Dynamic display devices - a practical exploration of navigation skills and alternative programming
Diane Clarke BSc CPSP.
One of the particularly attractive features of a Dynamic Display Device is the ability to navigate from screen to screen using programmable software. Typically, clients have a "home page" that acts as a menu for navigating to other screens. Potentially, clients can have a complex system of branching screens, storing vast amounts of vocabulary. Not surprisingly, this feature has been well received by clients, families, and support teams alike. However, the skills needed to use this feature effectively should not be underestimated. In particular, where for reasons of vision, access and/or intellectual impairment, the client needs to select between a small number of messages per screen. This presentation aims to increase participants' appreciation of the complexity of skill required by clients to retrieve a functional vocabulary when navigating amongst screens with 8 or less messages per screen. Participants will be shown a visual tool that can be used with clients and their teams to assist them in determining whether this system of message retrieval is appropriate. The presenter will also offer alternative solutions in terms of pre-training or set-up modifications to maximise success.
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