Assistive tech?

[Cardinals#1]

Though I'd put this in a thread by its self, may someone who knows more would see it.

Who at school usually handles the computer stuff? Is it usually your childs one on one aide? Or is it someone that is just trained with working for training kids with special needs?

I'm wanting to make for sure the school is doing the right thing with Dustin learning to use a computer.

SO far I think they have a lady with assistive tech. come in 1 per week to view Dustin working w/his one one aide on the computer. SO this has been going on now for over 1 month. SO far the only thing I've heard is from the aide is that dustin is having trouble w/the mouse now, that it goes to fast for him to watch. It's the mouse that has the ball on it. ? You think maybe he'd do better with the mouse that has the ball? I just do not think, he even has enough fine motor skills to be using a mouse to begin with. I keep thinking that a touch screen would be better?

What's everyone else prefer, what seems to work better for your child?

[Lorarama]

In Jac's case, she has the Assistive Tech come in and teach her new programs. And the AT also trains the teachers and aides involved. I think it was once a week during the training period, then she is available if i have questions.

Jac is able to use a regular mouse, as her right hand is fully functional, although her originally non-dominate hand. She has adapted well so I can't really help you on the mouse vs. track ball question.

Good luck.

[swift]

They should be able to do an extended trial between a mouse and a trackerball - they're hardly expensive pieces of kit(!)

[momster]

Hi Teresa - My son uses a mouse today, but when he was in preschool he couldn't use one at all. I'd like to say that the preschool had a touch screen to use, but we finally got frustrated with all their excuses and bought a touchscreen at home. After he mastered the touchscreen, he was able to use a regular mouse just fine.

- momster

[mpalmer118]

There are computer settings to increase the pointer size and slow the movement speed down. We tried that because of Rachels vision issues, but she still wasn't able to follow the mouse. There is talk about a touch screen, if they do decide to do it, the vision specialist would handle it, so I think in your case the AT would be the one.

[Brandon's Mom]

Teresa,

When I started Brandon with AT (many years ago, as he is now 19) we were fortunate enough to have UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) do his AT intake evaluation. They were incredibly thorough in testing different things with him to find out what worked best. They had several mouse options as well as keyboards and some wonderful software programs that he tried over several hours until we decided which ones worked for him. If you can get the school to pay for an evaluation from UCP, it would definately be beneficial to Dustin because they send their therapists to conventions/classes annually so they have all the latest technology available. They train the student, teachers, aides... whoever will be working with the student.

Most of Brandon's AT/computer work is done with his Occupational Therapist since operating the mouse and also the keyboard work, qualify as fine motor skills. His teacher and the aides also work with him on the computer, as he does not write and even does his daily calendar on the computer.

If something doesn't work for Dustin it is essential that they purchase the right tools for him to use, whether it be the right mouse, the right software, bigger monitors (if he has visual difficulties) etc. I'd suggest that once you do figure out exactly which things work best for Dustin, write each of them into the IEP so that there is no debate about what MUST be in place for his use in the classroom. If you want him on the computer for longer periods of time, this too should be written into the IEP.

[Cardinals#1]

I was kind of thinking myself that the OT should also be working w/dustin , helping him w/the computer . I even mentioned it to the IEP team ,but the OT always seems to get out of doing anything that involves going into the classroom, she always wants to pull Dustin out into a PT/OT room & of course she can not work on the computer because it's not in the room PT/OT room.

We're having a IEP meeting April 27th that I've asked for to discuss the computer "again", because it was only put in the last IEP that it was a trial, nothing was put into it that someone would teach his aide, when it would be worked on , for how long, & where they would be working on the computer at. Just recentely his aide wrote that Dustin was having trouble's w/the mouse going to fast & that she felt like there was too much going on in the room that Dustin was too interested in what everyone else was doing. So I think this is reason enough to ask for the computer to be moved into a quiet room.

Also w/Assitive tech. Shouldn't this person or someone be letting me know what she thinks about how things go , or at least write in Dustin's communication book after each visit, so I know how everything's going & of course re-assure me that they are working on things w/him & not just saying they are?

I guess my biggest problem w/everyone is that they do not communicate to me in Dustin's communication notebook so I know how Dustin's doing. I've written several notes asking certain things & most of the time the notebook comes home w/nothing further written except for my ?'s.

Like the other day after dustin's aide wrote about dustin being so distracted & having trouble working on the computer. I asked her how many kids were in Dustin's classroom , she did not write back. I asked her if she felt that the distractions from all the kids in the classroom were causing him to have problems learning stuff, she didn't respond.

Things are just kind of not adding up. I mean I was reading his IEP from last year , still Pre-k, just like he's in this year. He starts pre-K with a cognitive assessment done by his DT he had while he was receiving early intervention, the have written on is first IEP that he has a cognitive deficit of 40%. Next year they write in his IEP in the academic area, that he shows no deficits. So how if he shows no deficit's can we get to the year when he can go into kindergarten & all of a sudden they are saying he is not ready, he's expected to know things he doesn't even know & can not do . I guess my point is shouldn't they have found out his area's he was needing help with & addressed them instead of writing up in his IEP that he has no defcits'?

How do you go from everthing's ok to he completely failed everything he's supposed to know & be able to do at 5 yrs of age?