It is understandable why from a school’s perspective having all students using identical standardised devices would be preferable and there are plenty of reasons why Apple iOS would be the obvious choice. There is a concern however that the small minority who may need to use other platforms because of access difficulties could be put at a disadvantage or perhaps not be able to participate fully in all activities. One of the leading school suppliers have assured us that the textbooks are available on Windows, iOS and Android and as these textbooks are sourced from the same few publishers one can assume this applies for all suppliers. It is therefore up to the schools to ensure all lessons utilizing technology are identical whenever possible; equivalent when not, regardless of the device/platform you are using.





Parents, particularly those whose children use Assistive Technology should not feel pressured by schools to purchase technology that isn’t the optimum for their child’s needs. If a therapist or AT specialist has recommended a particular solution that differs from what is being suggested by the school, the priority should obviously be the students’ needs. When it comes to AT it is the school’s responsibility to accommodate the different needs of its student, just as it was before the digital schoolbag. The use of technology within our schools is to be embraced but it is important that schools ensure that the curriculum is open and in no part dependent on one particular platform or device. That would just see us swapping one form of inequality for another and that’s not progress. 
 

If anyone would like advice on what technologies are available to support access, literacy and productivity on any platform they should feel free to contact us here in the National Assistive Technology Service in Sandymount, Dublin. (01) 2184100  E:  sdeakin@enableireland.ie  www.enableireland.ie/at

What is Supported Literacy?

The term “literacy” is traditionally associated with “having the 3 R’s”- the ability to read, write and use arithmetic.

Supported Literacy is where children with physical, sensory or learning disabilities engage in written communication or literacy based tasks with the assistance of technology. Children may not have full phonic or word decoding skills. However they can communicate written messages when technology supports them with:

• Symbols- representing a word they want to communicate
• speech feedback on the written message they have just composed
• word prediction
• word banks of familiar words.

 



They may need hardware such as switch access, eye gaze, adapted keyboards or touch screen to use a computer effectively.

They may also need literacy software such as Clicker 7 or the Grid 3 to help them build written messages.

Can all children achieve some level of functional literacy with the help of assistive technology?

No- However the majority of children can engage in supported literacy tasks as long as they have:

1)   A reliable system of computer access- e.g. eye gaze, touch screen, switch access or adapted keyboard.

2)   The ability to understand that a symbol can represent a written word.

3)   A level of language development that allows them to want to communicate a message in written form.

Is there a recommended approach to supported literacy development that will help my child?

Working with your child’s teacher and Speech and Language Therapist on promoting the use of symbols for communication and word recognition is a great first step.

This “symbolisation towards literacy” approach has long term benefits in achieving your child’s full potential in supported literacy development.

Introducing Clicker 7 in the classroom can help establish the building blocks to supported written communication in the future. There are many free resources on learning grids.com that can be downloaded to use with Clicker 7.

Other skills to develop to allow your child use programmes such as clicker 7 and the Grid 3 include:

1:  Understanding that a symbol can represent a whole word.                       

2:  Understanding that print represents a message 

3.  Developing initial sound awareness- which will allow for word prediction use                               

4:  Language skills-(i.e. Narrative skills the ability to narrate a story or message.)

What types of supported literacy tasks could a school aged child be able to complete with the use of assistive technology?  

In Sandymount School using assistive technology such as appropriate computer hardware and Clicker 7 software:

Students have written:

• about likes and dislikes using a printed sentence starter and pictures of foods they like and dislike.
• about school themes such as seasons and zoo animals using grids that have pictures to support whole word selection. 
• birthday and Christmas cards using familiar family names and pre-set greetings.

This year we are hoping that some of our older students will start using the Grid 3 to compose and send emails. So the possibilities are endless with the support of assistive technology, teachers, the therapy team along with enthusiastic students and families!

My Mum and I thought long and hard on six questions to ask Gordon.  They were programmed into my Tobii and I was ready to go. I had a great time asking Gordon my six questions that were on my Tobii and really enjoyed hearing all the answers.  I loved making everyone laugh by asking which he job he liked best.....working for Investec or playing rugby?  I had a very enjoyable day meeting Gordon D'Arcy and spending time in Investec.

Interviewing Gordon D’arcy, By Brandon Warren Dowling, Owen Stubbs, Kevin Dooney Lee Kavanagh and Jack Coffey, 
Students at Enable Ireland Sandymount School.

We had a journalism project as part of our summer camp. We are big fans of Rugby so we tracked down Gordon D’Arcy in his new job at Investec Bank.

We travelled on the Dart and Luas to Gordon’s office in Harcourt Street. We were not at all nervous and practiced our questions on the Dart.

Lee asked the question that everyone wants to know “do you miss the beard?” Gordon told us that he really did and told us how Jonny Sexton shaved it off.  Brandon asked Gordon about his kids. Gordon told us that he has a one year old daughter and his wife is expecting another baby. He also has a 10 stone dog called Albert.

Owen used his Tobii communication device to ask Gordon some questions. He asked about Gordon’s favourite food which is Pizza. Owen made the Investec staff laugh when he asked “which do you prefer- playing Rugby or working for Investec?” Gordon told us he wished he could continue playing rugby until he was 100 years old.

Jack gave Gordon the presents we brought him from the Enable Ireland Garden centre gift shop- a mug with a moustache and some after shave balm. Later Gordon Tweeted “Exceptional group from @enableireland@investec today, clearly not impressed my beard is gone”.

Investec were very welcoming to us and we had a lovely lunch there. They also gave us lovely goodiebags with a signed Rugby ball each.

Though I’d always used technology in one form or another since I started primary school, during my degree was the first time I had all my books electronically – no Braille at all – and I didn’t like it.  That’s because I’m a much faster reader than I am a listener; then, in second year, the Assistive Technology Officer in Trinity College gave me the single most useful piece of technology I’ve ever had - a Braille Display.  This is a little machine which translates information on a computer screen into braille. 

This, in combination with a screenreader and lots of  textbooks, (scanned by dedicated assistants), enabled me to get the information I needed to get my degree – proof, if ever there was, that people and  the right technology are a powerful combination.

On the other hand, I’m studying for my diploma in a very small, private college, who have no disability services, and had never had a blind student before; this was a new experience for me and for them.  Here, technology was, if anything, more important even than it was in Trinity.  I had to get books from each publisher electronically, which was more successful than I expected; I also brought all my own equipment, whereas throughout my degree, everything was purchased through EU funding.  So, basically the polar opposite of my degree.

The element which the two courses did have in common, however, was the importance of technology – I would never have managed without it, and I know it will always be my route to a level playingfield in education.  Now there’s just the small matter of preparing for exams!