County Education’s Custom Computer Games Open Doors for Severely Disabled Students

Although he’s 19, Jaylyn Morris has never been able to play a video game, simply watching his brother play.

Morris lives with cerebral palsy and a traumatic brain injury that has robbed him of mobility and the ability to speak.

But earlier this year, Morris played a video game with equipment that was specially made for him and other children with severe disabilities.

Something that is routine for many teens became an extraordinary experience for Jaylyn and a rare moment of happiness for his parents.

It was a blessing, said his mother, Lonette Morris, “Because you want your child to be a part of what’s going on in the real world.”

The opportunity for Jaylyn was provided by educators at the San Diego County Office of Education’s Innovation Center, a two-story building in Linda Vista that offers high-tech classes and workshops to students in the region.

Students who make a field trip to the Innovation Center can learn design thinking, computer coding, robotics and operate drones and make podcasts. It’s all part of the County Office’s stated mission to end poverty by giving students highly sought tech skills needed for future careers.

Some of those skills are developed through E-Sports tournaments where students compete in video games that meet California standards for use in classrooms. These are games that help students develop critical thinking skills, among other attributes.

But educators at the Innovation Center realized there was one group of students that wasn’t learning those skills or enjoying those experiences — students with severe disabilities.

So, they reached out to the Friendship School, a special education school in Imperial Beach that teaches 60 students who have severe disabilities and health impairments.

In February, three students, including Jaylyn, were brought to the Innovation Center and introduced to E-Sports, playing a tournament featuring the games Pong, T-Rex and Super Mario Brothers.

“Some of these kids hadn’t played games before,” said Chris Garcia, a Coordinator of Education Technology for the County Office of Education.

They played the games with the help of custom-made devices that provided the students with a better grip or allowed them to simply tap a large button to operate the controls. These devices, made with the Innovation Center’s 3-D printers, gave students who lacked motor control a much better feel than they would have using game controllers or computer keyboards.

“It really opened up the door when it came to accessibility,” said Garcia.

Although he is nonverbal, Jaylyn smiled, moved his head up and down and his eyes tracked the drone movements, said his mother.

“He loved it,” said Lonette Morris. “He was very happy.”

The students weren’t the only ones who benefited from the activities, as their parents became ecstatic, even crying with joy.

“One of the greatest joys you can have as a parent is seeing your child having fun,” said Alicia Gallegos Butters, director of educational technology for the County Office of Education. “Seeing your child, in some cases, play sports, do something that allows them happiness. What we did that day is we allowed that to happen, or we were part of that happening for families.”

In addition to the games, the students were introduced to drones. And at the end of the day, they each received trophies.

The Friendship School event took a year of planning with Garcia and Carrie Lane, a Project Specialist, visiting the school to gauge the needs and abilities of the students. Now that the experience has gone so well, educators are working to bring the school’s students back to the center.

Friendship School Principal Rachel Page said the experience was unique and was about making sure that students with extensive needs have a place for them too.

“And it’s a pretty fantastic place,” she said. “All students can thrive when given that opportunity.”

Meanwhile, the Innovation Center will continue to host other classrooms to learn computer and critical thinking skills and even play some video games, with the aim of having them learn something while they play and transferring those skills to other aspects of their lives.

“These are careers, learning skills that will help them throughout life,” said Butters. “It’s not about kids are going to come here and play games.”