using arms and hands

Taction Pads are clear, adhesive backed, touch sensitive plastic strips or patches. When adhered to any surface or item they act like switches. When you touch or pick up the item, it can activate virtually any another battery operated device.

Directions:
Choose the size Taction Pad that will work best with the item you want the child to pick up or touch. There are 3 different sizes: 2”x4”, 3”x5”, & 0.1”x24”. The long thin size is ideal to wrap around an object. The other sizes may be placed on, under, or around an item.

Here is a simple, inexpensive way to adapt a mouse for a child who needs to operate the computer switch. The idea was introduced by Linda Burkhart at the AAC in the Mountains Conference (1995) in Park City, Utah. (www.lburkhart.com)

Materials:

• 1 1/2” notebook (3 ring binder)
• Hot glue gun and glue stick
• 15” of craft wood, 3/4” x 3/4”
• Sponge or foam rubber
• Saw
• Scissors

Directions:

Materials:

• Wood or corrugated cardboard
• Nails, hammer
• Glue
• Wide Paper Clamps
• Electric Hand Jigsaw

Instructions:
Cut wood or cardboard following pattern example above. Glue or nail pieces together. Place clamps on top or at sides (to stabilize paper or books).

To increase participation in cooperative play, convert a cookie sheet into an accessible board game. Adhere colorful electrician's tape to the sheet and create a grid for tic-tac-toe. Play the game using magnetic X's and O's or glue magnets to poker chips to create your own pieces. Add plastic loops to the poker chips to assist students with decreased fine motor skills. Adapt simple puzzles by attaching magnetic tape to individual pieces to help students slide pieces together.

If students can grasp a magnetic wand they can participate in a variety of play activities. Simply attach pieces of magnetic tape onto toys such as cars, trucks, boats etc. Students can then drive the vehicles with a magnetic wand or magnet attached to a splint or handcuff.

Glue or Velcro the furniture pieces in place so a child can maneuver the dolls without mistakenly “redecorating” the house. Take the roof off so children can reach in and move things around.

Cookie sheets and magnets give students with decreased motor skills the ability to participate in many writing tasks. Students can slide magnetic numbers into numerical order, sort by odd or even status, attempt greater than or less than problems or add, subtract or multiply in math class. In language arts, students can use alphabet magnets to participate in activities such as letter identification, matching upper and lowercase letters, or spelling tests.

Use bungee type cords or straps to secure books to wheelchair trays or bookstands.

Materials:

• Discarded 35mm film canister
• Small photo of student mounted on firm backing (plastic/cardboard, etc)
• Hook Velcro
• Velcro sensitive material
• Hot glue

Instructions:
Cover canister sides with Velcro sensitive material, hot glue in place. Place hook Velcro on back of child’s mounted picture. Attach Velcro to the covered canister.

To make page turning easier, glue small felt pieces on each page. The felt circles for the bottoms of chair legs, popsicle sticks, or tabs from notebook dividers can also be glued on pages at varying levels to help children turn pages independently.

Take off the binding of a book and separate the pages (making sure all pages are numbered first). Laminate, coat in clear contact paper, or place each page in a lock top plastic bag. Then, punch holes and put the pages in a three-ring binder.