Using Switches
Switches can help learners with physical disabilities start to access a computer, play independently, communicate with their peers, and of course, access a wide range of educational opportunities.
Which switch?
There are two types of switch:
Contact switches, such as The Smoothie, are activated by touch. These switches meet most students’ needs.
Non-contact switches are triggered without contact, for example an eye blink, a sound or by blowing. They tend to need a higher level of understanding to operate. Students requiring more sophisticated switch systems really need proper assessments first, but these questions may help:
- How can the student best operate the switch – with their hand, foot, head movement or an eye blink?
- What size switch can they reliably target? Beginners often find a larger switch useful.
- Can they exert enough pressure to activate the switch? Some require more pressure than others. Some, like the Adjustable Pressure Switch, can be adjusted by twisting the cap so that they respond to more or less pressure.
- What feedback is required? A ‘clicky’ switch can help learners understand when they have successfully pressed the switch, but may distract others.
Positioning the switch
The student should be in a stable and comfortable position. Depending on their physical abilities this may require a varying degree of support – the involvement of their Occupational Therapist and/or Physiotherapist is essential.
- Generally, the equipment should be directly in front of the student (unless they have visual field deficits) and at an appropriate height.
- Fix the switch into position so that it stays where the student expects it to be. You could use a hook and loop fastener or a specialist clamping system such as Maxess mounts.
- Some mounts allow you to angle the switch, which makes things easier for many students; they make one hand movement to activate the switch and they come off it with the aid of gravity.
What to do with switches?
- Use switch accessible software on the computer (you will need a switch interface, e.g. a MultiSwitch).
- Operate battery toys. Use a Battery Adaptor to connect it to your switch, or use a ready-adapted toy.
- Mains operated devices – you will need a control unit such as the PowerLink 4 Control Unit.
- Communication aids – some devices like the BIGmack have switch jacks – just plug in your switch.
Getting motivated!
Provide a variety of activities with plenty of interest. Lots of short sessions are better than one long session per week!
- Toy control – use switches to control toys as part of a fun activity. It’s more interesting to activate a toy car and knock over a pile of bricks the teacher built, rather than to keep sending it backwards and forwards.
- Group work – use switches as part of a group activity. Your group could add milk shake ingredients to the food mixer and the switch user could turn it on.
- Communication aids – try messages like ‘All line up’ or ‘Jump up and down’.
- Make sure computer software is appropriate for the learner. For example, Big Bang is designed specifically for those with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).
- Use personalised activities – make the student the star! Turn their picture into an on-screen jigsaw in Switchlt! Jigsaw Maker 2, or dress it up with funny hair, noses or hats in Switchlt! Facemaker.
Cause and effect
- Developing skills of cause and effect means helping a child understand that an action on their part can cause a response, either from other people or from objects around them.
- Technology provides us with a wide range of tools that can develop the child’s understanding. A child with severe motor difficulties might use a switch to operate toys, simple mains appliances and the computer.
- Try out switch accessible software that encourages the child to press their switch by providing bright, animated rewards, with lots of sound and music.
- Some examples are the Switchlt! Extra series or Big Bang titles. Search for Cause-and-effect in the Skill Area to find more software titles that foster this skill.
Hints and tips
- Give the child plenty of time to press the switch. Some will need additional time to process what is expected of them.
- After the switch press, encourage the learner to release it, look at the screen and see/hear the effects have created.
- Use vocal prompts that focus the attention on the screen and cue the child into what is about to happen, rather than ‘press the switch’.
- Add breadth to the experience by using lots of different software and giving the child many opportunities to practise throughout the day.
- In some instances, the child may simply be exploring the switch itself and enjoying pressing it for its own sake. Try using a Pal Pad switch to focus them on the task – it provides no auditory or tactile feedback.
- Check the child understands the concept of cause and effect by presenting them with two switches, one of which is not connected to anything. If they keep pressing the unconnected switch, they have not yet grasped the concept.
- Encourage disciplined switch presses using turn taking activities. Switchlt! Extra programs allow two switches to be used, which must be pressed alternately to operate the software.
- Try software that encourages the learner to wait before pressing at the right time, such as Switch Skills 1.
Moving on to choice making
Switches can be used to make choices on the computer using a scanning system. Scanning with one switch entails the computer highlighting selectable items in turn. When the required item is reached, the user presses the switch to select it.
With two switch scanning, one switch moves the scan highlight while the second switch selects it. This offers more control and is more straightforward to understand, but places greater physical demands on the learner.
Before a user can master either of these skills, they may need to work towards it with some intermediate steps, such as learning to press the switch at the appropriate time.