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"This 'wheel' of AAC Apps by Sally Millar and Gillian McNeill of CALL Scotland, provides a categorised guide to iPad Apps for people with complex communication support needs, who may need to use some form(s) of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)."

AzTAP's 16th Annual Assistive Technology Summer Institute - Symbaloo

"LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory The LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory offers a selection of over 5000 free educational audio and video titles. Our directory features free audio books, courses, talks, interviews, speeches, and many other great free audio and video resources."

"igned Stories are multi-award-winning American Sign Language apps, accessible with narration, captions and music. They're perfect for deaf children and for children with autism and dyslexia. Boost literacy and language skills with inclusive animated stories, a vocabulary builder and interactive learning games."

"This easy-to-use reading and writing App runs directly on the iPad with no Wi-Fi or 3G access necessary. It includes powerful support features that benefit struggling readers and writers of all ages, especially those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, or other learning difficulties. iReadWrite is an affordable all-in-one solution for anyone looking for reading and writing support as they work on their iPad! "

"using symbols to support a student's understanding of text is an approach that doesn't always achieve its intended outcome. It is also an approach that may have unintended consequences as it may also interfere with literacy development."

"For years, students with significant support needs (SSN) received little or no literacy instruction as their education programs focused on life skills, social skills, and vocational training. The little literacy instruction they did receive relied on teaching methods that we now know helped them learn simple component skills in isolation. For example, students matched upper and lower case letters or learned a limited set of sight words. Unfortunately, this instruction never helped students with SSN learn how to read or write to gain or convey meaning. A series of changes in education laws, along with the efforts of students, families, and educators, have raised expectations for academic achievement for students with SSN."

"A study of eight child prodigies finds that share some striking characteristics, most notably high levels of autistic traits and an overrepresentation of autism in their close family members"

"The Social Express™ is engaging, educational software for children and young adults with social learning challenges. The software is designed to teach users how to think about and manage social situations, helping them to develop meaningful social relationships and succeed in life. The Social Express is based on best practices and programs that feature cognitive behavioral techniques and visual strategies including Social Stories (Gray, 2002), Comic Strip Conversations (Gray ,1994), the Alert Program(r) (Williams & Shellenberger, 1996), The Incredible 5 Point Scale (Buron & Curtis, 2003), and The Hidden Curriculum (Myles, Trautman and Schelvan, 2004).  The activities presented in the software adhere to  the ELA (English, Language, Arts) Common Core Standards. Some of the core concepts presented are based on the work of Michelle Garcia Winner and her Social Thinking® curriculum"

"Talking Mats is a suite of communication tools for children and adults with communication difficulties that helps them to participate more effectively in conversations and express themselves in a visual way. Choose from high-tech Talking Mats Digital, low-tech Talking Mats Original, or use them in combination."

"AIM Center videos can be useful resources to build awareness and knowledge of issues related to accessible instructional materials. The videos cover a variety of topics and perspectives and are available for individual use or to incorporate into workshops and other learning opportunities"

"Boardmaker and other Picture Symbol Resources"

"With SparkleFish you can record creative words in your own voice for playback inside surprising, ad-lib stories. If you enjoy Mad Libs, then you'll really love SparkleFish. It's fun for all ages, species, individuals, groups, etc."

"Often we think of Google Slides in terms of linear presentations, with one slide after another in order. However, Google Slides allows you to add hyperlinks to your presentation which can link to other slides within the presentation when clicked. This allows you to create a nonlinear slideshow, where the user can branch off to multiple different slides from any one slide. Linking to other slides can be used to create quizzes where each answer choice leads to a different slide to let you know if you got the correct answer. It can also be used to build an interactive "Choose Your Own Adventure" story where each slide offers choices that lead to different parts of the story."

" I will post parts of Marcia Garcia Winner's article on Teaching Organizational Skills to Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her article benefits all students who lack this much needed skill not only students with autism spectrum disorder; therefore, teachers, parents, and all who live or work with an individual who needs to learn organizational skills that include Executive Functioning will benefit greatly from Garcia's sound and sage advice."

"I would highlight some strategies that can be built into routines of the classroom to promote EF skills for all students, including those who struggle with it. "

Free online whiteboard brainstorming tool