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The Communication Matrix is an assessment tool designed to pinpoint exactly how an individual is communicating and to provide a framework for determining logical communication goals. It was first published in 1990 and was revised in 1996 and 2004 by Dr. Charity Rowland of Oregon Health & Science University. It was designed primarily for speech-language pathologists and educators to use to document the expressive communication skills of children who have severe or multiple disabilities, including children with sensory, motor and cognitive impairments.

Two weeks ago, a man named Chris Waddell arrived at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. A paraplegic athlete from Park City, Utah, Waddell became the first in his condition to reach the summit of the 19,340-foot peak. In addition to the courage, vision and mental and physical strength he needed to achieve that goal, there was something else that helped propel him to the top of the largest free-standing continental mountain on earth; something that could only be found in the Bitterroot.

Schools today face the challenge of providing appropriate services to a diverse and increasingly numerous student population diagnosed with ASD. In order to achieve this goal, evidence-based practice is essential in the schools. To assist school professionals as they strive to help these students reach their potential, the National Autism Center has produced a comprehensive 245-page manual, Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools. The manual outlines relevant topics, including the current state of research findings, professional judgment and data-based clinical decision making, values and preferences of families, and capacity building. Each chapter sets a course for advancing the efforts of school systems to engage in evidence-based practice for their students on the autism spectrum.

New York, NY — Eleigha Love, who describes her brain as a computer, and Jared Schmidt, a teenage sky diver, are the recipients of this year's $10,000 Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarships given to two graduating high school seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing undergraduate degrees. Anne Ford, Chairman Emerita of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), is a well-known philanthropist and author, who has been a long-time parent advocate for children with learning disabilities, starting with her own daughter, Allegra. The scholarship was created in 2001 by the NCLD board when Ms. Ford stepped down as chairman in honor of her service. In 2008, Allegra agreed to match the existing award, creating a second scholarship. Anne Ford and Today Show Host Al Roker presented the scholarships at this year's NCLD 34th Annual Benefit Dinner, emceed by Paula Zahn in New York City. Jared and Eleigha are two of more than 2.5 million students who are wrestling with learning disabilities. They are among the mere 64 percent of students with LD who graduate high school, and only 10 percent with LD that go on to a four-year college. "We received over 300 applications, and let me tell you everyone of them came from students deserving a scholarship," said Anne, handing out the awards to this year’s winners. “We hear so much about the challenges and struggles of students with LD, and it is so inspiring to see that so many are able to meet and surpass those challenges." "Our goal is to see every child with LD graduate from high school," said James Wendorf, Executive Director of NCLD. "We are still failing about 1 million children. We've seen graduation rates and classroom inclusion rise more than 15 percent over the past 10 years. But we need to continue to empower parents and teachers, reduce stigma among kids, and keep education funding on the top of the education agenda if we are going to see those numbers increase, not decrease." One of the biggest problems with learning disabilities is diagnosing them in time, before children get frustrated with the system. "To a child with learning disabilities, school can be a very isolating place, it can be a very frustrating place and frankly overwhelming," relayed CNN's Anderson Cooper at a recent NCLD lunch. "Too many kids with LD struggle to try and keep up with their peers and suffer from low confidence and self-esteem and lose their love of learning at a young age. It's hard to rekindle that once it's gone, which is why the work of this organization is so important."

The goal of iAdvocate is to share and develop specific strategies with parents for working collaboratively with a school team to improve their children’s education. iAdvocate uses problem-based learning strategies, simulations, and provides contextual access resources to build parental advocacy skills and knowledge.

The Accessible Technology Coalition (ATC) is a new resource on assistive technology (AT). Our goal is to make access to AT easy and available to everyone. You can browse the categories on this page to get information - and if you don't find what you need, you can Ask an Expert for assistance. We also offer webinars and in person trainings on various AT topics.

Click here to download the full Scholarship Application (PDF) If you are profoundly vision impaired and will be attending Montana State University-Bozeman we'd like to help you. The Bozeman Chapter - Montana Association for the Blind is offering a scholarship of $500 to a vision impaired student for the academic year 2011-2012. Eligibility Meets federal definition of legally blind, i.e. <= best correction of 20/200, etc. Attending MSU-Bozeman, or graduate of MSU-Bozeman pursuing graduate program elsewhere. Demonstrates adequate progress to academic goal Demonstrates financial need Former recipients may re-apply Montana high school seniors may apply Application procedure (1) submit required application in acceptable format* (2) do not include letters of recommendation (3) post-marked, or e-mail submission date stamped, by June  20, 2011 (4) received by June  29, 2011 (5) Any received after that date will not be considered. *acceptable application format

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) | Click here to register What: Join us as we explore useful technology tools for the classroom. Each month we will explore technological tools that can enhance the educational experience for educators and students. This “hands on” opportunity will use technological tools available in everyday activities: personal computers, cell phones, iPods, iPads, and much more! Free downloadable programs to broaden the educational experience through such sites as Wiki, and Google will be explored. The goal of these sessions is to provide useable and practical technology for educators in such a way that it puts the “fun” back into education. November’s Technology Tuesday will be a “show and tell” of useful technologies that Trina finds useful within the classroom setting. It will also be an opportunity to share the technology that others use in their classrooms. This “sharing” of technology will build the foundation of future Technology Tuesdays. When: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 5:00pm - 7:00 pm Mountain Where: Fromberg Elementary Bldg (Use the North Door)Room 301 Fromberg, MT Contact: John Keener by phone 406-657-1743 or email john.keener@msubillings.edu Debra Miller by phone 406-657-2072 or email dmiller@msubillings.edu

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) | Click here to register What: Join us as we explore useful technology tools for the classroom. Each month we will explore technological tools that can enhance the educational experience for educators and students. This “hands on” opportunity will use technological tools available in everyday activities: personal computers, cell phones, iPods, iPads, and much more! Free downloadable programs to broaden the educational experience through such sites as Wiki, and Google will be explored. The goal of these sessions is to provide useable and practical technology for educators in such a way that it puts the “fun” back into education. November’s Technology Tuesday will be a “show and tell” of useful technologies that Trina finds useful within the classroom setting. It will also be an opportunity to share the technology that others use in their classrooms. This “sharing” of technology will build the foundation of future Technology Tuesdays. When: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 5:00pm - 7:00 pm Mountain Where: MSUB College of Education Building Room 122 1500 University Dr. Billings, MT Contact: John Keener by phone 406-657-1743 or email john.keener@msubillings.edu Debra Miller by phone 406-657-2072 or email dmiller@msubillings.edu

The Yale Seminar on Autism and Related Disorders is the United States' first undergraduate course of its kind. Our goal for this website is to make all of the lecture content and supporting materials available online for free for anyone who desires to learn about Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Developing effective, real-world-ready approaches to providing early diagnosis, treatment, and supportive services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the goal of 12 research grants awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). These grants are part of a broad research effort to provide models for the delivery of needed services to children, youth, and adults with ASD, across different communities and care settings, appropriate to each age and individual. NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).