The Brooke Kendrick
=I3 Webumentary


brooke
I3 began working with Brooke in the Summer of 1997.
Brooke is a delightful 7 year old who is diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia due to cerebral palsy. She functions at an apedal gross motor level. She uses a power wheelchair with a joystick control which she is presently practicing. Brooke is non-verbal but does make her desires known by smiling, laughing, crying and saying yes and no. Through this year she has been learning to access her Dynavox (a communication system) with her head switch. She is a social little girl who appears well aware of what is going on around her. She continues to demonstrate a strong startle reflex when loud or unexpected noise is heard. Brooke utilizes bilateral ankle foot orthosis for positioning.

Brooke attends an integrated First Grade program at Lakeland Elementary School. This is a full day program which integrates her educational and therapeutic activities. She has a one-on-one teaching assistant.
Currently Brooke receives the following therapy services:
  • Occupational Therapy 3 times weekly for 45 minute sessions. Consult 2 hrs./month.
  • Physical Therapy 3 times weekly for 45 mintes. Consult 2 hrs./month.
  • Speech Therapy 4 times per week 30 minutes. Consult 2 hrs./month.
  • Adaptive Physical Education 2 times per week 30 minutes.
  • Special Education Services 2 hours per week.

Press release 3/11/98, Syracuse University Record

Brooke is an inclusive first grade student at Lakeland Elementary school. She has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy which affects the motor skills of her trunk, neck, and extremities. Brooke was not able to use her motor and verbal skills/language to the level of her intelligence and her family sought the help of the Center for Really Neat Research. The team at Lakeland has been involved with the Center for Really Neat Research since September of 1997 and we have been extremely impressed with the amount of technological and emotional support that the Center has to offer. We have been impressed with the positive way the students and staff at the Center have interacted with Brooke, always acknowledging her intelligence and working hard to overcome her motor deficits so that she can access the world via a computer. Brooke worked very hard when she went to "college" and was always ready to try to impress the boys at the Center!

Goals

  1. To enhance Brooke's academic program and transition from auditory scanning to using visual system to access a computer. Brooke currently uses a Dynavox system for communication. Her one-on-one assistant, Kelly, is very adept at programming the Dynavox system. Brooke currently uses the auditory scanner to make her selections and has very good auditory memory. The Dynavox reads through the choices, Brooke listens to the selections through a headphone then Brooke selects what she wants to say by clicking on her head switch, and the Dynavox reads the message aloud. Brooke is able to accommodate to changes made to the Dynavox very quickly. Daily lessons are programmed in and Brooke is able to catch on quite quickly. Neattools allows Brooke to access a PC with her head switch and joystick controls. The use of a computer requires more visual attention but will let the world be at her fingertips. Any PC compatible programs can be used with NeatTools. Neattools is easy to work (as long as Rahul sets it up for you! ) We have been trying various programs with Brooke to get her to maneuver the joystick more effectively. We may try different orientations of the joystick which may be more effective for Brooke. We would like to see Brooke access an onscreen keyboard to write her own unique messages and use the computer to say them to her teachers and friends. We hope that she will be able to access on onscreen calculator for math too! As Brooke uses the computer we hope that she will further develop her visual skills for improved reading.
  2. To have carryover of power wheelchair mobility to joystick maneuvering on the screen and reverse.

    The use of Neattools on the computer will have carryover to propelling her wheelchair, as the computer joystick is currently set up in the same orientation as her power wheelchair joystick. The design students have worked very hard to come up with several designs for joystick adaptations.

    We initially considered foot plates for controlling left and right movements of the cursor on the screen and using a hand sensor for up and down movements. As we went on through the evaluation process, Brooke was learning how her movements were moving the cursor. The evaluation and learning were happening so quickly and that she soon was able to try to move a joystick. We have been working with the joystick ever since. In retrospect, the research team at the Center could have made us stay with the foot plates, but they were as excited to move to the joystick as we were and changed the focus of the design project on a weekly basis. Now the foot plates are ready for another student should they be needed.


    Last updated on 9/26/98.