Assessing Student's Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT)

Chapter 6 – Assistive Technology for Recreation …
positions for more demanding tasks. Remember that although we don’t often think of them, alternate
sites may well be a foot or knee. Can the switch be activated by hand, head and foot? Some switches can
be moved to variable locations throughout the day by using a device such as a camera mount with
variable arms. In other cases, a completely different switch may be needed for some activation sites.
Locating the switch can be physically hard for some children. Letting a child know and feel where the
switch has been placed can improve its utilization by the student. There is a tendency to place switches
at midline on the tray or table in front of a child. For children who can’t bring their eyes to focus at
midline finding the switch in a midline position can be difficult. A simple test is to move the switch
throughout the visual range, starting on the flat surface and moving horizontally from one side to the
other. Then do the same up in the vertical plane. Watch their eye movement. Where do the pupils line
up? This may take a few tries as the child may need time to figure out there is a new object in front of
him/her. When you find the spot where the eyes line up, place the switch there to begin. A movable
mounting system such as the Universal Switch Mounting System or Slim Armstrong ® from AbleNet, Inc.
can be helpful with positioning as they are so easily repositioned.
Switch selection must also address sensory issues. For children with visual problems consider a sharply
contrasting background, or a switch that clicks when activated. Large, bright targets may be easier to
find, and voice activated switches may also work well. Watch for things like surface glare on the
common plastic switches. For children with auditory problems consider flashing or bright switches that
change color when activated. Vibrating switches and textured covers for switches may assist their use by
children with tactile concerns.
There are also alternative mice, joysticks and keyboards available to interact with electronic games or
the computer. A good information source for switches and keyboards is the Closing the Gap Resource
Directory. (See Resource List in the Appendix.) Other switch resources are listed in the appendix as
well.
The connection between a battery operated toy and a switch is called a battery interrupter. There are
directions available from many sources on how to make your own. However, commercial ones are
available from AbleNet, Enabling Devices/Toys for Special Children, and several other sources. They
are inexpensive and sturdy.
Aside from toys, many other devices can be controlled with switches. Environmental control units
(ECU) or electronic aids for daily living (EADL) can be interfaced with a switch to activate electric
items that can be plugged into it such as a radio, TV, stereo or small kitchen appliances. Blenders and
mixers can be operated through ECU/EADLs to involve students in food preparation activities.
Switches can be interfaced with a computer as well. Software is available for very simple, low cognitive
tasks to complex tasks like writing, using an onscreen keyboard and a word processor. Thus, it is very
important to not only choose the right switch but choose the right task as well.
Modified Utensils
There are also numerous ways to modify simple tools such as pencils, brushes, stampers and scissors.
Often increasing the diameter with a foam grip or creating a tackier surface helps a child to hold on to
the item. For others, weighting the utensil or, conversely making it feather light can help. Once again
observation and trial are the keys to identifying what modification might make a tool more functional for
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