Switches - who knew they were so complicated!! Today had me thinking a lot about the students in the learning center at my school and why we are not using these great devices so they can be more in control of their life. I know, after today, how complicated it can be with teaching and incorporating a switch into a students life but the benefits are so worth it!
Maybe some of the students are not ready to understand the cause and effect relationship that is needed to first to be able to use the switch, which is a device that is used to replace an action they have difficulty with due to no motor ability or control. I have a feeling it is more that it is not being used frequently enough for this to be established but I am not the one in charge of their programming. I know most of our non verbal students have the consistant controled movement needed to opporate the switch, whether it be gross or fine motor control. I don't think our board has enough input from OT's to help with this process.
Again I am amazed at how literacy plays such an important role in this AT. The language you use when asking the student to turn on the switch is so important and would be easy to overlook because a lot of the time we are told to just use simple language because they can only understand direct commands. Something I have struggled with, being the talker that I am, and I feel like I am talking to this teenager like they are a baby. I realize is a stressful situation whan they are agitated or trying to flee it is omportant to keep it to the basics but in everyday conversation it is important to use all the words needed.
I think, at my school, we need to see our learning center students out more interacting with students and staff. If they need a switch to activate the greeting words they are expected to use then they need opportunity to use it to get the timing right.
I think the majority of the students in the learning center who are non verbal are mobile but do have issues with their fine motor movement so they would benefit more from a gross motor switch to activate a device. They may also benefit from the switch being attached, with a power link, to electrical devices to help with the cooking program. I am going to look into this into September without getting anyone's nose out of joint.
In watching the videos in class today I was amazed at how switches gave the students control in their environment and how easy it was to include them in activities. I really liked the fan idea with the numbers on it, for math class, as a way for the student to help their peers select the numbers they would use in multiplying. This could be used is so many ways like selecting vocabulary words for students to practice. Very exciting!
When we had the opportunity to work with a scanning keyboard. In watching the videos where we saw people using these I was impressed and amazed but now I am astounded at the ability they have! It is very hard to use a scanning keyboard! It would take me at least 10 minutes to type this sentance.
I am totally amazed at the variet of switches there are avaliable. Whether they are simple touch switches that can be accessed by touching it with your head, knee, elbow, foot, finger with a gross motor movement, or a speciality switch that is activated in a more creative way such as infrared, eyeblink, breath, slight cheek movement, tongue mouse, lazer dot with camera, they are all incredible pieces of technology that allow people to have control over their environment, to communicate, participate in leisure actiities and have access to employment.
I too am totally amazed by the ability to control the world around you with such a little device. I can't get the picture out of my head of that young man controlling that video game on the first day of classes with just his thumb. He was a master of his environment that's for sure!
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