Where can you find great equipment to help with ICT development? The answer, perhaps, surprisingly, is in the section of the catalogues marked Special Educational Needs.
I work with more than 100 schools providing ICT access for children with special needs. This involves assessing individual challenges and then supplying the necessary equipment to enable them to fully access the curriculum.
I was recently called in to help a local nursery. A child couldn't use the class computer despite being desperate to do so.
A Big Keys keyboard and Tiny Mouse were provided. When I returned a week later, I arrived to find that the keyboard and mouse that had previously been attached to the computer were tucked away in a cupboard, as every single child had switched to using the access device.
It became obvious that there is huge untapped potential for special needs access equipment to be used to help early learners. This covers not only hardware but also software and even toys and websites.
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SWITCH
One of the earliest forms of interaction in ICT is through using a simple switch. Switch software not only develops ICT skills but also helps to develop children's understanding of the world. Special needs software that has been designed to help children interact better within their world can also fulfil the same role in a nursery setting.
A simple switch-operated toy (such as Droopy the Snoring Dog, available from Inclusive Technology) can be linked to the early learning goals and it can help motivate a child to interact with a switch, developing their ICT skills. To make this more relevant, a battery switch adaptor (available for £9) can be added, which turns a favourite toy into a valuable resource.
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The SwitchIT range of software offers many different topics (sport, wildlife, dinosaurs). The extremely useful SwitchIT Hygiene will help develop simple personal hygiene as well as switch skills. The great thing with this software is the fact that it can also be used on an interactive whiteboard or through a mouse and keyboard.
MOUSE
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The next stage on from using a switch is to start interacting using a simple mouse. Regular mice are designed for adult hands, which makes them difficult for children to move around with confidence. A mouse adapted for smaller hands, such as 'My First Mouse' and 'Mini Mouse', are much easier to cope with. An additional benefit is that many have different colours for the right and left buttons.
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For children who are not confident in using a mouse, there are tracker balls which can be rolled to help get the cursor in the right position. The 'Big Track' (BIGtrack Trackball) is a good example of this. These are also very durable, which we discovered when one boy went from the sandbox straight to it (although it did make a grinding sound for five days afterwards!)
KEYBOARD
The average keyboard has too many keys for your average child or some adults to cope with. Reducing the number of keys makes it much easier for the child to work on the computer. Big key keyboards are generally available for less than £50. These enable the child to find the key easier and press it much more easily.
They come in a variety of colour combinations and are arranged A-Z rather than the traditional QWERTY arrangement. The A-Z keys are helpful for teaching the alphabet, but transferring to a standard keyboard can present a challenge.
Also available as an alternative keyboard is the Intellikeys system. This is a flat board which can have different overlays placed on it. These can be made to any design, so a picture of Red Riding Hood can be used to help write a simple story by pressing different areas.
PROGRAMS
Many programs for children with special needs can be adapted for all early years children. In addition to the SwitchIT software, there are programs such as the cause and effect program 'Big Bang' and the Choose and Tell programs, which help with telling stories and making decisions.
ReacTickles is a program specifically designed for children with autistic spectrum disorders. It is a series of simple interfaces that react to touch in different ways, which work very well on an interactive whiteboard and are suitable at a very early age.
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If you are on a tight budget, programs to adapt the software to your own particular need will have to be chosen carefully. SwitchIT Maker 2 and ChooseIT Maker 2 can be easily customised. The staff I have worked with praised these highly for their ease of use. MyBoard software is one of the best for this, as a huge number of screens can be produced. We worked very successfully with it, when the children picked their own toppings for a pizza.
ONLINE
Many online activities are also very good and, more importantly, free! The CBeebies website has areas specifically designed for using with switches. In addition, the website www.helpkidzlearn.co.uk offers excellent activities which are constantly updated, despite having a terrible name.
Special needs equipment is something that should be given serious consideration when trying to find resources as it is usually well-built, bright, cleverly thought out and designed specifically to help with early development - ticking just about every box for early years equipment!
Stuart Pattison is a teacher and co-ordinator for the North Lincolnshire ICT Access Library.
Further information
