Communication Boards

In my experiences working with children who have disabilities, I found that many had a difficult time communicating what they wanted/needed or what was bothering them. I wanted to help those who had a hard time communicating orally find a way to express themselves. I have seen communication boards on TV shows and in movies before and thought they were very helpful. A communication board is far from what it used to be. Commonly, communication boards are used in hospitals and doctors' offices to help the doctors and nurses gage the amount of pain a patient is experiencing. However, communication boards are becoming very useful in a classroom with a student who has special needs. A communication board is often not a board at all. Typically, communication boards look like flip books with several pages containing various pictures. Each page contains pictures depicting a theme. For instance, the image below contains pictures describing things that would commonly go on a Christmas tree. The child would be able to point to the objects they would like to include. Other pages can contain themes such as months of the year, school subjects, family members, or rooms in a house.

Click here to see how communication boards are useful in a classroom

The above link shows how communication boards can be made specifially for a student to fit their personal needs. These tools can be used to help a disabled student tell a teacher they have to use the bathroom, they have a question, they're thirsty, etc. The above site mentions that the board can be used to combine words to make a sentence. The site also contains a really great video of a teacher using the board with one of her students. Communication boards are great tools to have in the classroom and can really increase the students' ability to communicate.

On-Screen Keyboards

Students with physical limitations due to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries may benefit from an on-screen keyboard. The virtual keyboard offers an alternative to students who are unable to use a physical keyboard.

Customization is beneficial to mainstream society and evermore so for individuals with disabilities. There are many ways to customize a word on-screen keyboard to accommodate individual needs. Some common customizations include:

• hover mode (dwell clicking): individuals who have difficulty clicking the mouse may simply hold the cursor over the intended symbol for an extended period of time



• word prediction: users can train the software to learn frequently used words and anticipate their use during typing



• key size: older software has small keys, but latest technology allows the user to modify the keyboard to their comfort

A web-based word on-screen keyboard is an online version that could be helpful for situations when the student is unable to access their personal computer.

Students with limited mobility could use an on-screen keyboard to take advantage of the technology other students benefit from when using a physical keyboard:

• effective communication



• ability to check for grammatical errors



• professional correspondence

On-screen keyboards are great adaptive technology that could be used to assist disabled students in participating more fully in learning environments.

Portable computer desk

Imagine having a student or several students in your school with physical disabilities. As a school you want to be able to accommodate all of these students but the funds may not be there. This portable computer desk may be just what your school needs. This desk would be an asset to any classroom or school. What I find great about this portable desk is that anyone can use it. It can be used for children with or without disabilities.

• Portable-With several children with disabilities it can obviously be moved from classroom to classroom with a lot more ease then using a standard desk. This desk made so a student in kindergarten could use it in one classroom and a sixth grader can use it in another. This desk can accommodate any age student. With this desk students with diabilities can be included in "their" classrooms rather than to be excluded.



• Adjustable- Height doesn't seem to be a problem with this portable computer desk. It adjusts up and down as well as the base being able to extend. The base of this desk can also slide under a bed or adjust up to a wheelchair or a regular chair. Also with the pull out arms it helps move the mouse closer to a person who may not be able to extend their arms. A student in kindergarten could be using this desk and in minutes be moved to another classroom and adjusted to fit the needs of a sixth grade.



• Secure- If this isn't enough for you to convince yourself or an administrator the computer also attaches to the desk. WOW!! Talk about security. This desk is not only convenient but it also can help your school feel safe with an expensive computer sitting on top of it.
  
  This is just some of the benefits of this portable computer desk but you may Click here to read more about this amazing desk yourself. and to find out how you can get this desk for your school.