July 14th - Alternate Access: Powerlinks, Switches, EyeGaze

Station 1: Powerlink

Powerlink is a device that allows you to activate electrical appliances with switches. When using the devices requires the users to have minimal movement with their hands, arms, legs or neck. The various types of switches would allow the user the choice, a tap, a squeeze or knock switch.The user could be achieving a variety of things using this assistive technology. They could use it to communicate, for independence, social experience or environmental control. This task could be integrated into a students IPP, with life skills goals, memory recall tasks, independence goal or gross motor control goals.

10 Ways Powerlink Can Be Used

1. Saying hello
2. Playing games
3. Making choices
4. Controlling the environment
5. Giving directions
6. Turning on tv
7. Sounding a buzzer/timekeeper
8. Counting
9. Answering/asking questions
10. Truning on cooking appliances

Station 2: EyeGaze

EyeGaze requires the user to be able to visual track. The setup of Eyegaze to an individual user seem simple and quick. The team supporting the student would probably consist of OT, PT, AT support, student services teacher at school, class teacher, admin and family. The team would need training on how to troubleshoot problem that arise, how they can apply EyeGaze to various task.

10 Educational Activities To Do With EyeGaze 

1. Recognize letters/numbers
2. Identify sight words
3. Create addition sentences
4. Research topic
5. Create sentences
6. Identify animals with names
7. Journaling
8. Socialize with peers
9. Making choices
10. Communicate

Station 3: Switch Accessible Apps

The advantages of this being offered on the iPad is that the iPad is very accessible and could be used to do many other things that the student may need support with.

10 Switch Accessible Apps for the iPad

1. Bumper Cars
2. Shhh!
3. Five Sharks Swimming
4. Five Little Aliens
5. Lost Little Penguin
6. Catch the Cow
7. Racing Cars
8. Train Tracker
9. Sentence Match: Who is Doing What?
10. Go Talk Now

Station 4: Scanning Activity on Laptop...Dell/onscreen keyboard scanning, hover with Trackball

Our group discussed that the hover over option to select a cell would be good for students with weaker fine motor control. They would be able to use the tracking ball with minimal hand dexterity and use the keyboard. There was also word prediction as you typed which would be useful for student who need encoding support.

Station 5: Alternate Keyboard

The alternate keyboard does support some student and their needs. The visual contract of the key would be beneficial for students with hearing impairments or sensory issues. The larger key would allow for more accurate striking for students with fine motor difficulties. The negate that came to mind was the portability of it from class to class. A laptop can be folded up and transported in your hands easily. When you add a keyboard then a bag or container would probably be required to transport it from class to class. Some of the accessibility options that the alternate keyboard has includes;

1. large mouse cursor
2. high contrast mode
3. sticky keys
4. screen magnifier
5. onscreen keyborad

Google Read & Write will read documents or websites aloud (reading disability students), show meaning of words (developmental disabilities), translate text into other languages (EAL Students) and can be used to turn speech to text (Writing disability students).

Station 6: Android Accessibility/Google Play

The android did not seem to be as user friendly. This might only be because I'm use to the iPad expect it to work in a similar way. There were many accessibility options including; talk back, switch access, captions, large text, high contrast, speak passwords, text to speech output and touch and hold delay. 

Apps to Enhance the Use of Android

1. AAC Talking Tabs
2. Speech Assistant
3. Yes No Your Way

Station 7: Videos of Students Alternate Access Devices

This video show a girl using AAC to have a conversation with her peers about a book. I chose this video because it show how AAC allows the student to participate in an activity that is common in many class along side her peers. 

Assistive Technology in Action - Meet Jared

Josh's Story - How AAC dramatically changed his schooling to a positive experience.