PLUK eNews

There’s a very simple and common sense reason why IDEA 2004 requires that students with disabilities be invited to attend every IEP meeting where postsecondary transition goals will be considered: It’s their lives.

Technology burrowed in the soles of sneakers guide the visually impaired to their destination—they’re also great for runners.

If you currently don’t have insurance that pays for autism treatment, you may live in one of the 27 states that is now offering that coverage through its state exchange, and you may qualify for federal subsidies to reduce the costs of that insurance.

GW Micro, in collaboration with Microsoft, is excited to provide people who are blind, visually impaired, or print disabled with a completely functional* and free license of GW Micro's Window-Eyes screen reader. Microsoft is offering customers who have a licensed** version of Office 2010 or later the ability to download Window-Eyes, a screen reader for Windows PCs, free of charge. If you are ready to get started, select your preferred language and activate the Download Now button.

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.

Making decisions about medication for a child with emotional or behavioral problems can be daunting and fraught with worry, especially when more than one medication is involved. Studies show that the number of children taking several psychoactive medications is soaring. Here are some guidelines to help you understand why your doctor might recommend multiple medications for your child, and whether you should have concerns about this treatment.

An educator's and parent's guide to websites, blogs, articles, and videos that provide information and tools related to understanding, selecting, and assessing assistive technology and accessible instructional materials.

“There will always be someone worse off and better off than you. Always.”I hear this repeated whenever we take our daughter with cerebral palsy to medical appointments, and we see children who are bald after grueling rounds of chemotherapy or families dealing with children’s emotional and behavioral issues.I count my blessings and say to myself, “Self, you are lucky.” I look at my daughter happily tooling around in her wheelchair the color and sheen of nail polish while I fight the urge to run from the repetitive questions and forms in triplicate to skedaddle in the direction of the nearest Krispy Kreme.There are times I forget how the world sees my daughter: a cute girl who walks with a strange gait, who most often is drooling and who uses a communication device to speak. I forget that she resembles a broken marionette that has snipped her strings and says so much with a smile. What I see is a strong, capable, intelligent, goofy and amazing child who lightens hearts and communities that are blessed to know her.

“Stigma, underachievement and misunderstanding of LD continue to be stubborn barriers for parents and children to overcome. The data in this 2014 report reveal that, left unaddressed, as many as 60 million individuals risk being left behind, burdened by low self-esteem, subjected to low expectations, and diminished in their ability to pursue their dreams.”

It seems impossible to many people that a person who is blind can use an iPhone, that a person with a significant physical disability can drive himself to work, or that a person who can’t read can go to college. Impossible, until they see it done. Throughout the years, I’ve spoken with people who are unsure that their child/student/client could achieve a life goal, even with the support of assistive technology (AT). They might think that AT is just for people with physical disabilities or those who are good with computers or for anybody else but themselves.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is proud to announce the release of a new technical assistance document describing the use of color communication badges. Color Communication Badges are an accommodation to support social interaction for people with a variety of disabilities and communication needs. Color communication badges were first developed by Autism Network International, and popularized by the Autistic community in Autistic spaces and conferences.

In this example video, I show how to use Automator and Speakable Items to launch three apps simply by saying "Good morning" to my iMac. Sure, it's not exactly a super-useful example, but can you imagine how powerful this can be to someone who doesn't have good motor skills or has other accessibility issues? Use your imagination and Automator to see how you can use the power of your voice to control your Mac.

3D printers are still new in the consumer technology market, but  3D printers have huge potential to help the blind and visually impaired. To be clear this technology is still in its infancy. Imagine a blind student reading about a geometric figure or a molecule, but who cannot understand the make up or configuration of the object. A sighted user might be able to gather the necessary information through an image but a blind student might need hands-on time for a better understanding of the object. This is where the 3D printer comes into play. If a digital 3D file is available the blind student could print out the object quickly right in their home or classroom.

Technology is fascinating. And I know you can find pretty much anything on the Internet, but the fact that this dad found the directions to create what he did is pretty darn amazing.

This session of Grand Rounds will explore the societal burden of youth violence, and the evidence-based approaches and partnerships that are necessary to prevent youth violence and its consequences.

A beautiful video tribute to moms of paralympic athletes was just released and it already has received over 400,000 views. The video highlights the hard work.selflessness and devotion of the mothers to ensure their children participated in athletic events. Check it out

With significant public backing and support in Congress, advocates say federal lawmakers are poised to consider a major change to the money-saving abilities of those with disabilities. Just one hurdle remains before Congress is expected to take up the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act. The bill — which has lingered since at least 2009 — would establish special accounts to allow people with disabilities to save up to $100,000 without risking their eligibility for benefits like Social Security. What’s more, under the plan, individuals could retain Medicaid no matter how much is deposited.

The Autism Speaks Swimming and Water Safety Scholarship Fund selects eligible organizations and programs to identify qualified financially disadvantaged individuals with autism and offer scholarship funds for swimming and water safety lessons.

Wandering-related incidents among individuals with autism are far too common. In response to unfortunate incidents and the fears they have raised for parents in the autism community, we have put together a list of steps you can take to prevent wandering incidents and keep your child safe at school.

Autism on the Seas has been in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International since 2007 in developing cruise vacation services to accommodate adults and families living with children with Special Needs, including, but not limited to, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and all Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  These services quickly expanded to other cruise lines.   We provide Cruises with our Staff (selected from regular cruises throughout the year) that assist adults and families in accommodating the typical cruise services, as well as providing specialized Respite and Private Activities/Sessions that allow our guests the use of the ships entertainment venues in an accommodated and assisted manner. Our professional Staff (educated, experienced, background checked and sanctioned by the cruise lines) accompanies you on your cruise to provide these amazing vacation and travel experiences onboard Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines. We also provide a "Cruise Assistance Package" (Cruises without our Staff) on all of the major Cruise Lines to help accommodate guests who wish to cruise on their own.