Cause and effect...

A brief look at cause and effect activities.

Cause and effect - "the first step on the road to using a computer or assistive device".
I feel that I am in danger of making some sweeping statements in the life of this blog and the above statement may be one of them. Understanding cause and effect is a skill necessary to develop functional use of IT and many other assistive technologies (AT). Of course for some, this will be a long term target to work towards and there are many ways we can support this learning objective. To understand that pressing a switch activates whatever it is plugged into can seem like an impossible task and sometimes it may be that the understanding is achieved in one setting or for one activity but not for another.
Once an understanding of cause and effect has been established it can be put to use as a method of simple communication, or fun play such as switch toys and early IT activities. The next stage is to develop an understanding of simple choice making and building on to more complex choice making if appropriate.
Integral to this learning is the method someone would use to activate a reaction. There are many many switches available now that range in size, colour, sensitivity and shape. Some vibrate, some are textured and some light up. There are switches designed to fit any area of the body, so where there is no hand function, think about the head, chin or feet for example. Finding the most appropriate switch is a process of trial and error or trial and persistence. The first stage of learning may be recognising that the switch makes a noise when pressed, or that it vibrates. However, when moving on to plugging the switch in to a device such as a switch activated toy, does the reaction from the switch itself distract from the reaction of the toy? You may find a variety of switches for different activities may be appropriate - or maybe not!? It is a case of experimenting.
With all of this, communication is key. When setting up a learning session, are we communicating the objectives adequately to the student? Are symbols required?  Would a visual, symbol based breakdown of the session be beneficial? It is important that the student is aware to the best of their abilities, what is expected of them, why it is expected of them and how long will they be expected to engage in an activity. A clear beginning and end to the session can help to focus the student. Of course these are all learning objectives in themselves and can be a pre cursor to understanding cause and effect or may be on-going objectives throughout the student's learning and when moving on to more complex use of technology.
We also need to think about the learning environment and things such as physical positioning of the student, visual ability and enjoyment of the activity. We must be careful that we don't put a student off by initially giving them something they don't like (this option however, when used appropriately can help to establish an understanding of choice making at a later stage) .
So - rather than writing a thesis, let's look at some activities!

Switch toys - There are many switch activated toys available. You can even adapt your own. Maybe start off with a nice big switch plugged into a singing teddy bear or a music player to start and stop the music. You can even get switch adapted water pistols!

Touch screen activities - Using a touch screen gives the student direct access to the effect or reward. There is no "gap" in between as with a switch and the right activities can support the earliest stages of cause and effect.

Switch games/activities on the computer - There are many early learning, single-switch games and activities available for the computer. Software with bright, colourful, clearly changing graphics are best for early cause and effect.

Mobility platform -  A fantastic way for students to gain an understanding of cause and effect. For many students making the connection between pressing a switch and the following reaction can be a step too far and further breakdown of the task is required. A student positioned on a mobility platform can move themselves independently with the single press of a switch. I have seen this activity change lives. For someone who has never moved independently to be able to control their own movement must be a terrifying and exhilarating experience. (I think this topic deserves a post all of it's own)

There is so much more to say on this topic and I hope to continue in further posts but I will leave it there for now.