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The disquieting side effect of our increasingly detailed longitudinal studies of students is we keep finding warning signs of a future graduation derailment earlier and earlier in a child's school years. Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found those warning signs as early as 6th grade— chronic absences, poor behavior, failing math or language arts, which when put together lead to a 90 percent risk that a student won't graduate on time. A study to be released this morning at the American Educational Research Association convention here in New Orleans presents an even earlier warning sign: A student who can't read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time than his or her proficient, wealthier peer.

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) 2011 Webinar Series has added a new collection of live, interactive, online educational events. They cover a broad range of topics to help you enhance your knowledge of assistive technology and the skills needed to support the products and process.  ATIA has tapped into national leaders in their field to bring you this outstanding collection of webinars.  Upcoming webinars for JANUARY through JUNE - You can go to our website for complete session abstracts, learning outcomes, and speaker biographies: Don't miss our new "There's An App for That" Series with Dr. Therese Willkomm and Phyllis Watson who bring you in-depth discussions of the apps for selected functional areas.  Sign-up for all three at one time and receive a discount! AT11-WEB01:  Apps for the iPad, iTouch, & iPhone on Remembering, Prompting, Organizing, Assessing, and Increasing Productivity - REGISTER Thursday, January 13, 2011   1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time Overview:  Productivity at home, school and work is affected by how well we are organized and can remember essential tasks that need to be performed.  This webinar will demonstrate apps that can help with executive functioning such as reminders and prompts to completing essential tasks.  In addition, the webinar will also review various apps related to organization, time management, and online assessment tools.  - Full abstract AT11-WEB04:  Apps for the iPad, iTouch, & iPhone on Alternative and Augmentative Communication - REGISTER Thursday, February 17, 2011   1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time Overview:  There are over 30 different apps that can benefit individuals who experience various communication impairments.  This webinar will review 20 of the most successful apps for children and adults.  In addition, apps related to sign language will also be discussed. - Full abstract AT11-WEB08:  Apps for the iPad, iTouch, & iPhone on Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - REGISTER Wednesday, March 23, 2011   1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time Overview:   This webinar will demonstrate apps that can assist in reading using text to speech, narration, and audio books; apps that use voice recognition or text expanders to increase writing ability and speed; flash card apps and math tutorial apps; and apps that will quiz you. - Full abstract

New popular technological advancements, such as the recent release of the iPhone 5, can cause excitement for different reasons. For the hearing world, it’s for the improvements and new gadgets that will entertain and increase convenience. For those deaf or hard of hearing, however, it can serve as a tool to communicate in ways never before possible.

What:The hearing will focus on the importance of accessible technology and how this issue is impacting K-12 and higher education. Witnesses include:Panel I with Eve Hill,  Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice. Panel II with Mark Riccobono, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind, Dr. John B. Quick, Superintendent, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation in Columbus, IndianaMark Turner, Director, Center for Accessible Media, Accessible Technology Initiative, California State University We hope to see you there. If you are unable to attend, the hearing will be broadcasted live online at www.help.senate.gov.Real time captioning and sign language interpreters will be provided at the hearing.When:February 7, 201212:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time Where:Dirksen Senate Building Room G-50Washington, D.C.Contact:Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions428 Senate Dirksen Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510Phone: 202-224-5375

In a world without sound, the deaf needed a way to communicate. Some can and do speak verbally and some can read lips, but the vast majority uses a visual communication system called Sign Language.

This brief discusses two issues associated with the provision of accessible instructional materials (AIM) to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The first section describes the physical basis of reading challenges experienced by many students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The second section focuses on research pertaining to the use of sign language representations in conjunction with print and digital text for this population of students.

A parent must request, in writing, that their child be assessed by their school district. Assessment areas include social/emotional, academic, occupational, recreational and physical therapy, speech and language, physical education, vision, and hearing. Assessments are determined by the unique needs of each child. The district must provide an assessment plan within 15 days of this request. The district has 60 days from receipt of the signed assessment plan to conduct the assessments and hold a meeting. After the district has completed its assessments, and if a child qualifies, an Individual Education Plan is developed at a meeting with the district assessors and parents. The types of areas discussed at an IEP meeting include results from the assessments, eligibility, goals, related services and placement.

Welcome to the official YouTube channel of the Internal Revenue Service. This channel will feature videos produced by the IRS on various tax administration topics in American Sign Language (ASL).

Click here to register for this webinar What: Dr. Therese Willkomm, Director of New Hampshire's Statewide Assistive Technology Program, and Phyllis Watson, CCC- SLP, Augmentative Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Assistive Technology Services,will review 20 of the most successful apps for children and adults who experience various communication impairments.  This includes apps related to sign language.  When: February 17, 2011 1:30pm - 3:00pm Mountain Time

Click here to register for this event What: Identifying intervention strategies and applications for persons with complex communication needs remains a challenge. Multimodal approaches to AAC intervention within naturalistic environments provide significant opportunities for cultivating intentionality and supporting language acquisition. This series of webinars will aid in gaining insight into utilization of symbols for teaching and shaping behaviors that function as meaningful and appropriate communication. Participants will learn strategies for employing symbols and technology to support the four main purposes of communication: expressing wants and needs, developing social closeness, exchanging information and fulfilling social routines. Course 1 - June 21, 2011 - Unleash the Power of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Your AAC users are not talking with their peers, use few communicative functions and are unmotivated to communicate. What can be done to nourish functional, generative communication? This course will address using a variety of technologies and strategies to stimulate use of meaningful and appropriate communication. Learner Outcomes: The participant will be able to identify the meaning of functional communication and the requisites for communication. The participant will be able to describe six strategies for supporting the development of communication skills using single message devices. The participant will be able to explain 12 ways to utilize sequencers to encourage functional communication in a variety of settings. When: Webinar begins at 10:00am Mountain time. Session sign in begins 15 minutes prior. This session requires you to call in to access the audio. Certificate of Attendance will be available at completion.