Digital assistive technology for schools
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Learn about how to use and adapt digital technology to support the needs of students with special needs and disabilities.
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Digital assistive technology for schools
- 1. OTs4Schools CIC Skills for Learning, Living and Leisure Occupational Therapy Services for Children and Young People www.ots4schools.com
- 2. *“Enables people to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations)” *Occupations for children or young people may include self-care (getting ready in the mornings, eating a meal, using the toilet), being productive (participating in activities at school), and leisure (playing with friends or doing hobbies/ interests).
- 3. *What is available out there *How to adapt existing equipment *Laptops and software *iPads and Apps *Typing: an essential life skill *Look at the Bigger Picture: how technology can assist students with communication, participation and more! *Take away some ideas for your classroom and share useful information and resources. Plan for the session
- 4. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is the use of any mode of communication other than speech. The aim is to supplement speech if it exists or to provide an alternative if it isn’t present. It can be used receptively (to help support understanding) or expressively. Assistive Technology (AT): Any equipment or devices that enable a person with a disability / difficulty to access a range of functional activities (communication, play, academic work, leisure) e.g. specialist seating, an adapted laptop, mounting devices, specialist mice and keyboards, switches and environmental controls, etc. DAT AT and AAC
- 5. DAT and OT?
- 6. The D ‘A’ T team – is not a one man job! •Parent/carer and child / young person •Speech and Language Therapist •Occupational Therapy •Rehabilitation Technician •Educational team (teacher, teaching assistants) •Physiotherapy service •Voluntary organisations or charities •Independent organisations (CENMAC, ACE centre) •Teachers of the Visually Impaired/Hearing Impaired The wider team
- 7. *DAT: first experiences of ‘access’ to many functional activities for a child with a disability. *There are no prerequisites to AT/AAC – it’s just knowing how to start the process and what with. *Start as early as possible when there is an identified risk (motor disorder, learning disability). *Help them discover the impact of communicating, playing, recording work and becoming independent! When to start?
- 8. Deciding on the most appropriate technology: •Purpose of technology/ equipment •Functional needs of the student: –Type of Communication –Physical ability (including hand function and reliable movements) –Sensory –Cognitive skills –Behaviour •Positioning •Trials in different settings Matching technology to a child’s needs
- 9. *Computers, laptops and netbooks *Software and hardware *Switches and switch operated toys and devices *Touch screens *VOCAS –Voice Output Communication System *Eye Gaze systems What’s available out there?
- 10. Hardware: quiz 1 2 3 4 5 6
- 11. Hardware: quiz 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
- 12. Switches: Types
- 13. Positioning
- 14. Where to start?Correct Position at a Laptop
- 16. oMouse Settings oKeyboard Settings oVisibility and Zoom settings oText to Speech Options/ Screen Readers/ Narrator oSpeech Recognition oGestures Accessibility Options
- 17. *Keyboards: * Adapted: BigKeys, Compact, High Visibility * On Screen (i.e. Click-n-Type) * Children and Early Years * Keyguards and keygloves * Ergonomic or split keyboards * One handed keyboards * Keyboard Stickers *Mouse: * Mini/ compact * Rollerball * Joystick * Single button * Hands free/ Head mouse / Eye Gaze * Touch Pad / Glide Pad Hardware
- 18. *Assessments *Switching software *Communication software *Symbols *Educational *Computer Access *Organisational *Activities of Daily Living and Social Skills *Typing Tutors *Busythings (London Grid for learning) Software Clicker software
- 19. 1. Moving pointer on the screen 2. Selecting / Left-Clicking 3. Moving and selecting (left-clicking) 4. Double-clicking 5. Clicking and dragging 6. Right-Clicking 7. Scrolling 8. Selecting, copying and pasting Text 9. Drop-down menus Developing Mouse Skills
- 20. www.helpkidzlearn.com http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/games/theme/mouse/ http://www.internet4classrooms.com/early_childhood/m ouse_skills_pre-k.htm IT Mouse Skills: Mouse Skills: Resources
- 21. *Qwerty layout vs. ABC layout *Touch typing vs. two-finger typing or hunt’n’peck method *Visual scanning *Colour coding and keyboard stickers *Upper and lower case *Developing accuracy *Developing speed Typing: an essential Life Skill
- 22. -Keyboard familiarity and Early Years(i.e. First Keys) -Motivating and primary school age (i.e. Nessy fingers) -Older Students (Ultrakey, Englishtype Senior) -Learning difficulties (i.e. 2Simple) -Touch Typing -Free online resources (Dancemat, Doorway online) -Web-based resources for home and School practice (i.e. typeonline.co.uk) Which typing tutor?
- 23. One handed typing • Software: 5 Finger Typist • Keyboards • Positioning
- 24. Types of access: *Reactive Touch *Capacitive Touch *Switches, mouse, keyboards, stylus, eye-gaze Types of touch screens: *PC and laptops *Tablets *iPads *VOCAs Touch Screens
- 25. *Accessibility and Operating system *Access options *Cases *Mounting *Accessories *Apps iPad and Apps
- 26. *Swiping (whole arm or hand) *Banging (one or two handed) *Tapping (more than one finger) *Pointing / Selecting/ Tapping (one finger). *Releasing *Dragging items on the screen *Turning pages *Finger pinch (zoom in and out) *Two-handed tilt Touch Screen Skills Development
- 27. *Creative *Simple Cause/Effect or multisensory *Educational (literacy, puzzles, matching, new concepts, etc) *Communication *Games *Books *Fine Motor Skills iPad Apps categories
- 28. •Clear guidelines and targets for use •Acceptability to the student •Integration of the technology in the user’s daily routines and activities. •TRAINING for user and staff •Multiple opportunities to practice on a daily basis •Access to upgrades/servicing when available •Long term use/ transitions •Frequent reviews of provision Supply of equipment
- 31. Suppliers and web pages with resources: * ACE CENTRE: www.ace-centre.org.uk * COMMUNICATION MATTERS: www.communicationmatters.org.uk * LIBERATOR: www.liberator.co.uk * SENSORY SOFTWARE: www.sensorysoftware.com * Better Living Through Technology: www.bltt.org * Apps for AAC: www.appsforaac.net
- 32. * CRICK SOFTWARE: www.cricksoft.com www.learninggrids.com * INCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGY: www.inclusive.co.uk * WIDGIT SOFTWARE: www.widgit.com * QED: www.qedltd.com * Special Effect: charity that enables access to games for disabled people http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/ * OTs with Apps: https://otswithapps.com/
Editor's Notes
- Brief intro to OTs4Schools CIC and approach to interventions in schools. Brief intro on OT running the session.
- Recording work during lessons (i.e. access to Literacy class). Access to other educational activities. Access to play and leisure activities (i.e. social networking). Access to communication activities, in consultation with a Speech and Language Therapist. Access to mobility (i.e. powered wheelchair), in consultation with local wheelchair services. Access to environmental controls (i.e. controlling a fan, blender, lights / lamp, video or photo cameras, etc). Unique contribution of OT.
- Considerations when choosing a system When deciding on the most appropriate technology for a child with special needs, several considerations have to be taken into account: Purpose of technology/ equipment used: Objectives can be helpful to determine aims to be achieved by introducing a piece of equipment (i.e. recording of work, communication, participation in a specific lesson, etc). Always consult your named Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist to see what has been trialled in the past. Problems and functional needs of the child: These will vary and may need to be assessed individually and carefully by the relevant qualified professionals (i.e. teacher, OT, SLT, psychologist, physiotherapist, etc). The child may have difficulties with: Type of Communication: verbal, written, gestures/ Makaton, symbols, picture grids, etc. Physical ability: muscle tone and range of movement, joint laxity, bilateral coordination, finger dexterity, etc. Sensory: vision and visual perception, tactile, auditory, kinaesthetic (perception of movement), proprioception (body in space), olfactory and gustatory. Cognitive skills: arousal levels, attention, memory, problem-solving, academic skills acquired, etc. Behaviour: emotional status, outbursts, frustration, motivation, compliance, etc. Positioning (see positioning section) In most cases a child is required to accurately use their hands or other body parts to access technology, and therefore good posture and positioning are crucial to ensure success. This should be the first thing to consider before further assessment is carried out. Type of equipment selected and training required: Most new equipment will require a period of adaptation and training is essential for the child and other people supporting him on a regular basis. Initial Trials: Some companies and organisations may loan equipment, before a final decision is made and to avoid unnecessary costs. Multi-agency work and consultation: Frequently, several professionals and other adults (i.e. family) will be involved in the assessment and recommendations linked to the equipment supplied. Good coordination and communication is always a must.
- Quiz: ask what do they know in each category? Or divide into groups to come up with examples in each category.
- Big Keys Keyboard Laptop and laptop rest Kindle Single button mouse iPad on a Big Grips case High visibility stickers on normal keyboard
- 7. Eye gaze 8. Compact keyboard 9. Early Years trackerball mouse 10. Alphasmart 11. Tablet PC or touch screen laptop 12. Joystick (mouse, but wheelchair control as well) 12. Interactive whiteboard
- What type of people might need switches? Physically disabled Significant LD - difficulties understanding technology
- Different versions of each system will have different looks and accessibility options. Incompatibilities among different systems.
- Ask participant what they know in each category: - Mouse settings: pointer speed and size, double-click speed, display trail, show location, switch left and right buttons. Use keyboard arrows for mouse movements as well. - Keyboard settings: Sticky keys (press keyboard shortcuts one key at a time CTRL+ALT+DEL), Filter keys (ignore briefly repeated key presses). - Visibility and Zoom settings: high contrast settings, change colours, increased size fonts, turn on magnifier, remove background images, turn off animations. - Text to Speech Options / Screen readers / Narrator. - Speech Recognition: this is usually quite time consuming to set up and requires considerable editing of texts afterwards, so good cognitive skills are required, along with perseverance and motivation of the user.
- Other hardware: cameras, USB sticks, printers, scanners, projectors, speakers, screens, tablets, memory cards, sound cards, media players, etc.
- - Communication (dynamic screens) - Symbols (i.e. Widgit, PCS, SymbolStix, Opensource, etc.) - Educational (including Dyslexia) - Computer access (i.e. speech recognition) - Organisational (i.e. Mind Mapping) - Activities of Daily Living and Social Skills - Typing Tutors (i.e. 2type, First Keys 3, KAZ, Nessy Fingers, TypeQuick, Ultrakey, Mavis Beacon, etc). A good comparison of different typing tutors and their features can be found in www.inclusive.co.uk and www.iansyst.co.uk - Sensory Needs (i.e. visual/ hearing impairment
- The development of mouse skills can start as early as 2-3 years of age, although some children without developmental difficulties can start to understand mouse functions a little later. They rely on accurate visual-motor integration, which is frequently affected in students with special needs. With the arrival of touch screens, sometimes young children tend to have less experience of mouse skills before they start school. The following is a sequence of development that can be useful when deciding what skills to work on for children with special needs (although at times skills may develop in slightly different order).
- There are many Typing Tutors available for students of different ages and skills. These are usually interactive, with graded exercises and speech support (see Resources section). Make sure you choose a programme that meets the developmental needs of the student and the stage they are at, so that it continues to be motivating during regular practice. Consideration should be given to the age of the child, objectives (i.e. touch-typing, keyboard familiarity), language used (American vs British vs Australian English), length and number of sessions, wordlists, method of teaching, etc.
- Maltron one-handed keyboard Compact keyboards may also help Text Prediction or dictation programmes
- Voice Output Communication Aids. Operating Systems.
- Voice Over: screen reader Zoom and high visibility settings Screen rotation lock Apps for acc Ots with apps
- It is not a hierarchy – just some motor skills to be aware of, depending on app used, the student might need to develop skills for access.
- Also according to symbol systems and speech systems. Videos. Favourite apps in each category?