Max

15-year-old Max loves trying out new things in school. When supported by his team he feels confident to explore new possibilities and discover ways he can work on his independence. Keen to try out the new Tech Room, Max was assessed by the in-house assistive technology team and with support from an Occupational Therapist, Max had his chair fitted with two adaptive head switches to allow him to further develop his skills of using the switches to access more independent activities and choice-making.

Our Assistive Technologists, Graham and Bradlie work closely with the teaching team, to ensure the work in the Tech Room is in line with each young person’s personalised education plan. This focus allows for the young people to continue working on their goals in a personalised and engaging way.

Max has a keen passion for cars and fast-paced action. Once familiar with the Tech Room and having developed his head switch control skills, Max expressed interest in trying out a racing game. Building on a young person’s interest is always a great way to motivate them and encourage them to learn new skills. Graham connected an adaptive Xbox controller to Max’s head switches, which allowed Max to play the car racing game. He uses one switch for accelerating the vehicle and the other for braking, giving him total control of his gaming experience.

Wanting to put his new driving skills to the test, Max invited his Dad to one of his Tech Room sessions.

In a one-versus-one game of Mario Kart, Max and his Dad sat side-by-side and battled it out to see who could be crowned the ultimate driver! To Dad’s delight, Max swept across the finish line first with Dad following closely behind in second place. The Tech room was full of joy and celebrations!

It was a very proud moment for Max to showcase his switch work skills but, most importantly, share a very special father and son moment with his Dad.