The ability to organise and co-ordinate daily routines or tasks without visual or tactile objects for reference can present a major challenge to children living with autism.
Visual reference aids are especially useful for children who have severe learning difficulties, special needs or autism. Simple graphics can give individuals forewarning of, or act as a reminder of daily routines: time for breakfast, time to dress, play time, time for a favourite TV programme, etc. An organised child is a happy child and one that will be more content and less stressed, beneficial for you both.
Helping your child develop their own routine, will have an immediate effect on their tolerance of the unusual. We can improve organisational and sequencing skills with symbols, images, and objects. A photo, for example, illustrating how to arrange a collection of toys, provides immediate visual reference. Photos of planned meals can prepare an individual of what to expect and possibly when.
How assistive technology can introduce automated visual reference for routines
Memory prompter: the MemRabel 2 can be loaded with photos, videos and voice recordings to provide timed reminders
Medpage Limited is a company primarily associated with the design and manufacture of products to aid epilepsy care, epileptic seizure detection alarms. The company are also innovators of technologies to aid care of people living with dementia. One of our products, the MemRabel 2, was recently used to help a young boy living with autism learn new skills.
The MemRabel 2 uses media files – photos, videos and voice recordings to create timed reminders (up to 20 daily alarms) for memory prompts. The family made a video showing the buttons to press on the TV remote control to turn the TV on, adjust the volume and change channels.
The short video was set as a daily alarm in the morning. The daily tantrums have now ceased and mum no longer sets her alarm to turn on the TV. Further experimentation by the family resulted in a short video, which has helped the young boy with cognitive development.
Mum used her phone to record a video showing how to place the parts of a shape puzzle into the holding frame with his favourite song playing in the background. Again, the video is set to play at programmed times of the day. Anything is possible with a little imagination.
The MemRabel 2 is virtually tamper proof and has no facia buttons to attract attention. Additionally, MemRabel 2 helps with time of day association, having selectable time display screens to suit cognitive ability.
You can learn more about MemRabel 2 and discover more Assistive Technologies on our website, www.medpage-ltd.com
See the MemRabel 2 on our website by clicking here.
