Reflection #2

Saturday May 26
Today’s class consisted mainly of diving into Proloquo2go. I couldn’t help but think of all the little PECS I have cut out, laminated, velcroed and organized into binders and visual schedules. Oh the time I have lost… I thought of my student who had to carry that big and bulky binder everywhere he went. I could totally see him carrying around an iPad instead. He’s heading into junior high next year. An iPad/iPod would have a much more hip look to it.
So, today our assignment was to look at a case study and use Proloquo2go to design selection sets for that particular student. The selection sets would help that student communicate their needs and wants, help with social interaction and assist them with their school life. Things that were considered are: physical abilities, sensory/perceptual abilities, linguistic abilities and cognitive abilities.      
The most time consuming part of this process is definitely the planning. The planning process really should involve more than just the teacher. SLP teacher, Mom and Dad, and most importantly the child should have input in planning for this communication device. We have to anticipate what will be said, not just the questions. We have to realize that the AT device has to be individual for that student because it will be with him/her all the time.
Initially Keri, Adele and I sat down and brainstormed 4 areas where our student, Will may need to communicate. We came up with school, home, cafeteria and community. We then branched out and thought of categories within those 4 environments. Of course, Will doesn’t exist. But, if he did we would definitely have him involved in the planning process. Not to mention the selections would not be static. He may want to add or omit as time goes on.
AACs such as Proloquo2go allow students to express their thoughts, needs, wants and ideas. People with severe speech or language problems rely on ACCs to express themselves. It improves social interaction, school performance and feelings of self-worth.

Five AAC apps I found:
 
Alexicom - This app is designed for people who have communication difficulties. This ACC app incorporates core words and phrases with text to speech capabilities. It contains 20 voices and comes in 5 languages! It includes 7,000 searchable images and it has 150K word predictors. It can work on an iPad, iPod or iPhone. There is a cost if you want to upgrade. But, you can’t beat the cost – Free!

Onevoice – This app seems to be focused more on children with speech difficulties and children with Autism. The nice part about this app is that you can add your own phrases and photos, which adds a little personal touch (which I like). This app seems very simple to manoeuvre from levels of categories. Oddly, you have to be 17 to download this app. Apparently; it has something to do with its hefty $199.99 price tag.
 
TapToTalk – This is an ACC device that allows nonverbal students to communicate by touching pictures to produce speech through the mobile device.  It includes over 2,000 pictures in its library. Just touch a picture and it speaks. You can use your own pictures, photos or sounds. And you can record your own voice! TaptoTalk works on many different mobile devices (not just iPads and iPods). It’s recommended for children 4-12. It is also recommended for children with Autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, apraxia and other speech difficulties. Free!
 
TapSpeak Button – This app modernizes the idea of a mechanical switch that records and plays messages. TapSpeak can be used on iPhones, iPods and iPads. It has unlimited number of messages and unlimited length of messages. It is recommended for those with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Cortical Vision Impairment and those suffering from a stroke. The reviews that I have read suggest that this is a good communicating tool for communicating single messages. Cost is $14.99.

Go Talk Now – This app has adjustable layouts, recorded and text to speech capabilities, and an included symbol set. You can use your own pictures, choose your own voice or choose text to speech. It can be used with an iPad. This app is recommended for anyone with speech difficulties. It seems very easy to use and has a lengthy list of features. Reviews are positive and with the price of $14.99, it seems like a bargain.
Well, although this has been an incredibly long week and I am super tired, I do have a little bit of excitement to keep me smiling. My new iPad came in the mail today! So, now I can’t help but wonder, what do I do with it????

Reflection #1

Saturday May 5

Today was our first class and as I predicted, it did not disappoint. Once again I can see that the field of Assistive Technology is changing because of devices such as the ipad. It is very clear to me that students with significant disabilities that are using mobile devices are achieving success (very exciting!)

The first task of the day was to use Pic Collage to introduce ourselves to the class. Pic Collage is an easy way to use pictures and texts to create collages. We had to use pictures and text to show what kinds of things we liked and what was important to us. Then we presented our collages to the class. We saw lots of great backgrounds and many familiar faces. At the beginning of the school year, I always do a little activity with my students where they interview each other. I could see myself using this app to have them create their own collages then present them to the class. All students could do this! (If I can, anybody can). You could use it for in Science labs, country projects in Social Studies, lifecycle projects in Science and for visuals schedules. Pic Collage could be used instead of a PowerPoint.
Barb shared her AT presentation with us. It was called “AT – The Past, the Present and the Future”. It was really a nice way to demonstrate how classes looked in the past, how diverse our classes are now and how we can improve performance and independence in our students who have disabilities.
Barb mentioned that training is the most important piece. This hit home with me because like many teachers, I have always been intimidated by technology. But, the more exposure I receive, the more comfortable and more eager I am to use it. Training is essential. There are so many changes: curriculum changes and teachers within schools change. As staff come and go, many end up being not familiar with AT. Training has to be there.
In the last two years technology has changed dramatically. Just looking at the ipad I am floored at its possibilities. Ipads are fully accessible and have many built in features. I had no idea I could customize my iphone and change my text size in a matter of seconds. For months I have been squinting and straining to see my texts, when just like that, I changed its size. It has Speak Auto-text, Speak Selection, and Zoom. Unbelievable. Talk about empowering our students!
When looking at the pad, cost should also be mentioned. In the past technology was always extremely pricey. Technology today is quite affordable. Kurzweil runs around $3000. But, an ipad2 starts at $519. IPod touch is around $200. Many apps are free. Not to mention the accessibility options are free. Ipads are an effective, portable, affordable, functional, accessible, inclusive and an option that can meet the needs of ALL students! Those that are lucky enough to have an ipad, don’t stand out (I feel like I’m a salesperson!)

We then looked at QR codes (quick response code). I have often wondered about what they were and how you use them. They’re basically codes that can be scanned by a smartphone which leads you to a website. You could use QR codes for treasure hunts or Google maps. You could also use QR codes for surveys. I also love the idea of using technology based centers in a classroom where a QR code could be part of it.

We continued our day by discussing communication. We started by coming up with a definition…. It is the successful connection between two or more parties that conveys a message with content understood by both, using a method accessible by both. We communicate in many ways. It’s extremely frustrating for those who cannot communicate and we often see this frustration when students have what many of us call “meltdowns”.
It was this discussion that lead us to Proloquo2go, which is a communication device where nonverbal students with cognitive issues can use picture support. This app is a combination of text, images, icons and photographs. The symbol sets can vary in size and colour. This app is like the PECS but, WAY cooler! I couldn’t believe how fast it was to create phrases.A few years back I had a student with Autism who was non-verbal; this would have been just perfect for him. He had to lug a binder around with him, often misplacing or forgetting it. (I often thought this was done on purpose but, I never caught him in the act). But, really, who wants to have to carry a huge binder around all the time?? This is awesome.
I left class once again thinking about possibilities.