Assessing Student's Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT)

Chapter 2 – Computer Access
♦ Involuntary Movement/Activation- Very young children learn through their experiences with their
environment. Reflexive movement, involuntary movement, and/or movement without intention can
lead to an effect or have resulted in an event. These events typically have no meaning when first
caused. Eventually after repeated experiences children may begin to link their actions to outcomes of
these actions, cause and effect. For example, a child might kick their legs and cause the bells on their
shoes to ring. Or, while moving one's arm, a child might bump a toy and cause it to play a song.
♦ Pre-Communication- Cause and effect and choice making can be viewed as pre-communication as
children are learning that their actions can bring about desired results. For example, a child can raise
their arms up to indicate they wish to be picked up.
• Cause and Effect- When children begin to realize that their actions have caused an event to
happen they are beginning to establish cause and effect. They may then begin to recreate the
movement or action intentionally and voluntarily in order to repeat the event. When children
intentionally, voluntarily, and repeatedly tie their actions to the cause of a particular effect and
can generalize this skill across varying activities, they have established cause and effect and can
then move into choice-making.
Cause and effect can be viewed in two levels. The first, where the action is directed to the object
that responds. For example, by touching a switch, the switch lights, vibrates, and plays music.
The second, is when the action takes place on an object and a different object is effected. For
example, an individual activates a Jelly Bean Switch and a cow begins to moo.
• Choice Making- Choice making begins with choosing between two objects, pictures, switches,
etc., each tied to a specific outcome. In the beginning stages it is suggested that one selection be
an activity which is desirable to the child and the second a neutral activity. Once an individual
appears to cognitively understand that their selection brings the specific result to which it is tied,
the number of selections available to the individual may increase gradually. This progression of
choice making prepares the individual for the possible use of a pre-communication device or
computer. For example, an individual may be given two Jelly Bean Switches organized in the
switch holder, one red and one green. A picture symbol or object representing a fan is placed on
the red switch and a symbol/object representing the tape player is placed on the green switch.
The individual can then select the desire outcome based on the selection of either switch.
♦ Communication/AAC- Once an individual has established cause and effect, a simple device or
communication system can be implemented. A switch with recordable voice output (single message)
which operates on a basic cause/effect or on/off principle, can be used initially to establish some
verbal control over one's environment. For example, a BIGMack ® switch could be programmed to
request more of an activity. After cause and effect is established using a single message, the
individual can then move to the use of a multiple messaging switch for communications. For
example, a LITTLE Step-by-Step Communicator system could be prerecorded to enable a child who
is nonverbal to read eight lines of a story to the class, each activation initiating a new line. Or, a
Rocking Say It Play It can enable an individual to make choices between two communications such
as yes or no, or food or drink. Then they can move to more choices: 4, 6, 8 messages, and so on. As
the number of messaging options available through an increased number of switches increase, the
more the system becomes like an augmentative communication (AAC) device. And, if they are not
already considered AAC devices, they are the transition to these devices which allow greater and
greater options to the user to communicate their wants and needs. If possible, always provide a
picture/symbol/word on the switch to represent the desired outcomes.
Assessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology (2004) 71