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Partnerships NOT Push outs....

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.

"The Great Schools Partnership is pleased to offer a series of free webinars on critical school-improvement topics for educational leaders and teachers."

This online resource begins by explaining Indicator 13 and 14 which is important because many parents and students are unfamiliar with the term. The opening page also gives families an overview of agencies that specialize in special education transition services. There are several links that provide important information that can be very useful to families in this situation. In my opinion, this website is full of wonderful information and at times seems a bit overwhelming. Some of these important areas are; occupational therapy, early childhood, funding, physical therapy and parent partnerships. I would use this resource as a guide to parents and teachers who are in the process of transitioning a student/child to middle or high school. I would have a meeting with the student and parents to discuss the transition process and ask the parents to view the website to that they have an understanding about the different agencies involved to help.

"The National Center on RTI in partnership with the Idaho's State Department of Education and Boise State University presents a webinar discussing Idaho's specific learning disability (SLD) criteria. The webinar illustrates the deliberate and continued collaboration among various programs in the SEA in the design, development, and implementation of Idaho's SLD eligibility process."

Rutgers University professor Maurice Elias serves as director of the Social-Emotional Learning Lab and coordinator of the Expert Advisory Group to the NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention. He is also academic director of Rutgers' Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships program. [Dr. Elias discusses the history and trends in Social and Emotional Learning and Character Development in this video.)

Here is a new online tool to calculate the cost savings and benefits of hiring a person with a disability. It includes customized results by type of business and listing of resources by State. The tool, known as "Hire Gauge," asks for basic information including the company's size, location and industry in order to provide an assessment of the expenses and incentives involved in selecting a job applicant with a disability. It is believed to be the first online tool to provide businesses with a real-time look at the tax incentives and other benefits they can tap into when hiring individuals with disabilities, according to officials with Think Beyond the Label, a public-private partnership which created Hire Gauge and supports disability employment.

"How to share data effectively: Tips for administrators, teachers, and families | These tip sheets can help administrators, teachers, and families identify the best ways to share student data in meaningful ways, on a regular basis, to strengthen family-school partnerships and promote student learning."

"The Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE) carries out research in partnership with five states-Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia-to better understand the employment and earnings benefits associated with a broad range of postsecondary education pathways, including those at the subbaccalaureate level. CAPSEE also seeks to identify policies that improve completion rates along pathways leading to strong economic returns. The Center was established in summer 2011 through a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Educatio"

"Created by the Great Schools Partnership, the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members."

"The CCRS Center, in partnership with the Center on Great Teachers and LeadersExternal Links icon (GTL Center) and RTI InternationalExternal Links icon, developed Integrating Employability Skills: A Framework for All Educators, a Professional Learning Module (PLM), to support regional comprehensive centers, state educational agency staff, and state regional centers in building their knowledge and capacity to integrate and prioritize employability skills at the state and local levels."

"The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. Assistive Technology is integral to the daily lives of many New Hampshire residents. Awareness of and the ability to try assistive technology devices are important aspects to making a decision whether a particular technology is "the right fit." The IOD is actively involved in partnerships on campus, throughout the state, and on a national level to promote access to assistive technology services." This site is full of great information about assistive technology. The resources tab is where you want to direct most of your attention as many of the documents and resources that are identified are very practical and geared toward use by special education service providers, students, and parents. Of particular interest to schools is instructions for how to create a low cost case for the iPad for use in schools. Check it out! Application to Transition Practice The information provided on this site will help to support transition practices in the classroom (direct teaching of transition skills), in work-based learning experiences, and living. There are many suggestions for how to physically adapt assistive technology hardware to meet an individual's need in the workplace. Also, in the resources there is a resource list of "reviewed" iPad apps for use to assist individuals with disabilities to become more independent is environments both within and outside the classroom. For example, the dragon app is free and it can be used to dictate and transcribe text. Various apps used for study skills and time management and organization could be very useful for students with LD and ADD in a variety of environments. It would be important to introduce individuals to some of these apps while they are in high school so they can learn about how they might help them in college, daily living, or employment settings.

The Institute on Disability is part of the University Center for Excellence on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. "The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. " This department at the University of New Hampshire provides information about disability services that are provided for their current students as well as information concerning training programs for professionals. Professionals can register to attend the assistive technology workshops to learn about the newest programs that will help students with disabilities in their education. As a special educator, I would use this website to attend workshops on the most current assistive technology resources. This would keep my knowledge up to date and give me the opportunity to experience new and different programs. Then, when I have new students who may need different assistive technology both in high school and transitioning to college, I will be better equipped to tech them how to use the program.