Steps Before Step Scanning – Activities from Two Switches to Success

Cause and Effect Direct Activities:

The cause and effect direct level is for those individuals who do not yet understand that they can activate a switch to make something happen.  It may also be used when introducing an individual to a new switch or new switch location.  This step is only needed for short periods of time to help individuals make direct connections between their movements and the effect that they can have on the environment.

Understanding cause and effect is about learning to associate and initiate a movement with a perceivable, and hopefully desirable effect.  These activities are designed to respond directly to movement on and off of the switch.  The videos or songs play on contact with the switch and stop immediately upon release of the switch. This helps the individual’s brain make a clear association between cause and effect.

Sample Steps Before Step Scanning activities at the 2 switches 2 functions level. Two switches are used to access these activities. The switch on the left side controls the left side of the screen and the one on the right controls the right side of the screen. You can customize the photos of who is hiding and the child can select a photo. Then, the photo moves across the screen when the corresponding switch is activated. Activities created in Mind Express by Jabbla.

Click here to watch a child interacting with this activity.  Angela, from We Speak PODD is using two proximity switches from Adapted Switch Labs.

These activities are designed to reflect Stepping Stone 4: Move, Move, Get.  Use these activities once the individual has learned that different switches can have different functions and they have had some independent practice with two switches in a variety of activities.  In these activities, one switch becomes the mover and one becomes the selector.

Each of these activities work with switch 1 moving something incrementally across the screen with each activation of the switch.  During this time, only switch 1 works.  Once the item has moved all the way to the picture on the right of the screen, then switch 1 stops working and switch 2 will now start the animation.   This helps the individual make a clear connection for the purpose of each switch and prepares them for learning two switch step scanning.

If you own the full version of Mind Express, you can change the pictures on the right of the screen in both the ‘put on hats’ and ‘vehicles’ activities.  See pdf directions included with these files.

Click here to watch a child interacting with this activity.  Angela, from We Speak PODD is using two proximity switches from Adapted Switch Labs.