Sensory abilities

Surprisingly, the sensory abilities of a pupil with severe and complex needs are sometimes overlooked. Clearly, what a pupil can hear and see is crucial in deciding whether and how ICT can be a useful augmentative tool. Hearing and seeing require not only the receptors (ears and eyes) to be functional, but also the pathways within the brain to work and make the correct connections. It is these internal pathways that have great bearing on how sight or sound is perceived by the pupil. As with physical ability, the establishment of an agreed baseline is vital. This may involve seeking specialist expertise and making an assessment before decisions relating to ICT can be properly made. Sometimes, however, the use of ICT within the base-line assessment process can in itself reveal important information relating to the sensory abilities of the pupil. An example of this might be the case of a pupil with cerebral palsy and no speech, for whom standardized sensory baseline testing does not reveal any specific visual acuity or perceptual difficulties. In this case the introduction of ICT via a switch or joystick, with some appropriate software, can sometimes reveal a damaged field of vision, a tracking problem or even a visuo-perceptual difficulty.

An example of visuo-perceptual difficulties as demonstrated by a user, who only placed his pizza toppings in the bottom half of his My World screen.

Cognitive abilities

Identifying ICT needs cannot be successful without recognizing and understanding the cognitive abilities of the pupil. Pupils with severe and profound difficulties should have diagnostically detailed assessments of their cognitive abilities in place by the time they start school and, preferably, before ICT is introduced. In some cases, ICT can be successfully used as a supportive diagnostic tool within the cognitive assessment process itself.

Knowing where a pupil sits within the continuum of cognitive ability affects initial and subsequent choices of ICT hardware and software. For example, the decision to introduce one or more switches might depend as much on the cognitive abilities of a pupil as on their physical ability to control these devices. It is sometimes impossible, especially in younger pupils, to separate one from the other.

Choosing hardware

In choosing hardware (in particular, peripheral access devices such as switches and joysticks) two important questions need to be considered:

• Does the pupil understand the causal relationship between the access device and the ICT activity?
  Put simply – when I move my joystick forward, the on-screen pointer will move up and when I move it back, the pointer will move down. For some pupils such conceptual links will be very confusing, whereas, for more able pupils, the link between ‘forward’ and ‘up’ will be intuitively understood. Students with such difficulties may understand pointer control more easily if the joystick is stood on its end, thereby creating a direct link between the movement of the joystick and the movement of the screen pointer.
• When is it the right time to review and consider a change of hardware input?
  Pupils with severe and complex needs are always being subjected to change, both planned and unplanned. Change, which is not carefully managed, can be very disruptive, particularly when it is associated with discontinuity. However, change must be considered when things are not working well or when the pupil has been so successful that they have outgrown the original recommendations. A change of device does not necessarily mean using one thing instead of another.

An example of such change introduced ‘in parallel’ would be a Joystick Plus user, who is cognitively and physically ready to use a keyboard for some simple writing activities. However, in making this transition from joystick to keyboard, they would not wish to abandon their accustomed mode of ‘point-and-click’ writing. They might continue to use ‘point-and-click’ for most of their writing but have short periods using a keyboard. Once skillful at using a keyboard they might stop using ‘point-and-click’.

On the other hand a switch user may be ready to consider ‘row and column’ scanning as a much faster but conceptually more involved alternative to ‘simple’ scanning. In this scenario the change of input method could not effectively be introduced ‘in parallel’. Otherwise, huge confusions, both cognitive and physical, would ensue.

Choosing software The choice of software and the way it is presented (or interfaced) to the pupil will equally depend on that pupil’s cognitive abilities. Identifying suitable software for individual pupils is, furthermore, complicated by the many of choices now available to teachers and parents. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding ‘software indigestion’:

• Is the chosen software relevant?
  This may seem an obvious and simple question but one that is worth asking from time to time.
• What specific learning objective(s) does the software address?
  Software should rarely be used as a ‘time filler’, however tempting this might be, even on Friday afternoons! This will only devalue its importance within the overall scheme of things. As with any learning resource, software should be thoughtfully selected and dovetailed into learning objectives where it has the most impact and pertinence.
• Is ICT an appropriate vehicle for the delivery of a learning objective?
  Remember that you don’t always have to use ICT for the delivery of learning and communication!
• Is the software flexible in terms of its range of input methods?
  Some pupils will need to change their input method or even device. Make sure that the chosen software will tolerate this need. Does it enable the pupil to use their preferred method of input (this applies in particular to switch scanning) or will they be asked to accommodate themselves to the software’s limitations (see Unit 8)?
• Where appropriate, does the software offer the pupil an opportunity to work independently?
  Can it build up self-reliance and confidence? There will be times when pupils can work independently of their teacher or LSA but within a secure and successful framework. Such periods of work should be part of a plan for a pupil to work independently, not just as a ‘time filler’ (see above). Random and unfocused ICT use should be avoided.
• Will the software allow the pupil to grow and expand at his or her own pace?
  This is particularly important in the selection of writing or AAC software. While good practitioners will want to adapt content and presentation the more a pupil succeeds and develops, they will also want to do this within a consistent and largely familiar framework. They will not want to buy new software or face frequent upgrades!

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