Two of our Charter Members in Oregon have stepped up with some advice about IPads and wireless switches. Their thoughts are below. A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS!

I have used Ablenet's Blue2 Bluetooth switch with an iPad using The Go Talk app. We needed to attach a jelly bean switch to the Bluetooth for access but it worked well! It was relatively easy to set the scanning feature in go talk as well and to teach families/teams how to do this. Hope that helps!

Mandy Wallace

I am aware of the ability to use the blue2 switch from ablenet with certain ipad apps. The switch is bluetooth, and allows for wireless connecting. The switch and select mode was easy to use and I demo'd it at ASHA last fall. Chris Gibbons is a local AAC resource who is now working for ablenet and I am sure he can provide additional information to this person, if needed.

https://www.ablenetinc.com/blue2-bluetooth-switch (info about switch)

https://youtu.be/LI8Kio0KojY (video demo from ablenet)

There's also the Hook+ Switch interface, which I have never used but it allows for interfacing of switches and keyboard

https://www.ablenetinc.com/hook-switch-interface (info about switch interface)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BHibfIKx5Q (demo video from ablenet)

Hope this helps!

Shana

your second question dealt with the purchase of AAC systems for a student who is graduating. There are 2 aspects to this question. 1) is the current system - Dynavox - still the most appropriate AAC system for this student? Don't automatically assume that they need to change to another device. 2) What's the funding source? Don't automatically assume that a family has to purchase a device for their child.

As students who have been using communication devices are preparing to graduate, as a part of their transition planning, the team should be working with their family and the local AAC vendor representative to obtain funding for the communication system that will be best for them in their next environment. Sometimes adult services, medical insurance, family driven funds and/or community funds are available to purchase. Every AAC device company has a funding department that is REALLY good at this funding part and can help you, the consumer and their family through the process. They have copies of the forms that need to be filled out for medical and agencies. Use them, this is what they do fulltime - help people get funding for devices.

But first, you need to decide if the Dynavox is still appropriate for your student. If it's a YES - then start now, it may take all this school year to get funded, get the new device, get it programmed the way that they are familiar with, so that everything is all together and you can send them on to their next stage of their life with a full functioning communication system.

If the decision is NO, the student needs a different system then the one that they have now. It may take you a few months to borrow and try out communication systems from your county/state's loan program to get this figured out. You are lucky if you are in a place with an AAC specialist that you can call upon to come out and help you and your SLP, go through the process of an AAC evaluation. But get started on that soon. At the end, it will still be a purchase that should be made from family, medical, or other funds.

And don't forget a clear back-up non-electronic system to. How do they communicate when the device power is off. And how will they communicate with all the non-familiar partners that they will come in contact with now that school is soon over and their day will be filled with new people?

You want to be doing this now! So good for you for thinking of it in October and not April!

Let's take one question at a time. There are several products that are wireless switch interfaces that work with an iPad. They've been around now for several years, so luckily the kinks have been worked out. I'll make a list of a couple of them below with the weblinks so you can check them out. The trickiest part is knowing what the app needs. There are some that are very simple, just plug and play, but they only work with a few apps. Then there are a some that are adjustable to work with different apps by changing the settings. You change the settings typically with a button on the switch top or button to presets. For the widest variety of use in a classroom, people are looking at the changeable switch interfaces. For students who may just be using one particular app, if that app works from the Simple interfaces, that may be an less complicated way to go.

Simple iOS switch interfaces (bluetooth)

1) RJ Cooper Bluetooth Super Switch > http://www.attainmentcompany.com/bluetooth-super-s...

2) Attainment Switch App > http://www.attainmentcompany.com/attainment-switch...

3) RJ Cooper Bluetooth Switch Interface > http://www.rjcooper.com/bluetooth-switch-interface...

Changeable iOS switch interfaces (bluetooth)

1) Ablenet Blue2 Switch Interface > https://www.ablenetinc.com/technology/computer-tablet-access/blue2-bluetooth-switch

2) Pretorian Technologies iSwitch > http://www.inclusivetlc.com/iswitch

3) Pretorian Technologies APPlicator > http://www.inclusivetlc.com/applicator

4) Pretorian Technologies Simplyworks > http://www.inclusivetlc.com/simplyworks-for-ipad

5) Zyrobotics TabAccess > http://zyrobotics.com/wpcproduct/tabaccess/

6) Tecla Shield > http://gettecla.com/products/tecla-shield