Dave's Literacy and Disability Links

Nice guidance for teachers in using Twitter effectively.

Funding appeal for Rett University, nonprofit designed to improve literacy, learning, and communication outcomes for girls with Rett syndrome.

A limited number of scholarships are available for persons with disabilities or parents/guardians of children with disabilities. Apply here.

Closing the Gap is an outstanding assistive tech conference. Discounted parent registration rate.

Painter with dyslexia who continues to contribute to education of struggling readers.

Free online library with a dual purpose. Every time a book is read here, Pearson Foundation donates a book to charity causes identified at the site. Books can be searched by age range (0-3, 4-7, & 8-10), author, or genre. Books are presented as Flash files, so most screenreaders will not work with it. Snap & Read by Don Johnston will.

The best app for digital language experience that I have seen yet. Take pictures of experience with your iPad/iTouch/iPhone, import them into Click n' Talk, add text, record a student or anyone else reading the text or talking about the picture. Voila, personalized book in minutes for emergent or beginning reader.

Couple dozen digital storybooks online in three age categories: young children, older children, and young adults. Texts and illustrations. No built-in read-aloud option, but can't beat the price.

Leaving aside the gross incompetence of a medical staff that thinks the only way to communicate is by hearing and talking, this is a fascinating true story by Radiolab. Emile is locked in her body following a horrific traffic accident. Her boyfriend finally figures out how to communicate with her by spelling with his finger on her wrist.

Slick iPad app intended for teaching, and certainly useful in that regard. But think about the writing and digital storytelling possibilities. Write or draw freehand, import photos or images, type text, record audio, share via email. Saves as a video (which captures process).

Fascinating book review. Book Author is father with Asperger's syndrome writing about his son, who has Asperger's syndrome, and their relationship.

John Elder Robison is an adult with Asperger's syndrome, who has authored 3 books, most recently "Raising Cubby" about his son, who also has Asperger's syndrome, and their relationship. In addition to being a successful author, Robison is a public speaker and autism consultant.

Important report on why communication and thoughtful engagement, and not standardized disciplinary responses, ought to be more seriously considered. And why teachers are to be more fully supported in problem-solving complex kids. We had Gary in literacy camp one year--lovely kid with a warm heart. Took a girl with Down syndrome to the camp dance, looked out for others, did great with Co:Writer and Write:OutLoud.

Video of Pat Cunningham, professor at Wake Forest, discussing in detail how to teach letters, sounds, and words within a Four Blocks Literacy Framework.

"Hi, Fly Guy" by Tedd Arnold read aloud online. Text easy to follow while listening.

41 different K-1 texts read aloud with visible text. Great support for beginning readers.

Analyzes text, does word count, keyword and key phrase frequency, and a variety of other analyses. Useful tool for writers and writing teachers. Could use to guide revision of discussion of revision.

Jacob Barnett is an exuberant ambassador for physics and a process for creating new ideas. In this talk, he advocates that we stop learning, start thinking, and ultimately transition to creating. Jacob is also an individual with autism. Fascinating talk.

I wonder how many kids with disabilities receive a book a month from birth to age 5? If you took Tar Heel Reader, http://tarheelreader.org/, books, printed them, put a simple cover on them, and a template in front, "This book belongs to _____," you could accomplish that with the millions this project requires.

What a great site! 250 comics and editorials, give or take, updated daily. Pearls Before Swine, Pooch Cafe, FoxTrot, Non Sequitur, Peanuts, Stone Soup...