Early Childhood Special Education and Assistive Technology Blog

Henry Helps Plant a Garden - A Capstone Interactive eBook This is one of many digitized Capstone Publishing eBooks (there are many available for free and you can get the Cap Reader to store them). The purpose of this story app is to tell the story and steps of how to plant a garden. The pages of the story can be read using autoplay (no interaction), read to me, and then there is an option called talking time. A natural-sounding voice reads the story, each word is highlighted. Keywords stay highlighted, and the child can push them to hear the word again. There are also one hidden item per page to collect and secret interactive elements on each page. The talking time portion revisits the hidden items the child found on each page. Henry says what the item is, and then the child is prompted to talk. Then the child's voice comes out of Henry. This app is based on a paper book. The sequence and social story can support young children's learning about gardening and plant growth. Pe...

By: Holly Bogardus , EC-SEAT Scholar At first the concept of “Assistive Technology (AT) Devices” can be intimidating to those who are unfamiliar with the concept or tools. It can help to think of these devices simply as anything that can help a person to do or complete a task, or increase their ability to engage in a task. These do not necessarily need to be expensive, complicated, or individually designed devices. Assistive devices are in fact all around us and easily accessible. By acknowledging their presence and many uses in our lives, we can more comfortably engage in conversations regarding necessary devices or tools that can benefit students, family, and friends and increase their success and independence in multiple settings. Here you will find just a small sample of objects that can be found both in typical settings as well as in various types of stores that can be beneficial assistive devices meetings a range of needs. After reading this post I would encourage you to lo...

By: Katelyn Baron , EC-SEAT Scholar The solution I created is for an individual who experiences muscle strain in their forearm. They currently use a computer during their school day and at home for math/literacy enrichment. The regular mousepad was making their wrist turn towards the left and the position was uncomfortable and unnatural. This was causing more pain, than normal, in their forearm and in their wrist. I decided to make an ergonomic mouse pad to hopefully alleviate the strain and pain in the muscles in their forearm and wrist. Materials and Tools Utility blade Coro Claw Ruler Corrugated plastic Velcro hook and loop Washi tape Grip Adhesive Non-Slip Pads The pictures below show the mousepad is on an incline with the high side being 2 inches from the surface it is placed on. This incline allows for the wrist to be in a neutral position. The mousepad is also able to lie flat with the use of Velcro. The mousepad can easily fit into a their school bag withou...

By: Katelyn Baron , EC-SEAT Scholar This assistive technology device was created for a young individual who has a grasping impairment. Because of the impairment, she individual cannot form a secure grasp onto a marker. This very simple assistive technology device was created using a CPVC T joint and a Crayola Pipsqueak marker. The base of the T joint is pushed onto the Pipsqueak marker to make this device. Beyond using this device for a specific individual, a T joint can quickly be added to a marker in a classroom or at home to accommodate a child who has a grasping impairment. For this scenario, a Crayola Pipsqueak marker was used because the size of the marker makes it easier for them to handle. Their hand can maneuver the marker better because the tip is closer to their hand. It also can very quickly be removed when the T joint is not needed. The simplicity of this device is the most appealing!   Katelyn is in her final semester of the EC-SEAT graduate pro...

By: Sue Stubbs , EC-SEAT Scholar Jacob is a preschool-aged child who has severe physical abilities and benefits from modifications within a school setting. During this case study, many different tools were used to help assist in fine motor skills such as cutting. The cutting tools were used to determine which one worked best to fit the specific needs of this child. “Jacob” is a five-year-old boy who attends an inclusionary preschool program.  He has very limited use of his hands and his inability to complete fine motor tasks because of low muscle tone. Jacob’s Impairment affects his ability to grasp writing tools and small objects to complete fine motor tasks. Jacob will be able to use fine motor tools to help succeed in the preschool setting academically. The adaptive scissor device that is selected will help improve Jacob’s ability to perform fine motor tasks such as cutting in the preschool setting.  Task of Difficulty The task that Jacob needs assistance with is u...

--> By: Holly Bogardus , EC-SEAT Scholar R emember the Milk Cost: Free on the developer's website This app works on multiple devices : web-based, Mac, Windows, Linux, Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry 10, and Fire. It is compatible with Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, Evernote, and other software. Positives: Positives of the App are that it allows for customization that can range from things that need to be done daily, or the steps in a particular task based on the needs of the user. The app also allows for special reminders to be made at certain dates/times, such as if you had to take a medication only once a week. It also allows for notifications to be sent via text /email when certain tasks are completed. This can be beneficial for a patient with dementia or other executive functioning impairments as it can allow them more independence while alerting families or others that they are safe, taking their medications, and etc....