Articles that may be of interest:
“Research has presented a clearer understanding of what choice making entails, the independence and participation it provides, naturalistic instructional strategies that may be implemented, and barriers that need to be overcome to allow opportunities for all children (Church, 2000; Daugherty, Grisham-Brown, & Hemmeter, 2001; McCormick et al., 2003). When an individual is able to communicate a choice, he or she is able to learn about items, explore his or her environment, and participate in various activities (D’Allura, 2002; Stafford et al., 2002).” Clark, C., & McDonnell, A. D. (2008). Teaching choice making to children with visual impairments and multiple disabilities in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 102(7), 397-439.
“In terms of quality of life, two considerations can be put forward. First, the educational objectives targeted in this study, that is, the possibility of choosing among a variety of stimuli and the consequent self-determined opportunity to enjoy the preferred ones, can be considered highly desirable and significant (Lancioni, O’Reilly, et al., 2006; Spevack, Martin, Hiebert, Yu, & Martin, 2005). Second, these objectives could be deemed of basic importance within any educational or home context for persons with visual impairments and multiple disabilities (Parette, Brotherson, & Blake-Huer, 2000).” Lancioni, G. E., O’Reilly, M. F., Nirbhay, N. S., Sigafoos, J., Didden, R., Oliva, D. & Severini, L. (2006). A microswitch-based program to enable students with multiple disabilities to choose among environmental stimuli. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 100(8), 488-493.
Church, E. B. (2000). Making choices. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 14(7), 28-29.
D’Allura, T. (2002). Enhancing the social interaction skills of preschoolers with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96, 576-585.
Daugherty, S., Grisham-Brown, J., & Hemmeter, M. L. (2001). The effects of embedded skill instruction on the acquisition of target and nontarget skills in preschoolers with developmental delays. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 21, 213-221.
Lancioni, G. E., O’Reilly, M. F., Singh, N. N., Oliva, D., Baccani, S., Severini, L., & Groeneweg, J. (2006). Microswitch programmes for students with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior: Assessing response acquisition and choice. Pediatric Rehabilitation, 9, 137-143.
McCormick, K. M., Jolivette, K., & Ridgley, R. (2003). Choice making as an intervention strategy for young children. Young Exceptional Children, 6(2), 3-10.
Spevack, S., Martin, T. L., Hiebert, R., Yu, C. T., & Martin, G. L. (2005). Effects of choice of work tasks on on-task, aberrant, happiness and unhappiness behaviours of persons with developmental disabilities. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 11, 79-97.
Stafford, A. M., Alberto, P. A., Fredrick, L. D., Heflin, L. J., & Heller, K. W. (2002). Preference variability and the instruction of choice making with students with severe intellectual disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 70-88.
iPad Apps for early choicemaking:
Yes/No By I Can Do Apps, LLC Turns your iPad into a simple Yes (green smiling rectangle with “yes”) and No (red frowning rectangle with “no”) choice board with auditory feedback and one blink of the color.
Yes/No Button By Lakeside Llama, LLC Turns your iPad into a “Yes/No” choice board. You may adjust to having only one symbol on the screen or both, in a vertical alignment. Both choices are red circles with the word in a simple white font. Auditory feedback and one blink of the color when activated.
My Talking Picture Board
By Little Bear Sees and Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children
Use your own photos to create arrays for choice; may change background for increasing complexity and add sound and movement
ChoiceBoard Creator By Techno Chipmunk Use your own photos stored on your iPad to create a visual choice making board. You may change screen from one to six choice photos. You may choose background color, photo size, audio play, randomize choice boxes.