Supporting Independence for Students with C…

that being put at the breast, is time to eat, being placed in a high chair, is time to eat, being placed in a car seat, is time to go. In short, cause/effect in AT, is not what is needed as a cognitive stratagem, but rather experience of moving throughout space independently, and seeing, feeling, and remembering what is where, and what belongs with what, or using and developing cognitive mapping, is vital. Cognitive mapping like causality, develops into more complex constructs over time, and then, especially cognitive mapping lays a foundation for understanding navigation. Navigation must be understood in order to use an AAC system. Navigation must be understood for reading. Navigation of an AAC device is needed to use it. Navigation is not just memorizing where a symbol is located, navigation is understanding pathways, and relationships, which is also a foundational cognitive construct of language development. Motor development plays right into this beginning language development. In fact, to initiate a conversation, at any time, a physical approach is needed. The physical approach is how one person starts a conversation. The approach initiates the relationship for the language to be used to communicate to another. To the communication partner, this approach presumes a communication initiation. (In my frequent consultations with school teams, I am asked “How do we get our student to initiate a conversation? The ability to physically approach another, is the communicative intent for initiation of communication.) When children are unable to move independently, they are provided supported walkers, and/or crawlers, to assist them. But when in classrooms, this equipment is not used (except in early intervention) within the classroom itself, but is relegated to specific therapy time, and exercise like walking down the hallway. Walking down the hallway certainly can be beneficial, but the considered use of a supported walker within the classroom itself, can support a student’s demonstration of intent, of interest, and of independent approach. These supported walkers, however, must be equipment that can support a child in either sitting and/or standing and/or moving, and many supported walkers in schools are simply small versions of adult walkers, which do not allow for getting close to tables or other objects or students. They are not hands free, so hands can explore, and are not readily able to turn, or move over varied surfaces, like carpeting, and linoleum. The KidWalk was developed for these reasons. (See photos). Not just a walker, but a seat, a stander, and able to support the student with a complex body in varied positions as their same age peers move and alter positions. The body must be active to engage the brain in focused activity. Stillness does NOT bring attention, attention is self-driven, and self- controlled and needs to be supported by independent postural movement and management. Readiness for activity to engage in activity, starts with a child moving themselves to the activity. Then, if that activity, requires getting into a chair and working at a table or desk, the

movement into the chair and getting to the desk, prepares the body for the control of managing the body and the mind ON the activity. Getting ready for activity and focus starts with the body’s transition from one place to the place of activity. Students with complex bodies are brought to a table or desk, and then wait while an activity is placed before them. They are then expected to “engage” and “demonstrate attention” and “endurance” to the activity and task, yet their brain and body are not “ready” as this readiness needs to come from their body’s participation in transition and their brains then focused interest and intention. If a student knew where the next activity was, and could move over to that activity, and then could be helped to be seated to pay attention, they would be more ready to focus. However, when the same seating and wheelchair that brings the student to school is the same position they are in all day, the body is challenged to be ready or focused. (Using same seating and positioning, again, is an “adult” concept and began with “adaptive seating” created for adults who had spinal cord injuries and who no longer have sensation, in their bodies. We have discovered, however, that even for them, changes in position are critical to all day postural management and focused attention to tasks.) CONSIDERATIONS/SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM CHANGE 1. Analyze classrooms and plan some re-organization that can include clear traffic patterns to specific activity areas or zones within the classroom. Place equipment needed in this activity zone that will need to be used within that activity zone. 2. Develop seating for the adults. Use rolling stools and/or folding chairs with seat cushions, both which can not only move to each activity, but also which can support the adult to sit beside, or behind, or near the student, depending on the task. “Beside” the student is a “tutoring/assist teaching” position, “behind” the student is a “comforting” “reassuring” position, and “near” the student is a vote of confidence for the student, “you can do this by yourself.” 3. Create clear rules of phone time. Create some communicative rules for all adults upon entry of an activity that includes the student. In other classrooms, no adult would even think about speaking out loud as the teacher is teaching, nor using their phone. The classroom is child centered and teacher and activity are respected. It is totally natural that in a classroom of non-speaking students, the “speakers” rule. The speakers then create the environment and the student-centered environment becomes adult oriented. Conscious and conscientious behaviors need to be encouraged and shared among all adults within the classroom. 4. Plan for AAC devices to be within the environment and used by ALL ADULTS at least part of the time.

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