ECC PTA

Join us for our May ECC PTA on Tuesday, May 21! This month our topic is learning all about augmentative and alternative communication better known as AAC for students with multiple impairments and blindness. This is another free meeting for our parents, related servers and teachers. We are very happy to have Breana Cannon as our special guest presenter. Breana is a speech language pathologist and also serves on our augmentative communication team. She has a fantastic understanding of  students with multiple impairments. Read this post late? No worries! You didn't miss out. You can still access the recorded webinar by registering:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMdsZtaqYrpVrGtpHxt7uNKSo6aWBIUqw9ozkyR1Z4wkX_dQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Communication Desk for Students with Multiple Impairments

It's almost time to get back to school! If you are a teacher of a student with a multiple impairment including deafblindness or blindness, you need to read this!!

Communication is at the very top of my priority list when it comes to being a teacher. Our kiddos need consistent opportunities for expressive and receptive communication. The second priority on my instruction list is creating defined spaces. Defined spaces allow our students to be anchored in space/environment/body and then sets the framework for anticipation.  

If you are unsure on how to use a calendar box system, read these articles:

Let Me Check My Calendar by Robbie Blaha,

Routines by Millie Smith (via TSBVI),

Learning & Instruction for Calendar Box Systems (via NCDB)

The student communication desk idea follows tactual symbols/calendar box system strategy and using a defines space. The students that use these desks that are pictures are those with multiple impairments or show Autistic like behaviors and have significant vision impairments. All of the students are non-verbal. 

The teacher has done a terrific job of implementing tactual/object symbols for instruction. She was stumped because using a traditional finished box was not working. We needed to find a solution that would help students establish that a concept/lesson/symbol was finished but wouldn't fly away (if thrown) and was unique enough that they could comprehend "finished". 

Solution: The object symbols (routine for the day) are laid out across on top. The blue or red felt area that is perpendicular is the finished area. Notice that it is a defined area that is unique. It is a clearly defined finished area. Students place finished symbols on the felt area. These two areas teach spatial awareness (across and top/bottom), literacy (left to right, reading symbols) and self determination (students make choices and can communicate based on the location of the symbols) and communication. 

The student communication desk also teaches compensatory skills including communication and reading their name by tactually identifying their desk (notice the symbol placed at the bottom right of the desk and on their chair). 

Their academic piece as well as any career ed/work for reward also follows a consistent communication system. Notice the discreet trial training boards (penny boards) that have each students' unique symbol. 

Note: We placed their boards and binders on the desk for the purpose of this picture. All of these items may be on the desk at one time depending on activity. It is important to note that each of these items have a specific and consistent placement for students. 

I can't reiterate enough that knowledge is key for using the communication desk idea. You must have knowledge of calendar box systems, creating tactual symbols and communication strategies. There are some terrific articles out there about incorporating, implementing and standardizing tactual symbols for students with vision impairments. Here is one that I really like from Paths to Literacy.

The tactual symbols pictured were created from the APH Tactile Connections Kit. It's a quality kit that can be purchased on quota funds via APH. Make sure you have a quality hot glue gun and hook & loop (Velcro, too!). Always remember that symbols should be easy to replicate (always save extra fabric or duplicates of object). Symbols can be eaten, slobbered on and tossed in a heartbeat. 

I love this desk idea especially for our nonverbal students that do not use a complex communication system. You can build on these symbols and concepts. I love that this teacher uses consistency for the students. And yes, it does implement Expanded Core Curriculum objectives!!

Communication Symbol System

I was hanging out one day in our school and I found some really old stuff like floppy disk and these diskette binder sheets. I looked at these sheets and inspiration struck!! I didn't have any disks hanging around but I did have some binders. 

I serve on our school augmentative assistive tech team. I love it because I learn so much collaborating with some brilliant minds. A colleague on my augmentative team taught me about using partner assisted scanning-PODD (check out the video about this later in this post). 

I have students that have severe multiple impairments that I want to engage using calendar box systems. They all have wonderful interveners. These students are at the basic level of using symbols. Most of my students in this situation have CVI. I think using the partner assisted scanning system is a great fit for several of them. I came up with this binder symbol idea to help prepare them to use the partner assisted scanning technique and to incorporate  more language (using symbols) into daily routines. Enter the diskette binder sheets!!

**The pictures are from a prototype trial. You could easily use a different color binder. White may not be the right color binder background**

Here's the "how to":

1. Make symbols using pictures, real symbols or a combination of both. The real object symbols are helpful for basic level students because it allows the tactual feel to the picture. Consult your CVI matrix to help with progressing student to picture only. 

2. I like arranging the pictures landscape. The pictures in this post are portrait because it was a better fit for the particular student. 

3. Place velcro on the front of each pocket (this allows you place the symbol on the outside/front of the pocket). I would discourage your from keeping the pictures inside the pockets because it washes out the symbol. (See both above and below pictures).

4. The goal is to use the binder symbol system to train the student to look at choices and then to make them. They are placed at opposite corners on purpose. The opposite corners are to help with identifying a clear choice for students (if placed too close together, it could potentially be too difficult for the adult to interpret the choice). 

5. Use blank disk sheets for instruction. As you can see from the pictures, it is visually confusing to place choices (in front) with the other symbols in the pockets (see example picture below). I included this picture to point out this confusion. 

Here are some examples of the real object symbols. The top picture is the student's Eagle Eyes symbols. We were lucky to get the actual wiring that is used. The bottom picture is for the weekly music therapy. The black background is an excellent visual choice for the symbols.

Check out the partner assisted scanning technique. I have watched several YouTube videos on this and this is a great one for our students. If you watch other videos, you can see that this strategy can bring a lot of language to use. The students learn the system and can anticipate where the pictures are. The binder symbol system is a very basic way to pre-teach the skills needed to advance to the partner assisted scanning technique. Students may just keep working at the binder symbol system level as well. 

Book Ring Object Cards

Are you an intervener or para on the go that struggles with carrying all your object cards? It's tough to be a jack of all trades when you are in these roles. You have to sign or physically prompt, support the student and get the object into position to use. It's a lot of work!

I was visiting one of my classrooms where I saw this great little idea: object cards on book rings. Now I know that isn't anything unusual. Many people put object cards on book rings. But let me share with you why I thought this was a fun idea to share. This idea belongs to an awesome intervener, Angel, who let me take pics and share. She puts her student's cards on her keychain strap thing--can't describe it well (see the black loop in the picture) when they are on the move.  Angel needs two hands when she is working and she needs her object cards quick because attention spans can be like a blink of an eye. 

In case you are new to object cards maintenance, first thing is to laminate your cards first! Drool, dropping them in water, etc. is a likely situation not to mention crumpling, attempts at tearing and just general wear and tear. After lamination, punch a hole in the corner. 

I like the key ring set up that Angel uses (see below). By using the latch (as opposed to a traditional key ring), she can quickly load up her cards for each activity when they are on the move. Plus the latch allows doesn't destroy the card. She also uses book rings as opposed to key rings. Book rings have a quick open-and-shut feature that is also secure. You can purchase book rings from a variety of places such as Staples for about $4-5 a box. The other thing to notice is that she doesn't put all her object cards just on one ring. She has multiple rings so each card gets its on place. That's smart because she can use her cards in isolation or have them ready for a sequence.

 

Below is another view of her on the go object cards: 

DeafBlind Resource

Hi friends,


How about we end 2014 with a blog post or two? I hope the holidays were fun for everyone. I wanted to share a resource that came to me from a lovely lady named Ramona Rice. Ramona has Usher's Syndrome. We were having a lovely chat one nice afternoon when she received a phone call in the middle of our talk. I watched her answer her cell phone with a device that I had never seen before. I immediately asked her what this hands free cell phone device was! She uses a device from Starkey Pro called Surflink. I asked her more about it because I was quite intrigued. She then showed me a little microphone that she could point in my direction to dial in on our conversation without the clutter of background noise. I have included information about this product. Ramona swears by it! She even told me about another device (from the same company) that helps her watch TV. I thought about several of my students with Usher's and thought about how they struggle with keeping up with conversations. I don't think this is a perfect fit for everyone but check it out. I watched Ramona (who has a significant dual sensory loss) do business on her cell thanks to Surflink.
Check it out!

Ramona coordinates some helpful resources for those who have Usher's Syndrome. You can find out more information about it here, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Collaborative-Partnerships-in-Utah-for-people-with-vision-or-hearing-loss/901333019877636

Super Awesome Wheel Chair Tray!

Holy cow, I LOVE it when people allow me to share their brilliant ideas! Thank you to Marci Rizzo, paraprofessional, and Alex the SLP who work at school for children with disabilities for letting me share their brilliant wheel chair tray. Let me set the scene so you can fully appreciate why this is a brilliant idea. This tray is for a student that limited use of their hands, has a very specific visual field (the place in her field where she can see the best) and favors colors red and yellow (best colors ever for our kids!). This student is non-verbal but can make choices and use a switch. The yellow and red circles on the tray are the areas where the student can see the best and can make a choice. Just in case you don't understand this, if the teacher were to put an item or switch anywhere else on the tray, this student probably wouldn't see or acknowledge the object. SO: it is very important that you know WHERE your student can see.

Here's the materials:

Plywood
Semi gloss paint
Spray paint circles
*Use cornstarch for less friction so the student's hand glides like water (for cleaning the tray).

I couldn't believe that this tray was plywood when I saw it (and touched it) but Marci (and her husband) sanded down the plywood and cut it to fit on her tray. They painted it after the sanding. 

I also want to point out one more clever idea. This idea comes from the brilliant classroom teacher. Notice off to the side of the wheel chair…..there's a bucket strapped to her chair (tray). Do you know what that is? It's a FINISHED BOX!! It's attached so that the student can always use it (and it appears to be permanent part of the day because they always have to use it). Brilliant!!

Are you smiling right now after reading this? I am too! I love great ideas and I LOVE to watch great teachers working with our kids (that includes para's too!). We are all working together and making a difference :)

Object Calendar Binder

Hi friends,
I'm excited to share this find: it's a object calendar binder (although the possibilities are endless). It was made by East Hartford Women's Club. Before I describe this great project, let's check out the pictures:

This binder has 6 pages. The pages are cardboard covered in nyloop. Nyloop can be tricky to find at first but once you find a local source, you are set! Nyloop is great because you can use a little velcro and objects stick right to it. The pictures show some ideas of what you can do. You can use it for matching activities, matching or sequencing. I like the idea of using it as a calendar box system. I recommend the binder idea for kids with multiple impairments. These binders are great because they are pretty durable, too.

The Everyone Can Do It Finished Box

 This is the thing that truly everyone can do! It's a portable finished box (and if I don't say so myself, it's truly GENIUS!). Thank you super awesome teacher, Mary Quinn, for letting me blog about her super fab idea.

First and foremost, you do know what a finished box (or all done box) is, right?? If not, stop reading this post and go through my labels and find all the posts about calendar box systems and finished boxes. It's a must prerequisite to this post.  Now that you are familiar (and excited) about using finished boxes, let me introduce (drum roll please...) the PORTABLE FINISHED BOX.  This sweet little collapsible tote is otherwise known as a fabric drawer and is great for being the finished box on the go. The average price runs about $5.99 to $9.99 and can be purchased at any Target or Walmart store. These sweet on the go finished boxes are perfect for when you are out of desk space, traveling from classroom to classroom or out and about in the community. They fold right down and pop back to life easily and pretty sturdy, too. They come in two different sizes, a small one and a large. Mary, being the talented teacher for kiddo with MIVI/DB that she is, took it up a notch and decorated them based on season. This way there is a "theme" to each one. Now a note of caution about decorating here. Decorating is a great idea BUT be cautious about the child. If you are just introducing these, ask yourself the following questions: are they visually distracting? does my child/student have a concrete understanding of what a finished box is? Am I sending out too many clues--should they put the decorations together or use the actual finished box? Don't get lost in making them "cute". They have a purpose and that purpose must remain clear to the student.

 Another thing I thought about is consider the visual needs of the student. Should you make the bottom of the basket black so that there is contrast? Highlight the top rim so it highlights where to put things? There is no universal answer here. It all depends on the visual needs of your student. Same thing goes for which size to use. You may find yourself using both especially if you are a busy family and you want to use these out in the community, playgroup, church, etc. You may need both sizes. Keep one in the car so that you always have a finished box no matter what the situation.

 Notice the handle? You could also make a little velcro rope or chain so that this lightweight box can hang from a chair or on a stander, etc. I saw a para attach a plastic finished box to a chair and thought it was brilliant.

Now after reading this and seeing these pictures you have no excuse for not using a finished box everywhere you go. Your main dilemma now is figuring out what color to buy!

So many calendar boxes choices and only a DOLLAR!

I was strolling through one of my favorite stores today, Dollar Tree, and looked at their entire back wall with a big smile: it's a wall of calendar boxes and they are only a DOLLAR each!! 

Side note: do you shop at the one and only Dollar Tree? So many wonderful things for us and it's always just a dollar (shiny red wrapping paper, Easter eggs for cause and effect play, calendar boxes, black sharpies, curly red shiny ribbons...so many projects that this side note could easily turn into another new post!)

There are six rows in this picture. I'm gonna give you some ideas, row by row, starting from the top.
Row 1: The red baskets on top of the yellow--excellent for calendar boxes that go side by side and fit on a shelf (plus they are in the perfect colors!). The upside down orange, blue and green ones are great for finished boxes. 
Row 2: The narrow baskets (probably commonly used for utensils) are also nice side by side calendar boxes (these were the ones I had in my classroom). The blue, green and red ones are also nice ones too!
Row 3: The blue and green ones are great for organization. The last one on the far right (blue ones) are all stars.
Row 4: My favorite row!! There are so many great ones on this shelf!! The pink ones are perfect because you can tie a finished basket to a wheel chair (saw that great idea at a school). This way the tied on finished basket stays with the chair. If the student has a severe impairment, just pulling (or touching) the rope to the finished basket could keep the constant contact. I hope my description makes sense! Lastly, the yellow boxes--so bright and wonderful and perfect!! CVI!
Row 5: The larger green and red ones are nice finished boxes that sit nicely on a work table. They might be too big for a tray on a wheelchair. 
Row 6: Lots of baskets, handled baskets and buckets! These are nice for toys at home. 

I know, my faithful readers, that you are not just thinking that calendar box systems only happen at school. Look at all the possibilities!! Make sure you have a calendar box system at HOME! You can make SO many things happen at home and school. Don't stress out if you are thinking "I can't do a whole calendar box system at home!!". How about just starting with a simple finished box? Calendar box systems teach anticipation, time concepts, language, literacy---I could go on and on! If you can get a finished box going successfully but still can't get to a whole system, go to Now and Finished or Now, Next and Finished. Read up on all the posts with lots of great information for more information. 

Do it at home: Start using a finished box in your easiest, lowest stress routine at home. 

AT Resource Find

This may be one of several posts since I am off work tomorrow due to the hurricane. I've got lots to catch up on with you--missed you! I was stopped the other day by one of my fab TVI colleagues and she was raving about this AT workshop she attended. She told me that I would have loved the presentation as the  woman was a hoot and had the best little ideas. I want to create a league of us creative ones and come up with our own "Avengers". Wouldn't that be so fun? A resource pool of all of us. Just a side note....

Gail handed me this book and swore I would love it. I perused through and was giddy with excitement when I saw all the resources! I am no true AT expert but love how user friendly this guide is. The solutions are easy peasy and they even provide a shoppers' guide on where to get the goods. I photographed a few pages to give you a feel of the resource including the contact information. From what I read, I think this is a sweet little AT resource for our kiddos with multiple impairments, MIVI/deafblind, ASD/VI, etc.

Back to School Organization Plan

Hello my blog friends!! Happy back to school!! I am back from camp and vacations and ready to return to blogging for you. 

I did this lesson that I am posting about over the summer to help get one of my students off to a good start with organization. He was struggling with organization and that next leap into responsibility. I came up with a written organization contract that will keep not only him but his para focused on what he needs to do. 

My blog note: I am sorry the picture is hard to see. I must have saved it a million times in different locations, rotated it, etc. and I STILL couldn't get it to upload landscape!!

How this organization plan works:

• A copy of this is handy for him to review. He can also use this as a checklist. I suggested a few different ways you can do this: put it on large index cards and laminate them then put it on a key ring, tape it in the locker, put in folders, etc. 
• It's organized into categories so it's more of a step-by-step deal: 
• Things that the student has to organize--The para doesn't do this at all! This is a list of things that the student must take stewardship for. You want to create this list with the student so that there is buy in and accountability.
• What you need in your plan--This the guide for the para and anyone else on the team that needs to know how this plan needs to happen. The parents are also good people to have on this part. This is also a working list of things that the student and his para need to do. 
• Supply list
• Have a quick reference list of the supplies that the student needs to have ready to go. 
• Responsibility Contract--
• A list of what the student is responsible for and what the para will do.

Everything else is written down on this plan (see picture below). I used the student's 20/20 pen and paper so he could definitely read it.

Remember what it says at the bottom: KEEP IT SIMPLE! EASY TO FOLLOW! No more than four bullet points per section! Keep it written in a way that is not visually overstimulating (that's why I suggested the index cards on a key ring). 

More super finds at Target!

I was doing my usual walk through at Target and stumbled over to the back to school dollar bins and found another "super find"! I know we are in the middle of summer on vacation but have no fear, I am out finding good finds for the upcoming school year for you.
I saw these great little finds and thought they were perfect for calendar box systems. [Not know what calendar box systems are? I've blogged about it before so stop reading this little post and hop over and read about calendar box systems.] I also thought these finds were great for organization for preschoolers and great for sorting and sequencing for our MIVI/ASDVI students. 

Best part? The price ranges from $1-$2.50 in the dollar
 bin section at Target. 

These trays are great because they have a good size but they aren't too deep. They can also double as little work stations for our preschool crew.

Okay, this was a tougher pic to take because a lot of other things got in the way. I wanted to get a shot of all the different types of buckets. Sorry for visual clutter!

Perfect buckets for "finished" or "all done" boxes! The handle is also a little super find because it works as an attachment aid. I saw a teacher loop a nice fabric through the handle and attach it to their students' chair. I also liked that they had these in black. These are also great sorting buckets or "now" & "next" buckets. So many possibilities....

Awesome Resource!

Hi blog friends!
Whew!! Time has just been flying by for me so my apologies for not posting my usual Tuesday night post. I was so excited to be at Perkins School for the Blind's Early Connections conference. Two of my super fave students came up and helped me present as well as spoke on a panel discussion. I couldn't have been more proud! I have also recorded another webinar for AER with Justin A. Haegele (super fave APE teacher) so feel free to collect some CEUs or just some good ideas and check it out.


Anyways, back to business! I have an awesome resource that I want all of you to bookmark on your favorites that was sitting underneath my nose and I didn't even know until this past Perkins conference! Two of my super fab colleagues, Gail Feld and Gigi Whitford (CVI gurus and great TVIs) have put together a website called the Tip Sheet of the Month (and more!). Now I have seen some of these tip sheet handouts when we have collaborated on projects before but I had no idea that they had a whole website with resource treasures!

Here's the site: http://tipsheetofthemonthandmore.org/

An example of one of their awesome handouts:

And another example of their handouts:

Go and download them with their expert advice and tips for the home and classroom on their site. Then make sure you add it to your favorites and check back each month. This is a great resource for general education teachers, special ed teachers, families, paras----I could really keep going! The other special spark about Gigi and Gail is that they are CVI gurus so there are lots of special notes and advice about that and you can email them about their handouts. Love this resource!!

Hand Under Hand Instruction Resources

I came across these instruction videos while I was scouring the web for really good hand under hand instruction (HUH) videos. Teaching hand under hand is so crucial and mastering this technique is a little tricky. I found these for my March RT for the OT presentation that I do yearly for OT/PTs. There are also other videos and really good resources on the site but I love the HUH ones.


The videos are from the Washington Sensory Disability Services.

 Here's a link directly to the videos:  http://www.wsdsonline.org/deafblind/huh/huh-overview.html. Sometimes the hotlink doesn't always work so you can also go to their webpage, www.wsdsonline.org and hit the tab "videos". These are some sweet videos so save this to your favorites tool bar! They have all the right instruction pieces built right in. 


I've also included a link to another helpful article about HUH from FamilyConnect.org. The family friendly article is: http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=75&TopicID=351&DocumentID=3822

A lot of people may think that HUH is just for children who MIVI or DB. But I use HUH with almost all of my Braille reading students including those who are MIVI, DB and ASDVI. It's just the best way for them to "see" what's going on. In fact, that's my prompt language when I am going to do HUH. I ask my students if they want to "watch me do it". They just pick their hands up and I slide right under them. 
A small side tidbit about HUH that has come up a lot when I have been working with OTs: how do you do HUH with preschool? Their little hands are just so small (and cute!!). Here are a few ideas: hook up under their pinkies and let their hands follow with you prompting from the pinky. I will sit facing them instead of behind them so that their little hands can see what my fingers are doing. Or  I will prompt at their wrists and guide that way. As I write this, I realize that it is a tad tricky to understand if you don't get it. I will do my best to find a preschooler who I can take some pictures with and post them. Until then, watch the videos (again and again). HUH is my ultimate tool when teaching so many of my students. It takes time and practice to get the finesse of it down. Good luck!

Calendar Object System Board

Holy hannah blog family, I have a super awesome find from this week and I couldn't wait to share it!! This fantastic find was from the handy work of Matthew Tietjen with collaboration from Patty Leonard, TVI. Matthew is a TVI student doing his student teaching with us this semester.
I was doing my ususal rounds at the agency getting work to the TVIs and what not when I stumbled upon Matthew working in an empty cubicle.  He had made three fabulous calendar box/object symbol system for children who have multiple impairments that were visual learners (meaning they did not read Braille). These puppies are awesome and they are easy to make! I instantly knew that I had to blog about this so I immediately asked him if I could photograph and blog this. Then I had a few ideas of other ways you could use these boards. I am going to include all of the information on how to use, how to make and how this is awesome in this post. Get ready to read and then head out to round up supplies! I've made the pictures extra large size so you can really see all the details. 
Here's how to get started:
First, you must read my postings on calendar box systems. I've linked some fabulous articles and information about why and how they work. I love calendar box systems. I have used them over and over and I promise you, they are proven effective strategy.

Materials you need:

Thick, foam poster board. Matt used black and whiteCutting blade/box cutter, a good work space. I usually use a broken down cardboard box to cut things on so I don't cut my desk (I've done that before, ha ha...)Board maker softwareLaminatorBlack felt fabric (although any medium thick type fabric would do)Hot glue gun and a lot of glue sticksVelcro or hook & loopObject symbolsTwo hinges (can be purchased from Lowe's for about $3)Black permanent markerSmall plastic flexible bin/basketRed shiny fabricScissors

Matthew glued two hinges securely on the back of the board. The hinges allowed the material to be cut in half so the student is overwhelmed with information. 

 The thing that I loved about the hinges is that when it cut the material in half, it also gave it a new use. When folded, it provided two options: two objects followed immediately by the finished box and then three objects on the other side. This is awesome because you may have a student that is not ready for a full calendar box system. But they may be ready for now, next and finished system (remember the boards I made? Read about it in another post...) You could just use this side at the most basic level: now, next and finished with the student. Then, after they have got the hang of that, flip it over so you can use the three object side. You can do a three step sequence!! My favorite!! Three step sequences are awesome because you can do a "first, next, last" teaching sequence or a "beginning, middle, end". When the student has mastered this level, they are ready for the full board and the full line of objects. The other thing is that you can multi-use this board. You can still keep the full board for the object calendar box system but then fold it to the three object side when doing work and just put new Boardmaker pictures for the student to follow. 

 Each picture and symbol have velcro on it. This gives the option of the student using the picture or the symbol or both. I advised Matthew to put the velcro at the top of the picture (cut the velcro into a long rectangle) because when put at the top, it helps with the picture not flopping over at the corners and that helps eliminate glare (since they are laminated).

 I also advised Matthew to take a black marker and outline the velcro spot on the board. This makes it an easier target for placing the object in the right place. You may need to make a thicker black outline. It depends on the student. You could also use red. Then, I gave him some of my red shiny fabric to outline the all done (or can be labeled 'finished') at the top because without it, it was a lot of black and hard to tell with depth perception where to put the object in. Lastly (he was great to let me sit there and pop off all these ideas), I suggested he label the all done box so that they student sees the target. It's not exactly necessary but it can help. It also helps the teachers and support staff remember to label this when instructing. 

I took the individual object boards down so you can see how he put the velcro on it. Now, always remember this, use a lot of velcro! This gives a better target for students and it helps with durability. 

 

 Now, a word about the symbol choices here. You have to be careful with selecting object symbols as you want them to be meaningful not just a bunch of random plastic items. Matthew used symbols that I call 'purposeful plastic'. They are all plastic symbols but they are unique because of their meaning. For example, the soccer ball actually feels like a soccer ball as does the basket ball. They are both pretty darn good replicas of the real thing. Good choice. If he were to use some random plastic ball, there probably wouldn't be a lot of discrimination between the two and it would have been junk.  About the bread object for lunch. This too is plastic BUT I agree with this because it looks identical to the Boardmaker picture, it is thick, has texture and is a pretty good replica instead of using a piece of bread. You could use a fork and a for picture. That is a common object symbol for mealtimes. 

 My favorite of the object symbols is that for computer he used a Big Mac switch. When these students go to computer, this is what they use. A perfect choice for this picture. 

This is something you can do at home, school and for vocational training. I really loved these. They are easy to make, duplicate and aren't too expensive. I have a feeling I will be making these over and over for students to use. 

*Make sure you and your team (that includes parents) read up on calendar box systems. I can't stress it enough, they work!