[games_access] Games for people with cerebral palsy

Sun Feb 25 09:33:04 EST 2007

Hi Jeanette,

I don't know the RJ Cooper Switch Hopper. Can you set the switch to act as any keyboard key or mouse action? If not, then you are going to be a bit limited in what software you can access.

There's an alternative list of switch equipment here: http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/1/AGS/AGS-switch.htm. Click on the PC Switch Interfaces for more compatible devices that aren't too expensive.

As for some nice basic cause and effect activities, try the following:

http://www.brillsoft.com/ - Try Fab Four and Rockets (free download).
http://www.northerngrid.org/sen/NetSwitch/index.htm - Very basic switch activities, but very useful - some abstract, some a bit childish (on-line or download)
http://www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/kidsonly/games/footy/footy.htm - Football (Soccer to you) game - pure cause and effect up to scan and select.
http://www.sldonline.org/Kingsbury/Kingsbury.htm - On-line games and activities - have a hunt round (free download).
http://www.papunet.net/pelit/_tarkkuuspelit/tikka/ - Papunet - Darts game (on-line).
http://www.pvoice.org/ - Pvoice - story book that you can cycle through with a switch and more (free download)
http://www.reactivecolours.org/ - one or two, one-button compatible activities that could be nice.

Some of the one-switch games can work in a fun cause and effect way too. Try: Atom Cruncher, Aurikon, Bombzone, Cheat 7, 

Don't forget that having a PC interface, you'll be able to get a switch to stop/start MP3s/CD tracks run through a 'visualiser' animation. Also, stop/starting MPEGs/DVD clips can be great fun. Also using a slide show set-up you can get people to cycle through photos that may interest them. Some of the DJ'ing software can be enormous fun, where the musician can click on/off tracks to build up a song with help. Also just being able to click through places of interest on the internet with a good enabler helping to navigate can be fun (providing you have a quick set-up). Disney's Magic Art Studio, whilst not super age-appropriate - could be a lot of fun with assistance, used as a cause and effect device (press the button and fill the screen with a different colour for example).

I'd recommend looking into games console and computer emulators for the PC. Old Atari VCS/2600 games can be great fun, such as Bowling, Air-Sea Battle and Outlaw. Megadrive/Genesis games can frequently be used to trigger sound effects and music with a single switch. The Atari ST had some light-synthesisers (Colour Space and Trip-A-Tron) and art packages that may be good fun.

I'd also suggest that you look at getting a Playstation One or PS2 with switch interface. Take a look here for some more ideas. http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/2/I/Playstation-PC/Iplaystation.htm - I highly recommend getting your hands on the 'Interactive Sound Lab' "Fluid" and racing game "Destruction Derby". I do a switch interface as does RJ Cooper.

Hope this helps,

Barrie
www.OneSwitch.org.uk

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: InRNette at aol.com 
  To: games_access at igda.org 
  Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 12:15 PM
  Subject: Re: [games_access] Games for people with cerebral palsy

  Robert:

  Yes, we have messaged before.  I am one of the groups quiet members.  I have been watching the groups progress since I joined.  

  I use for my students to access the computer:

  RJ Cooper's Switch Hopper (USB interface)  
  Special Education Software, Hardware and Assistive Technology Products - Special Needs Children and Special Ed Learning Resou.. 

  Enable Mart Big Red Switch, Jelly Bean Switch, Finger Switches, etc. (Ablenet is undergoing an update on their website)
  Enablemart - EnableMart.Com - Switch Solutions 

  The young people that I work with are homebound because they simply cannot attend either a partial day or full day program because there needs are best met at home or in a hospital. Currently we are trying to find a means of communication for a young man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in-utero (His Mom was shot for the money and tips as a pizza delivery person), is a quad requiring total care for activities of daily living, loves watching old TV shows, responds and smiles appropriately. We have worked low tech for him and we know that he is able to make choices with his eyes.  The teacher contacted us a couple of months ago because his care giver pulled out two switches and the positioning equipment that an agency had purchased and never follow through on. Not knowing what he could do with these switches, we positioned them like the care giver indicated then I popped into the computer just a cause and effect piece of software by RJ Cooper......if looks could slap me, I would have been on the ground.  We moved on very rapidly to another of Coopers demo downloads called "Battle of the gods" (I think) and the look was replaced with completely different look that allowed me to continue standing. (A battle with the gods sure beat out the frog sticking his tongue out to catch a fly hands down.)

  Your site has grown tremendously.  I will be passing the link on to our other AT Consultants and teachers we encounter.  

  When I say age appropriate, I need simple cause and effect software that an older student would be able to use that allow them to progress from the beginning to as far as they can go.  Cause and effect software that we have found up until now have been considered juvenile for our teens hurt in an accident with cognitive awareness that surpasses their ability to express themselves.

  Hope this helps explain what I am looking for.

  Jeanette

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