1. Writing Without Pencils?
A review of
Writing with Alternative Pencils
Hello, I am Ynez Peterson and I am an OT by training and I work as an Assistive Technology Specialist.
and then
Hello, I am Kelly Clayton and I am a Special Education Teacher. We are very happy to be here to share with you a teaching strategy that is showing to be successful for REACH students; has renewed staff use of eye gaze with our students and has increased communication attempts with our students.
Since we are such a small group let’s all introduce ourselves. Tell us your name, where you work, and the types of students you work with.
VOTA Annual Conference 2007
Kelly O. Clayton, MSEd, Special Education Teacher
Ynez Peterson, OTR/L, Assistive Technology Specialist
REACH Program/SECEP

2. Partner Assisted Strategies
Eye Pointing/Eye Gazing
Partner Assisted Scanning
Auditory Scanning
Visual Scanning
Are helpful for individuals who are unable to hold a pencil, point, or physically manipulate a keyboard.
Ynez: We use a variety of AAC Strategies from Low Tech to High Tech. Today we will be discussing Low Tech strategies
Eye pointing: looking at desired item (on an etran board/frame)
Eye gazing: user looks at the symbol and partner watches the direction of the user’s eyes
Auditory Scanning: list of vocabulary items spoken to the user; user identifies desired item by showing a predetermined response or switch press
Visual scanning: partner points to the visual cue and pauses, then after the pause goes to the next visual cue until the user responds to their desired item
Diagnoses such as CP, Rett’s Syndrome, Aphasia, locked-in syndrome
We will be talking about these strategies from an educational perspective but I believe these devices could be used for adults/individuals of all ages who have difficulty manipulating items.

3. Writing with Alternative Pencils!
Activities fostering emergent literacy skills
Ynez: Emergent literacy – the activities with literacy and writing from birth to the beginning of formal education. As an Occupational Therapist, I was interested in learning about writing activities for students with severe and profound disabilities. But what I found was…

4. Teaching emergent literacy skills teaches Communication skills
One of the guiding principles of our program is the philosophy that all children call learn and that all children can communicate. In our experience in the REACH program, we’ve seen that emergent writing and literacy activities provide a platform to learn communication skills

5. Writing with Alternative Pencils!
Developed by Karen Erickson, Ph. D and Gretchen Hanser, OTR
Designed for students with significant disabilities, including deaf-blindness
Provides opportunities to actively engage students in emergent writing and
literacy-based activities
Ynez: 1. of the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
3. Our students need practice in the activities that typical children learn prior to attending school such as emergent writing to build communication skills.

6. Six Alternative Pencils
Braille Alphabet Flip Chart
Braille Alphabet IntelliKeys Overlay
Color Coded Eye Gaze Frame
Print Alphabet Flip Chart
Tactual Alphabet Intellikeys Overlay
Scanning Setups in IntelliTalk II
Ynez: Use page size 118 or 125% on pdf. Scroll through each picture.

7. Alternative Pencil #4: Print Alphabet Flip Chart
The Alphabet Flip Chart is intended for students who have some vision, as well as significant motor difficulties. This light tech pencil is often used by students who are switch users and are unable to hold a pencil or physically manipulate a keyboard. This pencil is used with the support of a partner/helper and is accessed by the student through “partner assisted scanning.” The partner also records the student’s writing. Hearing is not required to use the Flip Chart. There are upper case and lower case versions.
Ynez discuss briefly, Kelly to pass out the two we bring

8. Alternative Pencil #3: Color Coded Eye Gaze Frame
The color coded eye gaze frame is intended for students who have some degree of vision, as well as significant motor difficulties. It is often used by students who are switch users and are unable to hold a pencil or physically manipulate a keyboard. This pencil is used with a partner who interprets the student’s eye gazes and records their writing. Letters are organized in color coded groups.
Kelly:Today, we will focus on the Color Coded Eye Gaze Frame and this is the “alternative pencil” that we use in our program and the one we’ve had such phenomenal success with.

9. Alternative Pencils
Can be used while side lying, sitting, standing, prone, and kneeling.
Uses a “Smart Partner” who can read subtle cues and adjust interaction as needed.
KELLY: one of the benefits of COCO is that it can be used in any position and can be brought to the child. 2. Smart Partner is a term from Linda Burkhart, special education teacher. The Smart Partner can focus on the communication attempts and not get bogged down by the lack of motor control needed to do the task. The partner’s job is to respond to all communication/behaviors as intentional.
Tell how Citadel is using it for students with visual impairments.

10. REACH Program Students’ Writing Samples
09/07/06 E H M L O U R A A (asked to find these specific letters)
09/08/06 O T D U Y Y T L E A W O
11/20/06 L L L S S R A O U L B M U L S
11/22/06 L O S T L A R O L A S L S R A
12/01/06 B R M E X/Y L A R O U
Student AH
10/27/06 M O M A M M U O M
11/15/06 R A M L O H G K L O
Kelly: Tell Star’s and Mollie’s story, we do five letters then give student a break
Emphasize 2nd day of school
Student SA
09/13/06 B M S S S O I
10/20/06 O R B D A S U R O M
11/15/06 B L K D A S U R A O
12/01/06 R B S U R O A S S R B M A F G

11. Emergent Literacy Development
Typically developing children explore and play with books, sing, listen to stories, and scribble as building blocks for language and literacy development.
Students with significant disabilities have fewer and qualitatively different emergent literacy experiences than their typically developing peers.
Kelly: Students with significant disabilities spend more class time participating in self care and positioning activities. Therefore; they have fewer opportunities to devote to straight academic activities. Often these skills are not focused on due to unbelief that these students can learn these skills.

12. Typical Emergent Writing
samples
Kelly:
Making circles Writing her name

13. Typical Emergent Writing
samples
3 year old RD
Kelly
3 year old RD

14. Emergent Writing Samples
Review
3 year old RD
SW:
09/07/06 E H M L O U R A A
09/08/06 O T D U Y Y T L E A W O
11/20/06 L L L S S R A O U L B M U L S
11/22/06 L O S T L A R O L A S L S R A
12/01/06 B R M E X/Y L A R O U
Ynez: emergent writing is playing with letters; not writing words

15. Emergent Literacy Development
Students with significant disabilities need to understand how print and symbols work and how they can be used as a means of communication.
From using these devices, we have seen that if a student can demonstrate understanding to others, then improved communicative interactions will follow.
Ynez: Introduce Loura and how she just happened to tell ou the impact using the device has had on Star’s life.

16. How can Occupational Therapists use these devices with students?
Use as designed for emergent writing activities
Use as a tool for assessing eye gaze and scanning abilities for functional activities; observing behaviors that can be used for communication (assessing meaning)
Use as a back up for high tech devices if device breaks or student is tired
Ynez

17. Thanks for attending this session. 
References:
Linda J. Burkhart, (February 27, 2007). Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple Challenges.
“Early literacy." BrainWonders & Sharing Books with Babies. [cited 30 January 2007].
Erickson, K. A., & Hanser, G. (2004). Writing with alternative pencils [CD]. Chapel Hill, NC: Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, University of North Carolina. (Available from
Hanser, G. (2006, March). Fostering emergent writing for children with significant disabilities: Writing with alternative pencils. AOTA, Technology Special Interest Section Quarterly, 16, 1-4.
Norfolk Public Schools AT Team (2001). “The IEP Team’s Handbook for Assistive Technology Considerations, (A Guide for Decision Making)”
Let’s try it out.
Thanks for attending this session. 
Contact info: