Assistive Technology by

First/Then Boards

theresaholowienko — 2024-01-30 23:34:22 UTC

First/then statements are incredibly helpful for a child to anticipate what is coming next, especially if they need to complete a non-desired task first before they can engage in a preferred activity.

OCALI has printable First/Then boards to provide a visual prompt

Visual Schedules

theresaholowienko — 2024-01-30 23:35:55 UTC

A visual schedule provides a visual of what the child can expect next throughout their day. There are many different ways to configure a visual schedule. A child can have the job of moving icons when a task is complete, or help building the schedule for the day.

DIY Adapted Utensils

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 15:46:03 UTC

Children who have difficulty with their fine motor skills sometimes just need an alternative way to hold their utensils. This is a great do it yourself guide.

Suction bowls

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 15:47:42 UTC

Children who are struggling with fine motor may need additional support during mealtimes to keep their plates and bowls where they need to be without accidentally knocking them over. These suction bowls are a great option to keep the child's food where it needs to be so the child doesn't accidentally spill their meal

Little Bear Sees

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 15:49:52 UTC

Little Bear Sees is a fantastic app and website for children who have CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment). The game consists of a high contrast red bear on a black background that moves around the screen. When the child taps the bear he grows larger. Red is commonly the easiest color for children with CVI to see as it is one of the first color a child can see. Tapping the bear helps the child practice tracking moving objects.

Light Box

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 15:51:06 UTC

A light box is a great tool to help highlight and provide high contrast for a child with visual impairments to learn what an object looks like, or provide visual stimulation to stimulate their brain and visual input.

What does your baby see?

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 15:52:34 UTC

This website provides parents a simulation of what their baby sees at different milestones. Teachers of the Visually impaired can also utilize this to simulate what certain children see due to the severity of their vision loss.

Beat Bo toy

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 16:00:15 UTC

The Beat Bo toy provides a high contrast of lights and singing music in an easy cause and effect toy. The child simply taps/bumps the toy to make it sing and light up. The music and lights are great stimulation for a child who has visual impairments.

Hey Bear Sensory Videos

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 16:02:43 UTC

Hey Bear sensory videos on Youtube are a great resource for children with CVI. Brightly colored objects slowly bounce across the screen on a black background. This provides a good visually high contrast viewing experience. The family can then slowly name the objects as they come on the screen.

Black trifold board

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 16:08:06 UTC

A black trifold, even a cardboard one from the dollar store, provides a clean non-visually stimulating background for a child with visual impairment to then visually focus on one object at a time. Place a high contrast object, neon, red or shiny in the middle and shine a flashlight on the object to help highlight it for the child. Can then narrate and name what the child is seeing and the visual characteristics of the object.

Zipper Pull

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 16:16:30 UTC

Young children learning to zip their coats may need additional fine motor support to hold the zipper. Adding a fancy zipper pulls like in the video or just a larger ribbon to the zipper will help the child have more to hold on to as they zip their coats.

Toy Bar

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:06:53 UTC

Toys can be hung from a toy bar to provide visual aides to visually focus on. If a child is in a chair, practicing floor time, or has difficulty being in an upright position the play bar lets the child interact with toys being suspended above them.

Walking Towel support

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:10:10 UTC

Use a towel around a child's waist to provide additional support as they stand and practice walking.

Velcro Page turners

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:13:37 UTC

Add velcro to each page, and the opposite piece of velcro to a ball. The child can then use the ball to stick to each piece of velcro to turn the page.

Poke A Dot Books

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:15:20 UTC

Poke A Dot books provide a sensory input practicing pointing to pictures. This can help with children learning how to isolate their pointer finger while reading a book together.

High Contrast Tape on the Stairs

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:21:37 UTC

Adding a high contrast tape or a tape of different texture provides children with visually impairments to notice the edges of stairs.

Mylar Balloons

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:26:09 UTC

Mylar balloons provide additional light because of the reflective material, making it easier for children with CVI see them. Mardi Gras beads also provide the same reflection helping the children visually interpret what they're seeing.

Adapting Puzzles

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:29:21 UTC

Paint the background of puzzles black to provide a high contrast for the child to see where the puzzle pieces go.

Hairbrush card holder

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:33:30 UTC

Use a hairbrush with bristles to hold cards for playing a game, or using for visual schedule.

Shower Curtain holders

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:34:39 UTC

Hot glue circular shower curtains to smaller toys to help child hold toys.

Hip Helpers

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:50:05 UTC

These shorts help stabilize a child's legs and hips to provide additional support. This will help decrease "w sitting" and low muscle tone

Shopping Cart Push Toy

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:52:10 UTC

A shopping cart push toy provides a child with support as they are learning to walk and stand. This toy also allows the child a way to carry/transport their toys while they're learning to walk.

Go Baby Go

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-04 17:54:30 UTC

Go Baby Go are fun electric cars for toddlers who need additional mobility support.

Toddler toilet seat

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:38:40 UTC

A seat to sit on top of the normal toilet to fit smaller toddler bodies. The steps also provide an easier way for toddlers to climb up on to the seat. The seat also has handles.

DIY bolster seat

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:40:02 UTC

Using a laundry basket with blankets and pool noodles to provide support as a little one learns to sit up. This can also be easily used in the bathtub as a DIY bath seat.

Tablet holder stand

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:43:34 UTC

This tablet holder could easily be set up in front of a child's wheelchair or chair to allow them access if they are limited in their mobility to hold and touch.

Tablet page turner

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:46:33 UTC

This ring turns the pages and scrolls pages for a child who may struggle with mobility to reach and hold a tablet.

Billy Footwear

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:50:26 UTC

These adaptable shoes allow room and space for braces or additional ankle supports for children. These shoes are also sold through Amazon and Target.

Collapsible bathtub

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 22:52:49 UTC

These collapsible bathtubs can easily convert a shower only stall into a bathtub for a toddler. The bathtub can also be easier to move if a parent can not bend over to the tub.

Switch for toys

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 23:04:20 UTC

This allows children with limited mobility to turn on favorite toys like a bubble machine or toy that sings and lights up!

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 23:19:25 UTC

Assistive technology is any modification, software, equipment, or object that improves the quality of living, function and access to the community for an individual with a disability.

Tech Act (1988) definition of AT

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-07 23:21:21 UTC

The website ECTA center shares the Tech Act of 1988 definition of AT as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."

Services that assist in assistive technology use are also considered assistive technology services. These include any evaluations, on going training on using the devices, and fittings of the devices.

Free Printable PECS

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:47:48 UTC

This site has free printable Picture Exchange Communication System icons. These icons are easily recognizable and customizable within choice boards, visual schedules, etc.

Sounding Board AAC App

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:49:40 UTC

The Sounding Board app allows parents/individuals to use their own pictures or preloaded icons to create their own AAC boards. The Sounding Board also allows the user to record their own voice for each choice. The app is free to use. It is currently only available on Apple devices.

Choice Board

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:51:07 UTC

A choice board utilizes photos or icons on a static low tech printable page. This allows the child to point to their choice to communicate what they would like. OCALI provides templates and preloaded choice boards for common choices.

Go Talk Fit

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:52:45 UTC

The Go Talk Fit is a dedicated AAC device that allows customization of the pictures and recordings. The device allows a configuration of 4 or 9 choices. This would be a great introductory AAC device and is easily portable.

Touch Chat AAC App

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:54:50 UTC

Touch Chat AAC is an ipad/apple device dependent AAC app. The app allows customization of pictures and recordings. There is a large library of icons and pre-recorded words as well. The app allows the user to build a sentence within the main page.

Baby Sign Language

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:56:37 UTC

Baby Sign Language is a great bridge to verbal language. Teaching baby signs is different than communicating in ASL, but allows the child an alternative way to communicate without needing any additional supports, such as an AAC device. This website has great videos and clipart modeling the signs for the parent.

Big Mack Button

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 17:58:36 UTC

A Big Mack button is a great static dedicated AAC device. It is great introductory AAC device due to only having one dedicated phrase/sentence/word. This button is able to record up to 2 minutes long!

DIY Communication Can

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:00:20 UTC

This DIY Communication Can allows a child to create sentences using PECS, use it as a visual schedule, or as a choice board. Utilizing the can is an easy way to transport additional PEC cards.

Food labels as a choice board

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:01:38 UTC

A great way to introduce a choice board is first starting with the actual labels to the child's favorite snacks. The child already recognizes those labels, so taking it one step further to encouraging them to point to their label of choice. This video further explains the strategy.

Communication Cards

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:03:43 UTC

These communication cards are easily transportable. They also include the sign as an additional communication option and reminder as parent and child are learning signs.

Interactive Visual Schedule

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:11:15 UTC

This is a great tutorial for a DIY Interactive Visual schedule utilizing google sheet/excel. This would also be a way to create a choice board. This visual schedule can be a great option for a family on the go, because the parent doesn't have to remember one more object to be able to help their child prepare for the day.

Social stories and Comic Strips

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:14:17 UTC

This website provides many printable pictures to create social stories or a comic strip to go over many social situations. This site also includes many safety strategies and other strategies and activities for other social situations.

Sensory Soles-tip toe

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:15:46 UTC

These shoe inserts help a child who is sensory seeking by tip toeing receive additional input in their shoes. A child should not tip toe excessively as this can shorten the tendons in the ankle and create tight muscles.

Fat Brain Sensory Toys

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:21:37 UTC

Fat Brain creates a plethora of sensory toys. The website is easy to navigate, searching for age, type of play or sensory needs. A child learns best when they are calm and regulated. Providing a child with additional sensory inputs can help them be calm and regulated so they can focus and learn.

Visual Timers

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:23:15 UTC

Visual timers are a great way to let a child with autism know when a transition is coming up. Knowing when a transition is occurring can help the child prepare for the upcoming change.

Sensory Swing

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:24:56 UTC

A sensory swing can help provide appropriate vestibular sensory input for a child who seeking that type of input. A child learns best when they are calm and regulated. A swing can help provide input to help the child be calm and regulated, therefore being able to focus and learn.

Sensory Boat

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:26:39 UTC

A sensory boat can provide proprioceptive and tactile input for a child who is seeking that input. As stated above a child learns best when calm. Providing another option for sensory input can help the child be calm and regulated, ready to focus and engage.

Sensory Cuddle Box

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:29:16 UTC

This lycra cuddle box provides a child with several different sensory experiences! The child can jump on the box like a trampoline, crawl in between the fabric layers to receive a deep pressure hug, or climb inside the box and have a tent to play in. This box provides several different ways a child could receive sensory input when they need a break to regulate their bodies.

A Little Spot of Emotion

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:31:45 UTC

Children with autism often have difficulties describing and naming their feelings. This learning set of emotions provides plush stuffies for each emotion. The book describes each emotion. There are additional books for each emotion with additional calming strategies and further explanations of those emotions. The child can use the stuffies to help communicate their emotions.

The Incredible 5 Point Scale

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:33:31 UTC

The Incredible 5 Point Scale helps children with autism recognize what they are feeling and why. The scale is customizable for different situations and can help a child communicate what they are feeling when their words aren't adequate in describing their emotions.

Personal Timeline and AT Regulations

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:38:30 UTC

There have been many influential assistive technology laws and regulations. Please see a personal approach by comparing some of my own life experiences with those laws.

OCALI Assistive Technology Resource Guide

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:41:23 UTC

This OCALI Assistive Technology Resource Guide provides an extensive presentation of the laws regarding AT, funding options, choosing the right AT, documenting the need for the AT, and assessments.

ECTA AT Laws and Legislation

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:42:25 UTC

ECTA provides a great overview of the federal laws and regulation of assistive technology.

Ohio Early Intervention AT guide

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-10 18:45:29 UTC

Early Intervention can help provide assistive technology resources to children birth to 3 years old. This guidance document assists the EI professionals in knowing how and when to pursue assistive technology.

ATIA Virtual Free Conference

theresaholowienko — 2024-02-18 18:41:02 UTC

Register to access 40 plus recorded seminars from the AT 2024 Conference. Access is available until April 30th. Available for CEU's as well.