I can ... switch it up!

Switches can be used to allow kids with physical disabilities to participate in a variety of activities.  Sometimes it's hard to know where to look for new and interesting activities that will keep your students excited about using their switch(es). This month's blog contains some resources and places to find ways for your child/student to practice using their switch(es), so that they may become more efficient and independent with them.  

How do switches work on the computer?

Switches can be used to cause an action within an activity (i.e. cause and effect) or to move between a set of available options and to select the desired choice (i.e. scanning).  If the student is using one switch, then the choices are automatically highlighted in a timed sequence and when the desired object is highlighted, the student must activate their switch to make a selection.  If the student is using two switches, they can move between the choices by activating one of their switches, and select the desired option by activating their second switch. 

In order for the switches to 'communicate' with the computer, they need to be plugged into some kind of interface.  Sometimes the activity is looking for a left mouse-click to perform an action.  In this case, a switch-adapted mouse will do the trick! If the software is looking for a different type of input (usually a keystroke of some kind) then a more sophisticated switch interface may be needed, e.g. a Hitch 2, or a Crick USB Switch Interface.

For more information about switches and scanning, have a look at our previous posts, I Can...Find the Right Switch, I Can...Use 2 Switches and I Can....Use My Switch.   

Are there switch-accessible activities online?

Senict Software has some free 'lite' cause and effect activities for members. You can purchase a subscription that will unlock additional features on these activities. Cause and effect activities include Door Step Ding Dong, Vehicles, Shapes, Meet the Aliens, Happy Shapes, and Flutterby.  The error-free Happy Shapes Choosing activity allows your student to choose which shapes he wants to 'dance' around the screen by using 2-switches....1 switch to move to the desired shape, and the second switch to choose the shape.  Older students may enjoy hanging out with James Bond, or singing along with the Beatles or Justin Bieber!!!


HelpKidzLearn (HKL) 
Fun games, activities & tools designed specifically for young children and those with learning difficulties.  Students can interact with these activities using a single switch and some of the activities allow 2-switch access as well.  When you register on their site, you get access to 10 free activities - 2 in each of the categories of Early Years, Games, Stories, Creative, and Find Out.  With a subscription, you get access to all of the available activities. Also through the HKL website, you can subscribe to the ChooseIt Maker 3 online software.  Here you can create, edit and play personalized learning activities that can be used online or on your iPad or Android tablet!

Teacheing Learners with Multiple Special Needs
This is a list of free online switch activities for learner with multiple or significant special needs. The list was updated in the fall of 2015.  The activities are simple and enjoyable and the categories include:  Cause and Effect (and Press to Play), Single Switch Scanning/Timed Single Switch Response and Two Switches.



Ginger Tiger is designed and tailor-made for learners with a physical disability, sensory impairment or learning difficulty.  It's accessible on many different platforms (iPad, Android tablets, Win 8 tablets etc.) and via different access methods (Switches, Eye Gaze, Touch screens, keyboards etc.). You can sign-up for a free one-week trial or purchase an annual subscription for full access to the activities.  

Have a look at One Switch from the UK.  In addition to lots of games, they also have resources related to making other games, music and art accessible via switches.

Glenda's Assistive Technology and More... has loads of links to online and iOS activities that can be used with switches.  She also provides links to companies who sell switches, toys and environmental controls.  In addition, you can find other resources for your student who is using switches.  She introduces how to use an iPad for cause and effect switch activities and suggests getting more switch control via software that is meant to be switch accessible.

With Accessible YouTube, switch users can control YouTube videos!!! Plugging their switch into a switch interface that sends keyboard equivalents to the computer (e.g. Don Johnson Switch interface), students can move between video options and choose the one they want to watch.  Once a video is playing, they can pause, rewind, watch related videos, or go back to the main list of videos that they started from. Imagine the control!! Be aware that this site does not filter any of the search results (input initially by someone who can type in the search) and that the suitability of the content may need to be monitored by an adult.

We've all heard of Angry Birds, right?  Well, check out the Angry Pig Switch Game at Special Bites!  Here you can use your switch to catapult the angry pig and explode as many bombs as you can.  See if you can work your way through all 4 levels of the game!!! If Angry Pigs aren't your thing, not to worry!  There are sports and seasonal switch games here as well!

Shiny Learning has games that encompass cause and effect, targeting, visual tracking, timing, switch skills, touch skills and more.  You can trial free versions of the games online for 7 days.  If you like them after you try them out, you can purchase them so that you can play them offline as well.

Priory Woods School and Arts College offers more than 60 musical videos that your student can start and re-start using their single switch.  The videos cross a range of interests from classic movie themes, current pop and the one you just can't out of your head....the animated characters from the Madagascar movie dancing to the song "I Like to Move It!".  These videos are super engaging for early switch users and are designed to help children understand and generalize cause and effect. The videos can be played online or downloaded for use on a PC or Macintosh computer.

Let's use our switches to read!!!   

Tar Heel Reader has a collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics.  Each book can be speech enabled and accessed using multiple interfaces, including touch screens, the IntelliKeys, and 1 to 3 switches. You can even write your own books here and publish them to the website!

Tar Heel Gameplay is a new site with free, easy to play games everyone can play. The games are made from YouTube videos and are accessible using 1-3 switches, mouse or touch screens. You can even create your own games from You Tube videos, using either a Basic, Precise or Advanced creator, depending on how complex you want your game to be. Note that Tar Heel Gameplay is being developed and tested in the Google Chrome browser - this is the recommended browser for its use.

Tumblebooks is an online library of children's books.  Although this website is not specifically for switch users, books can be accessed with a switch by placing the mouse cursor over the 'turn the page' button and ensuring that the mode is set to manual.  Your community may have a subscription...check out your local library's website to see if you can access Tumblebooks using your library card.  You can see a free preview of how Tumblebooks works here.



My Own Books 2 Go was developed by SLP Pati King-DeBaun and has more than 200 'easy to read' books. Students who use switches can control the book reading.  The books can be read aloud by the computer and shared via email.  Students can also become authors and create their own books to read on their own or share with others.  

Marblesoft Simtech sells lots of different switch accessible software and if you're looking for something with more switch-scanning features than what's available in the online activities listed above, you may find it here.

What about software that's already available at my school (in Ontario)??? 
 
Clicker is a powerful yet easy-to-use writing support and multimedia tool that enables children to write with whole words, phrases or pictures. Clicker activities can be customized to meet the access (e.g. switch access) and layout needs of the student.

Clicker Paint is an easy-to-use paint program that enables your student to illustrate talking books, do some writing, colouring or drawing activities......all with their switch! Talk to your teachers/clinicians to see if it makes sense to be using these programs with your child. 

Want more info about the skills involved in learning to use a switch?

Download this Switch Progression Road Map from Inclusive Technology.  It details the stages of switch skill acquisition from cause and effect to confident scanning.  It can help you determine where to start when using a switch with a student and to set goals for progression toward more independent scanning.


Do we always have to practice switches on the computer? 

The answer here is "No"....any time your student gets to use their switches, they are practicing the thoughts and movements that are required to activate the switch and becoming more familiar with how the switch works. There are many commercially available products that are switch accessible. Here are some websites to check out:
Enabling Devices
Adaptive Tech Solutions
Special Needs Toys

Ablenet has lots of ideas and products related to switch use. For example, the Switch Activated All Turn It Spinner is a great tool that enables random selections for game playing. You can create overlays for the spinner which makes this device useful for all kinds of activities. 


Want to try out some switches or an interface? Many Children's Treatment Centres have equipment loan pools where you may be able to borrow an item to see how it really works. Check in with your child's Occupational Therapist. For example, at TVCC in London, Ontario, there are a variety of switches, switch mounts, switch interfaces and switch adapted toys that can be borrowed by TVCC clients.  Contact your TVCC clinician for details if you are interested.

I can ...colour my world!!!

Why not nurture our budding artists by exploring different ways for our children to express themselves and create their very own masterpieces???  This month, we'll talk about some ways that your artists might become the next Picasso! 






Easy & Free Painting/Colouring Programs Online
 
ABCya Paint is a free online painting, colouring and drawing activity for students. Fun tools and accessories such as stickers, coloring pages, spray paint, stamps, typing, rainbow brushes and much more allow kids to be creative. Paint is a great app for kids to engage in digital storytelling. The pictures your students create can be saved to the computer and printed out to showcase to everyone!!!


Tux Paint is free computer art software for children.  It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program.

 





The Escape Motions Flame Painter is a website where students create flame type swirls as they hold the left click button on the mouse and move the cursor of the mouse around. They can create multiple layers of flame and change the colour and other variables of the flame.  The creative piece can be shaved and shared via email or social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter).

Hello Kids has a simplified online drawing tool for beginners.  It works best in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers (free and also available online).  This program allows students to try out different drawing effects with a single line and either save their work, or clear it off and start again.

At Online Colouring, you can choose from a library of hundreds of pictures that you would like to colour. Then, just pick a colour from the palette, then click on the section of the picture that you want to colour in.  You can erase your last action or clear your whole picture.  The pictures can also be printed as a paper copy.
 

How do I make these activities work? 
Although all of these activities require mouse input, you should be able to use any alternative access that behaves like a mouse (i.e. that using your access method, you can move a cursor on the computer and perform a click function). Some examples of this are using Mouse Keys that can be setup in the operating systems of your computer, or mouse controls on your high tech speech-generating device.  If you are unsure of how to make this work for your student, speak to your TVCC ACS clinicians.  

Using Eye Gaze?
Most of these activities should be accessible using eye tracking technology as well.  By having a switch, or another mode for the 'left mouse button' to depress, the paint brush will follow the path of the eyes and 'paint' when the mouse button (or switch, or software equivalent) is depressed. Talk with your ACS clinicians if you need some support around using this feature. 
Tip - For some colouring activities, students may find it useful if you 'magnify' the page so that the targets of the paintbrushes, colours, stickers etc. are bigger and easier to select. Check out the Display options in the Control Panel on your computer's operating system to make these changes. 

Say Cheese!!!
Another form of artistic expression can be through photography and/or videography.  Some companies have created digital cameras and video cameras that are accessible via switch for those who cannot manipulate the small buttons on an un-adapted camera. What a way to capture memories forever and to be able to dabble in the artistry of portraits, candid shots, lines, shadows, lighting, or the abstract!

Visit RJ Cooper's site to see a camera that has been adapted so that it can be controlled using switches.  You can set it up to use one switch to turn the camera or videocamera on/off,  and another switch to snap the photo or start the camera rolling! 

Many of the high tech speech generating devices that are available now have their own digital cameras built right into the device. Often, they can be setup so that the camera can be accessed in the same way that the communication messages are selected. Talk to your ACS clinicians for more information about this. 

Embellish Those Photos! 
There are lots of apps that will allow you to add personalized artistic touch to your photography.  You can get bright and crazy or go for a softer look.

Photo Booth for Windows and PhotoPad are two Windows-based versions of Photo Editors that can be downloaded for free.

Other tools for the Artist...
Paint n Swirl and Swirl Art are 2 products that are similar to each other and can help bring out your child's artistic expression! Paint colours are applied to a spinning blank card and using a switch to spin the card, your child can create a kaleidoscope of colorful designs. 


A Picture is worth a thousand words....but let's chat!
Remember that your artist needs to talk about the activity (give directions, make choices, comment, etc) as they are creating their masterpiece. Depending on the activity, a paper-based display may be a little more practical that having a high tech device in the mix (i.e. if it's a wet, messy project).  You may find communication boards that fit your activity on Boardmaker.    


There are no end of art activities happening in classrooms and at home every day. Try a quick Google or Pinterest search for art activities - the amount of ideas you will find is mind boggling!  Art activities provide a great opportunity to practice using some core vocabulary words and to model using some short phrases. Creating a new piece of art allows for repetition with variation. "Make it blue!", "Put it on", "more!", "stop", "look at that!", "Help me", "I like it!". The words and phrases that are modeled and used may be the same, but the "artistic" outcome will always be different!


Need some help?
Therapeutic Recreation support is available to TVCC clients if they wish to explore art in the community or at school to make it a successful experience.  Recreational therapists can look at the environment and opportunities and can help identify what barriers exist and what supports are needed for successful participation. Contact them directly (link above) or talk to one of your other TVCC clinicians.

I can...find the right switch!

Kids who have difficulty directly touching a device, or a computer may use a switch or switches.  Figuring out which switch to use can be tricky!  Thankfully, there are many different kinds of switches. In this issue, we'll highlight the features you can look for in a switch to help you find the right match for your student.

Switch Properties
Switches have various properties that can help to make them a good fit for your student.  Consult with your student's Occupational Therapist to help you determine the 'just right' match. 

Shape, Size and Aesthetics

• Consider the location of the switch.  You may have limited room if you're mounting a switch or using multiple switches.
• Pick a switch that is a similar size to the target area that your student can accurately and reliably activate.
• Switches come in a variety of colours and even some animal shapes that may keep your student motivated to participate.  

Activation force

• The sensitivity of switches can vary and sometimes can be adjustable.   This is especially important if your student has very little movement or when energy conservation is a concern.

Amount of travel

• The distance from the starting position (without touch) to activation of the switch is referred to as "travel".  The amount of travel can be important when you are embedding a switch into an object such as a headrest. 

Durability

•  Unfortunately, switches don't last forever.  Consider the force your child is putting on the switch and the overall strength of the switch.  It may need to be replaced more often. 

Feedback from switch

• Some switches provide an auditory beep or a clicking noise to let you know it has been activated.  There are also some switches that provide sensory feedback such as a bumpy or soft surface. 

Switch Types
Have you ever wondered how switches work and whether or not they need batteries or power?  We asked our rehab technician and here's what he shared with us:

Mechanical

• Most switches are mechanical and momentary in nature (only on while you are activating it). No power source is required for operation.
• Examples: Jelly Bean Switch, Buddy Button, Mini Cup Switch

Electronic

• Electronic sensors can be pressure, proximity/touch, fibre-optic, and photo-electric (eye blink) . All of these type of sensors will need power to operate and also some external circuitry to simulate a mechanical switch. So the sensor + power supply + circuitry makes it a switch. 
• Example: Proximity switch

Pneumatic

• Pneumatic switches are basically your sip and puff type of switches. Usually no circuitry or power is required for these types of switches.
• Examples: Sip and Puff switch, Grip and Puff Switch

General Switch Examples:
We found this video from Therapybox that showcases a number of different switches:

Student Abilities and Needs

When exploring switch access consider some of these factors:


1.  Can the client/student use movement that…

• is voluntary both on and off the switch? (often the latter is the more difficult)
• is repeatable?
• is easy/energy efficient?
• reduces or eliminates minimal or accidental hits?

2. Does the client/student require this switch mounted or angled?

3. Is the client/student motivated to use the switch? What are they able to do with their switch?

Where can I purchase a switch?
There is a wide range of prices when it comes to switches.  They can run from as little as $20 to well over $1000! 

Assistive Device Program (ADP) Funding
In Ontario, ADP provides funding for the purchase, and in some cases, lease of switches to access a Speech Generating Device (SGD).  If your student is followed by an Augmentative Communication Clinic or by a Occupational Therapist who is an authorizor with ADP, talk with your therapist about eligibility for a switch assessment.

If you'd like to purchase a switch, there are a variety of vendors including:

• Bridges www.bridges-canada.com 1-800-353-1107
• Special Needs Computers www.specialneedscomputers.ca 1-877-724-4922
• Flaghouse www.flaghouse.ca choose Giant Leaps 1-800-265-6900
• Enabling Devices  http://enablingdevices.com 1-800-832-8697
• Ablenet  http://webstore.ablenetinc.com/switches/c/100/

Resources:

• Want more info about the skills involved in learning to use a switch?  Download this Switch Progression Road Map at Inclusive Technology.
• Other I can issues related to switch access:
  October 2009: I can...use the computer!
  April 2010: I can...use my switch!
  November 2011:  I can...move beyond cause and effect!
  January 2012: I can...use two switches!

I can... get ready for the holidays!

Is it already that time of year again? As 2008 draws to a close, students are starting to think about the holidays, celebrations and time to be spent with family and friends. It’s a time for giving, a time for wishing and a great time to talk about special events that happen only once a year ….

Here are some vocabulary suggestions for the holidays:

Happy Holidays!	Let’s sing some holiday songs.	See you in January!
What are you doing over the holidays?	I’ve been so good this year.  I’m hoping for a….	My favourite holiday movie is….what’s yours?
My favourite holiday food is….what’s yours?	I’m going to miss you over the holidays.	What do you like best about the holiday season?
I want to write a letter to…	Can we play some holiday games?	Have a Happy New Year!

Gift Ideas!

Sometimes it can be challenging to find gifts that are fun and appropriate for students who use switches to control their world.  Here are some suggestions to consider for the wish list (or maybe even the classroom wish list!).

Switch Adapted Products for the Young at Heart:

Jokemaster: http://rjcooper.com/jokemaster/index.html

Adpated Mini Bubble Blower: http://www.flaghouse.ca/itemdy00.asp?T1=36741

Switch Adapted Products for Teens:

Game Box Controller: http://rjcooper.com/game-controller/index.html

Computer Hardware & Software:

ICanEmail Software: http://rjcooper.com/icanemail/index.html

Communication:

AbleNet has made improvements to many of their products.  Now would be a great time to purchase a new Step-by-Step^TM. http://www.ablenetinc.com/Store/tabid/205/Default.aspx?CategoryCode=108

Light Tech Ideas 

• Keep everyone up to date with what’s happening: fund raising events, the school play, the Christmas concert. In the weeks leading up to the December school break, there are often many new and different events happening around the school. Designate one of your students to report on the events each week. Classmates can decide on the topic for the week and the information that needs to be reported. A peer could record the messages into a Step-by-Step^TM, and then the student could then report to students across the school.

• 
  

High Tech Ideas

This is a great time of year to complete some topic-specific writing tasks.  Make use of some ready-made activities.

Send a holiday e-card:  http://www.mayer-johnson.com/ECard.aspx?DirID=Christmas

Winter Holiday Writing (including Kwanzaa, Christmas, Eid and Hanukkah):

http://aex.intellitools.com/searchdetails.php?act_key=winterholidaywriting 

Write about Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’:

http://www.learninggrids.com/us/SearchResults.aspx?p=1&sp=3&program=1&cid=2168&recs=10&level=3

I can...get involved in science!

Getting involved in science helps us to learn about our world and to answer questions about why things are the way that they are. There are lots of resources to make science fun for all ages! Help your students who use augmentative communication to check out cool websites or to get their hands dirty with a “green” activity.

Here are some vocabulary suggestions for talking about science:

I want to see it!	Is it going to blow up?	How does that work?
Why did that happen?	Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!	That’s cool!
Can I have your pop tab?	I love science!	I’m scared!
Let’s save it!	I have a litterless lunch!	Let’s clean up our school!

Go Green!

Encourage your students to get involved in taking care of our environment.  Try one of these suggestions with your student(s): 

Save your Pop Tabs for a Wheelchair!

Did you know it takes 1,000 aluminum pop tabs to equal one pound? Aluminum can be sold for approximately 60¢ a pound. The money raised is donated to the March of Dimes Assistive Devices Program. They help buy wheelchairs for children who need them. Challenge your classroom or school to collect pop tabs throughout the year! Involve students who use a voice output communication aid in an end of the year assembly to tell the students how much money was raised and how that money will be used.

Create a Recycle Team!
Encourage your students to participate in the collection and sorting of recycling materials for a classroom or two. Try recording a message on a Step-by-Step™ communicator such as “I’m here for the recycling”, “Reduce, reuse, recycle!” Use this chart to help kids sort their recycling: http://www.abcteach.com/free/w/wksht_reducereuserecycle.pdf

Create a Buy and Sell Board!
Many children who have disabilities have expensive equipment or toys that they may no longer need. Why not have a place where parents can post a picture or an add for equipment that they don’t have a need for? Be sure to indicate that parents should check with their child’s therapist to ensure that the equipment is appropriate and safe to use.

No-Tech Ideas
Create a specific communication display for use during a science project or experiment.

Light Tech Ideas
Use a Step-by-Step™ to allow a student ask questions during a science experiment. Try recording questions such as “What are we going to be doing?”, “Will it make a loud noise?”, “Why did that happen?”

High Tech Ideas

Sometimes students are limited because they only have access to a basic vocabulary. Review vocabulary pages available to your student and talk about other words that he or she might like to add. For example, when talking about the Solar System, it’s one thing to be able to name the planets, but your student may also want to talk about “asteroids”, “comets”, “meteoroids”, “interstellar space” and “nuclear fusion”. (The student can even explain these terms to a parent!).

Resources for teachers and educators: Check out the following websites for great ideas…

• Science books developed for older students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=20005
• Science Projects for kids with disabilities http://www.ablenetinc.com/wiz.asp

I can...get involved in music!

Listening to music, playing an instrument, cheering for the next Canadian Idol. Music is all around us. Students who have disabilities can get actively involved in all aspects of music, from shaking the maracas to composing songs.


Here are some vocabulary ideas for music activities:

Let me play it!
Have you heard the song….?
I want to sing…
Turn it up!
I’m the next Canadian Idol!
Who’s your favourite band?
It’s too loud!
Do you watch Don’t forget the Lyrics?
Can I choose an instrument?
Play it again.
What do you want to sing next?
Can I listen to my iPod?
Change the CD
My favourite song is….What’s yours?
I love this song

No-Tech Ideas

• Make a symbol board for students to make choices during music activities such as choosing song verses or choosing which instrument to play.
• Make a symbol board for students to talk about music with their peers. Try including questions such as “Who is your favourite band?”, “Did you watch Canadian Idol last night?”
• Use a Post-it ™ note to keep a communication board current. Include a weekly update about a recent music event such as “Can you believe ….got kicked off the show?”

Light Tech Ideas

• Have your student start a song with a recorded intro line on a single message device e.g. “Old McDonald had a farm…”, “Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool…”

High Tech Ideas

• Some high tech communication devices have built in MP3 players. Contact your ACS clinician if you would like to explore this further