TRANSCRIPT - AT for Little Ones who are Deafblind

>>Belinda: Hello, thank you for joining us. I am filling in as host today for Donna Clemens. You wanna write in the chat where you're from, we'd love to see, where you guys are joining us from. Hope you're having good weather where you are. Welcome, welcome to Tech T time. Oh, let's see, we're getting some, Michigan.

>>Hillary: Hmm.

>>Belinda: Houston, North Carolina, Frisco. Wow, is it still snowy in Michigan this time of year? Probably.

>>Hillary: I'll bet it is in Winnipeg.

>>Belinda: Oh, yes. North Carolina. And remember if you change your chat to everyone then everyone who's joining will be able to see your comments. Wyoming. Oh, Minnesota. Yes, I bet there's snow up there. Go once, welcome. Washington, Oh my gosh, we're all over the place. No snow here, about 50 today. Well, 50 sounds pretty chilly to me. We are here that would still be chilly to us.

>>Hillary: Yeah.

>>Belinda: Minus 10 lots of snow in Winnipeg. Wow.

>>Hillary: Okay. I know. Yeah.

>>Belinda: Hmm. Wow.

>>Hillary: Yeah, we're spoiled, aren't we, Belinda?

>>Belinda: We are. Yes.

>>Hillary: Until July and August. And then we wanna be north.

>>Belinda: I, yes, yes, it gets miserable in the summer for sure. Sandantonio. Awesome. Okay, well, I will explain again. I'm Belinda Fayard. I am the VI transition. You're in the right place in case you're looking for that from your face. I am going to, I'm gonna started with some of the Bush field that she gives every week. For a team time remember community of practice is what we have here for technology allowing us to support each other. It isn't interactive session. We want you to. Put your questions in the chat or, QA.

>>Hillary: Hmm.

>>Belinda: And we can ask Hillary questions as she's going along with her presentation. The advice this session is recorded. And it will be posted on our website for later viewing in our professional development library. So by registering for the session, you grant TSBVI outreach permission to publish the contents of this. And yes, we have a link for the handouts in the chat so you guys can grab those. And our topic today is AT for little ones who are deaf blind and we have the fabulous Hillary Keys here also from outreach who's going to present for us. I'm gonna stop sharing so Hillary can take over.

>>Hillary: Okay, so while I am getting Oh my screens and everything set up. Make sure I share the right one. Would you guys put in the share what your role is if your TVI or TSVI, TDB, I'd love to. What you all do? You can chat. Awesome. Hey, Emily. You should both, dual. Right, Alice, wonderful. Okay, so see at least one teacher death part of hearing Scrolling. Yep, several. Good, good, good. So you guys can help me if there's a question I can't answer about. . H. Technology for little guys Or if I say something incorrect, feel free to put into chat the correct information because my background is. Well, 15 years in classroom, special ed in general ed, but then teacher of students with visual impairments. And deft line, but my. I never. Acted as a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing. I have a lot of information. I have a lot of book learning and have been around kiddos who are deaf blind, most of them young. Or with most pollen parents. But I have never had to do, a lot of work with kiddos as far as like their hearing technology. So. If there's something that you think should be shared, feel free to be HHS to let me know what you're thinking. Alright, and that's not gonna be the whole of this today. We're gonna talk about technology that work for all kiddos and readiness for AT. Okay, without further ado. Our objectives are to define assist technology that's going to be really quick. Hearing. Technology basics, very, very basic for the ones. It's in 80 and early childhood some of the tools that we that are out there that you can use and and really kind of broaden some of the definition a little bit of AT and readiness for AT and then if we have time I have a couple of Cool technology things that they'll share for for adults. So, so what is assisted technology? For our purposes today, kind of encapsulating what it is, any kind of technology that enhances the functional independence of a person with a disability. So functional independence. Keep that in mind. Here are the hearing technology for low ones. So for kiddos who are deaf hard of hearing or for well for infants. We have Teddy, all infants. Because in and Teddy it's not teddy bear. They it's Texas early hearing detection and intervention, newborn hearing screening. This is actually a national program and it's in Texas anyway, it is run by Health and Human Services Department. So it's like really seamless between HHS and ECI. I say it's seamless. It's they've got a pretty good system going. And what that does is allows them to find kiddos who are at risk of having or suspected of having a hearing difference. And, and get that information from Health and Human Services to ECI right away. They share it and then they can. Start some services. So that's what they do. It requires that all new, babies born in Texas. Receive a hearing screening and then proper intervention and referral to services if suspected or diagnosed as death or of hearing. The abnormal lab so they Not just, it's not just hearing. They have. Screen for 55 different conditions now I remember my 30 something year old being screened for like a few but I don't know about how many different things. Now, 55 conditions and a lot of those are congenital and genetic. Or. To see if they have possibility for these things and congenital heart disease is one of them, but also sensory. Issues problem primarily with hearing. And. The way that works. Is that the babies are screened using an auditory. An automated auditory brain stem response, AABR. Or autoacoustic emissions. Or both. Mainly when I did my pre service for Deaf Blind, they just talked about auto acoustic emissions. So. Not a whole lot about AVR because I always thought of an ABR as a kid who had to be sedated for that, but not for this not for this screening and evidently from what I read getting ready for this, the automated auditory brain stem response ADR has like a 98%. Agreement with a conventional ADR, so that's good. What each of these does is What they check the mechanical. How well the mechanical part of your inner ear is working, as well as the cochlea. So the auto acoustic emissions, I kind of understand that one a little bit better is that it gives a tone. And when you're here, here's a tone. There's vibration. In the hair cells that respond to the sound by vibrating and that vibration within the ear produces a very quiet sound that echoes. Back into the middle ear. And by putting a probe in there and making a little sound. They can find out if everything is within normal limits. And So that's how that one works and brainstand response is with a click. And I don't understand how that works. So. The anybody has any really good resources on exactly how that works. I'm sure we can, if they're out there, but just, just it's important that you know that this is. Happening with all of our babies. And, but we still don't have all that we need, all the ones that we need. Are not necessarily getting services. Through ECI because we still find the 3 years old. So wouldn't it be nice if we had that for kiddos who have visual impairments? There is not universal screening, but.

>>Belinda: Yes. I was thinking the same thing. Why do we not have this for VI?

>>Hillary: Yeah, because there are Hmm. I'm not gonna say they're not tools. They're not tools that are used in this country that are widely used that are. Easy. Easy to do. There is one in Europe. I think I want to say Utah is looking at it. So there is and there's discussion. Here we have a working group. For a child find that is. Looking at different options. First we want to find the babies. We want to identify them the ones that are out there now. And then we're also kind of have a side project going trying to figure out can we do something with. With, early screening. See what happens. Not sure it will happen in my career, but. Maybe. So, but why screen babies for communication? Because I think most of us in here probably given the, yeah, the Navig. Thank you, Jessica. I knew I'm just couldn't pull out top of my head off the top of my head. Oh, and they're using it in Washington. Awesome. Is any if anybody else out there is they're using the Navig in your state, I would love to know, make a note of it. Maybe if that if our committee gets going, game busters, then we can get some more feedback from places that are already doing that. But as everyone in this in this session knows probably babies, our brains are developing like crazy in the first 3 to 5 years of life and communication. Development begins at birth through their sense of hearing. Intervention as early as possible is necessary. Well, is really it can help delay to avoid delayed communication and development. So if a kiddo has an issue with hearing, we want to get some kind of technology going for them as early as possible. And, hearing aids. From what I read, it is possible. To fit in you a newborn, you know, a bitty bitty baby baby with hearing aids. I don't know how often that happens. But. But it's possible. The Baja bone anchored hearing aid. Does it's more invasive. And from what I read, I could read it's typically. Input between ages 2 and 4 or later because I did have a student who was 1111 when she got her Baja she had regular hearing aids charge syndrome and had regular hearing aids, but they just really weren't effective. So the Baja has been a game changer for her. But evidently there is at least one clinic that can will implant Baja as young as 14 months. So that was interesting. And then. Cochlear implants of course requires You can, oh, and we have a. Comment in the chat. You can have a student with on a band until they're old. That's right. I'd forgotten that. Thank you. Yeah, so they, they do a band from the outside. And the band. It's the mandible, right? It, it, it gives vibration. There from the outside and I and then later on that can be in plenty of the manable. Thank you. Thanks Just Jenny. A genie, sorry. And then cochlear implants. No, they are implants and there's obviously a lot we're not going to get into the political part of that but evidently the National Institute of Health says that 9 months to 3 years in planning at 9 months to 3 years is optimal because of that. Window of communication development. So it's kind of it's really important. The other thing is Bluetooth and hearing aids. I, I think this is fairly significant because of the access that Bluetooth can give. From what I understand, it's still an optional feature. And you know, when anybody says optional, I'm guessing it costs more. But. When you have Bluetooth accessibility in your hearing aid, you can. Or. Yeah, and then you can connect any Bluetooth enabled device. And that has implications for allowing access to an iPad or I'm sorry, a tablet. Or other device with this Bluetooth enabled. There's some technology, something we'll talk about. In a few minutes. That is, speech enabled. So having Bluetooth having a way to connect Bluetooth would help ensure really clear hearing for these things. And then a lot of work, but just for those of you who are TV's and really don't have a lot of experience with that this and audioologist is critical. And helping to adjust settings on hearing aids to ensure that they work correctly and the maximized areas in various auditory situations. And little ones are not they're gonna have some challenges in adjusting their hearing aids for different situations. For example, the classroom versus the the gym if they're in early childhood. Special education at ECSE and they go to the gym and it's really loud and everybody's screaming. My experience has been that the hearing aids go flying. Yeah, when you're 4 years old and it's a whole different auditory experience, they just Yeah, they're not it's not pleasant so either teacher or teacher deaf and hard of hearing needs to teach people how to. Adjust those hearing aids but It's a process to get them adjusted with an audiologist and takes multiple trips to and from and hopefully you have an educational audiologist. On staff or available to your school district because That would be optimal. So. Okay, and then just a word about collaboration. Again, the first 3 years of life are when the brain is developing so quickly and it is an intensive period for language acquisition. And so the, mine, from all of. Years of talking to speech language pathologists. And the reading and you guys probably seen this too speech and language development and infants there's like a critical period of time where the brain is able to absorb language. And if you, if this critical period is allowed to pass, then without good exposure to language, then it's going to be more difficult to learn. Not impossible, but more difficult. So. It's really important to collaborate with together TDH H's with TSBIs and TSBIs with TDHS and TDBs with whichever. Specialty you're not collaborate those folks and then with those teachers in early child education. To help them understand the critical nature of, of acquiring communication. And development for these infants. And just So you know, cause I did not know this until just a few years ago. That teachers death part of hearing typically at least in Texas those who serve in infants or when they're talking about serving infants they refer to as parent advisors. That confused me at first, just a little tidbit there. Until I understood. Any any thoughts you have stick them in the chat All right, assistive technology in early childhood. Some tools and things for you to be aware of. Described and captioned media program, DCMP. I don't know how many of you know about this. I hope all of you do and that this is redundant for you but it is accessible media. And it's free. For teachers and for families. So anyone who has at least one student with a disability can get a free membership. So I'm just gonna pull it up real quick. And I got into mine and this is the Media Library. So they have all of these different topics. They used to have, I haven't found this yet, cause I just recently re-up to my. When my email changed. I didn't have my access anymore, so I just recently got access again. And I cannot find, but I know they used to have some PBS books on here that were described and captioned. And like some Arthur videos but I can't find those right now. If I will say though they have a kid, they have. Sign language stories. So this is kind of plus beginning ASL. I'll be taking advantage of those. But I wanted to let you know that these are, oh, DCMP. So dc.org described in caption media program and it's in the handouts if you've got the handout and there's there's probably I think that put a couple links in there. But these are kind of cool, but they do not have sound. So I apologize if you have a visual impairment. There's no sound for this, but I just wanted to. Show you that they have early childhood books with ASL. Lots, lots of options. But it's just ASL. And there's no captions. So, but it's kinda cool to have a good library. There may be families out there that can benefit from this. So I wanted to make sure. To. To include that. Okay, so describe caption media. Alright, and then we have the Tartheel Reader. And I don't know this one. Thank you, Belinda, for putting the. Link in there. I didn't even think about doing that. So the Targyll Reader is free. It's been around for quite a long time. So some of you've been doing this a while. And can just can access this and. Yes, sorry, let me back up a minute. Describing caption media program, yes, you set up a free account. And like I said, the teachers or the families can and then they have access. It takes about 24 h for them to process the yeah the application for lack of a better word. It's not really, it's just a form you fill out. And you can see the homepage. Without any issues. Anybody can see the homepage, but and you can see what a lot of the videos they have, but you cannot watch them until you have a membership. And so yeah, family would just create. Create their membership and then access. Excellent. So are there any other questions about describing caption media program? It's great for teachers too. There are a lot of educational videos that teachers for all grade levels can use. And those are typically described and captions so They're accessible and they're short and there's all kinds of. I mean, there's something I pull up chemist chemistry and chemistry and like speaking chemistry. I don't know. It went over my head, but great for a chemistry teacher maybe who needs a little 15 min video to explain something. Okay, if there are other questions, we can come back to those. So, is free does not require an account at all. And you can create your own books or you can use the books that exist and that's it. There's a screenshot on the on the page of the front page of an alphabet book. It says A alphabet book and AK SLP made it and it's a picture of Apple sauce with cinnamon in it. So I guess A is for apple sauce and it was pretty clear in going through that little book that the person who made it. Probably had things in there that were very specific to that student that she was working with. Or he was working with. And, just brought in pictures of those items. To illustrate it for that kid. That they were in things they were interested in. To get their attention. And it's a speech enabled. Site. And you can use multiple interfaces. So touch screen works with it in tele keys. I will say you do have to make your own template for the Intel keys if you use it with the book and one to 3 switches and I have. Done I've only done one switch. I haven't ever done multiple switches with Tarkheel Reader, but, sure that their tutorials or Donna could help with that. Are there any questions about Tarheel Reader?

>>Belinda: Not a question, but I would second your. Love for a. It really is wonderful. And you know, the books are created by, the books that are on the website are created by, the books that are on the website are created by, the books that are on the website are created by individuals who of all kinds of abilities. So just know that if you're previewing something, but. To preview it and then your stuff can be shared as well. So, it's kind of fun. Like you're getting published.

>>Hillary: Yep, yeah. Could say you're a published author. I like that. I hadn't thought about that. Yep. Yep, and do you know their YouTube videos to for the switch out to me? Thanks Roxanne. That's awesome. Okay, I'll go in. And then, American printing house for the blind has a Couple of things. So this is definitely more on the VI side of things. But let's look at them. So there is an article called building your early childhood toolkit. There is a link in your handouts to that and it categorizes a list of tools for kiddos who are birth to 3. Those who are birth to 5 and then those are 3 to 5. And it's just a good simple art. It's really almost just a list. And then you can click on the links. If you pull it up on your computer and go to all the different things. To order them if you have access to order from quota funds, which in Texas we all do. Or if you have money, can go spend it at APH. But a couple of the things that were on the higher tech end for the Kiddos is the Perkins smartart Brailer. And it does have speech, but it is not enabled for Bluetooth. That would be a disadvantage. You can turn it up pretty loud loudly, but then the louder it gets, the more distorted it sounds. So. For a kiddo with a severe profound tearing loss that's not able to be corrected, then that would be, it wouldn't. Be helpful for the kiddo. However, there is a screen on it that so whatever is brailed, if the kid was working on alphabet and you wanted them to work on it during the regular classroom day and you're not as a TVI you're not in there to check the Braille to make sure that they're drilling what they should. Then the regular teacher, the classroom teacher can just walk over and scroll through. The on the screen and see that What they're brailing so and read it so That's a good feature. But I guess if they have it up really loud, they need to have headphones. I wouldn't know it doesn't. I don't know. They have to the teacher probably would not appreciate how loud it is if they turn it way up. The APH. Okay, back. Did have a way to directly plug in audio input. I do not believe that it does. It's been a while since I've actually physically used one. Like 3 years. So and I couldn't find any indication. That there was, and it would probably be a small plug. If anyone knows if anyone's been using the smart trailer lately and knows the answer that question. It's on the side of the screen. So there is. And so that could make it a lot more accessible. Thank you, Ben. Appreciate it. Okay. The joy player. I believe that it does have. You can, I believe you can plug headphones into this one as well. I don't think there are a lot of teachers who would like that in their classroom if they can't control. Access to the SAM and allow it the student to individually use it. And so it is just, it's like a huge switch. That it is, that picture, you know, it looks like it could be few inches, but it's about 18 inches long and 6 to 8 inches high. It can sit up. You can attach it to wheelchair table of wheelchair tray. Lots of, you can make it accessible and lots of different ways for physical, it's their physical needs and the buttons are about what they're for 4 inches. I think they're 4 inches in diameter. So if you have a keto with motor issues, you can that they have a better chance of being able to. Hit it, especially if they're fisted, they can still activate this. And yeah, it has a headphone jack on the side. I thought it did. And can connect to switches. Yep, yes it can. So if you if switch wise if touching a switch is not what they need. They need a head. So if your student needs a head switch, then. You can you can use this with them so it's able to be used in a lot of different ways. And obviously I haven't been. Working as an itinerant in. It's been 4 years already. So, And I don't know, so if you know if the Braille Buzz has a headphone jack, that would be awesome. I don't remember it having one, but then I didn't need. To use one when I was using this with my little and I've used this with ones as young as under under a year. So yeah, it's and it's just it's a lot of fun so It's hard to see, but it's in the shape. Of a B more or less with textured striping that is black on black and then the honeycomb at the top 26 little honeycomb bits and that's where your Braille. And letters are and the whole alphabet and then you can use the bottom keys as a So with the space bar and it can you can set it up so that when well it's set up so that you can touch the ABC letters and then it will say the letter and letter sound if you have a set or you can type. The letter into with the and get that auditory feedback of what the letters are. So. Lot of our little ones like that and it was designed for a little so it is pretty. It'll take a beating. Let's put it that way. Okay. Any other questions about APH? Anybody have any other APH things they absolutely love? For little ones that could be. Made accessible, more or less accessible for most. I mean, there's so much. But these are the higher tech ones. It's now go lower tip. So communication. Communication. Is really part of the, yeah, really the crux of a lot of what I want to talk about today, but. Along with communication. And I'm not. It's not a hierarchy. These things are evil. There's, equal. There's Sorry, my mispronunciation threw me off. You never know what's gonna come out of my mouth and sometimes it gets people tickled. Including myself. So concept development. And developing relationships or emotional development and communication. Are all really, really critical. When for little ones we begin at birth. Learning so much and It's all these things are very important because they're symbiotic. They all work together. You can't really have one without the other. Not going to have communication if you're not, if you're not in a safe feeling relationship. If you don't feel safe in your environment and you're not going to develop concepts if If you're not feeling safe and then you're not. If you're not developing concepts and your communication is going to be impacted. Also, so they're all very symbiotic in these things. So when I say communication, I also mean. Incorporating emotional development and concept development as well. So object symbols are something that for our kiddos who are deaf blind, especially if they are in a severe profound hearing levels. And significant vision loss, them understanding what objects are is starts to be a key to understanding the world, understanding where they are in space, super important too and maybe having boundaries that slowly get bigger and this was not what this is about, but there's AT that can help with that. But communication object symbols. And calendar systems. Or 2 of the things that can help with little ones and even even our little ones who are typically developing other than the sensory issues and obviously lot of times if you're if you have both sensory issues going on you're going there's probably gonna be some delay, but. Not always. Not always. We have a lot more and more and more congenitally students who are congenitally deaf-blind. Who are proficient, what I'd say proficient communicators for lack of a better term at this time. And so, you know, they're coming up. From early childhood and getting that communication. So I There it's it's possible for us to really develop communication well and object symbols are a great place to start even if you know cognitively there's not an issue and calendar systems help bring order and make ketos feel more comfortable. With their surroundings, they give them a sense of being able to anticipate so that's beginning. And gives brings closure, so endings. And we all, as human beings, especially seem to need closure. If anyone's been following Maurice below, he's been talking about closure for a few years now and or the need. The need for people to find closure and calendars can do that. For our young ones, anticipation calendars and if the kid doesn't have cognitive issues, they're probably going to surpass the anticipation calendar pretty quickly. Active learning is. And so I don't know, those of you who know me, probably. They're going to be very few presentations where I don't at least mention active learning because I think it's such a powerful tool. And it is an approach to learning, but there's AT involved and you have perceptualizing AIDS. And that's what Dr. Lily Nielsen who developed active learning called. Assistive technology, we're perceptualizing AIDS, which in some ways I think is more precise language because it provides. Person perceptualizing to the kids. And what you see on the screen not 3 images on the screen and I didn't describe the last ones sorry the one on the left is a position board and each bit of each funky thing on there, which their hair rollers and brush, several different kinds of brushes and hair rollers with different textures, lots of really cool textures and some metal measuring spins. And they're attached with elastic that is going through. Tubing and each one's about 4 inches long so I'd say that this is a kiddo that does not necessarily have object permanence yet. But they're attached to such a way that they would can grasp. And release and it goes back to about the same place. So that's why I'm saying they don't have they wouldn't have object permanence. Once a kiddo has object permanence and then the motor ability to retrieve things, you, the, you make the connections longer. So that you're making them find and get to what they want if they can. With position boards, gravity can be an issue. So that's something to think about. So the next picture to the one in the middle is. At a little room the inside of a little room which is like probably the most well-known piece of assisted technology from active learning. Where materials are suspended above and around the student and usually it's best if you put it on a resonance board which reflex sound. And so any vocalizations that the student makes or any sounds the items make are amplified inside the space and it's designed to have decent airflow, but you should always use everything. Anything in active learning with caution and make sure you keep an eye on your kiddos because it was designed for those kiddos who were deaf blind with. Additional physical issues and so you just wanna make sure they're safe and that whatever is in there is safe to be put in the mouse. Yeah, and is not a choking hazard. Should you blink for a moment. I don't there's it's I've seen amazing amazing things and I don't know I may be preaching to the choir, and I don't know, I may be preaching to the choir, but if you've never heard of it, I may be preaching to the choir, but if you've never heard of it, it's worth looking into. And then the third picture is something that someone made and it's a an activity bar made out of PVC pipe and it's for a kid who has a CVI, cortical visual impairment. And there's a black background that can be put behind it and. Yeah, so those things are dangling and you could use it with a wheelchair or put it on a desktop. So positioning can be any of these things can be. Positioned. And I do see a question. So Belinda, sorry. I know this is I'm kind of stepping on your job, but I'm do you want to read the

>>Belinda: No, no.

>>Hillary: I tend to monitor the chat myself. I'm used to it. Sorry

>>Belinda: Oh.

>>Hillary: Okay, so, so for kids significant cortical vision or CVI should objects be limited to one or 2 colors. So if you're talking about the little room Here's the funny thing about the little room. It is not actually designed for, visual. Practice shall we say. It really is designed for motor access and for we were using it for kiddos who are developmentally or actually our birth to 48 months in their. Their level, It's really not for vision. So. Why? So it really doesn't matter that much and you don't necessarily need to put lights on it. Or in it. Because these kiddos are learning to use their tactile sense and they're developing their motor control, fine motor and gross motor. If you do the functional scheme assessment, which is the assessment that helps you know exactly what level your kid I was at and I it is like micro increments. So if you have a kid who is. Really taking a lot of time to develop through go through the developmental stages. Functional schemes awesome because it shows tiny little increments and you can say, ha, we have growth. You know, we really do have growth and it's hard to see because it's not a lot at once, but. You have growth and you use that assessment and, other assessment information to decide and what they like, what they like. Gotta put what they're interested in and in there and then they play with it. So with my kiddo with CVI who. This actually was designed for him. He didn't really use his vision when he was in the little room every day for 2030 min. But I hung a and you put stuff in there you don't know if they're gonna like or not I put a an orange plastic lay like from ordinal training. I put that in there and I hung it. And one day. I was taking data. And he I could see the moment he saw that orange lay. And it was not on solid background. I was sitting behind it. And he slow motion reached for it with visual gaze. Visually directed reach and he grabbed it and he pulled it and then it accidentally slipped out of his hand and he started laughing. And then did it again. So while it's not specifically designed. For vision, for developing, functional vision. It when you work. Everything else when you are working developmentally around everything. It can then help start resolving some of that. You know, that. Didn't happen with every kid I ever put in there But that was very clear to me that. It helped him. To, to. Do a lot of things for him. It helped him with sitting because He needed he needed a place it was interesting to maintain a sitting position by himself that was safe. We of course. Actually would throw our bodies in, grab him if he started to topple over and he didn't have a writing reflex. But he started to get one. After I don't know a couple of years using little room but that vision piece comes and then as far as one or 2 colors, you know, then there are other times though when you're going to want to do. Do things and remember active learning is. An approach to learning. So there are other parts of active learning that are actually instructional. And that you're going to interact. With. The kiddo. So at those times when you're doing that direct interaction, then that would be a really good time to see. So when what are they interested in a little room? What do they play with most? What color is that? Okay, let's get a bunch of those. Maybe it's the red scrubby. And so let's get. Bread scrubies and let's maybe get some other red things and see and maybe they have this kido also orange was something. So we could have red and orange. Develop do more, you know, CBI intensive. Excuse me. Intervention. Sees me and based on, you know, if it's the. If it's the what or the where knowing that if it's more of the kiddo needs objects for what or is it where things are that what kind of needs objects for what or is it where things are that what kind of CDI are we dealing with and that can be hard to tease out too. So does that answer your question? Yeah, 15 min warning. So, yeah, active learning, we can go down that route hole for way too long. So I will, I'll leave it there and my I'm gonna get you're gonna have my email so if you ever want to call me or email me about active learning. I can talk about it happily for a long time. So readiness for assistive technology. Our little ones really are not going to learn in the absence of real objects and physical movement, motor, motor and. Learning about the world. Is critical. So hi, hi take everything and. AAC devices and tablets and all these electronic toys. Wonderful. But they don't take the place of hands on actual objects. So your priorities for consideration are relationships that so that emotional development. Access. Providing access. In concept development. Access to things. How is this kid going to? Access and find things in the environment. How is this kid going to be able to have find meaning? From the things and the activities and the events. And is there technology low tech? Like active learning stuff or high tech like a tablet that what's going to be best for this kitty or kit or what combination. So as you're building these foundations for these kiddos, don't forget that really interacting with real things. Is, is critical. And then communication is obviously usually that's the biggest. Access issue that in movement. And then follow the lead of the child. Oh, always. With our canos who are deaf blind when and I think most littles. They're not interested in it. They're not going to respond to it. And we get a lot more learning and all of the data indicates that from a brain standpoint, you're going to make those those really great connections in the brain when when you are enjoying yourself. We've got positive things going on. So emotional development. Concept development. Go from simple to abstract. So real objects too. Simple for that object. It's maybe picture or piece of it later on. Don't go too fast. Objectness and I understand what they are in motor skills. Kind of. And then within routines, routines are how I'm really all children learn. And they learn what to expect. That the world can be ordered. That you have anticipation, you build anticipation beginning and. Evidently Milly Smith says there's a lot of brain activity when it kiddo is sitting there anticipating the beginning of something. There's more brain activity in different places. And when they actually start working, it's, sorry, when it's anticipation. It's in the amygdala and then when they actually start moving then it goes to the motor cortex. So and then closure ending because we all need closure and Movies that end and you don't know really how it ended are so dissatisfying aren't they? So it's kind of that way for our kids. They probably want to finish something before they move on. Routines support communication. They provide opportunities. To have conversations to target specific language. And. It's just their great routines are wonderful. Also, I mean, you could build an entire school day on series of routines and keep everything going and start releasing is the kiddo becomes independent in those but again it's a source for communication at the end of the day you can go back and talk about the day. I'm using those supports that you have in place and you can build experience books and that could be using Tokyo Reader if you're a kiddo if that's accessible and to that child. And you do things based on their preferences. And there are so building routines around what they enjoy and like. And then you have non negotiable routines like. Toilet and eating. Washing hands, hygiene, those things are non-negotiables. So, you know, you got those routines just kinda have to happen no matter what, right? Interesting. Oops. Alright, any questions? This is kind of the optional part.

>>Belinda: Well, I was gonna say, and even on those non negotiable routines. When you're using something like a calendar system. And lets them know that man I really hate brushing my teeth but I know for example I'm gonna be able to finish it. This isn't gonna go on forever because I recognize that there's an end for it. And that can, you know. Improve participation.

>>Hillary: Absolutely. And when they get to higher level. Instead of just having the anticipation calendar, which gives you the now and the finished. You can have the now next finished so they know, okay, once I finish brushing my teeth, then I get to do something fun.

>>Belinda: Yes. Exactly.

>>Hillary: So. You can have those conversations. And build that language, you know, target specific vocabulary. You can build a vocabulary list. Okay, objects or of concepts. That in time, concepts. Okay, alright, cool. Kind of cool stuff for the future. Couple things I am not endorsing. Any of this, just some things that I've seen that I think are cool. So or cam. If you have not seen it, it is just hooks on side glasses. It reads text. Out loud, it has a little speaker. It I can identify objects like in the grocery store, you're looking, find where are the green apples. It, so it locates them. It can identify what you're looking at. It can identify people. If you can actually like save people's faces. And when that person comes up to you, will identify them and say who you're seeing in front of you. If it doesn't know the person, it will, describe them. And it does interface with Bluetooth enabled hearing aids so it's accessible and I have A short ish. Video and those of you in Texas a lot of you know Bobby Blakey he's featured in this story. So let's see, I think we have time to do at least part of it. Welcome back one of Time Magazine. Just checking. Everybody got sound? We good?

>>Belinda: Yes.

>>Hillary: Okay. It means top inventions for 2,019 is changing lives of the blind and those with severe visual impairment. 5 years ago. While the assisted technology doesn't change a person's vision, it helps process visual information and transfers it to audio. Alicia Bedetta spoke with one man who says his quality of life and freedom have been restored. Thanks to this technology. Bobby Lakey is completely blind. I use a guide dog for that piece of paper for for a year for people who have site, they can take a look at this paper and read the text that's funny. For me, basically, it is a blank piece of paper. But once he puts on these lenses, this man gains his independence. And the glasses don't do anything to improve my vision. However, what's on the side of my glasses does allow me, I'll reach up and get. Thank you for here now. As being able to see this paper. Bobby uses or Kim's my eye, a device that resembles a Bluetooth and communicates visual information by audio. What's in front of me? One door to your left and one door to your right. With this tiny device our users can read any kind of printed text like from a newspaper or a book or even from a smartphone screen. Recognized faces, products, colors. Basically, we're trying to make the visual world accessible to them. It's advanced algorithm allows the visually impaired to activate the device with a gesture or with a simple tap on the side. Start smart reading. Users can pick up any reading material and even get a heads up when someone is in front of them. Available that all the time so I can pull it out, aim it toward the text and build a, aim it toward the text and be able to take a picture of that and be able to take a picture of that and be able to take a picture of that and and here is a small camera, small smart camera and the one end of the device which you wear you know on glasses just like this small camera and the one end of the device which you wear you know on glasses just like this and when you encounter a person if that person isn't a pre-programmed face or, you know, on glasses just like this. And when you encounter a person, if that person isn't a pre-programmed face, or can will tell you a man, woman, or child is standing in front of you. But if a program you're facing, for example, Isha, then when one time process, next time you're approaching me, I'll hear your name whispered in my ear because of the speaker right here. The device also responds to gestures like checking the time. With or without a watch. Watch Chester, the watch my face. I go like this. The time is 1002 PM. Learned Israel so that's why. So 2 PM. Assisted technology that has improved the quality of Bobby's life. The product retails from about 4,000 to $5,000 and although it isn't covered by medical insurance plans here in the United States. Veterans should know that it is fully funded by the VA and those needing this device possibly for work or educational opportunities, there is an option for them to get it fully funded by the Texas Workforce Commission. All that information listed on KSAT. You are right, Jennifer. It is not. And inexpensive whoops and I forgotten Sorry, I forgot that you guys can see all my tabs too. It is very it's actually the I was looking one of the newer ones sorry is even more expensive like 4,500 And. Oops, stop. Okay, there. And so, yeah, and it takes a high level of, tech savvy to use it. I agree. It is definitely not for littles, but a little one with a very, very strong foundation and typical cognitive ability might be able to use it at some point. Maybe. But. It's not like I said, I'm not endorsing and I thought it was interesting. One thing you guys might or might not know this person with. typical vision. So this is a way to communicate. I'm just gonna go the example because we don't have a lot of time. Some of you may have heard of Heaven. So she graduated from Harvard Law. She is deaf blind. She has Usher syndrome so she didn't lose her vision until later and that's a picture of president on the left of President Obama top typing on her. Bluetooth keyboard and that is sending what he's saying to her. No take a brown note taker to the refreshable. Braille so she can so she can read. That what he wants to say to her. In the absence of, accessible signing at ASL or hearing so just a different Another way and a lot of a lot of our kitos have access to note takers. Again, not for a little one. That it might be might be an option something for you think about. Okay. And. Okay, alright, so just the thought. Couple things if with the proper foundation, our kiddos. They they can use extremely good technology and gosh who knows what it's going to be in 1015 years from now. Who knows what technology is going to be out there? Probably something I won't be able to use like AI, I'm done. So file thoughts build that strong foundation. Think about emotional development and relationships. And, concept development, communication. And remember that assisted technology tools should equal access and build functional independence. And need that strong foundation for our little ones and we can slip, we can slip some some high tech in there too. If it's built to last. Here's my contact information. I'm just, a, Keysh. At I love if you have emails, ideas and thoughts. And I thank you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I need to stop talking so you all can get the code.