MECHANICAL SUPPORTS MAY HELP TRANSITION TO INDEPENDENCE
by Alan Kurtz
I was recently contacted by Don Billings of East Northport, New York. Mr. Billings has developed several mechanical devices that may be useful in helping persons using facilitated communication move toward independent typing. He reports that a number of people around the country have become independent in their typing using this system. In his March 30 letter, Don says the "The Billings Support System" consists of:
The limb supports are mounted on a flexible spring. The springs come with three tensions - light, medium, or stiff. The system also includes a device that holds the keyboard or Canon communicator at an angle.
I believe that the system has a great deal of potential for helping many FC users move toward independent typing. In particular those persons who Crossley (1994) identifies as benefiting from the use of a dowel (persons with radialulnar muscle instability , low muscle tone, or index finger isolation and extension problems), those who type impulsively or who have high muscle tone (the tension in the spring might slow them down), and those with reduced proprioception.. The device that holds the keyboard may be helpful for those with poor eye-hand coordination.. As Dr. Palmer Curtis has discovered in her work teaching children in Maine to use a computer -mouse - some people are much more successful and independent when they do not have to shift their eye gaze.
Not all users of FC will benefit from these kinds of support. Problems with perseveration or echoes will probably be less amenable to purely mechanical solutions. Many people will continue to need the physical presence and touch of a facilitator who inspires the confidence they need to succeed.
Don Billings has generously offered the Billings Support System for our use. Those interested in using it should contact me at my office to discuss this possibilty. Mr. Billings has also offered to do a presentation on his system in Maine. If there is enough interest l will contact him about doing such a presentation.