Music at Your Fingertips: Radios, Switches and TBI

I was heading to a home visit on a long highway through wheatfields, making my way to a small country town. Turning off the highway, I passed an old feed store and headed down what used to be a frontier brick and stone building -lined main street. If you dumped truck-loads of dirt on the street to cover it up and threw in a few cowboys on horses, you would think you were on the set of a western movie.
When I arrived at the house, using a Powerlink 2 from Ablenet, a Big Red switch on a universal mount, a radio and an lamp that looks like an aquarium, I set up a cause and effect activity for a non-verbal 4 year-old girl in a wheelchair who had a traumatic brain injury when less than a year old. The doctors said she would never be able to do anything, but the 2 aunties who care for her and love her have worked hard to get her to respond and clue in on what is going on around her.
Since her arm was hanging down off the side of her chair, we mounted the switch so it sat under her fingertips. I moved her fingertips slightly so she could get the feel of flexing them a little to make the switch trigger the radio station and the aquarium lamp on, timed for 3 seconds. As soon as the music started she rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, but when the music and lights stopped, she didn't try to get it going again. We verbally encouraged and coaxed, and finally I moved her fingertips and started the music and lights again.
"When we say funny things, she laughs," shared one aunt. "Not too long ago when we were talking about my sister having to be gone part of the day and a sitter needing to be here, she started to cry. We think she knows what is going on."
"I am sure she does. If she can move her fingertips to make the music play and gets the idea that she can have control over it, it will give her some power, and the stimulus will get those synapses' firing and we can build another block in the foundation," I encouraged.
We moved out to the back step of the house and continued to visit when suddenly from the living room we heard the country music station we had the radio set on, begin blaring through the house.
"She did it by herself!" cried one of the aunts.
I watched as the other aunt with me, began to tear up, her eyes showing the excitement of what she was hearing. "We know there is alot going on in her head and we want to see her world open up."
"She is just like any other typical kid inside," I said. "She will trigger the switch and do what she wants on her timetable, not ours." It seemed like when we were staring at her and waiting for her to do it, she wasn't going to. But as soon as I was out of the room...there it went!
I shared a few strategies with them on how to use the timer on the Powerlink and left them to experiment and play.
What a lucky girl to have 2 aunts that care so much. She is just starting to expand her abilities and there is so much ahead.

All the best to you!

Lon



Bookmark this on Delicious

Ablenet "Impulse" Offers New EMG Access Switch

Ablenet's new Impulse Switch offers a wireless EMG switch that is the closest thing to imitating a thought frequency switch through an EEG. I have been exploring the EEG switch idea for over a year and every time I see something new like this I think, "Someone's done it!" Well, not yet, but this comes mighty close. Instead, it senses small volitional muscle twitches and movement anywhere you need to place the device. It uses sensors that have a sticky side which attaches to the skin. They are disposable ( a pack of 120 is $90) and I don't know the wear on them as to how long they will last.

The switch comes with software that converts the signal to a switch hit/mouse click. This can integrate with software and tools you already own to communicate, write, do research online, shop, etc. The complete set up is $2100.

The Impulse switch:

The Impulse is equipped with Bluetooth for wireless access and can work up to 30 feet. The switch comes with a receiver for the computer.



Ablenet lists these Product Features:

• Allows user to completely control their computer using any muscle with voluntary control.
• Wireless connectivity allows your caregivers to attend to your needs without being hampered by wires or disturbing switch alignment.
• Wireless connectivity allows you to remain connected to the computer even while being transported short distances (such as to the bathroom).>
• Bluetooth Class II connectivity up to 10 M (30 feet)!
• No wires means the Impulse looks better cosmetically than many other similar switches available today.
• Wireless Active Electrode design gives Impulse ultra clean EMG signals and greatly reduces interference.
• Incredibly fast response time (<30)>Integrated with major Speech Generation System Providers.

Ablenet is working on getting some demo video up soon so check back with them to see it in action.
Impulse is available for ordering on-line here.
Shipping January, 2009

All the best to you!
Lon




Bookmark this on Delicious

A Breakthrough Makes it All Worthwhile

Freedom and the control to choose is one of the basic rights we exercise everyday. When we are able to give that to a special needs student who has never really had the opportunity to control what they want and how much or how long, it is a special thing.
Yesterday I was working with one of our SLP's who wanted to experiment with a radio and some cause and effect activities with a middle school boy. We plugged the radio into an Ablenet Powerlink 3 and had a Big Red Switch set up with a timer. It only took about three or four attempts and some music to play for this student to get the idea that when he hit the switch he would hear music.
We had it on a local country station and Toby Keith was singing as this boy rocked to the beat. As soon as the music would stop, he would hit the switch to start it again and laugh and look at us all with absolute delight - he was making something go on his own and he really liked it.
We worked with some cause and effect animations with switch interface on the computer as well, but the visual was too subtle for him at this point. We took him back to the radio and he was excited to try music some more.
The assistants and teacher said that this was the first time they had found something he could respond to and make some kind of choice for. We are working to lay a foundation to expand into simple communication switch commands for cause and effect activities. It will be fun to see where it leads.
For those of you who have experienced this, you know what I mean, but for those of you who haven't, it's hard to convey the thrill it is to see a student have the light dawn that they have some element of control over something they like for the first time. It is a revelation and it just makes me all the more determined to keep working for the development of more for these kids.

All the best to you!

Lon




Bookmark this on Delicious

Simplified Technology is a Gift From Linda Burkhart

80 people sat at tables, each fastening wire to a cookie sheet. Lines of would-be solderers were waiting to solder wires to a mini-plug that would complete a home-made cookie sheet switch with a large bolt on a wire. When the switch was plugged into a Powerlink latch/timer, and a radio (in our case) was plugged into the power, the contact of the metal bolt with the metal sheet created a circuit that made the radio play. We used open file folders trimmed to the size of the sheet as "stencils" to cut out tracing patterns for the kids to practice letters, mazes, any kind of fine motor and hand/eye coordination activities. The reward...music, a toy, or something that would be a response - as long as they stayed within the lines.
Even though I attended this workshop 2 years ago, I still use my cookie sheet switch. In fact, I demonstrated it to a group of early intervention and early childhood sped teachers last week and several were writing down the parts they needed to make one.
Attending one of Linda's workshops is an adventure in creating wonderful things out of everyday junk-drawer items. She uses sponges, pvc, cottage cheese containers, battery fans from the dollar store, foam place mats and velcro to create games and activities that really engage kids.
Linda has a long history as a therapist who integrated low tech and switch access to develop cause and effect games and activities. She has logged hours of video to show case histories and examples of her work with children and how she found the spark that triggered a reaction that gave a foothold for developing communication.
On "Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs", one of my favorite blogs, there was a post today on low tech eye gaze and mounting. There were some great resources there and it jogged my memory about Linda's workshop. We had built a pvc eye gaze stand that day as well, and I have it in my equipment closet. It is nice because it can break apart easily to tote with you for sessions with students and it is inexpensive to build. I will have to look for the plans or create my own from the stand so you can make one. We also made a pvc frame to wrap around a laptop base with a flat cover over the laptop so you can velcro switches to it and use them with cause and effect activites. The cover hides all the keys and buttons from children with wandering fingers.
I would go to see Linda's workshops again in a heartbeat. She has been a pioneer in switch access and has several software activities she designed in the Intellitools Classroom Suite package with overlays for the Intellikeys board. Check out her site, Simplified Technology, and look through the make it yourself and handouts area. It is full of free resources. You should also check through her books and resources for sale. I have a couple of CD's I bought that are absolutely packed with activities and guides to make and use them. Her wealth of knowledge, compassion for special needs kids and her resources online are a gift to us. If you haven 't discovered her services and resources, it is high-time you did!

All the best to you,

Lon




Bookmark this on Delicious

Giving PowerPoint a "Facelift" for Interactive Activities: Part Two

PowerPoint Face Lifts Part Two:
Creating Communication Boards and Switch Access Pros and Cons.

I made a video tutorial last spring that is on using PowerPoint to create a communication board. I enjoyed making it and I liked the fact that if you can't afford the $765 for a Boardmaker Speaking Dynamically Pro program, you can get started with a PowerPoint on topics. A main drawback is that since PowerPoint can't do step scanning - (where each choice on a page is highlighted one at a time and the user can select the choice they want when framed in the sequence) you are limited to a mouse or trackpad to navigate through the choices. It is possible to use a head or eye tracker device to select a choice, but if you can afford that, you probably will be using a custom software or an AAC device instead! Since lots of schools have MS Office already, a PowerPoint can be used to experiment and get something started. I have the video below so you can see a little of what I am talking about. I was experimenting with a free screen capture video program and the sound is a little odd, but it will carry you through the steps if you want to know how to do it. I used Audacity as the sound program to create my sound clips to embed in the graphics. It is a free open source software.



Since we are already addressing switches, let's talk about switch access a minute - and how it can work with a PowerPoint activity (or can't work). With a switch interface that you USB in the back of the computer, you can use any kind of switch to act as a mouse click and move to the next page, trigger a sound, animation or video - anything that can be started on a slide by clicking the mouse. What a switch interface and a switch can't do is navigate a page or slide to make a choice. Switch access is good for certain activities like a "talking book" activity where the user can use the switch to "turn the page "and trigger a narration. If a video or sound is set to open on a mouse click, then a switch would work there as well.
I make activities where a student has to choose a letter from a choice of three - for example, based on a picture and sound. The student has to be able to navigate to choose one answer. You can't use a switch and interface to do that. If you are building an activity with PowerPoint, make sure you know who your audience is going to be so you don't design something they can't access. This is where the custom softwares like SoftTouch Test Me Score Me, Clicker 5 and Classroom Suite come in because of the capability to scan. They give you the versatility to work with orthopedically impaired so they can access through the scanning feature. You also have the Intellikeys board as an input device but you still have to be able to have enough fine motor to target and hit an area on the board.
I had an email on my Part One post yesterday, sharing that they used to use topics and video and make an overlay for the Intellikeys so that they could turn pages, watch videos, play recordings, etc. by selecting the specific choice on the board. I love hearing your ideas on activities. If you have one you would like to share please comment or email me.

I am going to save the branching activities and graphics, color, background, etc. until next time so that I don't try to include too much in one post - I guess there will need to be a part three.

All the best to you!

Lon

How to Make a Switch Access Help Light

We recently needed a light to velcro-mount on a lap tray with a switch for a student to indicate when he needed help. This light by CatEye is just one of many that can be adapted for switch access. We were fortunate in that when we let our local bicycle shop know why we needed it, he sold it to us for $5.00. Thanks Pendleton Bike and Board!
They have a cool website - check it out...

Now I have had my day of using a soldering tool, wire and little copper pieces to make a battery interrupter, but I would rather recommend the store-bought kind. They aren't that expensive (compared to buying a pre-adapted device) and they are sturdier and save a lot of time. If you were blessed with a God-given gift of quick efficient soldering, then I am truly envious! For the rest of us there is the done-for-you-version.

A good source for battery interrupters of various sizes ($9.95 US) can be found at Enabling Devices. The notching file to make a hole for the wire to slip through on the battery cover can be found at ablenet ($9.00). Ablenet has the interrupters too, but they are $12.00.

What I did:
I notched the lid of the light so the wire could slip through and placed the metal interrupter disk between the positive end of a battery and the wall with the metal contact. In order to get the light to stay on with a switch connected, I had to place a little metal nut over the rubber on/off switch and use some black electrical tape to hold it down. This way, when I press the connected switch, the light is already on and the switch joins the connection so the light comes on. We are using a leaf switch or ribbon switch that bends easily for this student to access the light.


Mounting: The light comes with a nice slide in bracket so you have something to start with to adapt to a wheelchair bar or velcro on a laptray etc. This is where you have to be creative based on the special adaptation you have to make.

I think this part of assistive technology is one of my favorite parts because I love gadgets and love to tinker. If you have any ideas or successful adaptations you have made let me know or post about them. I would love to share!

All the Best to You!