Scenario 7 – Developing an understanding of scanning

Given knowledge of scanning methods, it is possible to identify the many perceptual and cognitive concepts involved, along with the physical motor control required.

Rarely will a pupil latch on to the idea of scanning without a step-by-step introduction. As well as the switching and timing skills, there are new cognitive challenges involved.

When scanning is introduced, the pupil should be presented with only a few choices, e.g. four, with the scan working in a simple step fashion.

Regardless of whether the pupil is going to be a single or two-switch user, the scanning method should be set to a two-switch step scan whilst the concepts involved are taught and understood. Give the pupil the ‘move’ switch, i.e. the switch that will move the scan onto the next choice. In this way there is time to explain what is happening, i.e. what the scan looks like; where it will go next; target item needing to be highlighted by the scan. When the pupil has highlighted the target item with the scan they indicate to the person working with them and they then press their switch to produce the desired outcome, e.g. spoken message. Using this method, the number of choices can be increased.

It is helpful to introduce grids with only one item whilst introducing scanning.

In this way the pupil has only one target item to focus on whilst grasping the concepts of scanning.

For the single-switch user

When it is clear that the single-switch user has a good understanding of all the concepts, the scan should be changed back to a single-switch scan. It is best to keep a selection of choices they are familiar with and let them watch you demonstrate the scan working first.

The choice of scanning speed will have to be evaluated; remember that setting the scan speed too slow can be frustrating, but so is missing your choice because it is too fast. A happy medium needs to be found.

Example 7a

The school topic during the summer term was ‘holidays’. Becky needed to practise her scanning skills during her curriculum work. As a classroom exercise and game, her teacher devised a series of grids using an on-screen grid programme. One vocabulary item on each page related to holidays, and at the start the other squares were blank. When Becky could cope with a higher cognitive demand, distractor items were placed in the other squares.

The grids were explained to Becky as a ‘maze game’. Each time Becky found the correct item, her selection would lead to the next grid. She had to find, within the grids, all the items that she needed to take on holiday in order to pack her suitcase. Becky’s teacher put a reward picture at the end of the exercise, showing people going on holiday.

Initially Becky had the move switch only, and would stop on the item she wanted to ‘pack’.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are:

• the use of framework software to develop resources to assist with the development of scanning skills
• the use of framework software for the development of resources across the curriculum

The key equipment is:

• grid-making framework software, e.g. Clicker, Writing with Symbols 2000, or Inclusive Writer
• appropriate switches and switch mountings
• switch interface

Moving on to group scanning

When a pupil has progressed to having approximately twelve items within a grid, and is coping with a simple scan (i.e. moving from left to right along each row in turn) group scanning such as row-column scanning should be introduced. This will speed up the process of choosing items for the pupil.

Row-column scanning can be introduced in a similar way to simple scanning. By using a two-switch mode you will be giving the pupil time to take in and understand the concepts involved. It may be worth recording the frequency of successful selection using a variety of scan options.

Again it is useful to set up grids that focus on the concepts of the row-column scanning and only give one target e.g.

a row of identical target items so they understand the concept of choosing the row

then one target item, so they choose the correct row and the correct column.

Although it has been found that this method of introducing scanning can be successful for many switch users, it must be remembered that they are all individuals and methods of introduction should be tailored to their specific needs.

As the number of choices to be scanned is increased, attention should be paid to their layout, so that the items most frequently chosen are the quickest to access. When scanning using this method, the item in the top left of the screen is the quickest to access.

Example 7b

Becky enjoyed the game described in Example 7a, so her teacher incorporated the idea into other curriculum areas. As a reinforcement activity for cooking, Becky then had to find all the items she had used last time in cookery. This time, Becky was moving on to row-column scanning. The grids were devised as above, with vocabulary relating to cooking. This time, Becky’s reward grid was a digital photo of the item she had made in cookery.

Key skills and equipment

The key skills for the above example are:

• the use of framework software to develop resources to assist with the development of scanning skills
• the use of framework software for the development of resources across the curriculum

The key equipment is:

• grid-making framework software, such as Clicker 4, Writing with Symbols 2000 , Inclusive Writer
• appropriate switches and switch mountings
• switch interface

Using on-screen grids for curriculum work

When a pupil has an understanding of scanning and can successfully make choices from a selection provided on-screen, grid-making framework software can be used to give the pupil access to curriculum activities. Grids can contain pictures, symbols, words, letters or functions such as ‘print’.

More information on developing on-screen grids can be found in Unit 1 – Literacy and recording - Using symbols, pictures and sound.

When designing on-screen grids for a switch user consideration of the layout of the selection set needs to be made. The selection of a cell within a grid even for the most proficient switch user is a slow process, therefore we should help by making the layout as efficient as possible, to speed up selection. When creating an on-screen grid we need to consider which items will most frequently be used and place these in the grid so that they take the least time and fewest switch presses to select. For row-column scanning this is in the top left corner of the grid.

Example 7c

Kevin and Darren were writing sentences about their holidays. Kevin was using whole words to build sentences, whereas Darren needed to access phrases to build similar sentences. Their team decided to devise on-screen grids with a symbol word processor for each pupil. This meant that pupils could do a similar activity at their own level.

Kevin and Darren then selected either the word or phrase from the on-screen grid, and this was sent to the symbol word processor. Their work was then printed at the end of the activity.

Key skills and equipment

The key skill for the above example is:

• the use of framework software for the development of resources across the curriculum

The key equipment is:

• grid-making symbol word processor, such as Clicker 4, Writing with Symbols 2000 , Inclusive Writer
• appropriate switches and switch mountings
• switch interface

Use of on-screen keyboards for recording

It is important that switch users can access items that are needed most frequently, most quickly. The quickest location to reach is the top left corner of the screen, when using a row / column scan. Switch users accessing on screen keyboards should therefore have access to frequency based layouts, which place the most frequently used letters in the top left corner. Clicker users may download frequency-based on-screen layouts from the Clicker Grids for Learning Web site.

Word prediction packages can also run within the grids, so that as letters are selected from the grid words are predicted within designated cells. This can assist in increasing speed of text entry.

More information on using on-screen keyboards and word prediction can be found in Unit 2 – Literacy and recording – Using ICT to support literacy across the curriculum.

Example 7d

Mia uses an on-screen grid to record her written work. As a switch user, she has found that moving to a frequency-based keyboard layout, along with using word prediction, has had two main effects. These are a reduction in the number of switch selections required for each letter, and a reduction in the number of letters she needs to select to gain the whole word. This has significantly increased the speed of her recording.

Key skills and equipment

The key skill for the above example is:

• the use of framework software for the development of resources across the curriculum

The key equipment is:

• grid-making framework software, such as Clicker 4, Writing with Symbols 2000 , Inclusive Writer
• word prediction software, such as penfriend
• appropriate switches and switch mounting
• switch interface

Auditory scanning

For most pupils presenting selection sets visually will not present any difficulties. However, some pupils with visual difficulties or difficulty coordinating looking with the physical movement required to press the switch, may also require an auditory prompt to help them select the desired choice.

Auditory scanning is a technique where the selection set is presented auditorily (e.g. spoken aloud) for the pupil. Most switch-accessible on-screen grids allow you to attach a spoken prompt to the scan. The pupil then can scan through the choices listening to the spoken prompts; when they hear the desired choice, they can press the switch to select it.

Example 7e

Ali accesses on-screen grids through auditory scanning. Her team use switch-accessible on-screen grids for Ali to participate in a range of curriculum activities. One example is a science lesson in which the class explore the concepts of ‘light’ and ‘heavy’.

Following practical experience of handling a range of objects, Ali uses a switch to listen to the labels “light” and “heavy”. Ali feels the objects and then steps through the two choices to select whether she feels the item is light or heavy. When Ali stops on her choice, her co-worker makes the selection, and then a fuller message is spoken, e.g. “This one’s heavy”; this is to help Ali know the difference between the scan and the selection.

Key skills and equipment

The key skill for the above example is:

• the use of framework software for the development of resources across the curriculum

The key equipment is:

• grid-making framework software, such as Clicker 4, Writing with Symbols 2000 , Inclusive Writer
• appropriate switches and switch mountings
• switch interface

Common misconceptions

Assuming the use of hands for switch operation
Assuming that progression to two switches is desirable
Assuming there is a progression in type of switch provided
Assuming that visual skills are necessary for switch operation

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