Scenario 2 – Computer screen pointer control

There is no doubt that the ability to navigate a pointer around a computer screen is a valuable skill. Much of today’s fun, motivating, educational software is controlled by ‘pointing and clicking’. Using a computer mouse is a physically and cognitively demanding task. The pupil has to have the physical control to move the pointer to an appropriate place, as well as the cognitive and spatial ability to relate pointer movement to mouse movement, not to mention the physical and cognitive understanding of ‘clicking’, ‘double clicking’ and ‘dragging’.

Sometimes a pupil may have the cognitive potential, but not the physical means to make effective use of a mouse. It is tempting to think that if a pupil is not able to use a mouse, then the wide range of good software is not accessible to them. This is not so! There is a range of equipment which can make pointer control achievable. There are also some techniques which can help.

Mouse alternatives (see Appendix 3 for product list)

Rollerballs

A rollerball is essentially an ‘upside down mouse’! Instead of having a ball in the base, the rollerball sits on the desk, and you manipulate the ball on the top of the device.

Rollerballs are now used by many people as a mouse alternative and a range can be found in office supply shops and catalogues. These tend to be ergonomically designed and need small, controlled movements to use them efficiently. There is also a range of rollerballs more suitable for pupils with special needs, some of which have extra facilities such as pointer speed control, drag lock and sockets for switches to replace the mouse buttons (see Appendix 3).

Most pupils with learning difficulties and many with mild to moderate physical difficulties will find using a rollerball easier than a mouse, particularly if used in conjunction with techniques such as slowing down the pointer speed, as described below. Those with more severe physical difficulties may still have difficulty and need to try other devices.

Some pupils find that they can use a rollerball to locate an item on the screen, but when it comes to making a selection they accidentally knock the ball when reaching for the button. In such a case it is a good idea to connect an external switch. In the case of the Penny and Giles Roller Plus there is a little additional switch box that can be attached. It is possible to buy adapted Microspeed rollerballs from a range of suppliers. These have sockets for switches to be plugged in to supplement the button actions of the rollerball.

Example 2a – A thirteen-year-old boy with Duchennes muscular dystrophy using a rollerball to access all his computer work

Problem

Gordon was finding it increasingly difficult to manage a small keyboard. He found it difficult to get from one side to the other. The effort of pressing the keys sometimes required him to use the weight of his second hand to enable him to press down a letter key. However, he was keen to follow the school curriculum and he was finding that he was relying increasingly on the computer to occupy his leisure time. It was felt that the time was right to find an alternative means of accessing the computer.

Solution

Choice and positioning of devices

It was decided that an on-screen keyboard would be easier for Gordon to access than the small keyboard he had been using. Gordon found that with his elbows supported on the arms of his powered wheelchair he could get his hands to the middle of the tray. The arm rests needed adjusting so that his shoulders were not pushed up. He required a padded wrist rest to provide a firm base to support his wrists.

Gordon needed a rollerball with a fairly light, freely rotating ball in the centre. Unfortunately, when Gordon moved the cursor to the correct spot, he sometimes knocked the ball and jogged the cursor as he reached over the ball to the button. To over come this the Microspeed rollerball with switch sockets was used. A very light action Tash Microlight switch was used to replace the left rollerball button. This was mounted at the side of the rollerball so that a movement away from the ball was required to activate it.

Choice of software

For recording his written work Gordon used an on-screen frequency letter grid which had the most frequently used letters in the centre and those less often used away from the centre. This minimized the amount the ball needed to be rolled, thus conserving energy. The letter grid incorporated a word predictor, so that as Gordon started to spell out a word the program would predict possible words starting with the letters typed. If the word Gordon was writing was predicted he could easily select it and so avoid having to find all the individual letters to complete it. Gordon used SAW with Prophet. However, there are other programs such as WiViK, Hands Off, EZKeys, or Clicker with Penfriend that will give similar facilities. For recording his maths work Gordon, used the AccessMaths program. For graphics he liked using KidPix which enabled him to draw freehand as well as providing him with some ‘stamps’ (small pictures) that he could place anywhere on his drawing.

Choice of activities

Gordon is using the computer for most of his recording. He has a laptop computer that he takes home from school to home to enable him to keep up with his home work.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• find an alternative means of control for the computer, in this case a rollerball
• adapt a rollerball to switch instead of button access
• an understanding of the different on-screen keyboard layouts
• use of a word predictor for speeding-up output

The key equipment for the above example is:

• rollerball
• switch
• predictive software
• wrist rest
• on-screen letter grid

Joysticks Joysticks are another mouse alternative which can be useful for pupils with physical and / or learning difficulties. The joysticks discussed here act as a direct alternative to a mouse and should not be confused with ‘games’ joysticks, which plug into a different computer port and perform a very different function, or switch joysticks which are used for scanning some communication aids and controlling some wheelchairs. Controlling a joystick uses very different physical skills from those required to use a mouse or rollerball. Consequently, pupils who have not achieved accurate pointer control via a mouse or rollerball make be able to use a joystick well.

It is often assumed that a pupil must have the ability to grip the joystick handle to use the device. This is not the case. Many children with severe physical difficulties achieve accurate control by pushing the joystick from all directions with their hand or arm. As with any access device, the positioning of a joystick can make a considerable difference to how well it is used. For some pupils, placing the joystick flat on the desk in front of them may be sufficient. For other pupils, a little more imagination may be required. Pupils with learning difficulties may understand pointer control more easily if the joystick is stood on its end, so creating a direct link between the movement of the joystick and the movement of the screen pointer.

Pupils with physical difficulties may be helped by the provision of a large sponge or t-bar grip, which are optional extras for the joysticks currently available.

Example 2b – An eight-year-old girl with difficulties caused by head injury

Problem

Susan’s head injury left her with severe learning difficulties and mild physical difficulties (she gets a tremor in her hands when she attempts any manual activity). Her teacher felt that Susan could benefit from using the computer for simple, motivating activities.

Susan’s attempts to use a mouse and a rollerball to explore a CD-ROM were not successful. This was not wholly due to a physical difficulty in controlling the devices, although her tremor was a slight nuisance. The main problem was that Susan did not make the connection that what she was doing with her hands was linked in any way to what was happening on the computer screen!

Solution

Choice and positioning of device

Susan was introduced to a Joystick Plus. The joystick was positioned vertically (on its end) directly below the computer monitor. This created the situation whereby, if Susan pushed the joystick up, then the screen pointer moved up; if she pushed the joystick down, the pointer moved down, and so on. The Joystick Plus has a speed control, which meant that whatever Susan was controlling could be slowed down. This enabled her to focus on and track the movements on the screen more easily.

As well as there being a direct link between the movement of the joystick and the screen pointer, the positioning of the joystick meant that it was in close proximity to the screen. If Susan looked at the joystick as she used it, her attention was automatically attracted by what was happening on the screen.

Choice of software

Careful thought was given to the software used when Susan was first introduced to the joystick. The Honey Bee game within Touch Games 1 software was used. This is an activity which involves pointing and clicking at a large, brightly-coloured bee. This picks the bee up and the user uses their pointing device to make him fly to a large, brightly-coloured flower. If this is achieved, the flower flashes and music plays. This was appropriate software to use with Susan for the following reasons:

• it presented a screen which was not too visually complex
• it gave a high level of visual and auditory feedback throughout the activity to attract (and hopefully keep!) her attention
• Susan could potentially achieve some success after only a very short period of concentration

Introduction to the activity

Susan was introduced to the activity after the bee had been picked up. Her teacher explained and demonstrated the activity initially, while Susan watched. Having shown interest, Susan was helped to use the joystick (hand over hand). Susan’s teacher gradually withdrew her help as Susan became more confident.

Susan gained great enjoyment from this activity and was very soon completing the activity independently. Her teacher has since introduced other similar activities and is hoping that her control of the joystick can be used across an increasingly wide range of educational software.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are the ability to:

• be able to correctly position equipment
• introduce a task at the correct level

The key equipment is:

• Joystick Plus
• Touch Games software used for joystick training

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