Has anyone got one of those 'magic' clip on touch screen things (converts a normal computer screen to a touch screen)

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

If so is it any good? Do you just use it with any software?

Thanks Christie I did wonder about robustness but they are quite cheap....!

He's quite gentle with equipment when using it (it's more dropping stuff that he does, but he'd use it under supervision).

He can use a mouse but has responded really well to the interactive whiteboard so I was thinking either of this, or getting a Boardmaker Activity Pad (have you seen those - they look pricey but would be quick to set up different activities - any feedback on those if you've used one appreciated as well!).

His literacy is really coming on now and I want to seize the moment in lots of different ways!!

Interactive whiteboard being at school of course. We don't have a spare grand or so

We got one for Ds2's birthday in the end. It works pretty well and was easy to set up. It doesn't interfere with using the computer in the normal way and the actual touch screen works well. It's not good for fine detail - ie clicking on a small thing but very good for selecting and choosing in a biggish area. The only thing is after Ds2 has been using it, it is absolutely covered in grease - I think that says more about DS2's hands than the screen though .

could I have a link to one, please? we are thinking about introducing dd1 to the computer, but she would not get the link between mouse and on-screen happenings...

Thanks Saker. They have them on Amazon silverfrog, in various different sizes. Or you can google Magic Touch Addd on screen. I thought that inclusive technology used to do them, but I can't find it now.

We're getting a computer for DS1 soon but I have no idea if he will get the idea of mouse/action/causition. I think he will need a lot of help to get started.

Ok I've ordered and I'm upgrading my version of Clicker (Mac) hopefully for £29. Have set up a trial for education city which I know he likes at school as well.

Will feedback!

Might start a collection for the Boardmaker Activity Pad (huge family, no-one ever knows what to get him for xmas).

Jimjams while you are about, total hijack, with something I keep meaning to ask you - is the reading programme that you are doing with Marion Blank, the distance learning programme for children with autism?

I was pondering whether there was any point in contacting her about it for Ds2...
Was she okay about taking children from the UK? Also does it take a long time every day? How are you finding it altogether? Sorry for all the questions, it basically comes down to what can you tell me about it!?

They try hard at school but it doesn't seem to me that they have any different system for teaching the children to read other than that which is used for NT children slowed down. Ds2 does phonics every week, but it's clear he doesn't understand the concept - he starts cheerfully with m is for mummy, then expands to t is for Daddy and m is for grandad and p is for snake etc. I may be clutching at straws to think that he is anywhere near ready to read yet but I can't help but think he might do better with a different approach.

Hi saker yes it's the distance program specifically for children with autism. It;s also called "Light on Literacy" although she also has a phonics plus 5 scheme for NT kids (think that's what its called) and has written an excellent book (imo) about teaching reading to NT strugglers.

It takes us about 45-55 minutes a day (but we're still on pre-reading). It would be shorter if ds1 was better behaved! He finds the work fine (he finds receptive language hard and is very ropey at handwriting, but the rest OK), but he finds maintaining his behaviour difficult. Remember he is very severely autistic though, she wants good behaviour but not unachievable.

I'm finding it excellent, right at his level, quite hard to do (but that's just working with ds1 at the moment- whatever we were doing - it's the getting him sitting and concentrating that is hard, nothing to do with the program itself).

As for does it work? Well 2 days ago ds1 typed out of the blue a whole load of words. I mean lots & lots of words. A total surprise. I personally suspect its because she teaches about spaces etc. I'm looking forward to reaching the reading activities and seeing how ds1 progresses. She (imo) knows what she is doing.

I'd talk to her - she assesses whether your child is right for the program - you have to send video for her to see- and tbh if ds1 can do it I'm sure your son would fly through. She may say that he doesn't need it and would be fine with her standard program. I think Light on Literacy has been specifically designed for children who are non-verbal, although don't quote me on that.

She knows all about reading though, so I'd contact her anyway.

Thanks for all the info, I will look into it a bit more. I am doubtful whether we could fit it in timewise, because we should really be concentrating on getting in as much RDI as possible, but it's worth knowing for the future even if we don't go for it immediately. Is it expensive?

I have bought the book but not got around to reading it yet, will do so now. Also I did contact them about the standard programme and they said that they thought it would be okay for Ds2. However Ds2 has such problems with fine motor skills, and I don't think people really understand how bad he is until they see it, so I am worried they are underestimating the impact of that. What I wondered was that if I could start it off and he made a little progress that the school might be convinced to work on it. It seems stupid that he is there all day and then I am trying to cram his education in during the 3 or 4 hours before he goes to bed. Have you discussed it at all with Ds1's school?

PS - it's really good that your Ds1 is typing words like that. It sounds like he is getting the idea.

I had no idea he even knew the words! Let alone could type them (or read them which he must be able to do or whatever it is he's doing). He's typed his name before and bus once, but never anything else.

School know all about it, but I don't ask them to do it at school as it would be too difficult. I do keep them informed though and they have moved him on a bit at school because of the stuff he is doing at home. Currently I just show them video when we have meetings. It's so difficult to assess where he is cognitively that they were stunned the first time they saw what he was doing (then I think concerned that I might want them to do the same in school, then relieved that we didn't). I have said that if he starts to use typing communicatively or as a learning tool then I would come in and we could sort out where to go from there. But I think he's a long way off that tbh.

The program that ds1 is doing uses pretty much no language at all. That's the way it's particularly adapted for children like ds1 and that's why he can do it. He doesn't need initially to understand any language, he doesn't need to listen to letter sounds or anything (yet at least, I suppose that might change). It's not particularly adapted for motor skills, or at least not in a way that you couldn't adapt any other program. Just provide hand support initially then fade.

I don't think btw that you could do the specialist autism program with school. You could talk to Marion, but she's very particular on how it is delivered so she would want to see what the school are doing, and correct them. And I would imagine that she would want the program delivered in exactly the way she sets out I don't know how realistic that would be in a classroom, or your chances of finding a willing teacher. But I guess that's something to run past her.

Her standard program would just rely on a willing teacher, but it does look quite different to the standard ways of doing things to me, so I don't know how willing a teacher would be to take it on.

Price wise - I can't remember the exact price. We paid when the pound was strong. I do remember at the time I asked a friend how it compared to RDI and it was cheaper.

WRT hand support I've found a good place to provide it for ds1 when 'free typing' is the elbow (for the sessions I need to go to the hand as he can't hold an index finger point and I need to make sure he doesn't make mistakes, for free typing I let him type with his middle finger as I'm more interested in ensuring 100% that I cannot influence his typing). Also try tilting the keyboard - that can help. Ds1 is better with his alphasmart than the computer (although I'm going to try intellikeys + keyguard again).

He's often very 'jabby' and in the main I have to pull back to cut the impulsive jabbing at the keyboard.

Something like Lucy Blackman's book Lucy's Story has lots of descriptions about the movement and dyspraxic type difficulties she had with typing.

Your son has quite good language doesn't he?

That's all interesting. Yes I wasn't thinking of the specialist programme for school, just the standard one.

Yes Ds2 has a lot of language but his receptive language is behind his expressive and he is still echolalic in some ways though very subtly - you have to really know his "source" material well IYSWIM to see how it is creeping in. (Ds1 will usually know ). Sometimes I think it is more like laziness almost, that it is harder to think of his own words than to adapt someone else's.

When I emailed the phonicsplusfive people (I don't think it was Marion Blank personally who replied) they explained about supporting his hand for writing and I have started trying this. It worked better than I expected and he was able to do his own straight line (which is a first for him) and an approximation of a circle, but then he started saying he wanted to do it himself and shaking my hand off. The other problem is that he is showing preference for his left hand whereas I am very right-handed,(so it makes it harder to do any hand-over-hand stuff (sod's law - why couldn't it be Ds1 who sails through the rest of life who is left-handed and DS2 have at least one advantage?!) .

Well it's all food for thought, thanks for all your information. It is very tempting, but the RDI must take precedence and I already struggle to fit that in. I will probably read the book and try out a few preliminary things for the minute. The more RDI we do, the more willing Ds2 becomes to co-operate with us, which may make him a better candidate for this sort of thing down the line. But it's kind of comforting to know that there's a potential system we could use even if we don't embark on it right away. I really want him to be able to read. He loves stories and books and it would be so important to him.

Hi Christie

I haven't because I'm on a Mac and widgit is PC only.

Lots of inclusive technology stuff is PC only which is irritating. If get a copy of windows my laptop should run both, but I can't face fiddling around with windows!

I often support ds1 under the elbow - have found that works well. I just use the over hand support to maintain an index finger point.

sorry that was an abrupt finish earlier, visitors arrived!

If you have Boardmaker V6 for Mac then you can get an add on CD with widgit symbols on it that, which is what we did when we wanted to have a widgint symbol set as it's what they use at DS school, rather than partition the hard drive on our Mac.

Nearly bought a touch monitor from Inclusive here but was also considering looking at the clip on screen. The inclusive people were helpful when I spoke to them about monitor compatibility with a Mac.

I don't have Boardmaker at the moment. Although have Meyer Johnson symbols which I think I'll be able to add into Clicker. I think they use Wigit symbols in the main (although not exclusively) at ds1's school but tbh he's happy to use any symbol - we've collected so many different types over the years and he doesn't seem to care!