Fun and Adventures Press
by Astech Software Ltd
Fun and effective software for special needs children needing to learn and practise switch skills and choice making
Available in Press and Press Wait versions
Click on image to enlarge
This collection of fun jokes, tongue twisters and stories is suitable for children with physical disabilities and learning disabilities. This CD-ROM teaches the switch skills needed to access assistive technology.
Suitable for primary school aged children from about 7 years old. This may vary from child to child. Please contact us if you wish some advice on which title would be best for your child.
Click here to see how to implement the Astech Approach using Astech Software titles.
CD-ROM contains:
- Fun
- 4 Animal Jokes
- 4 Knock Knock Jokes (Trial version of Press Wait included with Fun and Adventures Press)
- 4 Tongue Twisters
- Adventure Stories
- Wheely Wallaby’s Race
- Super Sneaky Squeaky Spy ‘Quack Attack’
- Mars Mission ‘Episode 1’
CD-ROM Content Description
Three fun adventure stories in which the children become
- Wheely the Racing Wallaby driving a turbo-powered Wheely Mobile and getting into all sorts of tricky adventurous predicaments
- A trainee spy in a squeaky wheelchair learning to fly a helicopter
- The captain of a Mars bound space rocket shooting a laser gun at asteroids
The jokes and tongue twisters have:
- lots of fun sounds and laughter to laugh along with
- simple and bold graphics and animations that grab and hold childrens attention.
The same stories, jokes etc. are in the ‘Fun and Adventures’ ‘Press’ and ‘Press Wait’ switch training titles.
The Fun and Adventures series is available in two versions:
- Press – Teaches cause-and-effect … Press the switch and something fun happens
- Press Wait – Teaches switch timing… When to ‘wait’ and when to ‘press’ the switch.
The two ‘Press’ Fun and Adventure titles are available in either ‘Entry Level’ or ‘Advanced Level’. The ‘Advanced Level’ version is longer and more interactive than the ‘Entry Level’ version, so children have to be able to concentrate for longer.
Interaction
There are lots of opportunities for interaction between the child and the person working with them. The child will have lots of fun sharing the adventures with friends and family who can also use a mouse to keep the action going.
Astech Switch Training Software teaches children with physical and learning disabilities to access a computer using a single switch in the following progression:
- Pressing the switch
Cause-and-effect … Press the switch and something fun happens
Children learn to press the switch on a consistent verbal and visual cue. Astech Software recommends that children begin by using ‘Press’ titles before progressing to ‘Press Wait’ titles.
Relevant programs:
- Fun and Adventures Press (both Entry and Advanced Levels)
There is an example of a ‘Press Wait’ song or story on each ‘Press’ title so the child can trial it to see if they are ready to go onto the next step in the switch training progression.
- Waiting
Learning when to ‘wait’ and when to ‘press’ the switch
Children are cued to wait both visually and verbally and they cannot continue through the song or story etc. until they wait and refrain from pressing the switch. This skill is essential when children have to wait for their preferred choice when choices are presented in scanning form.
Relevant programs:
- Fun and Adventures Press Wait
This title uses the same interfaces, songs and stories etc. that are in the ‘Press’ series of titles.
- Choice making
Scanning … Choices of songs, stories etc. are presented at timed intervals for children to choose from
The ‘Songs and Stories’ and ‘Fun and Adventures’ titles all have an interface that allow the child to choose between the different stories etc. by activating a single switch when choices are presented at timed intervals.
Relevant programs:
- Fun and Adventures Press (both Entry and Advanced Levels)
- Fun and Adventures Press Wait (both Entry and Advanced Levels)
- Making Choices
- Fun and Adventures Press (both Entry and Advanced Levels)
Mouse access
Although the above titles have been specifically designed for teaching switch skills, children of all abilities can access the interfaces and songs and stories etc. using a mouse. The mouse can also activate the action within the stories etc. so mouse-using friends and family can use the software by themselves or alongside the switch-using child.
Requirements and ResourcesexpandClick to collapse
Minimum Hardware Requirements for Windows
- P133 MHz (200 MHz or greater recommended)
- Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7
- 128 MB of RAM (greater recommended)
- Sound card
- Switch and Switch interface for ‘Press’ and ‘Press Wait’ CDs
- Computer mouse for ‘Mouse Skills’ programs
View / Download
- What is the Astech Approach? (697 KB)
Fun and Adventures Press is targeted at the following age ranges:
- Early Primary
- Mid Primary
- Upper Primary
Fun and Adventures Press is designed to foster development in the areas of:
- Switch use
- Cause-and-effect
- Switch timing
- Choosing with a switch
Users can access Fun and Adventures Press in the following ways:
- Mouse/ Trackball/ Joystick
- Keyboard
- Touchscreen
- Single Switch
- Switch Adapted Mouse
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