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"FCTD Fact Sheets: Assistive Technology Solutions Assistive Technology Solutions Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment or product that can be used to help someone with a disability successfully function at home, in school, at work, and in the community. AT can be anything from a simple, low-tech device such as a magnifying glass, to a complex, high-tech device such as a computerized communication system. It can be big - an automated van lift for a wheelchair - or small - a Velcro grip attached to a book for easier page turning. Assistive technology can strengthen a person's abilities where needed or substitute for them entirely - such as a picture board with sound output that helps a child who cannot communicate with her voice."

This article focuses on children with autism. Children with autism typically have communication and social needs. Technology can assist in the communication needs but the author warns against using technology to teach social skills. This is due to the fact that a computer is not a real person. To teach social skills children need to be interacting with other people. It is all about creating a balance. This reitterates the fact that no child autism or not is the same. Not one thing is going to work for all. Through having this resource and using co-workers, parents, etc... as resources we can better meet the needs of all students. Not one particular learning experience will meet the needs of all students. We as teachers need to vary the methods we use to teach depending on our individual students.

"Chartered in 1966 as Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Education Northwest now conducts nearly 200 projects annually, working with schools, districts, and communities across the country on comprehensive, research-based solutions to the challenges they face. Our wide-ranging projects are making an impact in areas such as school improvement, community building, literacy, equity, and research. Although our services and publications have national reach, we primarily work in the five Northwest states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington."

"Transition services are intended to prepare students to make the transition from the world of school to the world of adulthood. In planning what type of transition services a student needs to prepare for adulthood, the IEP team must first consider areas such as vocational training, community employment and post secondary education for the student. If the IEP team thinks that independent living and community participation are appropriate for a student then these areas should also be considered." This website is from the State of Vermont Department of Education. The website has an overview of transition planning and what to do. There are many other great links on the site as well. This is a terrific resource for anyone who will be working in Vermont. The laws are different in each state so it is good for those of us who are certified in NH and are planning to head to Vermont in the future.

Description: The Agrability Project offers assistive technology and resources to farmers, their families and their communities, which allows agricultural workers with disabilities to be successful and live independently.  Those eligible for services may have blindness, deafness, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, amputations, arthritis, stroke, or spinal cord injuries. The Agrability Project works with groups like 4-H clubs to encouraged students to participate in making modifications to farms, and eliminating accessibility barriers, etc. It currently serves 24 states.From the Home Page, if you click on "Communities of Interest" it will list different groups that discuss the latest issues about disability in agriculture. Topics include: Arthritis and Agriculture, Assistive Technology, Ergonomics, Mental/Behavior Health, Peer Support, and Vocational Rehabilitation. From the Resources Page you can click on "Youth" and be taken to a page that offers lesson plans about assistive technology and Inclusive 4-H resource materials. As a special educator it is important to be able to think "outside-the-box" sometimes when it comes to helping a student meet their goal. Knowing the area that we live in and the interests of my students, there is definitely a pull to the agriculture industry. This website is a good resource to use when trying to assist the students with this particular career interest in mind for the future.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities.

"Transforming the neighborhood school: Madison's community schools initiative will bring services and support to students and their families"

"Welcome! I'm Eugene. I'm trying to do my part to create a world that is more alive. I've spent the past decade focusing on the role that collaboration and community play toward that end."

"Finding and encouraging learner-centered pioneers who are already at work in communities, school systems, policy arenas, and the education profession, so as to grow the number of active champions of learner-centered education."

"Most Likely To Succeed is the best film ever done on the topic of school - both its past and its future. The film inspires its audiences with a sense of purpose and possibility, and is bringing school communities together in re-imagining what our students and teachers are capable of doing. Run, don't walk, to bring this film to your school. After seeing this film, you'll never look at school the same way again."

"The Office of Student Wellness at NH DOE is committed to the development of the whole child. We work, in collaboration with local communities, school districts, and individuals, to support students as they become fully productive members of society. Our approach allows us to affect real, meaningful change in the lives of all Granite Staters while remaining fiscally responsible, culturally competent, and youth guided."

This website was created by the Center for Independent Futures, a non-profit organization in Illinois. This organization aims to help "adults with disabilities and their families plan, support and sustain new ways of living in their community." The website and organization provides information about having a disability, as well as services and accommodations that they can provide for adults with disabilities. Because the Center for Independent Futures is a non-profit organization, they host a variety of fund raising events each year. These events, as well as other ways to donate to the organization can be found on the website. If I were a special educator working on transition and career development, I would use this website for students who are looking at attending school in Illinois. The site would provide very useful information for the student because it would tell them what kind of supports they can receive in the state and where they can get those supports. Illinois has a variety of colleges and universities, and the Center for Independent Futures would be a very positive support system for new students in the state.

This website provides information about transitioning out of school. It talks about who can provide helpful services, where to find a job, and how to live independently. The home page of the website is divided into three sections; students, families, and transition professionals. Each of these three sections is then divided again on their own. The student section provides information on living within communities, managing health, and managing money. This information is given in a very friendly manner that is simple to understand. It is provided in both written form and verbal form with pictorials included. The family section is divided into 9 categories. These categories range from self-determination to employment to organizations that can help with the transition process. Each of these nine categories provides a brief description and alternate resources for further information. The section for transition professionals provides online courses and links to informational websites. As a special education teacher working on transition and career development, I would share this website with both students and families because the information is presented in a very clear way. I would work with students to help them read about and learn the information being provided and then create an activity as a follow up. For example, I would help the student navigate their way through the managing money portion of the website and then have the student complete a series of activities having to do with money and budgeting.

This article is short, but sweet. It discusses the importance of proper transition planning and the laws that are involved. It also talks about how assistive technology is necessary to enable individuals to communicate and receive the accommodations they need.  This article is helpful to brush up on the laws of the IDEA and how they play an important role in the transition process. 

This is a great article to brush up on IDEA like you said. All those laws and regulations can be to much at times and it is always good to have a resource nearby to double check yourself.

This article , or really is a book, is great for getting the most up-to-date, comprehensive information on facilitating transitions for young people with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. The book includes cutting-edge research, new statistics and legislation, and timely new chapters on: inclusion in schools and in the community; postsecondary education; autism spectrum disorders; high-stakes testing and accountability; assistive technology; customized employment; Social Security benefits and work; incentives; and self-determination. It is broken down into the following sections to make it easy to find what you need his book contains the following sections: (1) Transition Planning; (2) Facilitating and Supporting Transition; (3) Work and Life in the Community; and (4) Designing and Implementing Individualized Transition Plans. It is really a one stop shop for transition strategies. I find this book to be a great resource for any professional working with transition aged students. It has all the basics and more. I would invest in this book if working with transition ages students because it would be a great reference to have. I personally like having my text books as a back up in case I do forget something or need to use them.

ADA Live! is a free monthly radio show broadcast nationally on the Internet. Ask questions and learn about your rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Leaders in the field will share their knowledge, experience and successful strategies that increase the participation of persons with disabilities in communities and businesses"

The National Assistive Technology Technical Assistive Partnership (NATTAP) is an organization based in Virginia. It works to provide assistive technology and information about assistive technology to people with disabilities. The programs provided by NATTAP "develop and disseminate training materials, conduct training, facilitate access to AT [(Assistive Technology)], and provide technical assistance to assist school children with disabilities transitioning to work or postsecondary education and adults with disabilities who are maintaining or transitioning to community living." The website provides information about training to use some assistive technology programs, as well as information about IDEA in terms of assistive technology and transition. As a special educator, I would use this site to find trainings for certain assistive technology programs. Being trained in the use of multiple assistive technology programs is incredibly beneficial because it gives the educator more knowledge about which programs would work best for students. In terms of transition and career development, I would use this website to help my students learn about new and different programs that will help them both in college and the working world.

This resource was very informative. I can definitely see myself using this as an educator to research assistive technology programs.

"For families of youth with disabilities, the transition from high school to employment, postsecondary education, and life in the community presents a variety of significant challenges. PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment website offers innovative tools, reliable research, and interactive training to help address the needs of families across the country."

"When a teacher is looking for a new way to teach a student, a concept, or a lesson, the chances are the best resource is another teacher. On LessonCast, teachers share ideas and resources through screencast videos called lessoncasts. The LessonCast community connects educators with classroom-proven experience and great ideas"