How struggling in school can help you succeed in life.

This is a link to a great article written by Don Johnson, a man with severe learning disabilities who founded and owns one of the largest assistive technology companies in the world, Don Johnston Inc. (makers of Co:Writer software).  He describes how struggling with dyslexia actually gave him an edge over his peers, to whom school came easily.  He also describes how a caring teacher became the "change agent" that changed the course of his life forever.  This is a quick and inspiring read, and would make a great mini lesson for students to discuss disability, perseverance, and overcoming adversity.  You can access the article by clicking here.  Enjoy!

SoundingBoard-Easy (and free) AAC app for iPad

Sometimes, you don't want an AAC app that comes with thousands of buttons and lots of complex menus to have to learn.  Sometimes, you just want to quickly and easily create a board with a few pictures for your emerging communicators.  And sometimes, you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an app that you're not even sure will work for your student.  If any of those "Sometimes" applies to you, then you might want to check out a FREE app from Ablenet called SoundingBoard.

SoundingBoard is an easy to use app that lets you quickly make communication pages (or "boards") for students.  These boards can be linked together to make a more complex communication system, or can just be selected as needed based on the setting and task.  The AbleNet website describes the app this way:

SoundingBoard is ONLY available for download at iTunes stores.

SoundingBoard transforms your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch into the latest in communication technology. In just minutes, you can create custom boards using AbleNet symbols or your own photos.

• Create boards with up to 20 message locations
• Virtually unlimited capacity; create boards for any situation
• Use the built-in AbleNet symbol library for instant access to hundreds of symbols
• Record messages of virtually any length for each symbol
• Use your own photo library for even greater flexibility and options
• Take your own photos using your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch and use them in a board immediately*
• Increase the physical size of the boards by using the iPad

If you haven't checked out this free resource yet, you should add it to your AAC toolbox.  It is a great app to have for many different situations.  My only caution about "build your own pages" apps is that, for students who have a lot to say, it may be a very frustrating experience to only be able to say the things my teacher and SLP get around to programming for me.  For those kinds of students, you may want to check out a more fully featured AAC app.

2 new fully featured AAC apps for Autism: AutisMate and Avaz

When most people think about AAC and the iPad, they usually think about Proloquo2go.  It is a great app that offers tons of preloaded vocabulary, along with a highly customizable interface to support lots of different levels of communicators.

  I have recently learned about two other apps that share many of the features that make Proloquo2go so popular.  They are called AutisMate, and Avaz.  Both apps are designed for students with autism, but would support many other students with cognitive and communication impairments.  It is always good to have options when individualized supports for students, and I hope this info will help you expand your AAC toolbox a bit today!

First, let's talk about  AutisMate.  It costs $149.99 and is available on the Apple app store.  This app is a unique blend of visual behavior supports and communication.  The AutisMate website says:

AutisMate is an iPad app for autism that improves communication and social and behavioral skills (life skills) for individuals with autism by reinforcing autism treatment through a comprehensive approach, offering all of the Visual Supports, including Visual Scenes, Visual Schedules, Video Modeling, Visual Stories and Grid-Based AAC.

The idea is that, since communication and behavior are so intertwined, why not combine them into the same app?  The interface is clean and easy to use, and the visual supports are great.  Check out the AutisMate website to see some great videos of the app in action.  I have also included a video demonstration by a mother of a child with autism showing how she uses the app at home.



Next up is the Avaz app. It costs $99.99 and is available on the Apple app store. Unlike AutisMate, which is a hybrid between a behavior and communication app, Avaz is an AAC app designed to rival Proloquo2go.  It offers many really nice features, including:

• 3 levels of vocabulary (500 - 5000 words)
• Easy customization
• Multiple types of vocabulary and communication strategies, including Core Words, a Keyboard with word prediction, a Mistake button, an Alert button (for getting someone's attention), and Grid based AAC.
• Can start with only 2 buttons on a page and grow from there.
• Can hide buttons and zoom in on buttons when tapped
• High quality voices
• Automatically tracks how the app is used during a session (instant data collection!)
• Lots of ways to adjust and change settings based on the student.

 This looks like a great app, with lots of great features, and at a very reasonable price for an app of this caliber.  Check out the Avaz website for more info.  I've also included a brief 1 minute video overview of the app for your enjoyment.

Cosmonaut-Wide grip iPad stylus for small hands or other motor impairments

My last post dealt with how switch scanning in the new iOS opens up the iPad to people who couldn't previously use it due to physical motor limitations.  In that same vein, I wanted to briefly discuss the Cosmonaut Large Grip Stylus.  This was designed to feel more like a dry erase marker than a traditional pencil style stylus.  I think it is ideal for young children who can't really grasp a smaller stylus yet, as well as for young children who have not yet learned to only touch the screen with one finger at a time.  They can grip the stylus and then the stylus becomes that one point of touch screen contact.  (We've all been frustated by trying to tap somewhere on the screen with one finger and accidentally doing something weird when another finger made contact with the screen at the same time).  This stylus may work as well for older students who have problems extending just one finger to tap a touchscreen, or who cannot hold a teeny little stylus, but could control something a little bit bigger.  You can get more information at
http://www.studioneat.com/products/cosmonaut

New Accessibility Features in iOS 7- Including Switch Scanning!

Apple has released their newest update to iOS, the operating system that runs their iPads, iPods touches, and iPhones last week.  For those of you keeping track, they have now updated from iOS 6 to iOS7.  If you've already downloaded the update, you've noticed that the look is very different, but the feel is still pretty familiar. (Note: Updating to iOS 7 will require some storage space on your device.  You may have to delete some things off of your device, perform the update, and then put those things you deleted back on your device.) There are several changes and additions in iOS 7, including several changes and additions to the accessibility options.  Some of my favorite are more and better voices for Speak Selection, better features in Guided Access, and, my personal favorite, Switch Scanning options!  This feature will allow people with motor impairments to access all aspects of the iPad and many of the great iPad apps.  To see a general list of what is new in iOS 7 accessibility features, click here.  To watch an excellent video overview of the new accessibility features in iOS 7, click here. 

Read on for more information about switch scanning:

Until now, many people with physical disabilities have been unable to interact with touchscreen devices, or their motor impairments have severely limited their ability to interact with the screen.  With iOS 7, these people can bypass all that junk that used to keep them back and can now access the iPad using 3 different methods:
1) using an external bluetooth switch
2) using the entire touch screen of the device as a switch
3) moving their head to the left and right (the front facing camera on the device watches your movement)
 You can also use a combination of switch options, such as using one bluetooth switch to scan through features, but using the touch screen of the iPad to go back to the home screen.

 (Note:  There is no way to plug a switch with wires into an iPad, so you will have to purchase a bluetooth switch to use with the iPad.  Click here for an earlier post about bluetooth switches and  iPad apps.)  

  You can set up the iPad for automatic switch scanning, where the iPad automatically moves the cursor from one choice to the next and you press the switch to select the option you want when highlighted.  You can also set up 2 or more switches to perform step scanning (i.e. one switch moves the cursor to the next choice and another switch chooses the highlighted option).  The head tracking option uses the front facing camera of the iPad and detects when you move your head to the right or left.  You have to move your head approximately 45 degrees either direction to get it to work.  When I played around with it, I had a hard time getting the iPad to recognize my right head movement, but the left head movement worked perfectly.  If you are trying to use this feature in extreme lighting conditions, it will not work very well either.  The switch options are highly customizeable.  You can set it up for very basic users, all the way up to neuro-typical kids with limiting motor impairments. 

I am really excited to see how these new features will open up the iPad to a whole new group of people who were previously held back just by their motor limitations.  To see an excellent video tutorial on iOS 7 switch scanning, including setting up your bluetooth switch and customizing all the settings, click here.  I would love to hear (in the comments) how your students and children are using this new feature.

Introducing Students to Text to Speech Accommodations- (That weird computer voice can be your friend!)

I have produced a short (4 page) document designed to help concerned, yet busy teachers and parents make sense of Text to Speech (or screen reader) technology, when you really don't feel you have time to take on ONE MORE THING!!  It is designed to quickly and easily help you:

1. Better understand what Text to Speech (TTS) technology is and how it can help struggling readers.
2. Find you free and easy tools to get Text to Speech going in your classroom TODAY.
3. Figure out how to build Text to Speech into your already WAY too busy school schedule in small, manageable steps.

To access the document, please click here.
 

Highlights from 2012-13 school year

This post is dedicated to the well meaning slacker in all of us.  Deep down inside we all WANT to do it all, but sometimes we just run out of time and energy.  I know that isn't YOU, of course.  But you know somebody like that and sympathize with them occasionally just to keep up appearances :) 

I know that every single one of you has already read and re-read every single post on this blog (along with 50 other educational blogs, Pins, and Tweets), outlined them, translated them into Spanish/Portuguese, and Chinese, and shared them with all of your friends, neighbors, and Congressmen. :)  

But just in case you missed a few things (Don't worry, I won't tell.  Your secret is safe with me), I have posted a few links to Cache AT blog posts you may have missed last school year.   I just thought I'd highlight a couple of my favorites to get you started this year:

Guide Access (how to disable that pesky Home button on the iPad!)

Speak Selection in iOS (make the iPad read to you!)

Uploading Word files to Google Drive

Free Text to Speech Options for your classroom

Bookshare.org tutorials

Abilipad-My favorite writing app for iPad

Simple 1 page communication boards

Boardmaker Share-find Boardmaker activities online

Literacy Based lesson plan for Life Skills classrooms

Switch Prompting Training Video

Text to Speech in the classroom-Research into Practice Article

I came across a great little article just the other day about using Text to Speech technology to help struggling readers.  You can access it by clicking here.  This article does a great job of taking the current research about Text to Speech accommodations and explaining it in plain English.  I love the concept of presenting Text to Speech to all students and letting them decide for themselves whether or not it is a useful tool for them.  This empowers students and makes sure that nobody falls through the cracks.

  This is also a great article to share with interested (or disinterested) parents, Regular Education Teachers, and Administrators who are seeking more information, or who need to overcome to false notions about reading accommodations.

Thanks for reading.  I would love to hear people's thoughts about the article in the comments!

Free Apps resource (and lots of other great info too)

I've posted about this before, but I wanted to let everyone know about a GREAT resource for free iOS and Android apps, as well as all the information you could every want about technology in education.  That resource is the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) blog that can be found at http://ucetnews.blogspot.com/.    They regularly post links to free apps, many of which are usually paid apps that have become free for a limited time.  They also have lots of great TED talks, Web 2.0 resources, and other great things for teachers who want to use technology to enhance student learning.  UCET is directed primarily toward the general education population, so everything may not pertain to your classroom, but I think you will find plenty that will.

NOTE: We have put a link to this blog on the main page of our blog in the "Favorite Links" section on the top right hand corner of the blog.

Do YOU have great online resources you go to for information and goodies?  I would love to hear about them in the comments!

FarFaria app for iPad: The Netflix/Hulu for kids books

A while back someone told me about a new iPad app called FarFaria.  It has been described by some reviewers as "A Netflix (or Hulu) for children's stories". I just recently got around to downloading it and playing with it a bit and there are some things I definitely like about it.  The app is free to download, but, in order to actually use most of the books, you must pay a $3.99/month subscription fee (roughly $48/year).  You do get to try it for free for 30 days.

  Some of the things I like about this app is that there is a wide selection of books in the Preschool to 2nd grade range.  The books are high quality, and many books come with a "read to me" feature that will read the book in high quality, pre-recorded human narration.  All of the books are developed specifically for the app, so you can't find your favorites from Barnes and Noble or the public library here, but most of the books are still very good.  This app is easy enough to use that a child could operate it independently, which would be great for self selected reading time in school and at home.  If you are willing to spend a little less than $50 a year for children's books, then this app might be for you. 

For a more in depth review of the app, check out this link.

Putting Tar Heel Reader books into iBooks with speech! (repost)

I am posting a link to a great blogger by the name of Jane Farrall, about putting Tar Heel Reader books into iBooks on the iPad.  Tar Heel Reader is a great source of simple, user generated books for all ages, and now the ability to use them with the iPad makes it even better.  There are also a few other Tar Heel Reader posts on Jane's Blog that you might want to check out as well.

To read the post, click here.
To simply go to Jane's blog, click here.
To check out Tar Heel Reader, click here.

Ty gives a speech in class, even though he can't talk!

Some great teachers and a fabulous SLP at one of our middle schools have worked really hard to provide meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities to interact with their non-disabled peers.  One of those students, Ty, cannot speak for himself, but his teachers have found a way for him to communicate using a Step by Step sequencer device with pre-recorded voice messages that he activates with a switch when he moves his head.  The following video is of Ty giving a speech about his favorite movie, Disney Pixar's UP!  Ty's SLP communicated with Ty, his mom, and his teachers to identify his favorite video and some of the things he liked about it.  While Ty did not write this speech himself (the SLP did), I absolutely LOVE that he is able to give the speech in front of a class of his peers, following the same format that all of them are expected to use.  It is plain to see that he really enjoys the experience, and I'm sure at least some of the students in that class gained a new appreciation for Ty and what he is truly capable of.

That is the power of assistive technology, to give a voice to people who otherwise would not have any.  Please check out the video below.  I hope you will enjoy it, and it will get you thinking about things you could do in your classroom or home.



Note: if you are unable to view the video in this blog, try clicking this link to view it in a separate page.

Boardmaker Studio-taking boardmaker to the next level

I attended a training session at the UATT conference about Boardmaker Studio, the latest product in the great Boardmaker line of products.  Boardmaker Studio includes all of the great features of the original Boardmaker, but includes lots and lots of activity templates to create interactive lessons with relative ease.  It also costs the exact same amount as regular Boardmaker, (or you can upgrade to Boardmaker Studio from Boardmaker for half the cost!).  You can access the notes from the presentation I attended by clicking here.  You can also get more info at the Boardmaker website.

A Literacy based lesson plan for students with severe disabilities

At the recent UATT conference, we had the change to attend a presentation from an SLP and music therapist from the Hartvigsen School in the Granite District in Utah.  They demonstrated a very well planned and executed lesson to teach students with severe disabilities a wide range of important skills in a brief (30-45 minutes) time period using AT, AAC, music, Core Vocabulary, and much more.  I really was impressed with how much thought went into the lesson, and how they were able to target important skills such as:

• Social reciprocity (greetings, farewells, conversations, etc.)
• Communication (including AAC for nonverbal students)
• Vocabulary
• Literacy
• Following 1 and 2 step directions
• Turn Taking
• Sensory/Tactile experiences
• Cause and Effect
• Civil Rights awareness
• and more!

The entire lesson was based on reading a nonfiction book about Martin Luther King Jr. They had carefully planned selected vocabulary and activities for each page of the story. While they included a lot of music into their lesson, you don't necessarily have to do so.  You also don't have to be a trained Music Therapist to teach a lesson like this.  I think a thoughtful teacher could use their lesson plan as a template to design any lesson to target the same skills with a literature based approach.  You can access a copy of their lesson plan by clicking here.

UAAACT is now UATT!

We got back last Friday from the biennial statewide UAAACT conference and I wanted to share a few things we learned at the conference.  So the next few blog posts will deal with things we learned at the conference.  This particular blog post deals with UAAACT changing its name to UATT.

  First of all, this conference marked 25 years of UAAACT in the state of Utah!  UAAACT was originally adapted from the SWAAAC model in Colorado and has been a collaborative partnership between several Utah state agencies, programs, and most Utah school districts, with the aim of providing high quality assistive technology evaluations to students with disabilities in Utah.  25 years is an impressive milestone and speaks to the lasting quality of this impressive program in the state.

 But the big news from the conference was that the UAAACT leadership council has decided to change the project name from UAAACT to UATT.  UATT is an acronym for Utah Assistive Technology Teams.  Nobody could keep all the A's straight in UAAACT, so they decided it was time to shorten it.  Nothing else has changed, just the name. UATT will continue to provide an important service to Utah students for years to come.  I can't wait to see what they change the name to at the 50th conference!

Right Write Handwriting Program

A few years ago, three Occupational Therapists from a few local school districts pooled their formidable talents and developed a handwriting instruction program.  It is a fabulous program and I got permission to share it on this blog.  You can access the program by clicking on this link.

Note: Make sure to read the document first that is cleverly titled "Read ME First Write Right Handwriting program information".  This will explain all of the other materials in the folder.  Please let me know through the comments if you have problems with the links.

Why I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Bookshare

I had an experience the other day that helped me remember why I love teaching, and especially why I love working with struggling readers.  I was visiting an 8-9th grade school, and one of the students that I had taught in 6th and 7th grade came up to me and asked if I could help him download some more ebooks from Bookshare on his laptop.

Here is a little bit of background on this student:  He is a very bright guy who really struggles with reading, but wants to read the same popular novels that everyone else is reading.  He is one of the very first students that we signed up for Bookshare several years ago. I'll never forget the look on his face, when, as a sixth grader, he learned he could read Harry Potter all by himself with the help of an electronic device. That is what got me so excited about Bookshare back then, and still one of the main reasons why I'm excited about it to this day.

This was all reaffirmed to me the other day when I helped him and his teacher download Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief from Bookshare onto his laptop. As soon as the book was loaded on his laptop, he sat down, got out his headphones, and instantly became absorbed in the book. No one else in the room existed to him at that moment, except for the characters in the book. That is the power of a great book, and one of the incredibly rich life experiences that many students with reading disabilities miss out on.

That is why I am so excited when I see a teacher or student become interested Bookshare. Because I know the world that the technology can open up for students.  To me, it breaks down barriers to education, enlightenment, personal growth and fulfillment that comes from finally having access to the world of great literature.  For more information about Bookshare, check out www.bookshare.org, or this post I wrote about Bookshare.

PAR training slides

I recently gave a training to a group of teachers about the Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (PAR).  I wanted to put the slides on the blog for those who couldn't make the training or who want to review.  Click here to access the slides.  As always, comments are appreciated.

Simple, yet effective 1 page communication boards

We sometimes have the idea that alternative/agumentative communication (AAC) involves an expensive device or a fancy book with lots of velcro and laminated picture cards.  But, in reality, AAC can be very simple.  Sometimes all a student needs for effective communication is a simple, 1 page, laminated piece of paper.  This cheap and easy 1 page communication board could then be posted in a particular area (fridge, kitchen cabinet, door, window, etc.) or used in a particular setting (restaurant, watching TV, grocery store, etc.) to facilitate communication.

In this post, I have included several examples of simple 1 page communication boards that can be used in a variety of settings.  All of these boards were found online using Boardmaker Share, and then adapted for my purposes using Boardmaker software.  A colleague and I spent less than 5 minutes for each board!!  I hope these ideas will inspire you to create your own boards for your students to use in your classroom, at home, and in the community.

My first example is a simple "snack time" laminated place-mat with symbols to help a student make food/drink choices, request more, and comment about the food. Now your place-mat serves a far greater purpose than simply keeping the table clean!!

The next example is a page that could be taped to the door of the refrigerator.  You could even make various symbols for the different kinds of food that could be in the fridge (even if they aren't at the moment) and attach them to the page with velcro (or remove them) as the contents of the fridge changes every time you go to the store (or your teenager and his friends raid the fridge!)

These next two pages are designed for communicating while watching TV.  One is simply for choosing the type of show to watch (I LOVE the sumo wrestlers!).

This TV board incorporates a lot more communicative intents.  I wish I had made this board!

These next two pages are designed to post by the door.  Now the child can communicate where he/she wants to go when leaving the room.  The communication partners can also use the page to communicate to the child where they are going next.  This would be easy to adapt to a home setting instead of school setting.

 This next picture is actually more of a visual organizer than a communication board, but I just liked it so much I couldn't help but include it!

The last page I've included in this post is designed for use at McDonald's, of course.  A similar page could be made for any other restaurant you frequent.

I hope as you've read through these examples that you have thought of ways you could adapt this concept for use in your classroom, home, etc.  These really take very little time to make, yet could have a PROFOUND impact in the life of a child who struggles to communicate verbally.  I would love to hear in the comments section the other ways you have successfully used the concept of 1 page communication boards.

 

There's an app for that! But is it right for you? - NCLD

This is a great little article that one of my colleagues shared with me about choosing apps for educational use.  I think it shares some great tips for evaluating apps before you waste your money on something that doesn't suit your needs.

There's an app for that! But is it right for you? - NCLD

Boardmaker Share-Find and share Boardmaker activities

I don't think I could find anybody in education that would argue with me that teachers and SLP's have too much free time!  We all would love to do so much more for our students if only we could find the time.  This blog post today is about a great resource to save some of that precious time, called Boardmaker Share. It can be accessed online at www.boardmakershare.com.

Boardmaker Share is an online community where teachers, therapists, and parents share activities they have made using Boardmaker software.  What I love about it is I can search the online library, find something that someone else has already made, and download it for my own use.  What used to take 20-30 minutes to create from scratch can now be found, downloaded, and printed in less than 5!  I can also open up the activities I have downloaded from Boardmaker Share and edit them with my own copy of Boardmaker so it is exactly how I want it.  A colleague and I recently downloaded and edited 8 completely different boards in less than 45 minutes.  I'd hate to think how long that would take if we'd tried to make them all from scratch!

Boardmaker Share is also a great place to look for ideas and inspiration.  I know many teachers really like using Pinterest to find great ideas from others.  Boardmaker Share not only lets you see great ideas, but you can download it and use it as well!  If you are the sharing type, you can also upload and share activities you have made so others may enjoy them as well.

One thing I should note about Boardmaker Share is that you may NOT be able to use all of the activities you find there, depending on what version of Boardmaker software you have.  When you view an activity on Boardmaker Share, it will tell you if that version is compatible with Boardmaker, Boardmaker Plus, Boardmaker Studio, Boardmaker Print Editor, or all of them.  Many interactive activities made with Boardmaker Plus and Studio will not work with good old Boardmaker. 

I hope you will enjoy this great way to share and borrow ideas and boards from other teachers and therapists.  Boardmaker Share is a GREAT way to maximize your time!

FaceTime and Skype in the special education classroom

A couple months ago my kids were using FaceTime on the iPad to video chat with their grandparents in Wyoming, after we concluded our chat, I got to thinking about how this technology could be used in special education classroom.  This blog post attempts to address this issue and give you ideas to use the technology many of you already have in your classroom for exciting new purposes.

If you're not familiar with FaceTime, it is video conferencing app created by Apple that allows video calling between Apple devices. It takes advantage of the built-in cameras in the iPad in the iPhone so that you can  see people while speaking with them. The connection between devices happens via wireless Internet rather than telephone cable or cell phone network. This same video chat technology is available through other programs as well,  the most readily known example probably being Skype.  Skype can be used on apple devices as well as laptop and desktop computers.  You just need a webcam and an internet connection. For basic overviews of how to use FaceTime and Skype see the following resources:

FaceTime video tutorial

Skype tutorial page


To conclude this blog post, I thought I would include a brainstorm list of potential educational uses for FaceTime and/or Skype in the special education classroom.  I would love to hear if you decide to use this technology in one of the following ways, or if you think of other ways!  Just let me know if the comments section:

Possible uses for video chat technology (FaceTime/Skype) in the SPED classroom:

• Homebound students could participate with their regular classroom while they are unable to come to school.
• Students using AAC devices could communicate with other students using similar devices in other classrooms.  (They are often the only student with an AAC device in their classroom, and/or school).
•  Students who are experienced and proficient AAC users could model communication for less proficient and emerging AAC users in other locations.
•  Students learning a particular social skill could model that skill for students in another classroom over video chat.
•  Students with rare disabilities and/or conditions could connect with students in other locations with similar conditions, thereby reducing the isolation and stigma of their disability.
• Students practicing reading skills could demonstrate their reading skills for other audiences (younger children, senior citizens, family members, etc.
• Students who are transitioning to another school, work setting, etc., could meet their new teacher/supervisor over video chat before they make the actual physical transition.

I'm sure there are many, many other ways this technology could be used.  Good luck and have fun connecting your students to a broader world outside your classroom!

The PAR Assessment-Make Data Based Decisions About Reading Accommodations.

Some of the most important decisions we can make in an IEP meeting are selecting accommodations for daily assignments as well as comprehensive tests.  Research shows that IEP teams often make those decisions based on a laundry list of options rather than using a data-based decision making process.  This post is about a tool that will help IEP teams when choosing whether or not a student with a reading disability is going to have adults read tests and assignments aloud, or if they will use Text to Speech (TTS, also known as Screen Reader) technology to do so.   It is known as the Protocol for Accommodations in Reading or PAR.

The Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (PAR) is designed to help IEP teams make informed, data based decisions about reading accommodations. It was developed by Denise C DeCoste and Linda Bastiani Wilson, and is provided free of charge from Don Johnston, Inc.

The PAR is a process for measuring whether a student comprehends better when an adult reads aloud, or when they use a screen reader. The entire assessment can be downloaded for free at donjohnston.com/par. When you download the PAR from the website, you will get a testing manual, data collection sheets, leveled reading passages (3rd-10th grade passages) that you can print as well as load onto a computer, and comprehension questions for each passage. You must provide your own screen reader program, you do NOT get a screen reader when you download the PAR, just the passages. 

There are many options available to access screen reader technology every day at school. For information on free screen reading programs you could use in the classroom, at home, or in a computer lab, please check out this short blog post. You can also use an iPad as a screen reader. For more information, see this post. Also, if you are willing to spend money for a better quality product, you can purchase a single screen reader license for $50 at this site.  You can also purchase a quality Screen Reading program for your entire school for $499 at http://www.donjohnston.com/products/snap-read/index.html. This is roughly the cost of a single iPad!

The PAR is really just an informal data collection protocol and is therefore similar to the curriculum based assessments (CBA) that many teachers already use. If you have your own leveled passages and comprehension questions, you could follow the same basic process as the PAR without downloading and using their passages. The basic idea is to simulate what happens when we ask a student to complete a reading task on his/her grade level, and measure their performance with a variety of accommodations. It must be administered individually, and usually takes about 10-25 minutes per student, depending on their grade level and how long it takes them to answer comprehension questions.

When choosing reading accommodations, here are a few more things to consider.

-There are definite pros and cons to both adult readers AND screen readers.

-Even the VERY BEST screen reader programs do not match the prosody and expression of adult readers.

-Screen reader programs cannot react to individual student behavior and make changes on the fly (e.g. pause and redirect when a student gets distracted.)

-Students with disabilities who succesfully learn to use a screen reader ultimately become more independent readers, especially as they get older.

-Students are less likely to ask an adult to re-read text than they are to re-read text using a screen reader.

-Older students are more likely to perceive adult read aloud accommodations as "too childish".

For more information or to see of video of the PAR in action, check out this site:  and click on the link that says VIDEO: PAR in Action.  You can also watch a webinar about the PAR at the same site.

NUCOR Grant ideas

With the NUCOR Grant applications before Cache Valley educators once again, I thought it would be helpful to list some possible assistive technology items that could be funded with grant money, and some possible classroom applications.  This list is not meant to be comprehensive, but simply to offer you some other ideas you may not have considered.  I have organized them by category.

 Hopefully this will help get some more useful technology in our classrooms to be fit students with disabilities. I will also try to include links to product websites for items so you can do some research before writing your grant.  Be sure to check out the awesome video demonstrating one possible (if a little bit unorthodox) use of a Powerlink and an electric leaf blower!

Writing:
*LiveScribe smartpens: $120-250 depending on model of pen and amount of storage

• Specialized pen that records audio and syncs it with what you write.  
• Students can review at home what the teacher said in class simply by tapping on what they wrote in the notebook.
• They no longer have to worry about writing down every little thing teacher said, can focus more energy on writing key points and getting the rest later.

*Forte portable keyboard: $160-250 depending on features

• Offers text to speech and word prediction
• Great battery life
• Cheaper, easier to use, more portable and durable than a laptop.

*Neo2 portable keyboard: $99 for basic keyboard, Text to speech add on for $79 more

• Great battery life
• Cheaper, easier to use, more portable and durable than a laptop
• Co-Writer word prediction

i-Stuff:
*iPad Mini: $330 for 16 GB wifi model

*iPod Touch: $299 for 32 GB

Communication:
*Step by Step communicator with levels: $189

• Record and sequence your own messages, easy and effective AAC solution for a variety of students and situations
• 3 different levels to record on for different students/situations, etc.
• 2.5" button with different colored caps
• can activate with another switch

*Comboard: $323

• Switch activated "clock-style" device. Put pictures around the dial and students can scan through the choices using an external switch.  Hold down the switch until the arm points to the symbol/message you want.  It is easy as that!
• Can also attach a cup to the spinning arm to make a switch adapted pourer or dice thrower.

*Talking Brix Communicators: $129 for a set of 3

• Thin, light single message communication button, easy to use and super portable/adaptable
• Built in magnet
• Can be linked together for message sequencing
• Built in rechargeable battery

*Go Talk 9+ and 20+: $179 (9 message) $199 (20 message)

• Great mid tech AAC solution, record you own voice on buttons
• 9 messages or 20 messages available, make your own symbol overlays using Boardmaker
• Very portable and durable
• Up to 5 levels for different students/environments ,etc.

*Go Talk One/Button: $12.99-13.99

• Portable single message buttons
• Go Talk One lets you put a symbol on it
• Go Talk button has built in magnet

Switches:
*Powerlink: $229

• Allows you to activate anything you can plug into a standard electrical outlet (blender, fan, toy, disco ball, leaf blower (seriously), etc.) with a switch. Check out this video for just one possible use!

*USB switch interface: $89 and up depending on the model

• Plug it into the computer, plug in your own switches, and now you can access computer switch software with a switch!
• Emulates left and right mouse click, space bar, enter, and more.
• You need your own switches

*Bluetooth wireless switch interfaces: $99 and up depending on model

• Provides wireless switch access to a computer or iPad via bluetooth technology.
• Must have own switches
• iPad apps MUST be switch accessible (not all of them are) click here for more information