Access refers to how a person is able to interact with their device and 'tell' it what to do. I access my cellphone by using my finger to activate the touch screen and I control my computer by using a mouse and keyboard. Not everyone is able to use these traditional access methods which can lead to slow and tedious communication or no communication at all. Below is an account of what happened when we were able to find a suitable access method for our young client.
N.S has Athetoid Cerebral Palsy and although he has some speech it is often unintelligible. He is able to understand everything that is said to him and follows instructions very well. He is literate and has been using a computer with a keyboard to access his school curriculum and to communicate but finds this to be a slow and exhausting process due to the difficulties he has with controlling his movements.
He came to our offices where I tried a variety of access methods with him with limited success. It was decided that I would visit him at school with some access tools that were unavailable on the day of his initial assessment.
When I arrived at his school, he greeted me with a huge smile. He remembered my name and wanted to introduce me to his teacher but couldn't say my name clearly. I set up a Bjoy Stick C Lite for him to use with Click2Speak software and explained how it would work. I then asked him to type his name. Instead of typing his own name, he wrote my name and looked up and smiled at the teacher he had earlier tried to introduce me to. We were all thrilled and he was so proud of his effort. His OT assisted him to get the device in a position where he was best able to use it effectively.
While his team discussed his progress and made plans for his future, he spent the time using the system to type out names of different family members. After it was explained that it was time for me to go and I needed to pack up, he refused to release the joystick and I realized that he was busy typing 'I love you.' He then looked at me and smiled.
We look forward to seeing what this intelligent young man is capable of through the use of a system that has been chosen to suit his unique needs.
Please contact us for information on how to book a consultation, assessment or product trial. Please click here to find out more about our Introduction to Assistive Technology online training course where we discuss alternative access methods like the ones mentioned in this story.