We recently ran a Clicker pilot with a school district in Washington. The district serves over 15,000 students and is known for its strong focus on inclusive learning. 

As part of the pilot, a team consisting of an Occupational Therapist (OT), a Resource Room Teacher, and a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) collaborated to support a student on her IEP.  

Together, they adapted Clicker to the student’s needs, trialed it, and shared their feedback on both the implementation and outcomes. 

How to support students who know it, think it, but can't yet show it 

Like many districts, they face a common challenge. Students have the ideas, the vocabulary, and the knowledge, but they struggle to show it when it’s time to write. For example, one student relies on a switch device for access. This particular student often knew what she wanted to say but couldn't get the words out fast enough to show her learning.  

The student’s teacher explained, "We knew that she had a lot more to say than she was able to say due to her complex body. So, we thought that the pre-made sets in Clicker would benefit the student and the teacher in terms of the time it takes to create materials. The student would then be able to show her learning and her knowledge.” 

Finding a writing tool that fits both students and staff 

The team knew they needed a solution that included ready-made resources and supports, while still making room for personalization. 

The OT reinforced that the student needed highly individualized support. "We know what we need for our student," they explained. They said that customizing grids in Clicker is "essential" for making the program work for this learner. 

The SLP stressed the value of education companies and educators working together to meet those needs. They said, "We were all very open to learning…we wanted this to work. It was a combination of our team really wanting to help the student and the Clicker team being available to kind of shepherd that through for us." 

The Clicker Pilot Program stood out to the team because it wasn't a quick download-and-ditch trial, but a guided process with ongoing support. "Our ability to meet together before, during, and after was really important. I appreciated how often you reached out to our team. If we had questions, you guys were completely available." 

Why a 90-day pilot program works 

The pilot helped the team assess how well the tool worked for students and staff.  

The OT reinforced what so many educators and administrators are facing these days, "I appreciate being able to trial a program for an extended period of time. Right now, with all the budget discussions, many schools would have a hard time justifying purchasing a new program that they haven't tried with a student without knowing 100% or even 90% that it works." 

Not only that, but combining Clicker's support team with the educators' pedagogical expertise helped to create resources that were even more customized and helpful. The OT shared, "One thing that I really appreciated was that you were able to also look at some of our grids that we had made and show us how to make them even better. We could say what we wanted, and you showed us a more effective way to make that grid specific to our student.” 

Every IEP writing goal met is a step toward student autonomy 

The results were significant. Clicker helped the student meet IEP goals and gave her a sense of pride and independence. 

Pride in writing and holding the proof 

One of the student's key IEP goals was learning row-column scanning. "We practiced with Clicker, and because Clicker uses row-column scanning, she met that goal."  

The SLP noted that while the student had always been confident, this experience allowed her to feel pride in a new way. She saw her own sentences come to life and even held a printed copy of her work. "It was incredible to see how proud she was of the work she produced.” 

For the student’s teacher, the impact wasn't merely a classroom success. Since the student mastered scanning, it now meant she was building the skills she would need to one day communicate through a dedicated device. "With this new skill, she'll be able to use her switches to scan and ultimately find her own voice." 

Classroom skills to life skills 

This progress also had broader implications for independence. Because Clicker is compatible with the student's switches, the student could transfer those same access skills to everyday navigation tasks like moving through her environment, making selections, and building autonomy. 

The real goal has always been authentic connection: being able to sit with friends and share what's on her mind. "She has a lot to say," the teacher reminded, "and this gives her that chance." 

Consistency across classrooms reduces student frustration 

Because the pilot was so successful with this one student, the team quickly recognized its potential for a much wider range of learners. They shared that with Clicker in place across classrooms, students wouldn't waste time adjusting to different tools from one teacher to the next. Instead, they could focus on content, and teachers could build on one another's work rather than starting from scratch.  

"We see Clicker being really positive for a broad range of students' needs… making consistency a key feature in how we teach, so that the kids are not learning the system, they're learning the content of what the teachers are trying to teach."  

The teacher also added that multilingual learners benefited from Clicker's speech-supported Word Banks, which include picture support. It's something their ELL students need, but they also saw how it helped all of her students tangibly understand content. 

All students can write with the right supports 

Clicker's compatibility with this student's switch made writing possible. But, more importantly, it opened the door to independence. Every word she produced is proof that with the proper support, students can show us what they know and who they are. And not just in school, but in life. 

Or, as David Koppenhaver, co-author of Comprehensive Literacy for All, reminds us, "No student is too-anything to be able to read and write." 

This is just one student success story. Across districts, students are finding new ways to read, write, and communicate with Clicker. Explore Clicker more in a free discovery call.