Switch adapted activities

Did you know you could use your iPad as a switch? Or with a switch? All special education teachers need to know how to use their iPads like this! So many different accessibility features!

If you’ve been planning to begin using switch-accessible iPad games in your AAC work but haven’t quite gotten it all figured out, this post is for you. We’re delighted to introduc…

How are you using task systems in your multiple disability classroom? In this blog post I go over activity rotations that you can incorporate to find independent work that fits for all of your multiple disability students. I include a list of all my special education activities such as bead bars, sensory boards, and swinging bear that are all great ways to involve sound, texture and color. Read through all of my special education ideas on implementing a structured activity rotation here.

We live in a digital world... technology is all around us! Our kiddos with disabilities should have the same opportunity to learn to use technology as students who are "typically developing." As special education teachers, it can be difficult to find ways that our kiddos can access technology. I've always loved switch activated cause and effect toys and games, but switch toys are expensive and my kids get bored of them after a few weeks of playing with them. When it comes to technology, I…

The classroom teacher picked up this blowup snowman after the holidays last year. This child, Jim, needs movement and light to draw visual attention to his weaker right visual field. In this inve…

Mary Katherine Dally on Instagram: "Only have a few switch toys and need some ideas to pair with other class activities? Check out how to style them below! First these toys were thrifted and switch adapted. The CAT truck could roll through paint, over Play-Doh, knock over blocks or race with another car in the motor area. The musical dog is all about choice making with the four port sites! You could have a student lead music class, talk colors during art or take the dog to the vet for a…

So you're now working with an older PMLD student, perhaps a teenager and want to work on developing understanding of cause and effect. There is a lot of discussion around the idea of 'age appropriate' toys and resources. What is meant by that is not using toys developed for babies and toddlers with teenagers and young adults. Personally, I think there's no such thing as a toy that's not 'age appropriate' and if it is motivating and enjoyed then there's no reason not to use the toy. I mean, I…

Creating accessible board games provides opportunities to hone skills such as critical thinking, strategic planning, and practice social skills such as turn-taking, all while having fun in the special education classroom. Today, I am sharing how to make board games more accessible. I am sharing how to embed assistive technology, how to incorporate tactile objects, and how to use velcro to make classroom games more accessible for your special education students.

Junior loves his Silly Six Pins game. It talks, has a ball, and you get to knock things over, just perfect as far as he is concerned. The problem comes with how to help him get the ball to the pins to knock them over. Yesterday we had the game out playing and I decided why not build a mini version of a bowling ramp. We started out by figuring out how long it needed to be and how wide. We needed it narrow enough so the ball would not fall through. Of course you may want to go smaller or…

Resources and ideas for teachers and caregivers of learners with severe, profound, intensive, significant, complex or multiple special needs.