At Mapledown School, we look for every opportunity to enable our students to access technology.

We connect switches to PCs, audio devices and toys to allow students with limited motor skills to explore the world around them.

They can press a switch to listen to music, play a video clip or interact with software and sensory equipment.

A switch can connect straight to a toy, a spinning light or an MP3 player.

More advanced switches are wireless operated, allowing the student to operate equipment from anywhere in the room, e.g. to switch on the mirror ball lights in the sensory room.  

We can also make changes to set the switch according to the needs of our students.  

They may need to press a switch once to start and once to stop, or to hold down the switch continuously to keep the device moving.