An overview of the class on Assistive Technology

This class has taught me so much.  In such a short time frame, we were able to cover so many valuable tools.  Although there were times that I felt so overwhelmed, I am so pleased with my ability to use each.  Like everything else, I feel these are skills/knowledge that must be used or it will be forgotten.  I was able to put a face on so many of the technologies that were introduced in thinking of how beneficial they would be for the student.

There were so many components that I found so inspiring.  I was able to see a lot through a different perspective and for that I am grateful. 

Use of Assistive Technology in the Paralympics

paraolympics from Ginger Creek Community Church on Vimeo.

The paralympics is an international sports event where athletes with physical disabilities compete.  Such disabilities include mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness and cerebral palsy. Those participating require technology similar to those participating in the Olympics.  As with any assistive technology, it must match the individual needs of the individual.  The goal must be clearly understood and then worked toward achieving.  In dealing with this competitive environment it is crucial to consider all aspects necessary in order to maximise performance and stay safe.  Some assistive technology used during the paralymics include light weight wheelchairs, prosthetic devices or rope tethers to name a few.

Through this video, one can see the true power of assistive technology and that is the ability to empower those that may not have have the opportunity to take part in such activities.  Those with disabilities no longer need to feel that the disability is holding them back from achieving their goals.  They are given the opportunity to live life.

I can not watch this video without thinking about how much freedom these individuals must feel when experiencing such activities. The freedom of movement must be incredible to leave a confining wheelchair to be  in the open water.

Day 11- The A.T Road Show

Today we had an opportunity to see everyone's creativity at work.  I was very impressed by all the wonderful ideas that everyone had and I am sure there are a few ideas that I may have to borrow as I immediately thought of students who would find particular things very useful.  Barb, you had mentioned putting together a book of the shelf assistive technology.  I think this is a wonderful idea and would love to check it out.

Day 10- Board Maker Plus

Today we had the opportunity to jump right into another beneficial program. Board Maker Plus gives students a voice allowing them to communicate with those around them.  It also allows educators to create individually texts helping to meet the goals of the student while allowing them to be an active part of the class.  I look forward to seeing what else the program has to offer.

 As overwhelming as it seems at times going through the A.T available.  It is not because the programs/ devices are not impressive and very beneficial but because there are so many, I feel that I will not use them to their full potential.  When I return to the classroom, it will be one of my goals to incorporate as many as possible so my students and the educational assistants in our room will not missing out on any A.T that would increase the students abilities to achieve their individual outcomes.

Day 9- All it takes is a switch!

As much as I think I am beginning to see things through the perspective of others, I am placed in a situation where I come to the realization that I can't begin to understand how many strengths an individual with particular disabilities requires in order to complete tasks that many of us take for granted.  I overlook how many activites/tasks I perform on a daily basis without thinking about how fortunate I am.  I need to be reminded of this on a daily basis.

We focused on the use of switches in today's class.  From a technical point of view, this mechanical device works by opening and closing to complete a circut.  But from a real life point of view, it is a device used to empower a student offering control over an environment.  It allows for inclusion, communication and engagement in social activities. They can be used by anyone but are most beneficial for those who are able to use it to replace a particular action i.e turning on equipment.

There are two types of switches: simple switch, used through touch and a speciality switch, used through blinking or breath.  In deciding which switch to use, one must consider the way that makes the switch easy to locate and activate.  The needs and the challenges of the user much be considered and the device MUST what ever the user needs it to do considering the users control sites (what they can use to access the switch) 

All switch skill sets begin with cause and effect.  Motivation and  is verbal cues are crucial.  The individual needs to want to use the device and the language needs to be related to the task.  Along with this is PRACTISE and ENCOURAGEMENT and lots of it.

It was very inspiring to watch the video clips showing switches in use.  The students were empowered for so many reasons and those students and staff assisting in this process were able to be a part of this.  

The A.T that we created..A Sensory Board

For our AT invention we created a sensory board. Our sensory board was made from various materials we found at the dollar store. A sensory board should provide students with a variety of tactile sensations (i.e. soft, hard, rough, smooth etc.). Our sensory board was designed for students that may be tactile defensive or tactile seeking. A student with tactile defensiveness over-responds to tactile sensations because their brains do not accurately perceive touch sensations. As a result they may be sent into fight or flight over small, everyday touch sensations. A tactile seeker enjoys and needs tactile sensations. They are the students that can be seen running their hands or fingers across walls, railings, or other objects in their environment. It is also common for them to constantly touch other people. Tactile seekers have a hard time refraining from grabbing and handling everything.


The tactile defensive student would benefit from using the sensory board because it helps them become desensitized to the sensations that are causing them to go into fight or flight. It can sometimes be a long and difficult process but I have seen it work over time. For the tactile seeker, the sensory board provides them with an appropriate means of getting their tactile needs met and therefore can serve to help them remain calm. In both cases, the sensory board could be used in any environment. One of the benefits of creating your own sensory board is that it can be made small enough to carry anywhere. It can also be tailored to meet the tactile needs of the individual student. For this reason, I think it is better to make your own sensory board than to buy a commercially developed one. You will also save a lot of money by making your own.

Ready Made A.T Device

Product Description

The ready made A.T device that we have chosen is a felt story board. The scene of the board is a doctor’s office complete with a variety of objects related to a hospital. It includes four people: a doctor, nurse and two patients all with interchangeable parts. The pieces are easily attached and detached and quite colorful.

The Student

The student is a grade one student with ongoing health issues causing him to require monthly visits to the hospital. He has high anxiety about these visits and has difficulty understanding what is going to happen when he gets there. He enjoys listening to stories and works well with hands on activities and is a hands on learner.

Due to anxiety, he has great difficulty in connecting with the other students. His lack of social skills isolate him from the others. His classmates are always curious about what happens on these visits but he is unable to logically explain the sequence of events due to his limited vocabulary and anxiety in communicating with his peers.

How this product will assist the student

This product will be used as a material/ strategy in achieving particular goals on his individual program plan. The felt story board will be beneficial for the following reasons:

1. The colorful pieces are appealing and are very life like allowing for recognition of items that he would have or will see at the doctor’s office. He will be able to use the objects to have a visual representation of the objects to begin making the connections to the vocabulary.

2. It will be used to create social stories as a learning tool for topics that need to be covered around the hospital.

3. He will be able to create his own “stories” to create ideas of possible situations at the hospital.

4. He will be able to use the story board to create stories about things that happened while at the hospital. As he is telling these stories he can be encouraged to use new vocabulary related to the environment. These words can be used in the work lists used by all.

5. Expressive communication skills will be developed in creating stories with the board that can be shared with his peers.

6. This process will also increase social skills as it will be a way to have the student communicate with the others in a meaningful way. This will hopefully reduce the gap that exists between him and the other students because he is talking about something that all students are interested in hearing about.

7. Technology can be added to enhance the learning using this tool. Along with his peers (social) he could use the story board to create scenes that can be created and photographed to create a power point or story book or video can be used to create a movie clip.