There are three modes to communication: Joint attention, common language and actively communicating to a partner.
Communication can be difficult to say the least when you are relying on visuals, prompts or limited writing. Students will exhibit their frustration when they can not communicate their message. The ways of communicating rely so much on the other communicator being able to interpret the message. The Go talk cells and buttons can ensure the message is clear and concise. The i pod touch makes communication for others even better because of the convenient size and almost unlimited amount of space for categories. The i pod can hold categories for learning and leisure.
JF
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day 2: AT Assessments
Each assessment we looked at (MPTT, WATI, SETT framework, Stages, HAAT) began the process of looking at students needs/challenges and environments they would be in. Not one assessment is better than the other, each is matched with the student depending on their needs. I liked the look of the WATI check list because it seems very concise and throuogh which would increase the likely hood for a sucessful match.
MPTT: Students/person always in the middle, motivated, cooperative, supportive family, know it will improve performance,setting/environment fully supports AT, causes no pain, fatigue or stress, is safe and reliable
WATI Check list: Disability check, age group, classroom setting, current service providers, medical considerations, other leisureconcerns
SETT: Step 1 collect info on student, technology, environment
MPTT: Students/person always in the middle, motivated, cooperative, supportive family, know it will improve performance,setting/environment fully supports AT, causes no pain, fatigue or stress, is safe and reliable
WATI Check list: Disability check, age group, classroom setting, current service providers, medical considerations, other leisureconcerns
SETT: Step 1 collect info on student, technology, environment
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day 1: Access to Learning and Leisure
Autism Is a World Film
Sue was not able to communicate until the age of 13 and was assumed to be unintelligent. Before she was introduced to the communication board she was unable to communicate to her peers or family.
Some of Sue's behaviours, such as uncontrollable vocal or physical movements had made it difficult at first for her to learn how to use the communication board. As time went on she quickly picked up the language skills she needed to form complete sentences using the communication board and the world was able to see her ability. It is terrifying to think of what her life would have been like had she had not been given the opportunity to communicate using technology and is equally terrifying to think of how many people 20 + years did not have any opportunity to express themselves. Without the technology we may have never known how extremely intelligent Sue was. It is a scary statistic that many years ago it was thought that 75+ non verbal autistic people were considered to be living in the mentally retarded range.
Sue has shown researchers that they don't know nearly enough about autism. It was very important that Sue made the comment that although she can graduate with many degrees and be very successful the autistic tendencies will always be there. They are apart of whom she is. Given the appropriate tools and supports people with non verbal autism have the ability to participate in literacy and leisure.
We have to assume competency of all our students!
Tyler's program – Tyler is a very bright young man who has Cerebral Palsy and is nonverbal. He has been supported in school and leisure from the time he was five. He has able to grow with his peers academically and socially because he was matched with the appropriate assistive technology. Tyler is a very intelligent and happy young man whose cognitive abilities and memory are at age level. He has been using a switch to activate computer programs such as Kurzweil and Clicker 5 to complete the same tasks as his peers in his class.
Tyler is one example to me of how important it is that teachers, parents and student are trained with whatever technology the student uses. It is awesome to see that Tyler began to be matched at a young age so that the technology learning did not get in the way of his academics. Given the appropriate tools (switch, clicker five, adapted chair, etc) Tyler was able to achieve close to straight A's and is fully integrated in the classroom. He is another example of how important it is to know that all students can learn.
JF
Sue was not able to communicate until the age of 13 and was assumed to be unintelligent. Before she was introduced to the communication board she was unable to communicate to her peers or family.
Some of Sue's behaviours, such as uncontrollable vocal or physical movements had made it difficult at first for her to learn how to use the communication board. As time went on she quickly picked up the language skills she needed to form complete sentences using the communication board and the world was able to see her ability. It is terrifying to think of what her life would have been like had she had not been given the opportunity to communicate using technology and is equally terrifying to think of how many people 20 + years did not have any opportunity to express themselves. Without the technology we may have never known how extremely intelligent Sue was. It is a scary statistic that many years ago it was thought that 75+ non verbal autistic people were considered to be living in the mentally retarded range.
Sue has shown researchers that they don't know nearly enough about autism. It was very important that Sue made the comment that although she can graduate with many degrees and be very successful the autistic tendencies will always be there. They are apart of whom she is. Given the appropriate tools and supports people with non verbal autism have the ability to participate in literacy and leisure.
We have to assume competency of all our students!
Tyler's program – Tyler is a very bright young man who has Cerebral Palsy and is nonverbal. He has been supported in school and leisure from the time he was five. He has able to grow with his peers academically and socially because he was matched with the appropriate assistive technology. Tyler is a very intelligent and happy young man whose cognitive abilities and memory are at age level. He has been using a switch to activate computer programs such as Kurzweil and Clicker 5 to complete the same tasks as his peers in his class.
Tyler is one example to me of how important it is that teachers, parents and student are trained with whatever technology the student uses. It is awesome to see that Tyler began to be matched at a young age so that the technology learning did not get in the way of his academics. Given the appropriate tools (switch, clicker five, adapted chair, etc) Tyler was able to achieve close to straight A's and is fully integrated in the classroom. He is another example of how important it is to know that all students can learn.
JF
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