Switch Progression Road Map — Clean Semantic

Switch Access Screening Companion — PlainLanguage Core Guide

Update (2025-09-24): When introducing scanning, match the scan method to motor control: auto scan (one-switch with timing) versus step scan (two-switch move/choose) and consider row–column patterns for larger grids. WATI/ATIM: Switch Access – Part II

Update (2025-09-24): Use brief objective probes to set an initial scan speed and confirm switch reliability; tools like Scanning Wizard illustrate an evidence-based approach to calibrating timing before complex selection. PMC: Scanning Wizard study

Adapted into plain language from the Switch Progression Road Map (Inclusive Technology, 2011). Use this as an AIready screening reference for developing reliable switch access across causeandeffect, oneswitch timing/positional skills, twoswitch move/choose skills, and formal scanning.

0) Purpose & How to Use

• Purpose: Help teams quickly identify a student’s current switch access stage, pick next teaching steps, and design short trials with clear criteria.
• Who: Teachers, OTs, PTs, SLPs, AT specialists, paras, caregivers.
• How: Read the section that matches what you observe. Use the Quick Probe to confirm the level, then run the Try Next steps and Collect Minimal Data.
• Scales (optional): 1–5 or 1–10 (1 = not yet/rare, mid = emerging/inconsistent, max = consistent/independent).

1) Readiness & Setup

1.1 Behavior around equipment (prerequisite)

Look for: Student tolerates the positioning of monitor, mounts, switches near body; accepts adult proximity/hand-over-hand briefly; reduced switch banging. Quick Probe: Place switch/monitor in working position for 1–2 minutes while you narrate (“here’s our music switch”). Troubleshoot:

• If banging for attention → sit beside, model press & move hand away; keep sessions short; vary activities.
• If tactile seeking → try lowtactile switch; praise press then hands off.
• If throws switch/avoids → you hold switch; mount later; use large visuals/whiteboard; narrate the activity (focus attention on the effect, not the switch).

1.2 Interfaces & terminology (keep it simple)

• Choose switch (single switch) and Move + Choose (two switches). Many interfaces map to Space (choose) and Enter/Return (move).
• Response modes: Momentary (on while held), Timed (on for set seconds), Latched (press on/press off). Use mode to match the learning step.
• Mounting: Select reliable, repeatable movement site(s); stabilize posture; bring targets into the most controlled range.

2) Experiential: Looking, Listening, Responding (baseline)

Goal: Build engagement to prepare for causeandeffect. Look for: Startle → brief attention → intermittent responses → consistent interest; tracks slow moving object horizontally/vertically. Quick Probe: Highcontrast moving visual or favorite music/photo slideshow; cue “more music” and you press the switch the first times. Try Next: Personalize content (favorite colors, songs, photos). Keep sessions short. Narrate the effect (“more music”) not the motor (“press switch”). Data: Note which stimuli get sustained gaze/smiles; which movement the student begins to make toward the switch.

3) Cause & Effect: “Make Something Happen!”

Teach with four microskills. Rotate across them so the student generalizes the idea.

3.1 Press & Hold (direct mode)

• Look for: Holds switch to keep effect going (toy runs, fan blows). Immediate link between action and effect.
• Quick Probe: Batteryadapted toy or fan in momentary mode. Praise press → effect; release → stops.
• Try Next: Add a playful race (your toy vs theirs).
• Data: Longest continuous hold (s), number of holds in 1–2 min, signs of fatigue.

3.2 Press & Let Go (timed reward)

• Look for: Single press starts an effect that runs for N seconds regardless of release.
• Quick Probe: Music or light with timed controller (e.g., 20–30 s). Encourage press then hands away.
• Try Next: Vary reward length to sustain interest; use hairdryer/fan/foot spa for salient “on” feedback.
• Data: Successful presses / attempts; preferred reward duration.

3.3 Press Again (keep it going / build it up)

• Look for: Represses when effect stops; or presses multiple times to build scene/story.
• Quick Probe: Music slideshow set to stop every 10–20 s; picturebuild or pageturn activity.
• Try Next: “Musical statues” or storybooks built from class photos.
• Data: Latency to repress (s); presses needed vs completed; attention to changed screen.

3.4 Turn On & Off (latched)

• Look for: Starts and stops an effect with repeated presses.
• Quick Probe: Audio player or toy on latched mode; game of start/stop music.
• Try Next: Add a “next track” function as a second choice once basic latch is understood.
• Data: Accurate start/stop cycles; accidental toggles.

Troubleshoot across 3.x: If the student watches but doesn’t press → increase salience (bigger, louder), reduce competing stimuli, handoverhand briefly, then fade; keep trials short and frequent.

4) TwoSwitch Play (prescanning)

4.1 “This or That?” (two different outcomes)

• Look for: Differentiates two switches mapped to different effects; shows preferences.
• Quick Probe: Two toys, two light effects, or two recorded messages; let student explore.
• Try Next: Use one highly preferred and one less preferred to highlight choice.

4.2 Start & Stop with two switches

• Look for: Uses one switch to start and the other to stop the same effect.
• Quick Probe: Moving toy “go home”: start walking; stop on the target; praise accuracy.
• Try Next: Warm vs cool airflow (hairdryer/fan) to demonstrate distinct functions.

Data: Which function is more reliable (start vs stop)? Which side/mounting works best? Latency to respond.

5) Decide: One Switch or Two?

• Choose two switches if two voluntary, reliable, repeatable movements are identified and the student can learn two distinct functions (move vs choose).
• Choose one switch if a single reliable site exists or timing is the stronger skill to build.
• Either path’s goal is the same: independent choicemaking via scanning.

6) OneSwitch Path: Timing & Positional

6.1 “PopUp” (timed response to a cue)

• Look for: Presses when a visual/auditory cue appears.
• Quick Probe: Trafficlight style cue (“ready… set… go!”). Adjust reveal time (longer for startle or motor planning).
• Try Next: Offcomputer games with recorded cues (animal sounds, etc.).
• Data: Correct presses %, average latency, need for auditory vs visual cues.

6.2 “Positional” (press when object reaches target zone)

• Look for: Tracks object left→right or up→down; presses within a target window.
• Quick Probe: Moving object to center of flower/target; slow the object at first.
• Try Next: Increase travel speed; shrink target zone as accuracy improves.
• Data: Hits/attempts %, best speed tolerated, drift (early/late), fatigue signs.

When steady in 6.1 + 6.2 → move to formal scanning.

7) TwoSwitch Path: Move & Choose

7.1 Two switches, two actions (interacting objects)

• Look for: Understands move changes the selection; choose activates it.
• Quick Probe: Simple games where move cycles options (food), choose triggers action (feed).

7.2 BuildUp and Move&Choose

• Look for: Repeats move until target is aligned; then choose for result.
• Quick Probe: Move character to a location; choose to trigger animation; or build stack then knock down.
• Data: Moves per choice; overshooting; need for visual/auditory prompts; preferred scanning direction.

When steady in 7.x → move to formal scanning.

8) Introducing Formal Scanning

Principle: Highlight (scan box) advances through choices. Student selects when preferred item is highlighted.

• Tip: If the onscreen scan box is too abstract, start with a real colored frame over real objects to teach the concept of “what’s inside the box is selectable.” Match the onscreen box color for consistency.

8.1 “Always Right” menus (free choice)

• Look for: Chooses among 3+ items; any choice produces a rewarding outcome (e.g., song/story path).
• Quick Probe: 3choice music menu; set scan speed slow; add auditory prompts if helpful.
• Next: Add more items; then move to grids with empty cells.

8.2 Add empty cells (“Nothing here”) & simple sequences

• Look for: Avoids empty cells; completes sequences (e.g., add all animals to scene).
• Quick Probe: 3–4 cells with two empties and one target; later, scenes that fill up (empties increase as items are taken).

8.3 Specific target on request (“Find the right one”)

• Look for: Selects a named item to answer a question or complete a set.
• Quick Probe: “Find the duck” or “What’s missing?” with 3–6 options.

Data across 8.x: Scan speed (s/step); errors into empties; correct specifictarget choices %; need for auditory prompts.

9) Choosing Independently → Curriculum & Communication

• When scanning is reliable, embed it in daily instruction (literacy, math, science), communication (boards/devices), and leisure (music/video control, games).
• Build a resource library of scanning activities at multiple levels so practice is frequent and meaningful.

10) Minimal DataCapture (copy/paste)

A) Quick Level Check

• Stage: Experiential | Cause/Effect (hold | let go | again | latch) | Twoswitch play | Oneswitch timing | Oneswitch positional | Twoswitch move/choose | Formal scan (alwaysright | empties | specific target)
• Stimuli that work: …
• Best control site(s): …
• Mount/position: …

B) 10Selection Timing

• Task: (e.g., restart music)
• Mean time for 10 presses: … s
• Accuracy: …/10
• Notes (fatigue, errors): …

C) Scanning Settings

• Scan type: auto / step
• Scan speed: … s/step
• Prompts: visual box / auditory cue
• Grid size: …

D) Decision Rule

• Continue / Modify / Switch approach (why): …

11) Troubleshooting CheatSheet

• Switch banging: Sit nearby; reinforce press then hands off; shorten sessions; rotate highsalience rewards; reduce tactilerewarding switches.
• No initiation: Increase contrast/size/sound; use handoverhand briefly; switch to press & hold for more obvious contingency; build clear routines (“more music”).
• Misses timing window: Lengthen reveal time/target window; slow motion; consider twoswitch step scanning rather than auto.
• Overshoots in twoswitch: Add auditory prompts; slow scan or require confirmation; practice movetotarget then choose games.
• Visual processing strain: Reduce grid size; use consistent icons; add auditory previews; dim background; increase spacing.
• Fatigue: Short, frequent trials; alternate control sites; support forearm; adjust angle/mount.

12) Quick Planning Template (one page)

Student & team … Current stage … Top strengths (sites, stimuli, routines) … Top barriers (motor, sensory, timing, attention) … Next step focus (pick 1–2 microskills) … Trial(s) & criteria (e.g., ≥80% accurate choices; ≤30 s for 10 presses; avoid empties) … Settings (scan speed, prompts, grid size, response mode) … Training/time (who, when, how often) … Followup date …

13) Glossary (fast)

• Choose switch: Activates current/target item (often mapped to Space).
• Move switch: Advances highlight/scan (often mapped to Enter/Return).
• Momentary / Timed / Latched: Response modes for toys/appliances/software.
• Auto vs Step scanning: Auto = moves on its own; Step = user advances with move switch.
• Popup / Positional: Oneswitch timing skills (cuebased vs targetzone based).
• Alwaysright menu: Any choice yields reward; used for early scanning.
• Empty cells: Nontargets added to grids to build discrimination.

Implementation Notes

• Keep sessions short and varied; rotate microskills 3.x often to avoid habituation.
• Personalize rewards; pair choice with meaningful outcomes (music, stories, videos, toys, lights).
• Progress is nonlinear: loop back a step whenever engagement or accuracy dips.

Attribution: Adapted from Inclusive Technology’s Switch Progression Road Map (2011), reformatted into a plainlanguage screening companion for instructional teams and AI reference.