SENSwitcher

SENSwitcher and Skills Progression

One of the greatest strengths of the SENSwitcher program lay in the way the activities are linked to the way children learn control skills with switches in eight progressive stages. SENSwitcher can be used with the following developmental framework based on the QCA ICT P Levels and empirical evidence from switch progression research carried out at Priory Woods School:

The seven progressive stages are;

1. Developing Appropriate Behaviour
2. Looking and Listening
3. Becoming More Proactive
4. Making Something Happen
5. Completing Sequences
6. Responding To The Screen
7. Hitting the Target
8. Making Choices

Clicking any of the links above will take you to the relevant part of the document.

Developing Appropriate Behaviour

Even at the early experiential stage, switches should be made available and positioned as if the pupils were to operate the software independently. Emphasis is placed on experiencing and developing appropriate responses to the animation and sounds generated by the program, however if a pupil is to become a proficient switch user, they need to be taught to behave appropriately when equipment is positioned near their bodies. This behaviour should be reinforced at every opportunity and considered a prerequisite to any form of independent operation of ICT equipment.

Pupils will experience and develop appropriate behaviour when using ICT equipment.

This is broken down into two small steps.

a	Pupils will tolerate the positioning of ICT equipment in relation to their bodies for short periods.
b	Pupils will accept the positioning of ICT equipment in relation to their bodies.

Looking and Listening - Experiential ICT

Before children can learn to use switches to operate and control computer and other ICT related equipment, they need to be able to respond in an appropriate manner to the stimuli produced by the equipment. Through the use of experiential ICT, children can encounter ICT generated experiences and begin to develop appropriate responses.

The experiential section of the program comprises two levels of ten, visually stimulating animations, each of which require no user input. Level 1 animation follows a shape theme with objects moving in both horizontal and vertical planes. Later animations in this level include moving objects morphing from one shape to another. Level two animations comprise of a sequence of patterns, again moving in both horizontal and vertical planes and introducing tunneling and perspective.

Pupils encounter ICT generated activities and experiences.

This is broken down into two small steps:

1	Pupils encounter ICT experiences either passively or reactively, showing no interest in on screen movement or sound.
2	Pupils show simple reflex responses to ICT experiences, for example, startling at sudden noises.

Animations are played sequentially or at random. Pupils demonstrate either passive acceptance or some level of resistance. Experimentation with different patterns, colour combinations and animation length, together with careful observation can help identify animations, which may trigger some response.

Pupils show emerging awareness of ICT generated activities and experiences.

Broken down into two small steps:

3	Pupils attend briefly to sounds or on-screen movement patterns.
4	Pupils make intermittent responses to sounds or on screen movement patterns.

Pupils begin to show intermittent responses to the animations. They may look, vocalise or become quiet, become animated or still or may attend to the screen for brief periods.

Pupils begin to respond consistently to ICT generated activities and experiences.

Again broken down into two small steps:

5	Pupils show interest or pleasure in sounds and movement patterns looking more intently and for longer periods.
6	Pupils briefly track objects moving in the horizontal or vertical plane on a computer screen.

Pupils show consistent interest in the on screen animations, reacting and showing positive responses to familiar program elements. They may track moving objects, turn towards or become animated by specific sounds.

At this very early experiential stage, ICT should incorporate a wide variety of experiences both on and off the computer. Lighting and sound equipment, electric fans, static and moving developmentally appropriate images could all be used to provide multi-sensory ICT experiences.

CASE STUDY THREE - Experiential ICT Anne (11) is a young girl with profound and multiple learning difficulties, functioning at a cognitive age of less than 3 months. She in non ambulant and has specialist seating requirements Anne was introduced to SENSwitcher using Experiential Level 2 (Patterns) using different colour combinations. Careful observations were made as to her responses to animation / colour combinations. Anne quickly showed a preference for tunneling animations in yellow and black, looking intently at the screen and vocalising while the animations played. Over the next few weeks Anne was introduced to Experiential Level 1 (Shapes), choosing only those animations, which moved in the horizontal plane and displaying them in her preferred colour combination. Observations showed that Anne could track objects moving horizontally across the screen. Anne's ICT sessions now incorporate a combination of both tunneling patterns and visual tracking activities. She is beginning to respond more consistently to familiar patterns, evidenced by increased vocalisation.

 

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