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This is the moment of the assistive technology Big Bang--that enlightening moment at our charter school where the special education department's framework of instruction began to re-work, re-think and re-imagine all the strategies and tools that AT would give us and how it would allow our students to reach higher potential.

"ScanBuddy initially divides the entire screen into two sections, the top half and bottom half, and then offers them to you one at a time. Once you pick, for example, the bottom half of the screen, then ScanBuddy divides the selected bottom section into two sections again, the left half (lower left quarter of the entire screen), and the right section (bottom right quarter of the entire screen), and offers those to you one at a time until you operate your switch again to indicate which of those two sections contains the target location. By dividing the screen up into sections you effectively reduce the screen to a more manageable size."

"Looking for simple easy ideas to help infants and toddlers with disabilities be more successful? Look no further! EZ AT 2: Simple Assistive Technology Ideas for Children Ages Birth to Three is a guide for increasing young children's participation in daily activities and routines using assistive technology. "

"Speaking of strengths . . .at back-to-school night I listened to curriculum discussions and then wondered where Maya's literacy level (letter recognition, etc) is. I picked up a book and asked her about a few words, and she surprised me. Yesterday I wrote a few sentences, and she actually was able to read them with the talker. I tried again at breakfast this morning (because nothing counts until it's video documented, right?), check it out:"

Video from an AT conference conducted by students who use AT

Welcome to the AT Help Desk.  This application is provided to help you think about and identify the specific causes of AT Implementation breakdowns and to identify actions you can take to improve your assistive technology services.   You can search by the symptoms you see or by the underlying reasons.  The Help Desk application will give you actions  to consider and provide you with resources to help you implement your plans for improvement.

Allison McMahon - AT resource teacher wiki on AT

"This comprehensive resource provides detailed information and a range of templates to support the production and use of Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) communication books. This resource provides practitioners with templates and guidelines to develop an appropriate communication book and also describes comprehensive strategies to enable the use of the system in the child`s daily life - at home, at school and in the community. "

NATE -- the National Assistive Technology in Education Network -- brings together information from the many fields and disciplines that are involved in assistive technology services in educational settings. We provide that information in a cohesive, integrated manner, so that people from all disciplines can access it. We promote and encourage increased collaboration between people from different disciplines at the local team level and at the larger regional and national levels.

"NATE -- the National Assistive Technology in Education Network -- brings together information from the many fields and disciplines that are involved in assistive technology services in educational settings. We provide that information in a cohesive, integrated manner, so that people from all disciplines can access it. We promote and encourage increased collaboration between people from different disciplines at the local team level and at the larger regional and national levels."

"Alexicom is the only Internet-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system available today. There is no longer a need to purchase a large bulky device that can cost thousands of dollars. You can now have an AAC system that will work anytime and anywhere, online or offline, at a fraction of the cost compared to any other systems available today. Designed by parents of an AAC user and speech-language pathologists, Alexicom is extremely affordable. At only $40 a month with no contracts or $408 per year, Alexicom is designed to be extremely user-friendly and has the ability to grow with the user as his or her needs change."

"On the upper navigation section at the right side of this page you will find the major sections of the course website. On the lower section of the navigation are the individual topic pages. You will find the notes and resources for each topic listed there. "

blog on AT for education from an OT

AT info good for our AT in the IEP group

"Accessing Curriculum Through Technology Tools (ACTTT) developed and evaluated an integrated technology tool curriculum to support learning standards and provide access to the general early elementary curriculum. The ACTTT model was developed and tested in kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms at Westview Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, and Eastview Elementary School in Canton, Illinois. Participants included children with typical development, children with disabilities, and children at risk for learning failure. Among the technology tools used in the curriculum were the Internet; computers, digital cameras, digital microscopes, video, printers, scanners, and switches; and software used for writing, graphing, mapping, authoring, graphics, and concept development."

"Speakbook is an easy to use, easy to learn, communication tool for people who can't speak and can't use their hands.  With Speakbook you can talk using only your eyes. Find out where to get a Speakbook, or download the PDF for FREE here and have it printed cheaply at your local copy shop - or print it yourself at home."

"This workshop will discuss how Chittenden Central Supervisory Union(CCSU) uses an AT Assessment Plan (ATAP) based on the SETT framework to support students with multiple or severe disabilities to enable increased access to the curriculum and independence.  The ATAP and the process of implementing it will be discussed.  Several extensive case studies will be reviewed.  How those ATAPs were revised in subsequent years to continue supporting students will also be covered.  Case studies include students with visual impairments, autism, learning impairments, speech impediments and physical disabilities.  Learn how one district is making a difference for its students with severe or multiple disabilities!"

"Creative Book Builder is a fantastic app that allows students to create books in epub format, which can then be exported to iBooks and shared with others. There are a variety of instructional uses for this app, from using it as a publishing tool for project-based learning to a summative assessment at the end of a unit.  Students can embed images, audio files, video files, and write text.  The advantage of an epub document over a PDF document is that all of the media will be preserved and available for readers to interact with when the final product is published.   Depending on how you use Creative Book Builder with students, this app can help students complete tasks that align with every level of the revised Bloom's Taxonomy.  Explore the different ways this app can be used at each level of Bloom's Taxonomy."

Welcome to AAC at Penn State! The Penn State AAC community of faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students are dedicated to enhancing communication and improving the overall quality of life for individuals who have complex communication needs and their families. We are seeking to improve outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental apraxia, traumatic brain injuries, aphasia, ALS /Lou Gehrig's disease and many other disabilities through the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)  such as signs, light tech symbols, high tech speech generating devices, etc.

"A new font - now available for free use on smartphones and in web browsers - may make it easier for people who suffer from dyslexia to communicate digitally. Some recent studies have shown that bottom-heavy fonts - those in which the letters appear a little thinker at the bottom than they do at the top - can provide relief for some dyslexic patients by making them less likely to invert letters and words while reading"