When working with children with augmentative alternative communication
needs, there are often motor or cognitive issues which play a part in the
individuals participation in various activities. Therefore, we need to look at
what the activity is, whether the child can participate and if not, how can the activity can be adapted. We then need to look at how
to program the communication devices to allow maximum participation and positive
control. What follows are some ways to adapt various activity materials,
generally by using common household items: Many of these adaptations have been
discovered by working with other professionals who generously share their ideas
and others have been gathered by working with children.
Velcro Rule - it may be easier to use the male or hook Velcro on your
pictures or props and the female or loop Velcro on your communication boards or
books. That way your props will also stick to loopback
material, feltboards, or indoor outdoor carpeting.
This consistency helps when using materials from different classrooms as well
as different materials with each other. The Velcro rule is that the hook Velcro
is used on items that will be going onto something and the loop Velcro is used
on the items they are going on to.
Easels - often individuals are better able to attend when material is
presented in an upright manner. You can use a variety of items to create
easels. You can create
inexpensive easels using foamboard or for a lower
height use large three ring binders. Attach a potato chip bag clip to the high
side of the binder or blue tacky to hold papers or other items. Music stands
make great easels as typically they are very durable and you can vary their
angle and height. For individuals who need to see the work but you want to keep
it out of their hands reach due to uncontrolled movement, music stands work
very well. Use a large chip bag clip to hold the work or book on the stand.
Easels can be adapted by adding: wipe on wipe off contact paper; chalk
board contact paper; a sheet of magnet paper; felt or loopback
material (Velcro sensitive material) to allow a variety of items to be used on
them. Putting different materials on both sides of a piece of foam board that
can be velcroed on the easel allows for multiple uses
of one easel.
Color Coding - when introducing pictures or words use color coding of the
backgrounds (available in BoardMaker), color your
backgrounds or print or copy your pictures on color coded paper. Decide system
wide what color coding you will use. This will facilitate transitioning from
one communication board to another, or in creating sentences from words (train
the person to know they have to use at least one word from the basic color
categories). Carol Goosens and many others use the
following color coding system: Blue for adjectives; Pink for verbs; Yellow for
nouns; Green for prepositions or location words; and
Page Fluffers - page separators made with cardboard and foam board with a
paper clip glued between them. Cut between each paper clip. Clip on pages so as
to make them easier to separate and turn.
Hot Glue Dots or other material such as fun foam on the edge of the pages
(works especially well with cardboard pages, make the pages easier to separate
and turn.
Page Turners - you can also use small clothes pins or clips as page
turner for books which you cannot permanently adapt (such as library books).
Textures - add textures (such as fabric paint, fabric, sandpaper, etc.)
to the pages of the books to make it a multimodality activity.
Laminate or cover pages of books with contact paper, it makes them last
longer and allows you to sanitize after use.
3 Ring Binders - take out staples and separate pages in the book,
laminate or put in sheet protectors. The pages will stay open without holding
them as well as allowing you to add textures and being more durable.
Place each page of a book on colored background paper. Place key Picture
Communication Pictures on the bottom (create another set to pair with those in
the book). Place in sheet protectors. To use this method you will need three
copies of the book, two to put on color background paper and one for props.
Book Props - buy two or more books, cut out props from one book, laminate
and glue foam on the back to create more depth. Place Velcro on the back of
foam and use on communication boards or place on corresponding pictures on the
other book.
Interactive Sound Books - use fabric paint to outline and color match the
picture symbols in the book and on the sound producing section.
Program your story on the computer using HyperStudio,
IntelliPics, Clicker or Speaking Dynamically (your familiarity with software
and students access method will determine which software is most appropriate).
Make two print outs, that way you can use one set to create books props and one
set for a simplified hard copy of the book. This print out might be easier for
students with visual impairments to distinguish.
For children who need the computer to access books, scanning in the
actual photographs allow the child to use the same visuals other children use.
Using BoardMaker and pasting the pictures in
cells that are letter paper size can create larger Book Props. Print out the
pictures, cut, laminate and glue onto foam board (a glue gun works fine for
this), put stickyback Velcro on the back of the
props.
Object Book Props - Lakeshore has a variety of reasonably priced books
with props available, you can also borrow books and props from the Connecticut
State Library System located in Willimantic and
When putting books in three ring binders with sheet protectors, place a
piece of cardboard in between the pages. It makes the pages sturdier and easier
to turn.
If you need to adapt text on the computer to decrease complexity, do it
with Write:Outloud or other
talking word processors. You can then have the student read the text back using
a switch, sentence by sentence, by placing the mouse cursor on the read icon
and making the setting by sentence.
Choosing Books to Adapt - look for simple backgrounds, a lot of
repetitive text, rhyming, ease of retelling and the vocabulary level.
Picture It and Writing with Symbols 2000 allows
you to type in text and have a picture paired with the text. Use such software
to adapt books, to lower text complexity levels or to write out directions for
various activities. Often the inclusion of pictures with the text allows
students a greater level of independence. The text can be pasted right in books
using repositionable glue sticks or tape; that way it can be removed when the
child is done with the books or can be used on library books.
You can buy a kit of magnetized words from Lakeshore which are color
coded and a metal board to use them with (you can also create your own by
printing out words categorized by parts of speech on colored paper and adhering
them on magnet sheets available at most office supply stores). The child can
then manipulate the words into sentences without having to do the physical
actions of writing. Cheap cookie sheets can also be used to hold the magnets.
You can create color-coded pictures and words using the same directions
as above. Use the software Writing with Symbols 2000
or Picture It which places the picture with the word without your having to do
so yourself, or you can use a word processor program with BoardMaker
to do the same thing.
Use Overlay Maker to create overlays to use in creating words, rhyming
activities, or retelling story activities. Using a talking word processor will
allow the words, poems or stories to be read back to the student on an on-going
basis.
Adapted Pens - use the ideas under art items
Stencils - a variety of different size alphabet stencils are available
and allow the student to write their name. If prompts are needed, number the
letters in the order needed.
Letter and number stamps are available from a variety of teacher stores
and can easily be adapted to be easier to hold using corks, film containers,
small blocks, or other items glued onto the nonstamp
end.
Math manipulatives often end up all over the
place. Use indoor outdoor carpeting that Velcro sticks to and make two holes on
either side towards the top. String a shoelace from the back towards the front
on one end. Sting on 10 manipulative (large beads, spools, etc) and push the
end of the shoelace from front to back through the other hole. Tie in the back.
If desired create, laminate and attach Velcro on the numbers one through 10,
with also +, -, and = symbols to use for written representations. The child can
now manipulate the materials without them going all over.
Glue Stick Marker Holder glue four glue sticks together, two by two to
form a square. Use a glue gun to drill a hole in the glue sticks big enough to
fit a marker. perpendicular to the glue sticks. The
child holds onto the glue stick end and can write without having to supinate their hand. This also works well with larger
paintbrushes.
Use foam insulation pieces from the hardware store to build up paint
brushes, crayons, pens, pencils and other art items.
Adapted Stamps - use wine and champagne corks or empty film canisters
glued (Goop glue works well) to the backs of the rubber stamps (you can often
find kits with coordinating stamps to mount on the wood piece). This allows the
individual to more easily grasp the stamp to use it.
Fun Foam sheets available at craft stores can be used to create simple
shapes by tracing them on and cutting out the shapes. The shapes can then be
glued to pieces of linoleum; wood or foam core, and backed with corks or film
canisters. You can also use thicker foam used for packing electronic equipment.
Lakeshore, JoAnn Crafts and other stores sell packs
of different fun foam shapes that would make hundreds of stamps, for a
reasonable price.
Large Sponge Stamps can be cheaply purchased from a variety of stores.
Adapt these stamps with wooden spools (in the wood section of craft stores
often used to make candle sticks) to make them easy for all individuals to use.
These sponge stamps can be used to make great wrapping paper, posters and
cards.
Paint or stamp Rollers are available in craft and hardware stores (use
the small paint rollers for edges) and are great for painting large surfaces,
creating backgrounds or when used with larger stencils.
Pens, brushes, markers, etc. can be adapted to stay in students
hands even when they open them by using two strips of loopback
material, each placed on either end of the item. After the person grips the
item, use Velcro to attach the two pieces around the students hand.
Spin Art - can often be purchased cheaply at discounts stores, use a
battery interrupter so student can activate with a switch. You can also use old
record turntables and attach the paper using blue tacky.
Animal Markers - there are markers on the market in the shape of animals
which are short and round (kind of like the crayons that you use by putting
your fingers in them). These markers are often easier for students with
physical needs to use. Wrapping a thick rubber band on the base makes the
markers easier to grip.
The cleaning section of stores have a variety of sponges with handles
attached which can be used with paint to create various shapes or textures.
Use Discover Switch with the KidPix setups for
students who scan to create their own masterpieces.
Cutting - use scissors, electronic scissors, with a battery interrupter
and a switch for cutting larger items.
Switch Ensemble is wonderful software that allows your computer to become
a complete band. Different students (at the same time) using switches, the
keyboard, or the TouchWindow can easily access this
software. It has a multitude of preprogrammed songs in all different styles of
music. I know of classrooms that used the IIgs version
of this software for music assemblies in front of the whole class.
Use a strip of loopback material and a small
piece of Velcro to attach musical instruments to students' arm/hands for those
who can't hold the instruments.
Use vocal output devices with recordings of instruments or songs to have
the child lead or play along.
Musical Chairs - use the music hooked up to a switch for the student to
control the music.
Song Boards are easy to create using BoardMaker
or other pictures. Color code pictures and paste on posterboard.
Place Velcro where the words in the song change (i.e. the _________ on the bus
goes _______). The children can use communication arrays to fill in what goes
in the blank and their communication devices to sing the songs.
Program songs on the computer using software such as IntelliPics or
Speaking Dynamically. The child can sing along, lead the group or make choices
using direct selection techniques or scanning.
SoftTouch has Old MacDonald with a variety of
supplemental materials that can be used with direct selection, IntelliKeys and
built in auditory and visual scanning.
Using Piggy Back songs makes it easier for a child to memorize
different songs. You keep the melodies the same.
Having songs as a transition cue between activities is often more
effective for children.
Play games using vocal output devices such as Red Light Green Light,
Simon Says, etc. The person with the communication device has control over what
everyone does.
Have other students continue an exercise for as long as the student keeps
the switch down to play the music (this might be motivation for students who
are working on goals to maintain contact on the switch).
Mobility and Art - when working on wheelchair propulsion, attach outdoor
chalk to the end of a pointer, attach the pointer to the wheelchair (in a
manner which wont interfere with the chairs function), as the child wheels
around outside they create a piece of temporary art.
Hook up a tennis ball thrower to a control unit and a switch for a child
to pitch balls to other children or to play fetch with their dog.
Dress Ups - often children with physical needs do not get to participate
in dress up activities. It is easy to adapt costumes or ballet outfits from
recitals, by cutting up the back of the outfit, seaming the cuts, and using
Velcro to attach at the neck. That way the students can have the outfits put on
them without having to take them out of their wheelchairs or taking off any
other clothing items.
Adapted Dolls and Clothes - simple outfits can be created for dolls using
felt (no need to finish the edges). For key seams use Velcro
so the children can easily take the clothing on and off. This also
allows the pieces of clothing to be placed on communication boards or devices
to allow the child to make choices.
Adapted paper dolls - cut out dolls and clothes and laminate. Place
Velcro on the doll and clothes to make it easier to put the clothes on. Put
male Velcro on the back of the paper dolls so the children can use their eye
gaze or other communication boards/devices to make choices on what they want.
You could also use repositionable tape on the back of the materials.
Puppets - you can easily create puppets using felt or loopback
material, using Velcro to attach different pieces. Use a strip of loopback and Velcro to attach the puppets to the childs
hand. Hair scrunchies can also act as the base for
puppets using Velcro or glue. They also work great for gluing on small stuffed
animals.
Mobile Puppets - place the puppet on a ruler, attach the ruler to a
motorized car, use a battery interrupter and switch to have the child move the
car which causes the puppet to move.
Motorized cars placed inside a hula-hoop cannot go far or fall off of
tables.
Puzzles - use wood beads glued on to the puzzle to allow the student
easier access to the pieces. Trace around the puzzle pieces using permanent
markers, on the cardboard backing to assist in finding where the piece goes.
Place Velcro on the pieces and the backing so once the pieces are placed on
their spot they stay.
Puzzles for individuals can be created by using pictures the person likes
from magazines or other sources, laminating them or placing on sheets of magnet
paper, cutting the picture out and using foam core as the backing. Follow the
same directions above. This is a nice way to create age appropriate puzzles for
older children or adults.
Lotto games - laminate boards and pieces and use a small piece of Velcro
on the side of each square of the board and piece, so the pieces stay on the
board. Copying the boards and pieces on corresponding colors of paper makes it
easier to keep the correct boards with the correct pieces. Put each set of
pieces in snack ziplock bags.
Spinners - Use the Golden Books Sight N Sound series, the electronic
piece on the side is a spinner. You can take the electronic piece off, mount on
cardboard and create spinner strips using BoardMaker
or other picture sources. The button on the spinner can also be adapted using a
soda pop cap, foam and foamboard. Then when the
student hits the button or foam core the spinner lights move, noises play, and
a choice is made. You can use this for any game that involves choices, or as
dice.
Milk Carton Dice - use quart size milk cartons for larger dice or smaller
cartoons for small dice, cut three sides the same size as the base (you will be
creating a cube), cut the third side twice, plus a little more of the base
size. Put in bells or other noisemakers and fold over the larger side. Seal the
edges using tape and cover with contact paper. You can create dice by using
fabric paint or colored glue sticks to create the dots, or use Velcro to change
the pieces depending on the game. These dice are very easy to push off
wheelchair trays and you can even use five at a time for Yahtzee.
A powerful, portable battery operated fan with a battery interrupter and
a switch can be used for blowing bubbles and blowing out candles on a birthday
cake. Try the fan before buying it, the cheaper ones
often are not strong enough to blow bubbles. The fans can sometimes be placed
in a plastic or Tupperware cup to keep upright.
Blocks - often children with physical disabilities cannot stack blocks or
Legos, you can try using Velcro on them so that they
stay where placed.
Playing with toy cars can be easier if you string the cars on shoe laces,
string each end of the shoe lace through a sturdy material, such as foam core
or indoor outdoor carpeting. Tie shoelaces in the back. The child can then move
the cars without them falling on the floor. Scenes can be drawn on the foam
core and covered with contact paper before adding string on the cars.
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