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Below are some more detailed proposals of how the introduction might be carried out.
1. Inserting and removing a Picture card
Show how the Picture card should be inserted and removed.
The easiest way of inserting a Picture card is to place the QHW on a flat surface, placing the
Picture card in the Picture card compartment with the notch in correct place, and then
pressing the Picture card until it snaps into place.
The easiest way of removing the Picture card is to press the button when the Quarter Hour
Watch is held vertical with the front side facing slightly downwards. The Picture card will then
fall out by its own weight
Let the user practice until it works well, especially to take out the Picture card.
2. Using the Quarter Hour Watch to keep track of an event
Prepare a Picture card for an event the user is keen to keep, for example a coffee break or a
TV-program.
Put the Picture card in the Quarter Hour Watch and say that this is a watch, which will beep
when it is time for the event symbolized on the Picture card.
Explain that the beeping stops immediately when the Picture card is removed.
Point at the display and mention that one can see how much time there is left.
Let the user bring the Quarter Hour Watch to his normal activities and expand its use at his
own pace. Prepare Picture cards for new activities/events as soon as the user asks for it, and
support its use rather passively.
3. To separate between future and past events.
Make sure there are Picture cards for events both backwards and forward in time. Let the
user put in Picture cards of both kinds. Look at the display and explain. Repeat a number of
times. Ask the user to give you a Picture card of each type.
Point out that one always must check so that the dots do not move if there is a time one
wants to keep. If a dot is moving, one is too late.
4. To use the Timer-function
The Timer-
function is a very simple to use “egg-timer” for persons accustomed to the
”Quarter Hour Watch principle”.
It is recommended that the Timer-function being introduced after the user controls the
Quarter Hour Watch
’s functions satisfactorily.
In order not to mix the functions, one should use Picture cards with different colours, white
Picture cards for the normal Quarter Hour Watch-function and grey for the Timer-function.
The Timer-function is suitable for activities that have a certain duration, but are not
connected to a certain point of time; ”boiling spaghetti, time to shower”, ”time to play with the
computer”, etc.
