Attainment Company StepPad User manual

User’s Guide
Attainment Company’s
Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g)
Size: 6½” x 3” x 1”
(16.5 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm)
Two AAA batteries included.
Item# ST-P05
StepPad
Organizes recorded
messages for auditory
prompts or expressive
communication
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Contents
Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4
Front Display .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6
Back Display . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7
Recording Overview. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8
Playback Overview. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8
Recording an Auditory Cue for an Activity Button . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
Recording a Step-by-Step Sequence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
Playing a Step-by-Step Sequence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12
Recording a Message on a Core Button .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13
Adding a New Step Within a Sequence. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14
Erasing a Step Within a Sequence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
Erasing an Activity Sequence.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16
Erasing all Activity Sequences on a Level .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16
Locking the Record Function .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
Locking the Level Function .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
Locking the StepPad into One Activity.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
Changing Levels .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
Changing Batteries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
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Introduction
The StepPad is a powerful yet easy-to-use cognitive support tool for people who have trouble
completing multistep tasks independently. Directions that you record are played back in sequence, one
step at a time to prompt the user on what to do next. The StepPad functions as a short-term teaching
tool and a long-term adaptive aid.
The ergonomically designed StepPad is extremely portable. It ts nicely into purse, pocket, and
hand—even small ones. The navigation buttons are easy to press with your thumb—like a video game
controller. Volume is adjusted on the side of the device, within quick reach of your index nger. There’s
easy access to two Core messages. Use these for especially important information or key expressions.
Dual speakers help you hear the StepPad in a crowd. Or you can use the headphone jack to keep
recordings private. Turn o the StepPad when not in use.
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Here’s how the StepPad works. Press any of the four Activity buttons to activate a step-by-step
sequence. You can label these buttons with a slide-in overlay plus a auditory cue. Users hear the steps
one at a time by pressing the Next button. Press Play to repeat a step. Review previous steps with the
Back button. StepPad lets you record up to 29 steps per activity. It has an
eight-activity capacity (four activities, two levels) that yields up to 240
step recordings. But don’t worry, if you make a mistake. You can
re-record any step without aecting other recordings. You can
even insert a new step within a sequence while keeping all the
other steps intact.
You can also choose to lock the StepPad into a single activity,
reducing the possibility of users getting lost. You can lock
record and level changing functions.
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Front Display
6
Volume
Up
Slot for
overlay
Core message
Volume
Down
Core
message
Activity buttons
Speaker Speaker
Play Next
Back
Lanyard holes
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Back Display
7
Record
Level
Slot for
strap
Head
phone jack
On/Off
Rubber
feet
Battery
compartment
(Two AAA batteries
included)
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Recording Overview
The StepPad is an auditory prompting device. To be implemented eectively, it’s essential you carefully
plan your recordings. We recommend you script an outline of the complete sequence before you
begin to record. When recording, talk at normal volume about eight inches from the StepPad. Stop the
recording promptly when you’re done talking to avoid“dead space.”
The StepPad has 32 minutes of total recording time, divided among three functions:
●Eight activity auditory cues
●Up to 30 unique steps linked to each activity
●Two core vocabulary messages
Memory is shared among all messages, with a 24-second maximum recording time per message.
If you limit messages to eight seconds, you have enough memory to record 29 unique steps for eight
activities, eight activity auditory cues, and two core vocabulary messages.
Playback Overview
It’s important that the user has the device at hand when it’s time to perform a StepPad activity.
Several built-in features promote easy transport. The StepPad is compact, so it easily ts into a shirt
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pocket, purse, or fanny pack. The landyard lets the user wear the StepPad around the neck. A slot for a
wide strap is machined into the back of the device below the label. A small strap with Velcro®can be
used to attach the StepPad to a belt or belt loop.
To function as an auditory prompting device the user must rst select the appropriate activity. Pressing
an Activity button will play an auditory cue if one was recorded. You can choose to lock the StepPad into
only one activity to simplify its operation (see pg. 17).
The steps linked to an activity are activated with the Play, Next, and Back buttons. Play activates the
rst or last played step in a sequence. Next advances to the following step, while Back plays the previous
step. Pressing any of the three buttons stops playback. A BEEP indicates you have reached the end or
beginning of a sequence.
During playback, a green LED indicates the linked activity and yellow LEDs show the level.
Attaching a headset keeps messages private. Audio plays only through the headset, not the speakers.
Pressing an Activity button resets it to the beginning steps. The last activity selected remains current
when the StepPad is turned o and back on.
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Recording an Auditory Cue for an Activity Button
1. Turn on the StepPad. Press and release the Activity button you wish to label with an auditory cue.
A green light will appear.
2. Press and release the REC button located on the back of the device twice. A solid yellow LED will
appear above the red LED on the front. This indicates your StepPad is ready to record an auditory
cue for the Activity button with the green LED. Press and release the Activity button and the
yellow and red LEDs will ash, indicating record mode. Begin recording by speaking clearly, about
8 inches from the StepPad.
3. Press and release the Activity button again to stop recording.
4. Press and release the REC button to exit the record mode.
Recording a Step-by-Step Sequence
1. Press and release the REC button located on the back of device. A solid red LED on the front
indicates your StepPad is ready to record a step-by-step sequence.
Note: The green LED shows the activity currently selected. One yellow LED above the Back button means
you’re on Level One; two yellow LEDs indicate Level Two.
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