Sonya Van Horn, M.S., ATP
Assistive Technology Consultant
Mary Kay Dulin, B.S.
Assistive Technology Specialist
North Carolina Assistive Technology Program
Goal
• Create ready to go activity kits
adapted for
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Communication
Physical needs
Vision needs
Cooperative play
Literacy
Learning
• Makes activity set up quick
and easy
• Can store in containers or
hanging bags
For young children…
=
Playing
=
Learning
Why make adapted play
Because play should…
boards?
• Be engineered for success
• Provide learning opportunities for concepts
appropriate for child’s developmental stage
• Facilitate active involvement of the child
• Provide opportunities for the child to
communicate
• Help children become empowered initiators in
play and communication
• Encourage creativity and exploration
• Traditional toys and play activities often don’t
provide these opportunities in an accessible
way for kids with special needs
Play and Brain Development
• The interaction between experience
and brain activity helps the brain
develop
• The more a child plays, the more
the brain’s functions will improve
and expand
• Toys that are appropriate to a child’s
developmental stage and abilities
help ensure frequent successes,
building brain function as well as
self esteem.
Play and Brain Development
• Researchers have found a direct
link between brain function and the
rising stress level caused by a lack
of success during play and other
activities. As a child’s frustraton or
stress level rises, the level of the
hormone cortisol in the brain also
increases, slowing the activity in the
hippocampus, which handles
memory functions.
What are they learning?
• Concepts
– Cause & effect
– Object
permanence
– Object
characteristics
• I can!
• I can make things
happen
• Play is FUN!
Or
• Helplessness
• I can’t
• I have to wait for
someone to
initiate play
• Play isn’t fun
What else happens during
successful play?
• Children learn about themselves and the
world
• Children are enabled to interact with
objects and their environment
• Relationships with others are developed
and strengthened
• Self Image and self esteem are improved
Communication & Play
• Children need to be able to make
choices about play activities
Communication & Play
• To play & learn effectively, children
need a way to communicate with play
partners
Communication & Play
• Communication provides a way for
children with physical limitations to
participate by directing play activities
Communication & Play
• Children need to be able to
communicate what they know, need,
want, like, don’t like, don’t
understand, etc.
Communication & Play
• Allows child to communicate emotions
during play which can decrease
aggressive behaviors
Communication & Play
• Many children benefit from a
total communication approach
using
– signs,
– gestures,
– vocalizations,
– symbols and
– voice output devices
Communication & Play
Options
• Object boards that allow child
to make choices
• Symbol or picture boards
• Voice output devices
Boardmaker
Mayer-Johnson
• Software that allows you to
easily create symbols for play
activities
• Can also create overlays for
voice output devices using
pre-made grids
Tips for Creating
Activity-based Symbol Sets
• What does child need to communicate to
participate in the activity?
• Plan for peer interaction
• Always include multiple parts of speech, not just
nouns
• Color coding
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Verbs
Descriptors
Prepositions
Nouns
Miscellaneous
• Adjust symbols to child’s needs
– Number of symbols
– Color
– Size
• Ready made board resources
Voice Output Technology
• Voice output devices boost
development of spoken words &
phrases
• Children typically become more verbal
in response to spoken language paired
with signs, symbols & voice output
• Helps the child learn the POWER of
language
Voice Output Technology
• Provide a more concrete way to
experience language
• Allows child to hear, see and feel
language
• Many children benefit from multi-modal
learning experiences
Inexpensive Voice Output
Product
Source
Cost
National Artcraft
Co.
1/$6.95
Easy to activate and
25+/$4.95
adapt
Good voice quality
Shipping:
$3.95 for any
quantity
LS&S
1/$5.95
Very difficult to activate.
Made of thin plastic, not
sturdy. Not
recommended
Voice-Express
1/$9.50
box of
50/$3.55
Good voice quality.
Requires more pressure
to activate. Easy to
adapt. Has microphone
jack for improved voice
quality recording.
Happy n
Scrappin
1/$5.99
Shipping:
$5.95
Out of stock
Compact Voice
Recorder
Greeting Card Insert
Voice-over Recorder
Scrapbook Alive
Comments
Inexpensive Voice Output
Product
Source
Cost
Comments
Silver Lining
Multimedia
$8.95
Haven’t tried
Ablenet
3/$49.00
Voice volume low; large,
easy to activate target;
built-in magnet
Hug Me Voice
Recorder
Talking Symbols
Notepad
Engineering for Success
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Carpet squares or velfoam boards
Velcro on toys, books and symbols
Cords to hold toys on play board
Foam grips
Stick on earrings
Black on white, white on black
Puff paint outlines
Magnets & cookie sheets
Page puffers
Books
• Adapted books
– Page turning
– Symbols
– Tactile cues
– Contrast
Music
• Songboards
Questions?
Gone F ishing Activity
• Includes 4 activities
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Pretend play
Game
Counting
Colors
• Free Internet activities
• Related books and toys
Gone F ishing Activity
Fishing Game Supplies
Amount
needed
Cost
Magnet fishing game
1
12/$4.95
Fish tray
1
12/$7.95
Fishing pole
1
.95
Symbols
1
Carpet strips
1
Blocks (Dice)
1
48/19.95
Neoprene strap
1- 4” piece
3.3 yds/$10.95
Velcro hook dots
34
Velcro loop dots
6
Grip liner
1 piece
Gone F ishing Activity
1.Put hook Velcro dots on symbols
2.Cut out symbols
3.Set fishing game symbols aside
4.Put symbols on carpet strip
5.Put 1 dot of loop Velcro in the
center of each side of the block
6.Put fishing game symbols on block
to create die
7.Cut X at each end of neo loop and
slide over handle of the fishing
pole
8.Place grip liner under fish tray
Brown Bear Activity
•Adapted book
•Symbols
•Voice recorder
•Glove & stick puppets
•Free Internet activities
•Literacy kit resources
Brown Bear Activity
Brown Bear supplies
Amount needed
Cost
Book
1
$5.42
Sticks for puppets
11
500/$6.95
Gloves for puppets
1
$1.00/pair
Binder clips
12
Compact Voice recorder
1
$4.95
Plastic container
1
10/$1.00
Symbols & puppets
1
Web site handout
1
Carpet square
1
Velcro hook dots
39
Velcro loop dots
14
Brown Bear Activity
Preparing Book, Puppets and symbols
1.Place one binder clip on each page of the Brown
Bear board book
2.Put one piece of hook Velcro on each of the
outside corners of the front and back of the
book (4 pieces total)
3.Press book onto carpet square
4.Put hook Velcro dots on symbols and puppets
5.Cut out symbols and puppets
6.Put symbols on carpet square
7.Put loop Velcro on sticks
8.Attach puppets to sticks and/or glove
Brown Bear Activity
Recording a Message on Voice Recorder
1.Take voice recorder out of the box
2.Rotate cover so rubber button is exposed
3.Press and hold button to record up to 10
seconds of speech (“What do you see?”)
4.Rotate cover to save
Brown Bear Activity
Adapting Voice Recorder
1.Close lid of box that voice recorder came in
2.Put 1 dot of hook Velcro on the bottom of the
box
3.Put 1 dot of loop Velcro on top of the box
4.Place 1 dot of hook Velcro with adhesive
side up on top of loop Velcro dot
5.Press the voice recorder into place on top of
the box
6.Cut 1 loop Velcro dot into quarters
Brown Bear Activity
Adapting Voice Recorder (continued)
7.Place one quarter on button on voice
recorder
8.Put 1 dot of hook Velcro with adhesive side
up on top of loop Velcro on the button
9.Press container into place over voice
recorder
10.Put 1 dot of loop Velcro on top of container
for symbol
11.Put “What do you see?” symbol on top of
container