into smaller parts easier for the beginning and emergent reader to absorb and integrate into working memory. Boardmaker Plus has the advantage of allowing its physically challenged users to easily access it through single switch scanning and selection.


In class we designed a communication board and a switch accessible book, using Boardmaker Plus, for a grade 7 student who was non verbal, an emergent reader, on an IPP for all subjects, had cognitive delays and was able to access the computer through indirect selection to an onscreen keyboard through single switch scanning with her elbow. Planning such a board and book that would be accessible to the student made me and my work partner, Sarah, think about the special needs that a non verbal, wheelchair dependent user would require and that information was pertinent in informing our decisions. Time constraints of our project forced us to make decisions that would fit onto 4 cell board pages, but this practice scenario provided us with enough insight to make us realize how important such a software package as this was to users like our imaginary student, Sara, in the real world.

Switch Accessible Pinball - U Can Do

These physically disabled teenagers get to play pinball through single switch access by using head, hand or foot control. TOO COOL!