Many families encounter switch access at a point in their journey when they have already tried a lot. A parent of a child who cannot reliably press a keyboard key, control a mouse, or operate a touchscreen consistently has often heard several suggestions that didn't pan out before anyone mentions a switch. A switch is a device that sends a signal when activated. That signal can trigger an AAC device, advance a scanning cursor on a screen, activate a smart home device, or control any number of systems designed to receive switch input. One reliable movement, connected to whatever the person needs to access. How Scanning Works. Most switch access systems use a method called scanning, where software cycles through options on the screen at a set speed. The user watches the cursor move and activates the switch to select when it reaches the desired option. It feels slow to anyone watching from the outside. For the user, it is access: the ability to navigate a menu, express a thought, or turn off a light, using whatever movement they have. With practice and a properly calibrated scanning speed, that access becomes surprisingly fluent. Single-switch scanning is the entry point for most users. The switch advances the scan; a second press or hold selects. Two-switch scanning is faster: one switch advances, one selects. For many users, two-switch scanning significantly increases the speed of communication. The right setup depends on what movements the user can make most reliably over time, not just...

Switch access explained: what it is, types of devices, who benefits, and how switch access connects to AAC and environmental control.

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

Standard keyboards and mice were designed for two hands with full motor control. For people with cerebral palsy, ALS, spinal cord injuries, arthritis, or other motor disabilities, accessing a computer often requires different input methods entirely. The range of available adaptive technology is wider than most people realize, and the right match depends almost entirely on the specific nature of the disability. What works for someone with limited hand strength is different from what works for someone with no hand function at all. The organizing principle: identify the most reliable movement the person has, and work outward from there. Most people are shown a small fraction of what exists when they first ask for help with computer access. Starting with Standard Adaptations. Before moving to specialized hardware, it is worth checking whether built-in OS accessibility features address the need. Windows and macOS both include keyboard accessibility options that slow repeat rates, filter unintentional keystrokes, and allow mouse control from the keyboard's number pad. These settings take minutes to configure and cost nothing. For people with mild motor impairments, they are often sufficient. For users with stronger needs, the next tier is modified standard hardware. Large-print keyboards with high-contrast keys reduce error for users with fine motor difficulty. Keyguards, which are cutout overlays that fit over the keyboard, help users with tremors or poor aim press individual keys without accidentally triggering adjacent ones. One-handed keyboards, laid out to make single-hand typing efficient, serve users who have full function on one side...

Adaptive Keyboards, Mice, and Computer Access for Motor Disabilities

When a child's evaluation team or speech-language pathologist recommends moving from an AAC app to a dedicated device, the questions families ask first are about cost and insurance. A dedicated speech-generating device can run anywhere from $1,000 to $8,000 before accessories. The spread across that range is real, and understanding what drives it makes the decision considerably less opaque. Apps vs. Dedicated Devices: The Core Difference. AAC apps run on consumer tablets. Dedicated devices run proprietary or specialized hardware and software, often from the same manufacturers who developed the vocabulary systems those apps use. The difference is primarily in the hardware built around the vocabulary system, not the vocabulary system itself. Dedicated devices typically offer more durable construction for daily drops and outdoor use. They carry longer manufacturer support commitments, which matters for a device a child may use for years. They can often be mounted to wheelchairs or positioning equipment in ways a standard tablet cannot. And critically, insurance will cover dedicated devices in ways it generally will not cover consumer tablets. The research does not show that dedicated hardware produces better communication outcomes than high-quality apps used consistently. Practical factors drive this decision: durability, access to insurance funding, and long-term manufacturer support. Major Dedicated Devices.  Accent  Made by PRC-Saltillo, the Accent series is one of the most widely prescribed dedicated AAC devices in the United States. It runs the LAMP Words for Life and Unity vocabulary systems that many SLPs prefer, and the hardware is designed...

Dedicated Speech-Generating Devices: Comparing AAC Hardware for Nonverbal Users

 When people open their home to friends and family, they also open it to less desirable things like dirt and germs. The Amazing Mat lets you welcome guests in and keep dirt and germs out. Regular outdoor mats are breeding grounds for bacteria and retain dried dirt that is eventually brought into your house. The Amazing Mat traps this dirt and captures up to 99.9 percent of germs, bacteria, pollen, allergens, fungus, and even feces from your shoes — or pet's paws — before they can be tracked into your home.    The Amazing Mat is a multi-layered indoor mat constructed with thin, clear, eco-friendly sheets. It uses the same powerful anti-bacterial adhesive as NASA and professional clean rooms where any stray particle of dirt and dust can destroy the germ-free environment. It is simple to use: when the top sheet gets dirty, just peel it away to reveal a new one underneath. The Amazing Mat consists of 30 recyclable sheets, which normally last for three months, depending on traffic.    You can put the mat at any covered entrance to your house, garage, patio or workshop, and use it to create a clean, sanitary environment. It is available in six designs, from a popular sandstone look to Oriental to even a paw print design.    It retails for $29.95 and can be purchased at https://www.theamazingmat.com.       


The Amazing Mat, priced at $29.95, keeps out 99.9% of germs and dirt with its peelable, eco-friendly layers.

Not Dirt and Germs with the Amazing Mat

  Sensory processing disorders cause children to have a distorted sense of their surroundings, which often interrupts their learning and exploration of their world. Sensory integration is our brain's ability to interpret and respond to sensory information, and those with sensory processing disorder often have difficulty integrating and responding to this information.   Using sensory integration products is one key way to help a child with sensory processing disorder make sense of the world; additionally, these products are ideal for children who do not have sensory processing disorder, and these items can help children reach important developmental milestones.   One such sensory integration product is a sensory board, and you can purchase one or make one yourself. Including your child in the creation of a sensory board is a fun activity, and you can really tailor the board to your child's needs.   Purchase wooden or cork coasters from a craft supply store; you can assemble these squares into a larger board after they have been decorated. Using a glue gun, attach a particular object, one for each square. Consider the following sensory objects:    Beads   Buttons   Felt   Feathers   Velcro   Cotton   Bubble wrap   Sandpaper   Wax paper   Yarn   Ribbon   Squishy shapes   Fake leaves or flowers   Pipe cleaners   Plastic letters or shapes   Pasta   Craft...

Sensory boards with varied textures aid children with sensory processing disorders, enhancing their sensory integration and development.

Sensory Boards for Special Needs

  Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto is planning the first ever clinical trial of robot-assisted therapy for children with cerebral palsy.   The two-and-a-half year study is slated to start in June, and it will investigate the use of robot-assistive technology for gait training. Researchers hope to find the best practices for using robot-assisted therapy with individuals of varying severity levels of cerebral palsy, a congenital motor condition.   The machine, called a Lokomat Pro, has been used for adults, but this machine in Toronto is the first one for pediatric use. It works by helping a child stand upright, and the robotics move the child's legs to simulate normal walking patterns. The machine also includes a virtual reality screen, so children can choose a character to walk in sync with them. Research has shown that engagement in walking and gait training helps stimulate and train the muscles for motor learning. The Lokomat works well by also providing biofeedback and motivation for the child to engage in walking.   The Toronto study will involve 20 children ages four to 12. They will go through eight weeks of Lokomat training, take six weeks rest, followed by eight weeks of physical therapy. The purpose of this model is to investigate the efficacy of each intervention on the subjects. The children have a wide range of abilities; some are able to walk with the use of canes and crutches, while others use wheelchairs. Researchers hope this study...

Toronto's Holland Bloorview Hospital starts a first clinical trial for robot-assisted therapy in cerebral palsy children to improve gait.

Robotic-Assited Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Children with difficulty developing verbal speech are often in need of aides or devices to help them understand and use language. For these children, schools often use programs like PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to help grow language and comprehension, along with visual strategies and signs. Some children have problems maintaining attention when they have to manipulate the pictures in PECS or motor plan for signing, so other supports are brought in. Many devices have symbols and/or voice output when touched or typed. Regardless of the system chosen, the direction for, and purpose of, it should be clear and followed by the school and home team.  All and any systems used should be both a therapy tool and a communication support. When used correctly and consistently the child will come to understand the relationship between an item, word or icon and the outcome they generate by choosing it. This creates a living experience for them that connects the meaning of a communication act (pushing the button, making the sign, finding the picture) with accessing their needs. A positive outcome increases their motivation to continue using the system or process. The only time a system should be used as a communication substitute is when an individual is physiologically unable to produce voice and/or speech.  Over the years I have seen many unusual and surprising outcomes in clinical cases. After working with one child for a year with little success in developing verbal/vocal speech, his parents started him in a...

Communication aides/devices are essential for children with speech difficulties, offering both therapy tools and support for language use.

Communication Aides & Devices: Therapy Tool or Communication Substitute?

For parents of children with autism or ADHD, each day can present new struggles for calming their children during a tantrum or meltdown. While they are not used much even today, weighted or pressure vests are tools, in addition to weighted blankets, that have a calming effect on children with disabilities. Very few scientific studies have investigated the usefulness of pressure vests, but testimony from those that use the vests is positive. Weighted vests can be used for children with autism, ADHD, sensory integration disorders, or neurological disorders. Sensory Goods is a company that makes affordable weighted products, and each of their pressure vests has eight pockets with sewn-in weights. Made from neoprene, which is a synthetic material, these vests are durable, although they are not recommended to be worn on bare skin. Most manufacturers and caregivers who use weighted vests suggest that children should wear the vest in 20-minute intervals, so for every 20 minutes the child wears the vest, he should take it off for 20 minutes. While the field of pressure vests still lacks a great deal of scientific proof, many children who are easily distracted, hyperactive, or lack concentration benefit from the use of weighted vests.  How Do Pressure Vests Work?  Pressure vests provide proprioceptive feedback to a child with a sensory processing disorder. Proprioceptors are sensors that aid in a child's sensation of gravity and body movement, and proper functioning of these sensors is essential for accurate and appropriate movements. Motor control, rhythmic...

Pressure vests provide calming proprioceptive feedback for children with autism, ADHD, or sensory disorders, improving focus and movement.

What is a Pressure Vest?

 As a parent or caregiver of a child with autism, there are many resources and autism products that you can utilize. None of the autism products available are going to cure your son or daughter, but they will make your job as the caretaker much easier. Two of these products are Liquid Carnosine Plus, a beneficial dietary supplement, and a safety kit that is made especially for children with autism and their families.    Liquid Carnosine Plus     Liquid Carnosine Plus is an all-natural dietary supplement that has been known to help children with autism. The product is free from common allergens and is made up of L-Carnosine, which consists of Alanine and Histadine, a dipeptide that is most concentrated in the brain, heart, and eyes. This supplement also helps restore the balance of copper and zinc ratios in the body. Therefore, many children with autism benefit from taking this product regularly. Many parents of children with autism see huge improvements in their child's health, speech, understanding, and mood. Some children even experience fewer seizures.   Liquid Carnosine Plus is one of the many autism products that has research and proof behind it. Doctors have praised this product because it helps others with anti-aging. The Liquid Carnosine Plus can be found on several online stores, including Amazon.com.    Safety Products    While there are many autism products available, one that is great to invest in is a safety kit....

Products like Liquid Carnosine Plus and autism safety kits can aid children with autism, potentially improving health and safety.

Autism Products to Save Your Child's Life

Apple appears to be taking steps to make its popular tablet and smartphone devices more user-friendly for people with disabilities who are unable to use touch screens. In a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public this month, the technology giant said it is seeking to patent a method for connecting its products to accessories that could act in place of the touch screen. This may allow people to control Apple products in the future by using devices like a joystick or by doing something as simple as blowing into a straw. In recent years, Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices have been overwhelmingly popular among people with disabilities who use text-to-speech and other types of applications to replace traditional, costly assistive technology. However, since the products all use touch screens, some with dexterity issues and visual impairments have had trouble with the devices. The patent application may suggest that Apple is looking to eliminate this hurdle.


Apple eyes patents for accessories to aid disabled users, enabling alternatives to touch screen interaction, like joysticks or straws.

Apple Filing May Signal Focus On Disability Market

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Special Needs
Articles

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

Adaptive Keyboards, Mice, and Computer Access for Motor Disabilities

Dedicated Speech-Generating Devices: Comparing AAC Hardware for Nonverbal Users

Not Dirt and Germs with the Amazing Mat

Sensory Boards for Special Needs

Robotic-Assited Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Communication Aides & Devices: Therapy Tool or Communication Substitute?

What is a Pressure Vest?

Autism Products to Save Your Child's Life

Apple Filing May Signal Focus On Disability Market

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

Adaptive Keyboards, Mice, and Computer Access for Motor Disabilities

Dedicated Speech-Generating Devices: Comparing AAC Hardware for Nonverbal Users

Not Dirt and Germs with the Amazing Mat

Sensory Boards for Special Needs

Robotic-Assited Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Communication Aides & Devices: Therapy Tool or Communication Substitute?

What is a Pressure Vest?

Autism Products to Save Your Child's Life

Apple Filing May Signal Focus On Disability Market

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles