DSPs Using and Supporting Technology Use
Assistive Technology in My Direct Support: Helping People Communicate and Connect with their Community
Julie and Nick using their tablets while enjoying a trip to the library with Dawn.
Digital technology has been a strong interest of mine since I first took a computer programming class back in high school. This interest informed my early career as a special education assistant in the Maryland school system, and my career today as a direct support professional working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Penn-Mar Human Services .
When I entered the school system 20 years ago, assistive technology tools, both high- and low-tech, were available. One of my first assignments was learning everything I could about a Tobii Dynovox communications device, which I was permitted to keep for several months so I could learn more about it.
Once I became thoroughly familiar with the device, I began teaching a young student named Nick to use it for communication. He was five years old at the time. Nick lives with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and was nonverbal. I still work with Nick. He has since transitioned from high school into Penn-Mar’s Community Development Services program. We’ve been using assistive tech to this very day. The Tobii Dynovox is Nick’s primary way of communicating his needs and desires.
For most of my career, I have worked one-on-one with individuals. When I left the school system, I worked for two autism waiver providers, where I incorporated assistive technology tools into my after-school support for children with autism. Some nonverbal people with ASD are very often visual learners, so pictures, books, charts, videos, and other visual aids have proven to be excellent learning and communication tools.
Portable devices like tablets have become commonplace, and so have downloadable learning apps, like one that Nick has been using for years—Tobii Dynovox’s Snap Core First app—a tool that combines words and symbols for communication. Another useful and free app is SymboTalk.
Portable devices like tablets have become commonplace, and so have downloadable learning apps, like one that Nick has been using for years—Tobii Dynovox’s Snap Core First app—a tool that combines words and symbols for communication. Another useful and free app is SymboTalk . I use SymboTalk with other individuals I support.
Before these tools, Nick would get frustrated when he couldn’t express what he wanted, what he wanted to do, or where he wanted to go. He can now communicate his needs so much better by pressing a tablet button. More recently, if he’s not happy with where we’re going, he’ll keep pushing a random button over and over until I understand what he wants. He now communicates certain needs verbally, which he learned by using the apps.
Julia , a woman I support alongside Nick, recently acquired a C-Pen Reader . A C-Pen Reader is a small, handheld device that scans and reads printed text aloud. Julia loves to read; it’s one of her passions, and the C-Pen boosts her proficiency. We’re still working out the kinks with the device. I created a window template to help her guide the pen over the printed line of text. This helps her stay focused from line to line.
As someone interested in discovering and introducing new assistive tech and reading tools, I would love to see more symbol books for adults. Tools that connect a picture with its corresponding word to tell a story or provide news and information are helpful. I would also love to see a laser-type reader device that could read signs in the community and translate them into words with pictures. Some people I support could benefit from a tool like this to help them comprehend what each sign is trying to communicate.
Assistive technology and tools have had a big impact on developing Julia and Nick’s communication. They have supported them in learning skills and enhancing their independence. What they want, and what I want for them as their DSP, is to help them better understand their world and community and feel like they are a part of it. Assistive technology helps them do that.