Adventures in Juice-making and Routine Building Using Assistive Technology

"This is HUGE!" exclaimed the parents of a middle school boy last Friday as we sat and watched a video of their son using a Big Red switch, Ablenet Powerlink 3 and and a juicer to make pear juice.

The SLP, assistants and myself have been working on getting this boy to be able to learn routines and he gets it! The motivating factor is that he can access practical activities that motivate him. We had to find out what would make him want to follow a routine or use a switch and the first experiment was with music. If you are a regular reader, you may recall my post a few months ago where we had hit a hot button for this boy when he made the connection to use the switch to control a radio and music.

Now after several months, he has learned how to wash hands, wash and dry fruit for a juicer, use a butter knife to cut up the fruit with hand over hand guidance from an adult. He then can put the pieces in the juicer top, press the switch to make the juicer run and push down the pestel pusher on the top of the juicer to feed the fruit through - all at the same time!

As we sat on chairs in front of the media cart in an alcove at the middle school, the parents watched the process. They were thrilled to see him make such progress over the past months. He is moving to a new residential community next month that is associated with a local university special ed program. He will receive top notch care and guided activities. The staff wants a video of his work and the tools we are using so they can continue building on this new skill set being developed. We are sending this student on into good hands!

It is so great when you feel that success of seeing AT and practical application take hold and make a difference for kids.

All the best to you!

Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!

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Holiday Assistive Technology Gift Idea: Switch Access Electronic Toys

Electric toys like a Light Brite, slot car race track or a train set, can be fun at Christmas, but how fun would it be if children with orthopedic diabilities could use a switch to run them? Don't skip these toys because a child can't access them...here's how!

Enter the Powerlink 3. These are what we have in my equipment center for trials. I am going to explain how to use electrical toys using a switch, without having to adapt or modify the toy or use any wires. The Powerlink 3 has two plug receptacles that allow you to plug in electrical devices and operate them with a switch. The switch (or switches when using 2 toys) is plugged into the Powerlink 3 and then the toy is plugged in. By pressing the switch, the child allows power to pass to the toy.

The Powerlink has 4 modes: (Described off the Ablenet website)

Direct: Keeps appliances ON as long as the switch is activated.

Timed Seconds: Runs appliance from 1 to 60 seconds with each switch activation.

Timed Minutes: Runs appliance from 1 to 60 minutes with each switch activation
Latch: First switch activation turns appliance ON; second activation turns it OFF.

We have been using one of these to teach cause and effect in order to develop switch access communication down the road. Activities have included a Lite Brite and a juicer to make fresh apple juice. The Powerlink can be a way to link electric devices that help teach strategies that will be used in life skills, but besides that they are just plain fun when hooked up for kids that normally can't do things. It is a thrill for them. If you want a memorable Christmas, hook up one of these and a special toy and watch what kids do - if it is the first time they have had control over a toy like this, the excitement is worth it all.
Ablenet, has a holiday gift ideas page. They are announcing 20% off on selected items in the holiday buyers guide area. The Powerlink 3 is listed there at $200. Check ebay too.

Some toys that will operate with a switch and a Powelink:

I found them at Amazon.com -
Slot car race set - I found one on Amazon for $34.99
Portable Radio - I found that a small portable radio makes a great music source. If it has a cassette and you have some old tapes, it works best. A DVD or CD doesn't work with the power interrupting because you have to start it again and have to press the play button to go again.
North Pole Christmas Express Train set - $44.99
Lite Brite - a whole bunch of them...
Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper - Kids love to watch the wire kernel pusher go and turn around. There switch can control it.

There are a few to get you started. You can get a switch from Ablenet as well.

All the best to you!
Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!

AAC Activities for Early Special Needs Learners, Part Two

"Let's go over to the Reading Corner," I said. I was taking a Big Mack to one of our Early Learning Centers to play with some special needs kids and show staff ideas with the device. We sat down with "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and I held down the record button and sang the first page.
The students took turns pressing the switch and listening to the first line of the song as worded on the page. We continued through the book and finished the book re-recording each page as we went. (By the way, a Step-by Step, also by Ablenet can record sequences and allow for responses as well - great for conversations, jokes, books, songs, etc.)
After I had modeled requesting with markers (See yesterday's post) and had gone through a book with a song, now I was ready to engage these eager learners in more literacy by having them "read" a book to me using the device. We chose a book and I did the first two pages like we had done the song. Now, on the third page I asked one of them to record what the words said. I held down the button and switch plate while the girl shared her interpretation of the words on the page.
"Shooga, ooga, up, up, up!" she said.
We listened back. She was ready for the next page. Her words were similar and always ended with "Up, up, up!" We would listen back.
The next page showed a mother holding her child. "That is me mama," the little girl shared. "Let's record that." I encouraged. "That is me mama" she said again. She pressed the switch and heard it play back.
One of the staff who was watching got excited. The student had not used that many words before in a situation like this. She was also getting the contextual information from the illustration on the page and combining language and real life situations in an interaction with the book. Wow.
The staff decided to start using the Big Mack as a fun way to share around circle time. They have each student share their name when they look at classroom jobs in the morning and share a word for the day, etc. One boy in particular, the one I really brought the device for, is non-verbal and he wasn't there the day I brought in the device. They would like him to be able to use the device to say his name when it comes around to his turn.
As I shared yesterday, by incorporating a device like this to support communication, and using it throughout the day and in many situations, students get comfortable and familiar with the device and the principles for using it. It sets them up for self-accommodation at an early age. What a gift to give all our special needs children.

All the best to you,
Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!