Free Upcoming Webinars from AbleNet University!

• Universal Design in Your Preschool Classroom: August 15th
• Getting Your Classroom Ready for Students with Autsim: August 28th
• QIAT (Quality Indicators for AT with school focus) A four part series of webinars begins Sept. 18th

All webinars are FREE with amazing presenters like Joy Zabala and Penny Reed!

AbleNet University also has an impressive list of recorded, on-demand sessions including:

• Establishing and Maintaining Supports for AT
• Matching AT Supports to Service Needs
• Overview of Coaching Skills to Support AT Use
• Switch Access for the iPad

This is just a partial listing.  Click here for more upcoming webinars, or to register.

Switch Progression Road Map - free download from Inclusive TLC

If you're working with a student that's using switches, this is a highly recommended read! The Switch Progression Road Map is a free download published by Inclusive TLC in 2011. Written by Ian Bean, this 60 page resource documents in detail every step of switch skills progression from cause & effect to confident scanning. I'm so glad I found it and can pass it along!

Assessing Students' Needs for Assistive Technology from WATI

If you are new to the field of Assistive Technology or want to learn more, this is a must read!  Chapter one will guide you through the assessment process while the remaining chapters provide consideration questions for specific areas such as: communication, computer access, composing written material, math, reading, etc. You'll be well on your way to helping educational teams and students with the knowledge you'll gain from this one resource.  After 12 years in the field of AT, I'm so glad to re-connect with this site and will refer to it often as I'm sure you will too.

Awesome video highlighting the Eastern UP ISD LINKS Program

In the words of a colleague, "pure awesomeness"!! A must watch video!
The Michigan Statewide Autism Resources & Training program, otherwise known as START, has helped school districts, like the EUP ISD, develop a LINKS program.  The LINKS program is a peer modeling/peer mentoring system that "links" general education students with students with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  The "LINKS" model typical academic and social behavior and provide support for students with ASD throughout the school day. 
For more information, and access to Autism Internet Modules (AIM), visit the START site, or Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI).  OCALI has also created numerous modules on Assistive Technology or ATIM (Assistive Technology Internet Modules).  

MACUL in Munising!

MACUL comes to Munising again this year for the annual U.P. Educational Technology and Business Conference!  Friday, May 4th at Munising High School and registration of $45 covers both breakfast and lunch.  Keynote speaker will be Paul Galbenski, Michigan Teacher of the Year.  Some of the sessions include:

• 21 Things 4 Students
• Google Docs for All
• Research and the iPad
• The Magic of Livescribe Pens for Students and Teachers

Several vendors will be on hand too.  Hope to see you there!

Protocol for Accommodations in Reading

Are you confused about the different kinds of reading accommodations and how to choose the right one?  This protocol provides a repeatable, systematic assessment process that helps you through the process. The protocol guides you in collecting data on a variety of reading accommodations.  It provides reading samples, vocabulary questions, and comprehension quizzes for each grade level 3rd - 10th.  For more information, participate in a live webinar:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
 — 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT 
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 — 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CDT
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
 — 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM CDT

Assistive Technology Devices Organized by Age and Skill Area

Thanks to Jane S. for sharing this incredible resource!  The Georgia Project has categorized AT solutions by age and skill area in easy to read, downloadable pdf files.  The areas are:

• AAC Academic
• AAC Speech Generating Devices
• Math
• Reading
• Study and Organization
• Writing and Spelling

Within each area, supports are listed by feature, for example there are 20 categories of reading supports ranging from positioning aids, specialized formats, and text reading software.  The list is comprehensive and, for each device listed, a check box indicating appropriate age range (elementary, middle school, high school) and skill areas.  Of course, this information is always being updated and is provided as "examples of different technologies used by students with disabilities to accomplish educationally relevant tasks in instructional and access areas."

Virtual History Museum

 The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) June newsletter features an interview with Dr. Cindy Okolo, a special education professor at Michigan State University and project director of the Virtual History Museum. The interview explains how the Virtual History Museum got started and describes how it can help struggling students learn about Social Studies and History in a motivating, interactive way.  "The Virtual History Museum is a web-based history-learning environment designed to promote the historical understanding of all students and offer cognitive supports that will enable full participation and success for all students in diverse classrooms."  Click on the post title to read the interview, or check out the Virtual History Museum at:
http://vhm.msu.edu/site/default.php

TeachTown webinars - click here to learn more

The TeachTown curriculum uses evidence-based best practices from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Speech and Language Pathology therapy, and developmental psychology to teach a wide range of meaningful skills in six key learning domains:

• Language Development
• Adaptive Skills
• Social and Emotional Skills
• Cognitive Skills
• Language Arts
• Mathematics

The computer aided instructional program delivers engaging computer lessons connected to motivational off computer activities for students who are developmentally aged 2 to 7 years old.  Research supporting the TeachTown curriculum was funded by grants from the National Center for Technology Innovation of the U.S. Department of Education. 

Grants for Research: iPad and Communication, New GoTalk Express 32 and more!

The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) has announced the winners of its "Tech in the Works 2010" competition. The grants fund innovative projects that pair researchers and vendors with a goal of improving educational outcomes, especially for special education students.
One of the winners will be working on communication software and podcasts developed for the iPad. The target group is children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and improvement of communication and social skills.
Another winner will be examining the effect of the new GoTalk Express 32 on the communication rates of learners with disabilities. Two other grants were also awarded; Interactive Storybooks for Deaf Kindergartners and Seeing the Possibilities with Videophone Technology.

Assistive Technology Planner: From IEP Consideration to Classroom Implementation

The National Assistive Technology Research Institute website has a downloadable pdf file on AT implementation. I had trouble printing it until I changed the layout to Landscape (but it comes out in portrait). Check it out and comment! Should we put this on an upcoming agenda?