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Alternate Access to Early Literacy Resources
Children who have difficulty using the standard keyboard or mouse, due to developmental or physical reasons, can access computer software by using alternate hardware. Professionals with a background in Assistive Technology are able to provide information about the most effective and efficient access method, depending on the needs of the child and on the specific computer task.
The Early Literacy Project (ELP) used Classroom Suite and Overlay Maker 3 (IntellTools, Inc.) to provide students with access to computer activities.
Classroom Suite is an authoring program that:
- Uses principles of universal design, providing different methods of access (e.g. mouse, scanning with switches)
- Allows for easy changes to toolbars to accommodate a range of learning needs (i.e pictures vs. text, number of items from which to choose, size of choices, etc.) Refer to the manual for instructions on making these changes.
Overlay Maker is a program that supports the design of keyboard overlays to be used with the Intellikeys keyboard. Language can be represented in pictures, words or sentences, and multiple commands can be programmed under one key.
Direct Pointing
Intellikeys Keyboard
Scanning
Direct Pointing: 
Each downloadable activity has toolbars that can be accessed by pointing and clicking on individual buttons. Children can use any type of pointing device including touch window, mouse, joystick, trackball.
Intellikeys Keyboard:
Information about the Intellikeys Keyboard and an Overlay Maker Guide can be found on the Intellitools website.
Many of the activities developed by the Early Literacy Project have Intellikeys overlays available for downloading. To use these overlays with your Intellikeys Keyboard:
- Install Overlay Maker 3. This install provides a 45 day trial version, after which it defaults to Overlay printer and sender.
- Open the Overlay Maker file (with the ".oms" extension) for the activity of your choice.
- Click on the print icon (circled above) and print the overlay on legal size paper.
- Open the Classroom Suite activity. The overlay has been attached to the activity and the overlay content will be sent to the Intellikeys keyboard automatically.
- Use the keyboard to access the early literacy activity.
Scanning:
Switches can be used to access the activities.
A single switch can be used for automatic scanning (the highlighter moves from one button to the next and the user activates the switch when the highlighter is on the desired button)
Two switches can be used for step scanning , in which one switch is activated repeatedly to move the highlighter from one button to the next. When the highlighter is over the desired button, the second switch is activated to select.
Switches can be attached to a computer by using:
- A switch adapted mouse (activating the switch sends a mouse click to the computer) Switch adapted mice are sold by a number of companies, including Infogrip (www.infogrip.com)
- A nonprogrammable switch interface (e.g. Don Johnston Switch Interface Pro, www.donjohnston.com)
- A programmable switch interface -these ship with software that can be customized to access any software requiring a limited number of keystrokes. (e.g. Crick switch interface, www.cricksoft.com)
Using a programmable switch interface:
Classsroom Suite receives <Control-return/enter> from the keyboard for automatic scanning. For step scanning use <Control - right arrow> to move the highlighter from button to button and <Control- down arrow> to select.
Using an adapted mouse or nonprogrammable switch interface:
Dedicated mouse scanning or dedicated keyboard scanning must be turned on. When dedicated scanning is turned on the mouse is dedicated to scanning and cannot be used for pointing and clicking. Likewise the keyboard keys chosen for dedicated keyboard scanning are active only for scanning.
To turn on Dedicated Scanning:
- From within the Classroom Suite activity, choose Options.
- Select Dedicated Scanning.
- Select either "Mouse" or "Keyboard" scanning.
- To exit Dedicated Scanning press the Escape key (esc) on your keyboard (twice for dedicated mouse scanning).
Scanning preferences:
A number of scanning preferences can be set. These will depend on the skills and preferences of the user as well as the design of the actual Classroom Suite activity.
To set preferences select Scanning Preferences from the Options menu.
Refer to the Intellitools web site, Alternate Access Guide, for details about the scanning preferences.
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