Assistive Technology & Holiday Traditions

December 15, 2001

Technology & Traditions

http://www.ideallives.com/generic.html?pid=70

Tradition & Technology! All of us want to help make sure

that all children enjoy the wonders of the holidays.

Experts say that one of the most lasting gifts we can give

our children is that of family traditions that will stay

with them for a lifetime. This year as you celebrate the

holidays we want to encourage parents to make the most of

today's technology so that each child can embrace his or

her family's traditions. In that spirit we list several

common holiday traditions & a technology solution that

might make the activity more accessible.

1. Baking holiday treats - Check out your local kitchenware

store or a variety of assistive technology sites & you will

find a wide range of " gadgets " designed to help those with

limited dexterity or cognitive skills to participate in

cooking. Low-tech solutions might include enlarged grips

or color-coded measuring devises.

For yummy holiday recipes, check out Old Fashioned Holidays

http://www.oldfashionedholidays.com/

2. Singing carols - This is an area where a little

pre-planning goes a long way. Before you family sits down

for its song fest, spend some time thinking about ways your

child could participate. Could they learn a part of the

song that's repeated over & over (say " and a partridge in a

pear tree " )? Could they play a simple rhythm instrument

such a set of jingle bells during appropriate songs (Jingle

Bells, Silver Bells, etc.)? If they use a communication

device could they " request " favorite songs or even have

their " solo " programmed in so that at the proper moment

they can join the fun? This is an area where a little

creativity goes a long way!

3. Wrapping holiday gifts - Most kids find the bright

colors & mysterious nature of gifts irresistible. With the

advent of pop up tape dispensers many kids can participate

as the " Keeper of the tape " .

Another possibility -- use electric scissors to cut your

wrapping paper. Even if they don't have the dexterity to

manage fine cuts, they will probably be able to make the

first large cut from the roll & be delighted to be Mom or

Dad's helper. You can find these other " wrapping tools " at

home/office supply stores like http://www.Staples.com or

http://www.OfficeMax.com

4. Holiday stories - Traditions, by their nature, are

passed from 1 generation to the next. This is truest of all

when it comes to the holiday stories you pass along to your

children. This area seems very straight forward of course

--you simply read or tell the stories to your kids. But

most kids thrive on repetition & going through the pictures

in their books over & over again. If you don't have the

time to help with this during the hectic pace of the

holidays your child doesn't have to miss out. For

repetition, simple record your families favorites on a

cassette tape & use

assistive technology to make sure your child can operate

the cassette player independently. If selecting stories is

important to your child, use Polaroid photographs to add

special selection to their communication board. This might

include symbols for favorite songs, stories, or activities,

actual pictures of the books in question or even photos of

your family engaged in the activity.

5. Holiday chatter - During the month of December, most

conversations eventually get around to the holiday topics

-- what's do you want for Christmas, what holiday event are

you attending or participating in, what's your favorite

holiday song (activity, past gift), etc.). To ensure that

your child (especially if they are school age) can

participate in this socializing it's important to give them

the communication tools they need. It may mean programming

additional words or phrases in their communication devise

or you can do something as simple as use magnetic pages

from a photo album to make a special low tech

" communication board " just for the holiday season.

6. Shopping! - Everyone is thinking gifts this time of

year. Your kids won't be any different. Encourage them to

go with you on a special shopping trip. Pick a time & place

when things will be less crowded if you're worried about

congestion & then utilize those choice making skills you

encouraged all year round. Let me them show you special

things they would like & also help you decide on gifts for

close family members.

Remember choice making can be done at virtually any level

--your child may be able to point to an item on a shelf or

verbalize a toy's name. If not use their yes/no response to

get to the proper area & then offer them a small selection

of choices in your hands or on their wheelchair tray. Take

your time & be sensitive to their body language & small

moments. Parenting Special Needs offers some ideas on gift

giving & lowering holiday stress.

http://specialchildren.about.com/library/bldec.htm?once=true

7. Decorating a holiday tree or your home - This can start

during the shopping trip if you are purchasing new

decorations. Once you're home encourage them to be creative

in how they participate. If they can use a long-range reach

tool, they can position items in higher areas of the tree,

if they have grasp but poor aim - they can decorate with

less exact décor like tinsel. If they are more interested

in quality than quantity, encourage them to select which

ornament or decoration to use or where it goes. This can

often be done using nothing more than a yes/no response.

8. Holiday Greeting Cards - With the abundance of sites on

the web offering free electronic greetings

http://free.bluemountain.com/index.html this is an

excellent tradition to use with kids who have developed

good

accessible computer skills. Guide them through the

process & help them learn the email addresses of close

friends & family members. Not only will they be able to

select & personalize their own holiday greetings, but also

they will be building email skills that can be used for

socialization long after the holidays are past. If

traditional cards full of family photos are more your

style, be sure & check out the tips from Kodak on how to

make them turn out picture -perfect!

http://www.holidays.net/christmas/pictures.htm

9. Writing Santa - On a related note, many holiday sites

offer http://www.santalettersonline.com/ an electronic way

for kids to send their wish lists to Santa.So hook them up

on that accessible computer & let them go to it. If that's

not an option, a more low-tech solution is to help your

child write a picture letter to Santa. Create a simple fill

in the blank letter form & then let your child " fill it in "

with Poloroids of desired items & even a current picture

for the signature.

10. Holiday worship - For many people of course, worship

assumes a central place in their lives during the holidays.

Work with your pastor or children's minister to find a way

for your child to be included in the children's choir or

holiday pageant. If they need ideas -- a good place to

start might be a copy of our recent article for educators

on http://www.ideallives.com/generic.jhtml?pid=39 including

special needs students in holiday programs! Don't be afraid

to train your worship leaders in the use of assistive

technology. Not only will their understanding open doors

for your child to participate in worship, but it

will help the entire congregation gain a better

understanding of all that is possible!

May your family have a wonderful holiday filled with warm &

loving traditions!

A few other helpful holiday resources Smart Travel Tips --

If your family is planning to travel during the

holiday, the folks at Foders have some suggestions on

travel support for those with a disability.

http://www.fodors.com/traveltips/disabilities/

10 Great Holiday Web Sites for Teachers or Homeschoolers --

These resources will help you get in the spirit of the

season and teach your kids more about Christmas, Kwanzaa,

and Chanukah.

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr185.shtml

Pick the holiday you're interested in & find links to tons

of fun activities & resources for your classroom or a

family fun night.

http://members.aol.com/Donnpages/Holidays.html

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