Where there is a will, there is a way

When I think of school-aged children, my mind pictures little people who can run, play, sing, color, and leap into their parents’ arms. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The prevalence of disability is much more common than one might think. 

Proof:

·         I am from rural Fremont County, nestled in the Loess Hills of Iowa. According to the Community Health Needs Assessment (2013) there are 54 (3.4%) children under the age of 18 in Fremont County that are diagnosed with a disability.

·         I am finishing my last rotation in a rural public school setting in Otoe County, Nebraska so I am also going to provide statistics for this region. According to the Community Health Needs Assessment (2013) there are 191 (5.6%) children under the age of 18 in Otoe County that are diagnosed with a disability. 

So what?

The United States Department of Education mandates that every child has access to the least restrictive learning environment: 

·         “In general.--To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”

·         More info: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,B,612,a,5,

In this blog, I want to address some AWESOME ways to use assistive technology to facilitate the least restrictive learning environment for medically complex students.

First, medically complex means a child may have medical fragility and intensive care needs, they may have a congenital or acquired multisystem disease, a severe neurologic condition with marked functional impairment, and/or technology dependence for activities of daily living (Cohen et al., 2011). (I could go on for DAYS about how this definition sings to my OT brain!)

How do you facilitate the least restrictive learning environment for a child who uses only their eyes to communicate?

Tobbi Eye Tracking software can be hooked up to a windows tablet or computer. It sends infrared signals to read the reflections in the user’s eyes (HOW COOL!). The individual’s eyes now work as a mouse pointer on the screen. With a few more modifications such as an on-screen keyboard, the user can now independently interact with their computer. This technology makes school, college, and employment a possibility for anyone who can use their eyes. For more information on eye gaze technology visit:   http://www.tobii.com/en/about-tobii/what-is-eye-tracking/   

Did you know that most new model power wheelchairs have Bluetooth capabilities?

A student (or anyone!) in a power wheelchair can drive right up to a computer and pair their wheelchair via Bluetooth. When this is completed, the joystick becomes a mouse and clicking functions can be enabled multiple ways. This grants an individual hassle-free computer access from the comfort of their chair. This feature paired with Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice Recognition Software, makes using a computer possible for anyone with limited to no arm function.  

*Note: sometimes Bluetooth capabilities need to be enabled on a power wheelchair prior to this working.

How do you facilitate the least restrictive learning environment for a child who uses only their voice/air to communicate?

A sip and puff switch is a type of control unit that allows users to suck in or push out air into a switch to activate a computer, wheelchair, environmental control system, etc. When a user sips or puffs air, the switch converts these commands into mouse button clicks, joystick button presses, or keyboard characters. The Sip and Puff Breeze (pictured below) plugs into a computer interface to convert the sip/puff signals into functional commands such as mouse clicking. This paired with an on-screen keyboard and voice recognition software can facilitate complete computer independence. For more information on using a sip and puff switch to interact with a computer visit: http://www.orin.com/access/sip_puff/

The job of an occupational therapist is to maximize the skills that an individual has. Using assisitive technology can make the opportunities endless!  

****Note: There are MANY more examples of assistive technology, the ones mentioned in this blog are devices that I am becoming familiar with through my rotation.

All images in this blog were collected from Google images.

References:

Cohen, E., Kuo, D. Z., Agrawal, R., Berry, J. G., Bhagat, S. K. M., Simon, T. D., & Srivastava, R. (2011). Children With Medical Complexity: An Emerging Population for Clinical and Research Initiatives. Pediatrics, 127(3), 529–538. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-0910

Community Health Needs Assessment. (2013). Health indicators report: Population with any disability, Otoe County, Nebraska. Retrieved from:  http://assessment.communitycommons.org/CHNA/report?page=1&id=617

Community Health Needs Assessment. (2013). Health indicators report: Population with any disability, Fremont County, Iowa. Retrieved from: http://assessment.communitycommons.org/CHNA/report?page=1&id=617