June 16th

AT inventions were looked at today. To say that many people had creative ideas was an understatement. Some of the inventions included turkey baster pencil holders, a sticky tray with double sided suction cups to hold items, spatula scissors with foam handles,butter tray used as a holder for a dice game, a soft drink bottle was used as a waterproof AAC device for use in pools,a clay pot marker holder and a magnetic strip used to hold letters, bathroom squeegee with velcro used for picking up a ruler or protractor, and skater rex another toy used to pick up objects. The most creative idea for me was the AAC device designed for use in a pool or water situation.For me it had the most practical application which would be easy to create and materials were readily available. I know the cliche, "thinking outside the box" is overused, but this is what happened with this activity. Upon reflection, many assistive tech devices are available but with a huge cost attached to them. It is eye opener to consider the inventions displayed today on a small budget that could have immediate application in a classroom or home environment. As well, we examined the use of switches in terms of AT and the impact they have had in allowing those users to access computers and participate in other activities that in the past may not have been possible to participate in. The Discover switch is a device that alows users easier access to computers. The switch has multiple settings which allows the user to personalize the device to their own requirements. As well, the Powerlink device was discussed, which opens up more opportunities for involvement for someone with special needs. Soe of the ideas that my group came up with for the Pwerlink included: 1. actictae time clock for trak and field meet/sporting events 2. activate/turn on tech devices in a classroom 3. operate/play music videos at a school dance 4. activate buttons on a musical instrument Today we were also introduced to Tyler. Tyler has Cerebral Palsy which includes challenging fine and gross motor. Cognitively, Tyler performed at or slightly above average in many areas. The key ideas to take away from Tyler's story is to not to judge any student based on physical limitations and automatically assume that tranfers to intellectual reasoning. In addition, with the constant turnover of support staff, the training component is more important than ever. The assistive technology I chose for those who are visually impaired is the Eyenote app for Ipad and Iphone. The app takes a picture of a bill and determines what denomination it is. The app is free. For comparison purposes, I chose a video which compared the Eyenote reader to an app, Money Reader, which is two dollars. The video is informative because the demonstration of the two apps is performed by two visually impaired individuals giving the viewer an accurate idea of the practical application of both apps. The major difference between the two is that the user must take a picture of the bill with the Eyenote reader, whereas with the Money reader it scans and automatically indicates what denomination the bill is. It is readily apparent that the Moneyreader app is much more user friendly even though it cost two dollars.