July 20, 2010.
The video we watched in class was truly inspirational!
If given the opportunity and proper supports people can achieve anything they put their mind to.
You have to believe nothing is impossible and it is our responsibility as teachers to instill this believe in the minds of our students by giving them all the support we can possibly give them so they can reach their full potential and be their best self.
We were asked to look for videos that we thought were inspirational.
I found this video to be especially inspirational. I have rowed now for 14 years competitively off and on. I can't imagine not having the sport of rowing in my life. Last summer I was entered into a local race and when I was waiting for my race I was watching the other races come down the lake. I looked at the race schedule and I noticed that there was an adaptive rowing race later in the afternoon. But it bothered me that there was only one double entered in the race and they didn't have anyone to race against. So I asked if I could enter the race with my double partner. Our boat was adapted so that we were only able to use our arms just like the other crew. As the two boys in the double against us were in wheel chairs and did not have any use of their legs. Well the result is that they beat us quite easily. I couldn't believe how hard it was to row with just using my arms! This crew had been rowing at the Halifax boat club for two summers and absolutely loved the sport. They told me that they were so happy to finally get some competition. I found these two boys to be very inspirational and that experience inspired me to find this video about an other rowing club that offers adaptive rowing.
I learned a great deal of information from this course. The five assignments on Bookmaker Plus, Ipod Touch Apps, Prologuo2go, Social stories and low tech finders and inventors, all provided me with a greater knowledge of Assisstive technology. I feel so much more prepared as a classroom teacher now that I have this knowledge. I came into our last course knowing very little about assistive technology. I honestly had no idea the amount of resources available that would make such an influence on the lives of many people. Leaving this course with this knowledge will not go to waste. I look forward to this year now that I have more tools in my tool box to assist every student in reaching their full potential. The one quote from Barb that I will always remember from this class, that I will live by as a teacher is to "always assume competency".
Signing off
Laura Ross
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Presentations- Dollar store Ready Made Items and Inventions
July 19, 2010.
We began our class today with presentations of our Ready made items and Inventions that we found at the dollar store that could be utilized as effective assistive technology for an individual with a disability.
The presentations were very informative. One group of classmates presented a piece of loose leaf with smiley face stickers on it. The stickers were placed on the sheet of loose leaf in the place of where proper spacing should be when a student prints. This was geared toward assisting a student who had difficulty spacing his words out correctly when he printed. Another ready made item that they used was a sparkle pen. They used the sparkle pen to trace over the double lines in the loose leaf. That way the child had more of a tactile reference to use to keep his printed words or sentences within the selected space that is highlighted by the sparkle.
Another great idea that was presented was to put Velcro on the students desk and Velcro on their pencil so it can assist them in keeping their pencil from rolling off their desk so often. I am excited to use this idea in my classroom next year. It is great to help keep the students organized. One of the biggest time wasters in my classroom was there would always be one student who could not find their pencil and usually it was because it had fell on the floor. So Velcro pencils for everyone!
An other item that was presented that I plan to use in my own classroom is rubber coated flex tie. The group demonstrated how a spoon and a paint brush can be easily addapted for students with difficulty with their fine motor skills.
The following is the description of the ready made items and our inventions that my group and I presented.
Task A
Submtted by Laura Ross, Shireen Ley, and Julie Ferguson
Description of items:
Item one - A clear soap dispenser in which a pump is used to dispense paint.
Item two - A bowl with a suction cup bottom.
Student item will be used with:
Student is a grade 5 male who has a physical disability and epilepsy. He has frost bite on all of his fingers caused by an incident when he was five years old. The frost bite killed the tissue in most of his fingers on both hands. He doesn’t have the fine motor skills to complete many fine motor tasks. He doesn‘t have good pincer grasp. Therefore, he has difficulty holding items such as pencils and paintbrushes. Also, he shakes due to tremors caused by seizures. This makes it difficult for him to complete tasks that involve objects that can move.
Skill sets and needs:
Student is able to independently grasp an object when it is the proper size to fit his hand. He requires tools that are proper size for him to be successful at independently completing tasks.
How will it improve his/her performance to carry out a specific task?
The student will be able to independently pump paint into a bowl. This is so he can be more independent in completing art activities. He is unable to squeeze a paint bottle so using the pump to get the paint is more successful. Also, the suctioned bowl will remain still when he is getting paint from the boil and it comes of easy for cleaning.
Environment (Milieu)
The student spends 80% of his day in a regular classroom with a very supportive teacher. Items are adapted and available in the classroom so the student can experience success in the regular classroom.
Task B -Invented AT
Student
Student is a grade 5 male who has a physical disability and Epilepsy. He has frost bite on all of his fingers caused by an incident when he was five years old. The frost bite killed the tissue in most of his fingers on both hands. He doesn’t have the fine motor skills to complete many fine motor tasks. He can not make a complete fist. Therefore, he has difficulty holding items such as pencils and paintbrushes. Also, he shakes due to tremors caused by seizures. This makes it difficult for him to complete tasks that involve objects that can move.
Description of itemT
We made an art tray that has adapted tools used to complete a painting activity. Included is several adapted paint brushes. The first paint brush has a razor handle which is used for better grip. This would be used on days when the student has less pain in his hand and he is able to grasp smaller items. The other two paint brushes are adapted so he can hold the brush easier when painting. One is a baby bottle with a paint brush attached through the bottle nipple. The other is a paint brush with a rubber ball at the top for better handling. Paint is in a soap dispenser which makes it easier for the student to be able to access the paint. This is echoed to the table for more stability. It comes off easier for paint replacement. a tray stabilized with Velcro, and a soap dispenser used for paint. Finally, there is a suctioned bowl used to hold the paint. This can be removed and cleaned easily.
Milieu
The student spends 80% of his day in a regular classroom with a very supportive teacher. Items are adapted and available in the classroom so the student can experience success in the regular classroom.
Task
The student will independently use adapted art tray to paint a picture. All of the objects are on the tray and adapted so the student can independently use them.
Item 2
Student
Student is a grade 2 male who is diagnosed with Autism. He becomes over stimulated often when in class with his peers and requires support remaining seated. He enjoys animals and loves being in his classroom with his peers.
Description of item
The item is a stuffed dog. We removed the stuffing and placed sand inside the dog then sewed him together. It is now used as a weighted dog.
Milieu
The student has a very supportive family who assist in teaching him strategies to deal with being over stimulated. They want him to be in class with his peers as much as possible. The class is a very structured environment which is conducive with his challenges.
Task
The student will place the dog on his lap to assist him in remaining still during seatwork. The dog will be in his desk in the regular classroom and the student can place the stuffed dog on his lap. The Occupational Therapist working with the student suggested trying something weighted on his legs for deep pressure. The therapist said this should help him to remain seated and focused for a longer period of time.
All in all the viewing of the items presented by others and creating our own inventions really opened my eyes to the amount of low cost assistive technology there really is available.
We began our class today with presentations of our Ready made items and Inventions that we found at the dollar store that could be utilized as effective assistive technology for an individual with a disability.
The presentations were very informative. One group of classmates presented a piece of loose leaf with smiley face stickers on it. The stickers were placed on the sheet of loose leaf in the place of where proper spacing should be when a student prints. This was geared toward assisting a student who had difficulty spacing his words out correctly when he printed. Another ready made item that they used was a sparkle pen. They used the sparkle pen to trace over the double lines in the loose leaf. That way the child had more of a tactile reference to use to keep his printed words or sentences within the selected space that is highlighted by the sparkle.
Another great idea that was presented was to put Velcro on the students desk and Velcro on their pencil so it can assist them in keeping their pencil from rolling off their desk so often. I am excited to use this idea in my classroom next year. It is great to help keep the students organized. One of the biggest time wasters in my classroom was there would always be one student who could not find their pencil and usually it was because it had fell on the floor. So Velcro pencils for everyone!
An other item that was presented that I plan to use in my own classroom is rubber coated flex tie. The group demonstrated how a spoon and a paint brush can be easily addapted for students with difficulty with their fine motor skills.
The following is the description of the ready made items and our inventions that my group and I presented.
Task A
Submtted by Laura Ross, Shireen Ley, and Julie Ferguson
Description of items:
Item one - A clear soap dispenser in which a pump is used to dispense paint.
Item two - A bowl with a suction cup bottom.
Student item will be used with:
Student is a grade 5 male who has a physical disability and epilepsy. He has frost bite on all of his fingers caused by an incident when he was five years old. The frost bite killed the tissue in most of his fingers on both hands. He doesn’t have the fine motor skills to complete many fine motor tasks. He doesn‘t have good pincer grasp. Therefore, he has difficulty holding items such as pencils and paintbrushes. Also, he shakes due to tremors caused by seizures. This makes it difficult for him to complete tasks that involve objects that can move.
Skill sets and needs:
Student is able to independently grasp an object when it is the proper size to fit his hand. He requires tools that are proper size for him to be successful at independently completing tasks.
How will it improve his/her performance to carry out a specific task?
The student will be able to independently pump paint into a bowl. This is so he can be more independent in completing art activities. He is unable to squeeze a paint bottle so using the pump to get the paint is more successful. Also, the suctioned bowl will remain still when he is getting paint from the boil and it comes of easy for cleaning.
Environment (Milieu)
The student spends 80% of his day in a regular classroom with a very supportive teacher. Items are adapted and available in the classroom so the student can experience success in the regular classroom.
Task B -Invented AT
Student
Student is a grade 5 male who has a physical disability and Epilepsy. He has frost bite on all of his fingers caused by an incident when he was five years old. The frost bite killed the tissue in most of his fingers on both hands. He doesn’t have the fine motor skills to complete many fine motor tasks. He can not make a complete fist. Therefore, he has difficulty holding items such as pencils and paintbrushes. Also, he shakes due to tremors caused by seizures. This makes it difficult for him to complete tasks that involve objects that can move.
Description of itemT
We made an art tray that has adapted tools used to complete a painting activity. Included is several adapted paint brushes. The first paint brush has a razor handle which is used for better grip. This would be used on days when the student has less pain in his hand and he is able to grasp smaller items. The other two paint brushes are adapted so he can hold the brush easier when painting. One is a baby bottle with a paint brush attached through the bottle nipple. The other is a paint brush with a rubber ball at the top for better handling. Paint is in a soap dispenser which makes it easier for the student to be able to access the paint. This is echoed to the table for more stability. It comes off easier for paint replacement. a tray stabilized with Velcro, and a soap dispenser used for paint. Finally, there is a suctioned bowl used to hold the paint. This can be removed and cleaned easily.
Milieu
The student spends 80% of his day in a regular classroom with a very supportive teacher. Items are adapted and available in the classroom so the student can experience success in the regular classroom.
Task
The student will independently use adapted art tray to paint a picture. All of the objects are on the tray and adapted so the student can independently use them.
Item 2
Student
Student is a grade 2 male who is diagnosed with Autism. He becomes over stimulated often when in class with his peers and requires support remaining seated. He enjoys animals and loves being in his classroom with his peers.
Description of item
The item is a stuffed dog. We removed the stuffing and placed sand inside the dog then sewed him together. It is now used as a weighted dog.
Milieu
The student has a very supportive family who assist in teaching him strategies to deal with being over stimulated. They want him to be in class with his peers as much as possible. The class is a very structured environment which is conducive with his challenges.
Task
The student will place the dog on his lap to assist him in remaining still during seatwork. The dog will be in his desk in the regular classroom and the student can place the stuffed dog on his lap. The Occupational Therapist working with the student suggested trying something weighted on his legs for deep pressure. The therapist said this should help him to remain seated and focused for a longer period of time.
All in all the viewing of the items presented by others and creating our own inventions really opened my eyes to the amount of low cost assistive technology there really is available.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Boardmaker Plus
July 16, 2010.
Today we downloaded Board Maker Plus on to our computers and learned how to make dynamic communication boards as well as switch accessable books.
Bookmaker Plus offers visual symbols that are very useful for students. On the communication board we learned how make 5 boards. We made our first board have 4 cells that were specifically used for introductions for a students needs and wants, feelings, home and school.
The following image is a visual example of the different selections that could be connected to one of the first cells, (I want), on the first board.
We learned how to make an interactive book that was switch accessable. We chose a topic that focused on a grade two science outcome. The book taught the life cycle of a frog. This was a book that we made up that we thought would be helpful in teaching the outcome.
There are many switch accessable books available that are found in hard copy in our classroom. These are some examples of some of my favorites.
For the rest of the class my partner and I worked on the communication board and the switch accessable book. We had some difficulty making our pages and boards connect. But we kept practising and we are happy with our finished products.
Today we downloaded Board Maker Plus on to our computers and learned how to make dynamic communication boards as well as switch accessable books.
Bookmaker Plus offers visual symbols that are very useful for students. On the communication board we learned how make 5 boards. We made our first board have 4 cells that were specifically used for introductions for a students needs and wants, feelings, home and school.
The following image is a visual example of the different selections that could be connected to one of the first cells, (I want), on the first board.
We learned how to make an interactive book that was switch accessable. We chose a topic that focused on a grade two science outcome. The book taught the life cycle of a frog. This was a book that we made up that we thought would be helpful in teaching the outcome.
There are many switch accessable books available that are found in hard copy in our classroom. These are some examples of some of my favorites.
For the rest of the class my partner and I worked on the communication board and the switch accessable book. We had some difficulty making our pages and boards connect. But we kept practising and we are happy with our finished products.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Presentations of Social Stories
July 15, 2010.
The presentations of video social stories were great! There was a variety of situations that were touched on by different groups.
One group focused on showing appropriate behaviours while entering and riding the school bus.
Another group created a social story that focused on the student keeping their hands to themselves. They specifially wanted to give a little girl a strategy of touching her own hair when she got the urge to touch someone elses.
The next part of our day was to view a video about how important it is to have integration of special needs children in the public school system. The video was called "Integration meeting the Challenge."
The video demonstrated the fact that team members need to brainsstorm and come up with strategies to incorporate them into a students plan. Programs need to be changed and there has to be adaptations put in place and flexability shown from team members.Some of the team members may include the occupational therapist which creates therapy goals to incorporate directly into the school routine. The occcupational therapist consider questions like "How can he be the most independent physically?"
The video aslo demonstrated the fact that students with special needs learn from their classmates and the classmates learn a lot from them as well. Their classmates learn about caring, respectful behaviours and they also learn to appreciate and accept people who are different.
Each student's story in the video had a common strand. That is that it is our responsibility as a team to find avenues for these students to interact in a purposeful way with other children. Also to find some way that the student can contribute to what the other kids are doing be apart of it and still work on independant goals.
One of the students in the video used a switch to turn on a fan that helped the other students in doing a multiplication activity. Giving this student the opportunity to have this role in helping the other students gave him a source of motivation. Just to operate this switch was really tiresome for him but the other kids is what made it worth doing it for.
In the video their was a girl named Joy and she was given the opportunity to interact with the school secretary everyday. She would also act as a big buddy to other students and she really enjoyed the social relationships. Joy communicates through sound , gestures and body language. Her school teaam have a persoal dictionary for her that tells how she communicates. The principal at Joy's school had a wonderful attitude. She had explained that most teachers are open to integration of special needs students in the classroom as long as there is a team and they will be supported. Her attitude was that you have to work all students stregths and weeknesses and make everyone the best they could be. I completely agreed with her statements. "Through teamwork the challenge of integration can be met."
The last part of our afternoon focused directly on the use of Switches. We watched a Switch access ideas presentation. There was an abudance of information about Switches. The for the students include Control over their environment, Inclusion in activities, communication, Engagement in curriculum, and social aactivities.
Success switch opperation depends on motivation, suitable activities, practise time, lots of encouragement, position of switch, type of switch.
There are important stages of switch control. Cause and Effect is the first stage and the goal is for the student to understand that there is a relationship betwween their switch presses and the resulting reward. We were told to be sensitive in using terminology. Gently change terminology and assume competency. Tell the student to turn on the light not just hit the switch. This is changing the perspective of what the student is doing. This gives more meaning to the activity and gives them a purpose.
These are some activities that can be done with the switches:
* A switch toy can be used to knock over blocks
* operating two switch toys and have a race
* a switch can operate a fan- fanning bubbles
* turn on lights in the room Christmas presentationm
* operate a popcorn machine
Only one movement of operating the switch can give a student a significant control in the classroom. Once the students are effecient with the Cause and Effect there are so many more things for them to access in AT.
Giving the student opportunities, multiple options, and repititions to do the task is key to success. Understanding the key factor is motivation is important.
we want them to understand they are using the switch to complete a task.
We were asked to consider these questions:
What is a switch? A mechanical devise to turn objects on and off.
Why do we use switches?
To do what ever the user needs to accomplish.This can replace any action a person needs to do. It meets individual needs and challenges
List the selection criteria for selecting a successful switch. What specifics need to be considered at all times?
Consider the students functional goal. What do they want to do?
What is the purpose of the mount?
where will the switch be placed and how it will be attached to the desk or a wheel chair, laying in bed or lying on a mat. If it is not positioned properly they won't be able to access switch. The Occupational therapist or Assistive tech practitioner will help look over the movement pattern. If their movement is the arm then that is their movement pattern. It is consistent and voluntary- undercontrol of the user. The end of movement pattern control site is the area that activates the switch.
The more motor involved the less likely to the control site would be the hand. May want to consider more than one control site.
Features and Capabilities
simple (access touch) specialty (breath, motion)
square pad swich - hand, knee or foot
feedback- user confirnation - auditory feedback - click
visual feedback- bright colors- good for low vision users
tactile- pillow feedback-decreased sensation and require more feedback
I was so overwelmed with the amount of information given today about the switches that I am going to need some time to process it all. I am very excited to be fortunate enough to be exposed to all of this assistive technology because now I feel more prepared to work with children with special needs and be an advocate for them in helping them be the best they can be.
The presentations of video social stories were great! There was a variety of situations that were touched on by different groups.
One group focused on showing appropriate behaviours while entering and riding the school bus.
Another group created a social story that focused on the student keeping their hands to themselves. They specifially wanted to give a little girl a strategy of touching her own hair when she got the urge to touch someone elses.
The next part of our day was to view a video about how important it is to have integration of special needs children in the public school system. The video was called "Integration meeting the Challenge."
The video demonstrated the fact that team members need to brainsstorm and come up with strategies to incorporate them into a students plan. Programs need to be changed and there has to be adaptations put in place and flexability shown from team members.Some of the team members may include the occupational therapist which creates therapy goals to incorporate directly into the school routine. The occcupational therapist consider questions like "How can he be the most independent physically?"
The video aslo demonstrated the fact that students with special needs learn from their classmates and the classmates learn a lot from them as well. Their classmates learn about caring, respectful behaviours and they also learn to appreciate and accept people who are different.
Each student's story in the video had a common strand. That is that it is our responsibility as a team to find avenues for these students to interact in a purposeful way with other children. Also to find some way that the student can contribute to what the other kids are doing be apart of it and still work on independant goals.
One of the students in the video used a switch to turn on a fan that helped the other students in doing a multiplication activity. Giving this student the opportunity to have this role in helping the other students gave him a source of motivation. Just to operate this switch was really tiresome for him but the other kids is what made it worth doing it for.
In the video their was a girl named Joy and she was given the opportunity to interact with the school secretary everyday. She would also act as a big buddy to other students and she really enjoyed the social relationships. Joy communicates through sound , gestures and body language. Her school teaam have a persoal dictionary for her that tells how she communicates. The principal at Joy's school had a wonderful attitude. She had explained that most teachers are open to integration of special needs students in the classroom as long as there is a team and they will be supported. Her attitude was that you have to work all students stregths and weeknesses and make everyone the best they could be. I completely agreed with her statements. "Through teamwork the challenge of integration can be met."
The last part of our afternoon focused directly on the use of Switches. We watched a Switch access ideas presentation. There was an abudance of information about Switches. The for the students include Control over their environment, Inclusion in activities, communication, Engagement in curriculum, and social aactivities.Success switch opperation depends on motivation, suitable activities, practise time, lots of encouragement, position of switch, type of switch.
There are important stages of switch control. Cause and Effect is the first stage and the goal is for the student to understand that there is a relationship betwween their switch presses and the resulting reward. We were told to be sensitive in using terminology. Gently change terminology and assume competency. Tell the student to turn on the light not just hit the switch. This is changing the perspective of what the student is doing. This gives more meaning to the activity and gives them a purpose.
These are some activities that can be done with the switches:
* A switch toy can be used to knock over blocks
* operating two switch toys and have a race
* a switch can operate a fan- fanning bubbles
* turn on lights in the room Christmas presentationm
* operate a popcorn machine
Only one movement of operating the switch can give a student a significant control in the classroom. Once the students are effecient with the Cause and Effect there are so many more things for them to access in AT.
Giving the student opportunities, multiple options, and repititions to do the task is key to success. Understanding the key factor is motivation is important.
we want them to understand they are using the switch to complete a task.
We were asked to consider these questions:
What is a switch? A mechanical devise to turn objects on and off.
Why do we use switches?
To do what ever the user needs to accomplish.This can replace any action a person needs to do. It meets individual needs and challenges
List the selection criteria for selecting a successful switch. What specifics need to be considered at all times?
Consider the students functional goal. What do they want to do?
What is the purpose of the mount?
where will the switch be placed and how it will be attached to the desk or a wheel chair, laying in bed or lying on a mat. If it is not positioned properly they won't be able to access switch. The Occupational therapist or Assistive tech practitioner will help look over the movement pattern. If their movement is the arm then that is their movement pattern. It is consistent and voluntary- undercontrol of the user. The end of movement pattern control site is the area that activates the switch.
The more motor involved the less likely to the control site would be the hand. May want to consider more than one control site.
Features and Capabilities
simple (access touch) specialty (breath, motion)
square pad swich - hand, knee or foot
feedback- user confirnation - auditory feedback - click
visual feedback- bright colors- good for low vision users
tactile- pillow feedback-decreased sensation and require more feedback
I was so overwelmed with the amount of information given today about the switches that I am going to need some time to process it all. I am very excited to be fortunate enough to be exposed to all of this assistive technology because now I feel more prepared to work with children with special needs and be an advocate for them in helping them be the best they can be.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Lunch time Video Social Story
July 14, 2010.
Today my group and I created a social story specifically for a student with Autism. It was stated in his IPP that he required many reminders to show appropriate behaviours during lunch time.
So we were actors for a day and video taped ourselves showing step by step the proper behaviors that were expected of him while he ate lunch with his peers and teachers.
We learned how to connect the sound of our voice with the clips of video. It was a great process to learn. After seeing our finished product, I believe this video will be useful for this student in my class next year.
I am excited to present our video to the class tomorrow as well as to view the video presentations of others.
Assignment #3- 10 Items used as AT
July 14,2010.
Our group had a fantastic time at the dollar store! We scoped out many ready made items that could be used as assistive technology.
We became camera happy in the store because there was such a variety of items that we believed would be wonderful supports for our students. Some items we already use in our classrooms for support and some that we just discovered by scanning.
These are 10 items and a description of how they could be used as assistive technology.
• Sticky tack can be used to hold papers securely in place for students with fine or gross motor skill difficulties. It can also be used as a fidget toy for a student that has ADHD.
* Tennis balls can be placed on the bottom of desks and chair legs to keep the noise level down in a classroom. This would be helpful for any student in the class to assist in keeping distractions to a minimal. This would be especially helpful for students with Autism who maybe sensitive to loud noises.
*These Stretchy animals can also be used as fidget toys for students with ADHD. There little legs could be pulled and stretched without creating any noise that would distract the rest of the class. The toy could also be a good source of a relaxation, something to clinch on to, for a student that may be nervous participating in class.
*For students who maybe sensitive to the light in the classroom. There are some students in my own classroom who often get headaches just from the light and we often have to dim the lights. Then there are other children who require a lot of light for their eyes to focus properly. So these sunglasses could provide some assistance in this manner.
* Having a magnifying glass in the classroom is particularly helpful for a student with low vision who may need the words on a handout or a book they are reading to be enlarged.
*The magnetic days of the week could be placed on a white board as part of a visual schedule for a student with Autism or ADHD.
* This felt story could be a great visual reminder for students that have difficulty with comprehension of a story or it could assist them in writing their own story. This could be a great way to teach children about descriptions of characters.
* This retractable key chain can be a great assistance for students with difficulty with their fine and/or gross motor skills which could affect their ability to zip up their jacket independently. They could use the key chain as a larger object to zip with.
* The timer is a great low tech AT device for students with ADHD and some students with Autism to help them keep on task. The minutes passing by is also a good visual reminder for most students.
* This divided plate can be used as a visual behavior rewards chart for a student with behavioural issues such a Oppositional defiance disorder. For each good behavior the student will receive 10 points. If they reach 30 points which is in the middle of the plate, they receive a reward. The rewards can be worked out a head of time but it could be free time, computer time etc.
This was just a list of 10 items that we saw off the shelf that could be used as assistive technology. There are many more items that could also be used effectively as AT in every classroom.
Our group had a fantastic time at the dollar store! We scoped out many ready made items that could be used as assistive technology.
We became camera happy in the store because there was such a variety of items that we believed would be wonderful supports for our students. Some items we already use in our classrooms for support and some that we just discovered by scanning.
These are 10 items and a description of how they could be used as assistive technology.
• Sticky tack can be used to hold papers securely in place for students with fine or gross motor skill difficulties. It can also be used as a fidget toy for a student that has ADHD.
* Tennis balls can be placed on the bottom of desks and chair legs to keep the noise level down in a classroom. This would be helpful for any student in the class to assist in keeping distractions to a minimal. This would be especially helpful for students with Autism who maybe sensitive to loud noises.
*These Stretchy animals can also be used as fidget toys for students with ADHD. There little legs could be pulled and stretched without creating any noise that would distract the rest of the class. The toy could also be a good source of a relaxation, something to clinch on to, for a student that may be nervous participating in class. 
*For students who maybe sensitive to the light in the classroom. There are some students in my own classroom who often get headaches just from the light and we often have to dim the lights. Then there are other children who require a lot of light for their eyes to focus properly. So these sunglasses could provide some assistance in this manner.
* Having a magnifying glass in the classroom is particularly helpful for a student with low vision who may need the words on a handout or a book they are reading to be enlarged.
*The magnetic days of the week could be placed on a white board as part of a visual schedule for a student with Autism or ADHD.
* This felt story could be a great visual reminder for students that have difficulty with comprehension of a story or it could assist them in writing their own story. This could be a great way to teach children about descriptions of characters. 
* This retractable key chain can be a great assistance for students with difficulty with their fine and/or gross motor skills which could affect their ability to zip up their jacket independently. They could use the key chain as a larger object to zip with.
* The timer is a great low tech AT device for students with ADHD and some students with Autism to help them keep on task. The minutes passing by is also a good visual reminder for most students.
* This divided plate can be used as a visual behavior rewards chart for a student with behavioural issues such a Oppositional defiance disorder. For each good behavior the student will receive 10 points. If they reach 30 points which is in the middle of the plate, they receive a reward. The rewards can be worked out a head of time but it could be free time, computer time etc.
This was just a list of 10 items that we saw off the shelf that could be used as assistive technology. There are many more items that could also be used effectively as AT in every classroom.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Designing and producing video social stories
July 13, 2010.
I had another interesting day in the world of Assistive Technology!
Today we learned a great way to help support students, especially students with Autism, to independently deal with a certain situation or routine in a socially accepted manner.
We learned how to develop social stories and we were given many reasons why they would be beneficial to students and others to have this in place. If the goal is to increase the independent functioning of the student these social stories, if followed appropriately, would help the student in achieving that goal.
The stories typically have four types of sentences:
Descriptive (Where situations occur), Perspective (who is involved), Directive and Control.
The social story must be repeated so that the student can reflect back on what they memorized of that routine. Repetition and practice is key to the success of these social stories making a positive impact on the student's actions.
The Social story helps prepare individuals for what will happen in a particular social context and help ease anxiety in unfamiliar situations.
We were shown a case study of a girl with Autism. This girl was given supports to help achieve an IPP goal which was to act appropriately, both physically and verbally, while shopping at her favorite drug store. On a regular basis this girl would walk into the store and run down the isles and reach for things that she often was not given permission to buy. So a social story was put in place so the girl would understand and remember her expectations of shopping in the store for the future. This social story was presented to her, through the means of a video, that demonstrated the disirable behaviours that she was expected to follow when shopping at the drug store. Prior to every trip to the drug store this girl would watch the video. As time went on she needed less help from her support person and was able to independently demonstrate the desired behaviours.
After given this example of how a social story can have such positive outcomes, we were then given a differnt case study to work on so we could practise how to make social stories and video tape them on an ipod nano.
Tomorrow we will be comming up with our own social story for a student who we believe could benefit from it. We will then have the chance to video tape it on the ipod nano and present our video social story to the class.
This video is an example of a social story that can be used to help a student understand how to share and not fight.
I had another interesting day in the world of Assistive Technology!
Today we learned a great way to help support students, especially students with Autism, to independently deal with a certain situation or routine in a socially accepted manner.
We learned how to develop social stories and we were given many reasons why they would be beneficial to students and others to have this in place. If the goal is to increase the independent functioning of the student these social stories, if followed appropriately, would help the student in achieving that goal.
The stories typically have four types of sentences:
Descriptive (Where situations occur), Perspective (who is involved), Directive and Control.
The social story must be repeated so that the student can reflect back on what they memorized of that routine. Repetition and practice is key to the success of these social stories making a positive impact on the student's actions.
The Social story helps prepare individuals for what will happen in a particular social context and help ease anxiety in unfamiliar situations.
We were shown a case study of a girl with Autism. This girl was given supports to help achieve an IPP goal which was to act appropriately, both physically and verbally, while shopping at her favorite drug store. On a regular basis this girl would walk into the store and run down the isles and reach for things that she often was not given permission to buy. So a social story was put in place so the girl would understand and remember her expectations of shopping in the store for the future. This social story was presented to her, through the means of a video, that demonstrated the disirable behaviours that she was expected to follow when shopping at the drug store. Prior to every trip to the drug store this girl would watch the video. As time went on she needed less help from her support person and was able to independently demonstrate the desired behaviours.
After given this example of how a social story can have such positive outcomes, we were then given a differnt case study to work on so we could practise how to make social stories and video tape them on an ipod nano.
Tomorrow we will be comming up with our own social story for a student who we believe could benefit from it. We will then have the chance to video tape it on the ipod nano and present our video social story to the class.
This video is an example of a social story that can be used to help a student understand how to share and not fight.
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