More AAC...from home

Well, I'm home with a sick kid today...but that is not keeping me from working on this AAC stuff.  

I'm going through the activities and continuing to work on creating AAC boards (right now, in the GoTalk Now app for the iPad).  While doing this, I figured out another cool feature of this app!

So here's the normal stuff...
One of the activities on the SMART board for Theme 4 is a Winter-Summer sorting game.

Winter-Summer sorting game
SMART board activity for Theme 4

And here is the corresponding communication page for the iPad (GoTalk Now)...

Corresponding AAC board on iPad (GoTalk Now app)

Another one of the activities that Didi created for this theme has an embedded link to a TeacherTube video about Seasons.  

Embedded video activity in SMART Board activity for Theme 4

In the GoTalk Now app, I was able to create a button that will allow the user to watch the same video on the iPad just by touching the button (or we can use it with a switch and do the same thing). 

Page in Theme 4 Board  (GoTalk Now app)

Neat, huh?  But wait...there's more!

I also created a page of buttons that, when selected will play movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons!

Music page (each button is linked to the corresponding movement of
Vivaldi's Four Seasons)

Love, love, love this app!!

So I think that's all I'm going to have time for today since I have to go pick up the non-sick child from school. 

More access & communication tasks

Now continues the rather lengthy task of creating all of the communication supports and adding switch access and other accessibility functions into the activities we've already created.

So, for Theme 1, here's an example of the communication support that we have so far...

I have created some communication boards to go with some of the Theme 1 activities using the GoTalk Now app on the iPad.

The first page is a choice (depending on the center selected, different boards will be available):

To give an example, here's what the SMART Board activity for Theme 1 looks like:

This first board has all the items from the activity in a grid form.  Using this board,  a student with mobility difficulties could "tell" the teacher (or another student) which item to drag to the school. 

The first board for this activity

 The second board is a yes/no board.  This could be used in a similar way...but with the adult (or other student) asking "Does this one belong in the school?"

yes/no board

And the last board for this activity is a scene display (this was the one that had me all excited on Monday).  You'll notice that the board looks just like the activity.  The idea is basically the same as the first one...but instead of touching a picture in a grid, the student is touching a picture that looks identical to the one on the SMART board.

Scene display board

It is not perfect...but it provides a means of participation in this particular activity which would not necessarily have been possible for some students.  It also encourages communication and helps to model the use of an AAC device for communication.

I'll continue working on adaptations...but making the final adjustments so we'll be ready to open on 9/24.

Making everything accessible

Today I am working with Didi and Helen--we are looking at the activities that Didi has created for the SMART board (and SMART table); and I am trying to create some supports for communication (using the GoTalkNow app on the iPad) to go along with the activities.  I will also be looking at ways I can make the activities themselves more accessible...but this is where I am starting.  

So, for example, in Theme 1 (Welcome to School), Didi has created an activity for the SMART board that looks like this...

School Items Activity for SMART Board Center - Theme 1

This activity involves "dragging & dropping"...which may be more difficult for some of our students with physical /multiple disabilities...SO, I have created several GoTalk Now boards to go along with this activity.  If a student is not able to physically access the activity, he/she can still tell someone which item to move and/or answer yes/no questions related to these items.  

"Items" page (touch the item and it'll speak)

"Yes/No" page for responding to question: "Can you find this in school?"

While working on this, I discovered a new feature of the GoTalk Now app (which must have come with one of the more recent updates) that is VERY exciting (to me, anyway)! 

The cool *new* feature I just discovered: Scene Display
This is what the SMART board will look like & if you
touch one of the items, it will speak the name