Environmental Support

In my last blog there were two video clips and this time I have more video from the same session with Matt.

This video (transcript below) illustrates things that can distract me from good typing.  Things like rain and traffic noise and even having mum behind me with the camera.  I think that there are lots of people the same.

Transcript

Ben 

Why can I face the camera and feel fine but feel uncomfortable when I can’t see the camera?

Matt
Hey – that last letter.  Great work because it’s easier finding it when you are in the rhythm, but you’d stopped the rhythm.  I came back here and you found the letter “a” to finish it off.  Well done.

Ben
Do you think I do need to be trying to type more like this?

Matt
You are trying to type like this, alright?  I think you are doing enough trying.  You’ve got to get that balance right between enough time trying to type faded, which is a little slow at the moment, and typing faster.  I think you’re getting a good balance, alright?

Now, you did a couple of times there some great stuff, in terms of you started off from around the hip before you actually got the rhythm.  The only thing you needed from me was the pull-back to the midline in terms of a starting point.

More feedback from Matt - (video here)

Ben, when you veer off to go towards the right side – which is something that I think I’ve noticed with you from day one, is that slight veering to the right – when I see that happening when I’ve got the hip support, that’s when I grab your hand and bring it back and place it at that midline mark.  It’s like that re-setting, which is something that I get the impression you’ve done from a very early age – because one, you can feel it and two, because I know Jane [Jane Remington-Gurney, who first taught Ben to use Facilitated Communication].

Usually when starting off fading what I’ll do is I’ll fade back the support towards the end of the word.  So the person has got the rhythm, and they would potentially have the motor plan there for some of the words.  So it’s easier at the end of the word because of them not having to initiate that motor plan, which I think is then connected with the rhythm – somehow – not being interrupted.  But what I’ve seen today is Ben, you’re having many interuptions to that rhythm, but you’re managing to get it back up and running and initiate the completion of the word you were half way through.