In September, Alvin ISD Assistive Technology specialists, district occupational therapists, and physical therapists strapped themselves into adaptive power wheelchairs to give the staff members valuable insights into available adaptive technology that might benefit the students they work with daily.
Assistive tech at the training included a chin-button robotic arm to grab items, an eye-powered tablet that steers a power wheelchair, and a button receiver that controls a self-serving spoon and bowl.
The hope is after seeing what’s possible, staff can then work with their students' families and healthcare providers to secure those technologies for students.
“There are so many technologies available, and they are always changing,” said Jamie Neugebauer, Assistive Technology Specialist. “We just wanted our team to know what’s out there for their students so they can tell their families. We want kids to be successful and these are tools that can make it easier for them.”
The hands-on experience came from a two-day workshop hosted by AISD in partnership with Adaptive Switch Labs (ASL), an organization dedicated to empowering students with major physical challenges through adaptive power mobility and environmental controls.
During their stay, ASL led a specialized clinical workshop for our district occupational therapists, physical therapists, and assistive technology staff, alongside providing two full days of direct consultation across our schools. This is the second time the company has visited with district staff. They came for a similar training last semester.
After trying the chairs themselves, staff got to see the real professionals at work–the students. The first visit was with EC Mason kindergartener Evalynn, who recently upgraded her specialized wheelchair. Her solo-session focused on how she can best use the new technology in the chair.
ASL also allowed Evalynn to try a customized head-control piece that connects to the chair and the eye-gaze speech device she already uses to give Evalynn a new way to communicate.
Evalynn’s visit was one of several individualized meetings bringing together district special education staff, students, their families and ASL personnel to evaluate equipment setups and develop plans to expand each student’s functional independence.
With another ASL visit planned for the spring, the district Assistive Technology team is committed to keeping up with the tools and resources that will meet our students' needs and ultimately lead to positive outcomes inside and outside of the classroom.
See more photos from the training session and Evalynn's visit on Flickr using this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD57xM
Watch a special video recapping at the link below: