Adaptive/Assistive Technology Tool - Blog Post #5

My Story is an app that allows the user to create visual stories with graphics, voiceovers, and drawings. Educators can access this app by downloading it to classroom iPads or tablets, and it can be used tell stories or share ideas. The user can download images from the web to use or incorporate their own photos and images. It is intended to be “the simplest story telling and book making app for kids in the classroom” (My Story, 2018). 

Source: MyStory.co

An app like My Story could be used as an assistive tool to make visual schedules or scene cues for children with autism. Visual supports are important tools to have in a classroom since they “can often augment spoken language comprehension for learners who are minimally verbal” (Allen, 2022). With visual schedules, educators show students what to expect in their school day through images and printed words that follow steps or actions for different events (Hume, n.d.). For example, an educator could create a visual schedule of how to clean up toys, how to line up at the end of the day, or the lunchtime routine. One dynamic form of a visual schedule is a tool called a scene cue. As Allen (2022) describes, in a scene cue video, the actions and language associated with those actions for a certain event or task are presented simultaneously. The use of a video scene cue can help with “direction-following skills” and allows the student to follow and learn “directions with less involvement from the mentor” (Allen, 2022). For example, if the teacher is telling the class to go get a set of crayons and the direction is not understood by a student who is minimally verbal, the teacher could show the student the scene cue of that task so that the student can complete the task on their own. Scene cues are shown to be a way to promote independence at school for students with autism, especially when created on a mobile technology tool (Allen, 2022). 

My Story is an excellent tool to create these dynamic scene cue videos. This tool could be used to create videos that students could refer back to as often as they need since the videos are on a mobile technology like an iPad. Another strength of My Story is the fact that it is  designed to be used by students. Educators could create visual schedules with students so they feel involved in the process and could improve students' understanding of the rules and expectations. Explaining rules or directions while also creating a visual guide could be an engaging way to both helpIn keeping with the principle of the Universal Design for Learning, which includes presenting “content in multiple ways…through a combination of text, images, multimedia content, and more,” this is a tool and strategy that would benefit all students (Spina, 2017). Showing students the school routine or how to complete certain tasks in the classroom through pictures or videos could help every student feel more comfortable with the rules and help them understand directions. Most students enjoy knowing what to expect throughout their day, especially at the beginning of a school year when everything is new or if the school routine is being changed for a special event like a field trip. Taking the time to show students what to expect could be helpful for all and using a video tool is an engaging way to share rules and expectation with young students. By using a digital tool like My Story to create visual schedules and scene cues, educators are presenting the rules, routines, and expectations of the classroom and school in a way that is accessible for all students. 

References: 

Allen, A. A. (2022, January 1). The scene cue: A tool delivered via mobile technology for improving independence in direction-following. Autism Spectrum News. https://www.autismspectrumnews.org/the-scene-cue-a-tool-delivered-via-mobile-technology-for-improving-independence-in-direction-following/

Hume, K. (n.d.). Visual schedules in the school setting. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/visual-schedules-school-setting 

Spina, C. (2017, May 5). How universal design will make your library more inclusive. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive