Specialist expertise in communication and assistive technology
Page last updated: 30 July 2008

FAQs

    Answers

    Q. We want to buy a computer for home, what kind should we buy and where should we get it? Do I need a PC or Mac? Desktop or laptop? Cheap or powerful? Do I need a multimedia PC? What kind of screen should I get?

    A: There are so many choices when it comes to buying computers that it can all be a little overwhelming. There are a few important things to think about before you start shopping. First you need to think about what you are going to need the computer for. Are you going to want to take digital photos? Do you want to install any Special Access software, or connect Special Access devices? Do you want to use the machine for writing letters and doing your accounts? Do you want to be able to take the machine with you when you go away? and so on. You also may like to have a budget in mind at this point - it is all too easy to carried away! If you are going to use Special Access software, find out how to get it and how much it costs at this stage - don’t forget you may be able to get a discount if your childs school uses the software too (i.e. with Clicker). Try and get a copy of the ‘recommended requirements’ for the software, (not just the ‘minimum requirements’) to take shopping with you. This will help give you an idea of the specification of machine required to run the software effectively.

    It is good to take some time over the purchase - visit a few shops and compare what they have to offer - are the staff knowledgeable? what level of support can they offer after you have bought equipment? - don’t forget that as well as the big superstores there may be local suppliers/machine builders who may be able to give excellent support and detailed, friendly advice.

    The choice of PC or Mac is a difficult one to make as there is a wide range of software available for both. It may be that you are already familiar with one of the systems, or that your childs’ school uses one or the other of them. If you are completely new to computers, try both out and see which one you feel more comfortable with.

    Unless you definitely know that you are going to want to take the computer with you when you go on holiday for example, I would recommend sticking with a desktop machine, as they are usually around half the cost for the same specification - leaving you more money for a colour printer, camera, scanner, software and so on.

    Cheap or Powerful? Most new computers these days probably have more computing power than was used to go to the moon in the 1960s! You should try and fulfil as many of your expectations as you can within your budget. In computing, higher numbers are almost always more powerful. The important things to spend the money on are memory (or RAM) and Hard drive (Disk space). Memory is usually described like this: 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb and so on. Hard drives are written like this 20Gb, 30Gb, 40Gb, 80Gb and even 160Gb! The question of processor is very difficult and varies for Mac and PC. For PC’s you have two major manufacturers - Intel and AMD. AMD is usually much cheaper than Intel, and gives equivalent performance. AMD describe one of their recent product lines like this AMD Athlon XP1800+, XP2000+, XP2400+ etc. Intel describes one of their product lines as Pentium IV 1.8Gb, 2.0Gb, 2.4Gb etc. AMD and Intel both make cheaper ranges of chips with slightly less performance known as Duron and Celeron respectively. The minimum specification of PC should have 256Mb RAM, 40Gb Hard Drive and any of the processors mentioned above. What you get will depend on the software you want to use and also factors. For instance, will you be doing video editing? (you need more RAM and a much bigger Hard drive). Will you need to use speech recognition? (More RAM and a faster processor) etc. etc.

    A Multimedia PC is usually a term used by shops to indicate a package of equipment that may include a computer, monitor, printer, scanner and digital camera. Don’t get carried away though. Make sure the computer meets your specification - that is the most important part.

    For a screen I would recommend at least a 17” screen if getting a CRT (like a TV) monitor or 15” for an LCD. LCD panels take up less room, but their surfaces are usually more fragile than a CRT. LCD panels are also generally more expensive.

    Q. I have a disabled child - do we need to buy a computer for home?

    A. Probably you will want to do this – eventually. There is no great rush if your child is still very young (see also earlier discussion) – there may be many more important aspects of his or her development to think about first, such as social interaction, communication and play. Also it can be just frustrating for the child to have a computer that he or she cannot operate / control independently, so when you do buy, try to get the necessary access hardware and suitable software at the same time as the computer itself. Don’t forget to think about the table you are going to put the computer on. A special computer table is not necessary and the cheap ones you can get are usually not good for wheelchair users to get under and they are not height adjustable (usually placing the monitor too high for smaller children and too far away for children with visual problems), and do not have space for extras likes a large keyboard or switch. An ordinary table at the right height might be better.

    If you live in the Edinburgh (EH postcode) area, you may be able to get a free second-hand computer through Pass It On a charity that recycles computers for use with people with disabilities.

    Q. If we get a computer for home who will help me to set it up and fix it if things go wrong?

    A. This can be tricky especially if you need to set up a specialised system like switch access. Local education authorities do have technicians but they only work with schools. Your best bet is to buy the computer from a reputable local dealer that offers a service, such as pre-installed operating systems and core software. It may not be quite as cheap as a ‘special offer’ on mail order or the internet, but you ill get more support and can keep going back for advice and support or repairs if necessary. It might be worth coughing up for the dreaded ‘extended warranty’ just to have peace of mind in case things go wrong later.

    Many of the bigger or more specialised shops have staff available to take you through problems on the phone, or to offer advice if you go in and ask for technical support. But they will only know about the basic computer hardware and maybe well-known office or games software. Do not expect them to help with any specialised aspects relating to your child’s disabilities – they may give you misleading or expensively wrong advice! (And that goes for well meaning relatives, friends and neighbours too…) For special information try asking at your child’s school, and if they can’t help, ask them if there is a specialist unit like CALL Centre near you that you could contact directly. If you are looking for a special keyboard or keyguard or for switches and switch interfaces, etc, you can ask to speak to someone (other than the ‘sales desk’) for advice at one of the companies that sells these devices (se resources section below) If you are not sure what hardware and software will be suitable for your child, explain the situation and ask if you can buy on ‘sale or return’ – most specialist companies will oblige.

    You could also contact IT Can Help a network of computer professionals who support people with disabilities on a voluntary basis, or AbilityNet a charity which provides advice and assessment support on the use of computer technology by people with disabilities. (NB. Both of these organisations tend to work mainly with adults rather than with young children.)

    Q. I work in IT and want to set up lots of technology for my disabled child but I get the feeling that the school wants me to back off – why would this be?

    A. The school will have a planned program in place for your child including the use of IT. If you go and talk to the school you will be able to find out more about this and perhaps discuss where some aspects of IT could be covered by you at home. The school will value your technical ability and you could work together on helping your child.

    As you would expect, education authorities and schools need to make sure that software used is effective in the educational context, compatible and robust and supported by training for staff and by curriculum materials. This often means using a few tried and tested applications familiar to the school, rather than introducing lots of new things that the school could not support or progress. So they might ask to you, for example, to develop exciting new resources to provide varied activities for your child (and others) using familiar tools rather than putting together complicated new systems.

    Consistency is very important, so the school might just be worried in case your child gets confused by being asked to do things differently in different settings. For example, if you were asking him or her to use software based on an alphabetic approach or spelling approach while the school has him or her writing using picture supported word recognition (eg. from Clicker wordbanks) and an onscreen keyboard with lower case qwerty layout, and learning to read using a special phonics scheme.

    If you discussed and shared information at this level of detail with somebody at school who works closely with your child, and agreed to both follow the same approach, the situation might become more positive.

    (Then again the school might be plain scared of your expertise, and worried that you are going to show them up! (teachers are specialists and experts at teaching, not necessarily with new technology). ‘Softly softly’, demonstrating that your child really is benefiting from the technology you have introduced at will work better than ‘blinding them with science’….)

    Finally, there is always a worry that someone will waste time and effort – (that might be better spent with your child!) ‘reinventing the wheel’. Please don’t try and develop a new device or software application from scratch for your child without checking very carefully into what exists already. There is a lot of specialised equipment out there, once you start looking, even though it’s not generally widely advertised.

    Q. At what age should my child start using a computer? or He’s only two but he’s already interested in the computer

    A: There is no hard and fast rule about when a child should start using a computer. Sometimes children like the closeness and attention they get from sitting on Mum or Dad’s knee at the computer as much as the computer itself (which they may just see as a kind of TV). It is not a good idea to let young children fiddle or play with a keyboard or mouse as if they were toys or to try and make them sit at the screen, if they are not interested. It is a good idea to supervise them and support them and try and identify software at the right level that they can control by themselves (e.g. from a single hit on space bar or switch (see resources section below)

    Q. He’s in Nursery but they just seem to play

    A: If your child is in a nursery class there will usually be at least one computer in the classroom being used with early years software with children taking turns on it, or often playing in pairs or small groups. A member of staff should be with them to help to make the experience a meaningful learning opportunity. It is normal for children at this stage just to spend a few minutes at a time on one activity and then to go off and do something else: the computer will just be one amongst many attractive play opportunities, at this stage. In Scotland, Nursery teachers are given guidance on ‘ICT in Early Years’ by the Scottish Executive and these documents stress the importance of all sorts of technology (eg. digital camera) not just computers, and stress the need for balance so that any technology use is embedded into play, and functional learning experiences.

    Q. Where can I buy fun switch operated games?

    A: There are many different switch operated games out there. Listed below are four of the main stockists of switch software in the UK and the contact details.

    If you are planning to buy switch operated games for use at home, firstly ask the school what software they are using, as you may not want to buy the same (see question below as to why you may or may not want the same software). You will also need to talk to the school about exactly how your child uses a switch and how it is positioned to get the best access. You will also need to have a switchbox to connect the switch to the computer ( see answer about which switch box)

    Inclusive Technology is one of the biggest creators and sellers of specialist software. You will find schools have any many of their programs including the Switch It series and Choose It Maker. Their catalogue is colour coded so you can work out if the software is suitable. Look for the little green switch symbol for cause and effect and the blue egg timer for switch timing. Inclusive Technology has a 100 days to return goods if they are not suitable which is very useful. They have a wide range of software and also have switches, switchboxes and mounts.

    Liberator has a wide range of cause and effect software, including age appropriate programs such as Radsounds and Teenage switch progression. There is also a good selection of music programs and switch arcade games. Liberator also sells switches and has a wide range of communication aids. Liberator also sells the wonderful talking photo album, so you can record 10 seconds of speech to accompany the picture.

    Don Johnston has single switch software in their Press-to-Play series. There are four different titles sppedy, zoo, animals and sport. They also have software from SimTech including software for teens and switch basics. Don Johnston also stocks switches, DJ switchboxes. Don Johnston also stock all Mayer Johnston or BoardMaker products and books. They also have a 30 days sell or return.

    SEMERC has a range of switch accessible software, including switch on original, travel and zoo. There is also Spot on Games, Animal Match and People Match, all accessible from a single switch. They also stock the full range of single switch software from Sensory Software. SEMERC also sell Touch games 1,2 and funfair for touch screen users. SEMERC stock some switches, communication aids, switchboxes and mousers.

    Inclusive Technology Ltd
    Gateshead Business Park
    Delph
    Oldham
    OL3 5BX
    Tel: 01457 819790
    Fax: 01457 819799
    Email: inclusive@inclusive.co.uk
    http://www.inclusive.co.uk/

     

    Liberator Ltd
    Whitegates
    Swinstead
    Lincolnshire
    NG33 4PA
    Tel: 01476 550391
    Fax: 01476 550357
    Email: sales@liberator.co.uk
    http://www.liberator.co.uk/

     

    Don Johnston Special Needs Ltd
    18/19 Clarendon Court
    Calver Road
    Winwick Quay
    Warrington
    WA2 8QP
    http://www.donjohnston.com/

     

    SEMERC
    Tel: 0161 827 2927
    Fax: 0161 827 2966
    Email: info@semerc.com
    http://www.semerc.com/

     

    Q. Should I be trying to use the same software at home as my child uses at school, or different?

    A: If your child uses specialist software at school to assist with reading and writing for example screen readers or word prediction then you would want to have the same software on your home computer. This will mean that your child will be able to complete homework and school related tasks with the minimum of support. Some of the companies will sell you a special licence for home is so is worth calling and asking then.

    If your child uses switch software and is working at cause and effect level, then you will probably not want the same software as school. Your child will get bored if they have to do the same things at school and at home. Have a look at the question about free switch software from the web and try that instead.

    Q. My child uses BoardMaker symbols at school, how can I get/make symbol materials for home?

    A: There are several possible ways that you can obtain BoardMaker symbols to use in the home. It would be worth talking to your speech and language therapist, as they might be able to help with symbols for home. Some Health Boards have speech and language therapy assistant who are excellent at making symbol resources in BoardMaker. They are unlikely to be able to produce large amounts of symbols but will help to update communication books and charts.

    One way is to buy a copy of the BoardMaker software, this is expensive as it is £199 though it comes with 3160 symbols and you can the additional BM Addendum symbols which is around 3000 additional symbols for £49.

    A cheaper alternative is to buy just the 3100 symbols on a CD from Crick Software at a cost of £90. This disc was created for use with Clicker 4 but you can import the symbols into any word processor or graphic package, some examples are MS Word, MS Powerpoint or MS Publisher. The symbols is like a picture or clip art and is saved in your computer so as long as you know where the symbols are you can insert them as you would a picture or any piece of clip art.

    There are also some books that are available that contain pages of symbols that can be photocopied. One of these is Quick and Easy Ideas and Materials to Help The Non Verbal Child “Talk” At Home. You will find that some of the vocabulary is very American. Also most of the symbol pages are A4 pages with 20 symbols on the page. It’s available in the UK from Don Johnston Special Needs for £21.

    Accompanying the book is a video. Both book and video are £29. Again from Don Johnston there is a wordless paper edition of the PCS symbols available for £50.

    Q. Is there anywhere on the Internet where I can I find pictures that would interest my child?

    A. Yes, the Internet is a great source of pictures on every subject and person. The easiest way is to use a search engine, there are several. The most popular include: http://images.google.com/, http://www.alltheweb.com/, and http://www.altavista.com/. You need to click the tab above the box called ’Images’ or ‘Pictures’ before you do the search. Specially for pictures, try http://www.picsearch.com/ or http://www.freefoto.com/

    Just type the name of the person or thing you are looking for into the search box and click Go or Search. Be as specific as possible or you will get millions of results!

    You need to be aware that the image may be subject to copyright. If you click on the image that you want it will take you through to the actual web page and you check the page for copyright issues. Usually, it may be OK to use a picture for your own purpose but not OK to use it in anything that is going to be circulated widely outside your control, or especially, published, or sold.

    Now you have to take the picture that you want to your own computer. Click to enlarge it first, and work from this larger image.

    PC users: right click over the image. A little window will appear that will let you either Copy the image (once only) or Save (keep for future use)

    Mac users: click and hold mouse on the image. Again, a little window (lower section) will offer you Download image to disc (same as save) or Copy.

    To copy: First make sure you have the document already open underneath that you want to paste into. To copy, select ‘copy image’. Then paste into another document as required.

    To download/ save: select ‘save picture/ download to disc’. You will be required to name the image and place it in a specific folder. It would be useful to create a folder called ‘Internet’ in ‘My Pictures’ in ‘My Documents’ and save the pictures in there.

    Pictures from some sites – especially for Mac users can be dragged and dropped directly from the web page on the your other document (both have to be open side by side on your screen)

    Q.Where can I get good Clip Art for free on the web?

    A. All the sites below offer free pictures. Make sure you wade through all the adverts to find the right place, so you don’t need to pay or subscribe to anything.

    http://clipart.disneysites.com/ - great place to get pictures of Disney characters

    http://www.awesomeclipartforkids.com/ - lots of animals and holiday clip art

    http://www.clipart.co.uk/

    http://www.kidsdomain.com/clip - holiday, seasons, sport, animals

    http://web.uvic.ca/hcmc/clipart - great selection of just about everything

    http://www.sla.purdue.edu/fll/japanproj/FLClipart - black and white line drawings

    http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx - great selection of clip art that downloads into Microsoft Word or PowerPoint

    http://school.discovery.com/clipart - good selection of school clip art

    http://pics.tech4learning.com/ - mixture of photos and clip art

    Q. Is there anywhere on the Internet where I can I get free switch operated games or other resources?

    A. Yes there are a few great sites where you can get free switch operated games:

    http://www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/

    This is one of the best web sites. It has switch operated pop videos, it's constantly changing so it's good to keep checking back regularly.

    http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/meldreth/textandinfo/comp.html

    Methdreth Manor School has downloadable PowerPoint and Illuminatus switch activities.

    http://www.sldonline.org/Kingsbury/Kingsbury.htm

    Kingsbury School. superb switch-accessible site, with lots of activities and downloads for switch users

    http://www.northerngrid.org/ngflwebsite/sen/dbsenmain.htm

    Northern Grid for Learning SEN site. Download SEN Switcher and other useful materials.

    http://www.senteacher.org/

    SEN Teacher Resources site. Software section contains lots of downloadable resources for children with special needs, most of which can be used with a switch, along with links to other resources.

    http://www.switchintime.com/

    Switch in Time. Source of free switch software for Apple Mac users.

    http://www.arcess.com/

    Arcess. 3 free accessible computer games. Alien invasion is really good!

    http://www.brillsoft.com/

    Brillsoft. Demos of single switch games designed for switch users.

    http://www.rjcooper.com/index.html

    RJ Cooper. Demos of single switch games designed for switch users - go to the free page and Battle of the Gods and Reign of the Flowerpots

    http://www.hsj.com/index.html

    Simsoft. Single switch games; demos available.

    http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/home.html

    Harry Potter. Play Quidditch with switches!

    http://shockwave.com/

    Shockwave. Free on-line games (with adverts).

    http://miniclip.com/

    Miniclip.com. More free on-line games, with adverts. These games are really good for co-operative games: switch user clicks to fire and other child sets things up. Some good cooperative games are Canon fire, ski jump and bug on a wire.

    Q. My child uses Clicker at school; can I get a copy for home use?

    A. Yes, you can get a copy of Clicker at the reduced price of £49, from Crick Software. Contact Details are

    Crick Software Ltd
    Crick House,
    Boarden Close,
    Moulton Park,
    Northampton NN3 6LF
    Telephone: +44 (0)1604-671691
    Fax: +44 (0)1604-671692
    General Information: info@cricksoft.com
    Sales: admin@cricksoft.com

    You will probably be asked for the name of your child's school, so that Crick Software can check that the school has a copy of the program.

    Q. I have Clicker but I can't/don't have time to make grids. Where can I get ready made grids from?

    A. Crick Software has a great web site and they have hundreds of pre-made grids that you can download for free. All you have to do is register with your email address and create a user name and password and then you can download as many as you like.

    http://www.learninggrids.com/ - site with all the resources

    http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/ - main company site

    Q. I’d like to buy swtich operated toys for my child’s birthday/christmas present. Where do I start?

    A: There are commercially available toys although these are not cheap and you might also like to think about adapting ordinary toys for switch toys (see question below)

    Magic Planet has a good selection of switch operated soft toys, cars and vibrating toys. The toys move forward or jump and make noises. Some new Toys have been added for 2004. These include a Tweenies Disco Ball and a dancing birthday cake.

    Magic Planet
    5 –7 Severnside Business Park
    Severn Road
    Stourport – on Severn
    Worcestershire DY13 9HT
    Tel: 01299 827820
    Email: info@magic-planet.biz
    http://www.magic-planet.biz/

    Liberator has a nice switch adapted Paint and Swirl set for making pictures.

    Liberator
    Whitegates, Swinstead
    Lincolnshire NG33 4PA
    Tel: 01476 550391
    Email: sales@liberator.co.uk
    http://www.liberator.co.uk/

    QED has a dual switched remote control car, one switch will move the car forward and the other will allow the car to reverse in a circle.

    QED 2000 Limited
    1 Prince Albert Street
    Gosport
    Hampshire PO12 1QH
    Tel: 0870 7878850
    Email: Sales@QEDLtd.com
    http://www.qedltd.com/

    Do bear in mind also that some older children might be more interested in gaining independent control over a 'real' device such as a cassette player, radio or food mixer (eg. for making milk-shakes) - rather than a toy. Adaptors are available for making mains powered devices switch accessible.

    Q. How can I turn an ordinary battery operated toy into a switch operated toy?

    A: There is no totally straightforward solution it requires a little bit of work! You can buy Battery Switch Adaptors that fit between the AA, C or D batteries in the toy. They cost £7 each from Inclusive Technology. These can be a bit fiddly to get in the right place (and you may have to use a Stanley knife to cut a little notch in the plastic battery compartment ‘door’, on some toys, to let the wire come out). They may not always be very robust, with a lot of use (the adaptor may slip or pull out or the socket/ cable connection may break)

    A better solution may be to permanently modify the toy by attaching a switch socket to it. This does require some electrical knowledge and some ability with hand tools and a soldering iron. Click here to open up a sheet telling you how to do this.

    You can get further information on adapting toys from The Alliance for Technology Access web site (http://ataccess.org/resources/wcp/endefault.html). This is an American site with useful information though the equipment references are to American suppliers.

    We also created a Quick Guide with some basic instructions on it.

    Modifying Battery Toys for Switch Use (PDF - 668Kb)

    Q. Where can I get ideas about using switch toys with my child?

    A. There is a great book from KEYCOMM called Switch Play Learning And Technology (SPLAT) a guide for parents and carers. It costs £5 including postage and is available from

    KEYCOMM
    St Giles Centre
    40 Broomhouse Crescent
    Edinburgh
    EH11 3UB
    Telephone: 0131 443 6775

    This book is full of really easy to use help sheets, giving you plenty of ideas about adapting battery toys, latching boxes and a useful list of suppliers in and around Edinburgh.

    Q. I’d like my child to be more involved around the house, for example is there a means of turning on a kettle with a switch?

    A. Yes, you can buy a control unit called an AbleNet PowerLink 2 from Inclusive Technology, Liberator or QED for around £170. You plug in the PowerLink then connect it to the electrical device. You could try some of the following kettle, foot spa, tape recorder, radio, mixer, blender, fan, and disco light. Attach a switch to the jack socket on the front on the unit. There are various settings depending on how you want to use the device.

    Select the one that you want to use.

    • Direct Mode: keeps the appliance on only while the switch is activated.
    • Timed Seconds Mode: allows the appliance to run for 1 to 60 seconds
    • Timed Minute Mode: allows the appliance to run for 1 to 60 minutes
    • Latch Mode: one activation turns the appliciance on, the second turns it off.

    The PowerLink is great for all, but especially older children who may want to gain some independence over a ‘real’ appliance.