Pupil portrait 3 – Stacey

Nature of special needs

Stacey is in Year 5. She has profound and multiple learning difficulties and very little control of her movements. These are due to her having cerebral palsy. She has periodical epileptic seizures. Stacey has no independent movement and no easily recognized form of communication. Her profound cognitive and communicative impairments tend to isolate her from other members of her class. Stacey is difficult to motivate and responds best to one-to-one adult attention. There is empirical evidence that she has significant visual difficulties, although this has as yet not been ophthamologically confirmed. Stacey cannot hold objects and has no formal communication system.

However, she does demonstrate some sensory awareness and facial expression. She responds to stimuli by smiling, crying and vocalizing and has some basic appreciation of cause and effect. Stacey’s hearing seems to be normal indicated by her tendency to reach out for objects that make a sound and to turn towards familiar voices. Staff feel that facilitated ICT should be introduced in the form of early environmental and mobility control, auditory stimulation, and cause-and-effect communication.

Prerequisites for ICT success

Access to ICT equipment

Stacey is suitably seated in her Caps II wheelchair. There is, therefore, no immediate need to review her seating and positioning. The assessment by her multidisciplinary team has found a position for a Big Buddy Button switch that Stacey can press with her right hand with help from an adult. The physical facilitation that has been identified as appropriate is support under Stacey’s arm. In this position an adult can help Stacey move forwards towards, press and then release the switch. The adults working with Stacey have been instructed that they need to be very sensitive with helping with this movement – feeling for any active involvement from Stacey. When Stacey begins consistently to join in with the movement the adult should then wait till Stacy initiates the movement and with time should reduce the amount of help.

Multidisciplinary ICT assessment

Stacey’s multidisciplinary team (teacher, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist) has flagged up a number of distinct areas of activity where ICT could be integrated into Stacey’s daily programme. Over the next few months ICT will be used to:

• give Stacey the sensation of independent movement through space
• enhance her sense of participation in sensory activities
• stimulate her auditory channel
• develop early appreciation of cause-and-effect communication

To achieve this Stacey will have facilitated access to the school’s switch operated Mobility Platform, switch-operated electrical devices (a hairdryer, foot spa, fan, disco lights), music (radio, tape-recorder, rhythm synthesizer, sound beam), and a simple communication device (BIGmack).

(For information on switch operated devices, see Unit 8 – The development of switching skills. For information on communication aids, see Unit 3 – Language and communication)

Access

To stimulate Stacey’s early appreciation of cause and effect, her access will be facilitated at all times as specified above. Random exploration of ICT-related activities should be discouraged at this early stage.

Teamwork

Teaching and therapy staff have combined to plan a programme of activity involving the use of ICT. Whenever possible and appropriate this will also be delivered jointly.

Access to the curriculum

WHAT? – Pre-level 1 performance criteria (taken from ‘Supporting the Target Setting Process’ – DfEE)

Language & Literacy (Pages 24 – 29)
Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing

Maths (Pages 30-35)
Number – using & applying, Shape, Space & Measures

Personal & Social Development (Pages 36 – 41)
Interacting and working with others, Independent & Organizational Skills, Attention

In all areas Stacey has achieved P2 of the Performance Criteria and is now working towards P3.

HOW? – to meet these specific targets with ICT

Stacey’s educational and communication objectives fall within a cross-curricular, pre-level one set of Early Development Targets. In terms of ICT, this has the effect of blurring the distinctions between ‘Language & Literacy’, ‘Mathematics’, and ‘Personal & Social Development’.

Give Stacey the sensation of independent movement through space. ICT intervention: Use the Mobility Platform, with a latching box, on pre-programmed ‘routes’ to move her through sensorily stimulating and contrasting environments. With facilitation enable her to press a ‘tactile’ switch (with an auditory click) to move the Mobility Platform towards familiar and comforting voices; through a half closed curtain or beaded screen’; through a Sound Beam; into a Sensation Room with contrasting smells and other sensations such as ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold’.

Enhance Stacey’s sense of participation in sensory activities. ICT intervention: Use a number of different switch-operated battery toys and electrical appliances (see above and Unit 8) to heighten her sensory awareness and early understanding of cause and effect.
Stimulate Stacey’s auditory channel ICT intervention: Use radios, tape-recorders, simple rhythm synthesizers, and the Sound Beam to stimulate this channel. Facilitated switch access will ensure a clearer link between cause and effect.

Develop in Stacey a formative appreciation of cause-and-effect communication.

ICT intervention: Use BIGmack messages together with Objects of Reference (see Units 8 and 10) to begin the process of associating an object and digitized message with a reward or other specific and recognizable outcome. Eating, drinking, singing, tactile playing, music-making are all obvious areas for BIGmack inclusion.

WHO? – responsibility for ICT

Stacey’s class teacher will take responsibility for ICT and its inclusion in her IEP and Annual Review. A commitment to training and technical support will be included in the School Development Plan.

WHEN? – to use ICT

Stacey’s limited appreciation of cause and effect requires avoidance of random and unfocused ICT. ICT should be used meaningfully and sparingly. There is probably little value at this early stage in using computer-based cause-and-effect software. This is something to be considered at the next Annual Review.

Learning objective

Learning objectives for Stacey are set for a term

• using a switch with adult facilitation under Stacey’s arm, during a ten-minute activity (one that Stacey shows she likes) Stacey actively joins in with the forward movement to her switch. (This movement may only be felt by the adult and may not result in actual independent movement but shows that Stacey is beginning to appreciate that she can become involved in controlling the activity.)

Only one learning objective specifically targeting ICT has been set for Stacey. Achievement of this will be the starting point for all her future development in this field.

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