Original idea by Judi Cumley of the Wisconsin Assistive
Technology Initiative
Modifications by Julie Maro
1. Purchase the E-CASE CLIPCASE (available in our area at Wal-Mart stores for approximately $7.95 plus tax).
2. Using BoardMaker (Mayer-Johnson Company - see Links page for their site), design a master template for your communication board.
Variations include:
3. Laminate all boards (templates and supplemental/activity-based).
4. Attach the master board to the top of the clipcase using clear packing tape or other suitable adhesive.
5. Create attachment for supplemental boards by either adhering a clear plastic pocket or placing velcro strips in locations where supplemental vocabulary will attach.
6. Store supplemental vocabulary inside case.
Examples:
This is an example of
the design which uses a clear plastic pocket. The pocket was attached in
the center of the board. The vocabulary focus here was for reading
books. Vocabulary in the first column included: I, you, Let's
do, please, thank you. Vocabulary across the top from left to right
included: I, want, more, read, turn the page, different one.
Vocabulary in the last column started with "different one" and included:
Act it out!, again, all done and change board.
As I have many boards pre-made for the Voice-in-a-Box 16, I decided to design my master and supplemental boards to be the same size as the overlays I was already using on a voice output system. That way, I saved time and resources and could re-use all of the boards I had already made for a voice output device on a system that did not use voice output. Each location measured 1 3/8" x 2". The 5x7 pocket needed to be trimmed a little at the open end. Using this design, there is also room along the top of the case for additional supplemental vocabulary strips.
The following example illustrates how this might be used as a non-electronic dynamic display. The first supplemental display offered to the student is one which contains the titles for each of the nursery rhymes represented in Nursery Rhyme Time.
If the child says "Let's do" "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" using their communication
board, that overlay can be retrieved from the case and placed in the pocket
as follows:
Individual displays can be placed over each other in the pocket.
An additional adaptation might be to add tabs to the sides of the overlays
so they can be slipped in and out of the pocket more easily. Another
option would be to switch the opening to the top of the plastic pocket
and use the tabs already provided with the Nursery Rhyme Time overlays.
This idea originated with Judi Cumley of the Wisconsin Assistive Technology
Initiative. Additional modifications by Julie Maro.
3/2000
The CLIPCASE is a trademark of DEXAS International Inc., Dallas, Texas
U.S. Patent D398,650
It can be found at Wal-Mart stores