how it works

The Quarter Hour Watch (QHW) does not show the actual time like ordinary clocks. Instead it shows the time remaining until an event starts, with the each quarter of an hour represented by a circle. The example above shows that there are two quarters of an hour left until it is time to catch the bus. The user does not need to understand this time ratio exactly. They may learn that 8 black circles is a long time, and 2 circles is not too long to wait. One circle....better get ready! Every point on the screen of the QHW corresponds to a quarter of an hour. If the remaining time until an event starts is two hours or more, all the circles are filled in. When the time arrives, the QHW beeps. When the time has passed the circles scroll on the screen. To see how much time is left until an event starts, a picture card is placed in the QHW. On the front of the card there is a picture that symbolises the event. On the rear of the card the start time is programmed. Programming the start time is simple. It is punched out on a disposable clock face made of plastic, which is clipped on the rear of the picture card.

The plate above shows the actual size, with the pieces punched out for 10.15 p.m. The right picture shows the black plate snapped into the back of the white picture plate. A picture or word is adhered to the front to represent the event for that time.

case stories

Thanks to Handitek [note: terminology used in Sweden has not been changed to preserve the originality of these stories. Some terms are different from those used in Australia.]

In 1993 the vocational therapists Rose-Marie Remvall and Karin Mnsson prepared a pamphlet with hints and directions for introduction of the Quarter Hour Watch at the request of the Swedish Handicap Institute. The pamphlet was finished with some case descriptions from their extensive experience. These case descriptions have now been translated into English.

Lena

Lena is a woman in her early fifties, living in her own apartment in a group home and working at a day centre. She is mildly mentally disabled. In performing the various daily tasks in her home, Lena is very independent. With some degree of support she takes care of her own washing, cleaning and such tasks. Further, she pursues many spare time activities, and is able to use public transport independently. Her speaking, reading and writing capabilities are all good. Lena is able to tell time, but encounters difficulties when faced with the task of determining how much time remains before an event is to take place. Thus she sometimes leaves hours in advance for a certain activity, while at other times she arrives late. This difficulty with determining time has also meant that she frequently asks at the day centre when it is time for a break or when she should go home.
For Lena, the objective of using the Quarter Hour Watch was to allow her to feel calmer and to help her not to have to leave hours in advance for her activities. The Quarter Hour Watch was introduced to Lena as well as to the personnel from the day centre and from her group home. Initially, picture cards of activities at the day centre was used, so that the personnel there would be able to aid in the practical handling of the Quarter Hour Watch. Despite her ability to read, Lena chose pictograms as symbols on the picture cards, as this facilitates quick and easy interpretation of the watch. Picture cards were prepared for the entire day at the day centre. All shifts and breaks were included in order to be introduced successively. Colours were used in order to distinguish the morning activities from those taking place in the afternoon. Lena learned how to use the Quarter Hour Watch very quickly. Within a few days she had learned all the picture cards and the order in which to put them in the Quarter Hour Watch. At the follow-up a month later, Lena used eight picture cards for her daily activities; seven at the day centre and one at home. The Quarter Hour Watch was constantly with her, placed on the table as she worked and in her purse during breaks. The personnel at the day centre helped Lena to make cards for single activities, such as visits to the dentist or times for doing her washing. After a little more than a month of using the Quarter Hour Watch, Lena expressed criticism of certain picture cards. She experienced difficulties, however, in specifying what exactly constituted the problem. It proved to be the work symbolised by the card with which Lena was not happy. Thus she used the Quarter Hour Watch to express dissatisfaction with her duties at work. The Quarter Hour Watch has helped Lena greatly. She uses it as an aid for planning as well as a reminder of the time. She has learned to use the indicators on the display in order to determine the time remaining before an event is to take place. The Quarter Hour Watch has also entailed greater patience and persistence in her duties at work, as Lena is now able to determine the time remaining until the next break. Thus her questions as to the time for breaks have decreased dramatically. Before she started using the Quarter Hour Watch, Lena experienced a lot of anxiety and stress regarding time. Now she says that she feels more in control of the planning of her time, and thus feels calmer.

Martin

Martin is in his late twenties and lives with his parents. He uses the transportation service for disabled people to get to his work at a day centre. He is mildly mentally disabled with autistic traits. His verbal capacity is good, and he is able to read and write, but has limited capabilities in the area of counting. Martin has developed greatly in the past few years, and according to the personnel at the day centre he probably possesses many hidden capabilities. During previous training with a conventional watch, Martin exhibited signs of anxiety and it became evident that he had a blockage regarding numbers, the watch and the concept of time. Martin is capable of telling the time on the hour and on the half hour when asked, but does not do so of his own accord. As Martin had difficulty with catching the transportation service on time in the mornings, his parents repeatedly called him from their respective places of work in order to remind him. At the day centre he would remain at his workbench until told that it was time for a break. Thus the aim of using the Quarter Hour Watch was to enable Martin to be more independent. Martin's parents as well as the personnel from the day centre were consulted before his trial of the Quarter Hour Watch. It was agreed that initially, picture cards describing activities from the day centre would be used, so that the practical handling could be managed by the personnel there. A few picture cards for spare time activities were also prepared to be used at home. Rather than using symbols on the picture cards, the different activities were described by words written in black felt-tip pen, using capitalized letters. Martin had previously exhibited signs of anxiety when changes were brought about and upon introduction of new things. Hence the initial training was carried out using only one card. Martin's father and the supervisor at the day centre introduced the Quarter Hour Watch to Martin, beginning with the picture card with the words transportation service home. A few weeks later two additional picture cards were introduced. After a month, at the follow up, Martin was in the habit of using three picture cards. At this point it was noted that Martin kept the Quarter Hour Watch in his bag at home, while at the day centre he kept it alternately in his bag and on his workbench. It was decided that Martin might benefit from the use of a stand, since his work takes place in a workshop environment and it would be easier to glance at the Quarter Hour Watch if placed on a such a stand. Martin was given a similar stand to keep on his bedside table at home. Both proved to work very well. Currently Martin uses the Quarter Hour Watch at home as well as at the day centre. He uses two picture cards at home, and four for his various activities at the day centre. The Quarter Hour Watch has contributed to increased independence for Martin. Further, it has given him greater social importance and has enhanced his relations with his co-workers at the day centre, who now ask Martin when it is time for a break and also use his Quarter Hour Watch as a temporal aid. The supervisor at the day centre has praised the Quarter Hour Watch and its great importance to Martin.

Martin's parents are still not entirely confident that he can manage to leave for the day centre on time entirely independently, making use of the Quarter Hour Watch. On a previous occasion when Martin failed at an attempt with a regular watch he became extremely agitated and worried, and has since then been unwilling to practise with a watch. His mother therefore calls him every day from work in order to ensure that he keeps the time of departure for the day centre. The family intends to plan their schedule so that someone is at home the first few times that Martin attempts to independently keep the time of departure for the day centre using the Quarter Hour Watch. The family is keen on proceeding slowly with the training, but has expressed satisfaction that the Quarter Hour Watch has worked so well for Martin in his other daily activities.

Karin

Karin is a woman in her early forties, living in her parental home. She works in a day centre as well as at an ordinary job, and uses the transportation service for disabled people in order to move between her activities. Karin is moderately mentally disabled. Her speech as well as her ability to read, write and count are limited. In matters relating to time, Karin is extremely dependent on her parents while in her home. She experiences difficulty in determining the amount of time remaining until a certain activity is to take place, but would like to be independent and keep her own times. This has meant that she always prepares herself for her activities too far in advance. The goal of using the Quarter Hour Watch for Karin was thus to reduce her dependence upon others and to improve her concept of time. Karin's relatives as well as the personnel from the day centre were consulted before Karin began to use the Quarter Hour Watch. It was agreed that pictures representing various activities at the day centre would initially be used in order for the personnel there to supervise the practical implementation. Karin herself chose pictograms as the symbols on the picture cards. The first picture cards introduced were those representing the morning and the afternoon coffee breaks. These were marked in different colours for purposes of distinction. Karin rapidly learned to use these and continued with picture cards representing trips to and from the day centre as well as a card representing her weekly visit to the speech therapist, which Karin uses Thursdays after lunch. This card is marked with a pictogram representing the visit to the speech therapist, and colour coding is used to indicate the day of the week. During her first few weeks Karin was successively introduced to new picture cards, so that at the follow-up after a month she was using seven different picture cards. For Karin, the Quarter Hour Watch has brought about increased independence in keeping times. It is due to the card representing her visit to the speech therapist that Karin can now calmly eat her lunch on Thursdays, whereas she previously rushed and proceeded to wait for the taxi outside for a long time. Her concept of time has improved and she uses the display indicators to a certain extent in order to evaluate the amount of time remaining before her activities. She has thus become more independent in the planning of her time.