Assistive technology equipment generally refers to items purchased–often through specialized vendors–to give children access to opportunities in all aspects of life. Examples of AT for young children include bath chairs and feeding tools, adapted toys with a switch interface, hearing aids, augmentative communication devices, wheelchairs, walkers, and standers.
Handout 5.2 provides examples of assistive technology equipment used with young children to increase and maintain communication, mobility, and self-help skills.
Video 5.4: Perl using a switch and stander
An adult uses two adaptations, a switch device and a box to all a preschool aged child to participate in a game with another child (running time 3 min. 20 sec).
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Chloe:
I want to do that.
Teacher:
All right, let’s do it then. You guys wanna do this?
Chloe:
Ya! Ya! I do.
Narrator:
This is Perl and Perl is working on a number of different things, one of which is peer interaction. So this is a Turn Ticky game that Perl can participate independently with and talk with her peers, and listen to what peers say to her. It’s a pretty cool game. In order to set up for this activity, we’ve adapted this gear game so that Perl can be an equal partner in playing the game. One of the things we’ve done is taking a big button that she can easily press and let go of to make the Ticky go around. And I’m putting it on a box so that she can easily reach it. If it was down on a table, it would be too hard for her to push the button so it’s up on this box and so she can easily push it and let it go. So this is an activity that started out just as gears and was adapted for her specifically using the big button.
So the system here is that Perl’s friend puts on a gear, on the gear game, and Perl gets to make the gear go. She listens to her friend who tells her either to make the gear go around or to make it stop and she responds. She loves it because she’s making the action happen. And then we’ll work on her telling her peer what she wants. So she can sign a number of words including “more.” She’s signing here – “more.” She wants to play the game again.
Teacher:
Oh, it’s working, look Perl! You’re doing it! Do it again. Ok Chloe, tell her…
Chloe:
Stop! Ok, go!
Teacher:
Go, please. You like it? Want to go again?
Narrator:
One of the other benefits of this game is that this is something that their teachers can get out at any time – free play, the end of activity time – it’s really easy. Sometimes they have 4 or 5 kids gathered around, each taking turns putting gears on. It’s really easy to use and Perl can be independent and have a lot of fun with it.
Teacher:
What’s she saying Chloe?
Chloe:
More!
Teacher:
All right, she wants more.
Chloe:
I like that one.
Teacher:
Ok, we’re almost finished, only three more to go. Ok, go! [laughs]. Uh oh, something’s going wrong. What’s going wrong? Ok, stop please. Let me try to figure it out.
Video 5.5 Max using a walker
An adult helps a child use a walker to get from the classroom to the playground (running 2 min. 19 sec.).
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Narrator:
OK, we’re going outside and the goal here is to have the child walk with the walker from the classroom to the playground. We’re also trying to encourage him to use his left hand and keep it on the walker. We’re having to help him keep his hand on the walker at some time.
And this is a good transition for us. Going outside is something that we do every day and going in and out with the walker is easier in a hallway than it is in the classroom where we have a lot of shelves and toys on the floor.
I’m having to help him steer a little with the walker. He has a little hard time – and he’s smiling at the camera. Trying to keep up with his friends who are already in the elevator.
Teacher:
Turn, turn, turn, we’re at the elevator.
Narrator:
He really does a great job with the walker. Just needs reminding of his left hand.
Teacher:
Turn, turn, turn! Wait, come back. Left hand. Can you hold on?.
Narrator:
He’s not always aware of where his left hand is.
Teacher:
At the elevator. Turn. Whoa! Turn, turn, turn. Let’s go in.
Narrator:
Going in, seeing his friends.
Teacher:
Push, push. Push, turn.
Narrator:
And he uses his walker to walk all the way out onto the playground…
Teacher:
Whoop, gotta keep this left hand on.
Narrator:
…and occasionally we use it actually on the playground.
Teacher:
There you go.