Switch Access

Switch access can open up a world of possibilities for students who need to interact with their environment in alternative ways. Switches can help teach simple cause and effect, but the power of switch use comes in progressing switch use to more complex interaction, including making choices, and expressive communication. The resources below help with both the technical aspect of setting up switches and the teaching aspect of switch skills so students can reach their full potential. 

Linda Burkhart has a long history of working with students  with complex physical and visual challenges, including CVI, who depend on auditory or auditory-plus-visual scanning rather than direct visual selection. She is considered an expert in the field and has written books and presented on the topic of teaching students switch skills. The resources below outline the steps to teach intentional movements that support partner-assisted scanning and progressively develop switch access through the Stepping Stones to Switch Access framework (Burkhart). Emphasis includes teaching and shaping sustainable, intelligible movements; reducing cognitive and verbal overload; and organizing vocabulary to support language growth. Partner-assisted scanning and switch access are presented as complementary, parallel pathways within a long-term plan supporting communication, learning, and independence across environments and partners. Participants will leave with foundational principles and practical strategies.