Assistive Technology for Reading

http://www.gatfl.gatech.edu/tflwiki/index.php?title=Webinar Archives

 

After completing this webinar, I learned a great deal about Assistive Technology for Reading. I learned about the differences between text reader and screen reader. Text reader is often used for students with a learning disability but with adequate vision. For screen reader, it provides access to program navigation and written text. It is often used for students with visual impairments. A good place to get electronic text is www.bookshare.org . Also, it teaches how to highlight and extract key information in the text. This webinar describes how teachers can scaffold information to all students by guiding reader to relevant information within the text. I found this site to be very informative and helpful for me as I am a developing teacher.

 

Helpful Website #2

http://kidblog.org

KidBlog is an outstanding website that you would be able to use in your classroom! It is designed for Kindergarten to 12th grade teachers. It allows for each students to have their own individual blog. Students can publish posts and participate in academic discussions within a secure blogging community within the classroom. Teachers have complete control over student blogs. KidBlog is an awesome way to create classroom discussions. It help students learn digital citizenship, practice writing skills, create an e-portfolio, reflect on learning, and formatively assess writing. This website would be great for all different learner challenges including, ADHD, autism, and learner disabilities like dyslexia. The software is very user friendly. I learned that the teacher can have total control over student blogging but students are still completely involved which is awesome for classroom community!

Helpful Website

http://www.readwritethink.org

This website is an outstanding website for all students! It would help students who struggle with vocabulary, writing poems, comprehension, story maps, and more! Students who are visually impaired would benefit from this website because it provides books on tape and audio recordings to help explain what the task is for each lesson. The software could be used in a classroom or at a home setting. It provides resources for Kindergarten to grade 12. Each grade level has different tasks and tools that would be a huge help with classroom instruction. The software is absolutely user friendly and even uses tabs for each grade level.  I learned that the information on the website can be listened to, read, or read to you. This website is great for differentiating  instruction for a student need or for whole class instruction.

Challenges of Students with Autism

Students with autism face challenges everyday that effect their expressive language. Students with autism have a hard time reading other people. They struggle with reading how people are feeling and social cues. When they are trying to express how they feel, they struggle because sometimes they aren't able to explain their feelings. Sometimes it is expressed through their voice or through body movements. The autism spectrum is so diverse that each child needs their own plan in order to help them communicate to their full potential. Sometimes these students struggle with harming themselves because of not being able to express how they feel. These challenges are not limited to what I have talked about above.

 

VIDEO- Autism difficulties

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1hV4hLKoYY

IEP device #5

Example 7:

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: Brandon communicates by using unintelligible vocalizations. He will physically obtain desired items independently and indicates refusal by pushing objects/people away. Brandon currently understands cause/effect relationships and will activate a switch with voice output to obtain a desired activity. It is questionable whether he understands the specific meaning of the utterance he has produced or if he simply knows that pressing the switch earns him an activity.

Annual Goal: Brandon will select activities and interact with peers/adults within those activities four out of five times when provided with voice output devices.

Brandon should use a device like a Spring Board Plus. This device will allow Brandon to select activities in which he wants to interact with peers and adults. This voce output device will give him choices and then teachers will know if he understands the specific meaning of what he is pressing by how he reacts. I think this device will help Brandon meet his annual goal along with becoming more social with others in his class. 

IEP device #4

Example 6:

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: Andy uses a variety of sounds, gestures, signs, and picture/symbols to communicate with his family. He is very social and enjoys parallel play. Andy does not communicate vocally in the classroom, but does use some gestures. At school Andy will sign, but only with prompts.

Annual Goal: Andy will increase expressive language production by using a variety of communication methods in the classroom, including sign language, gestures, communication boards, pictures, and simple voice output devices during four out of five opportunities.

 

The Big Mac would be an awesome device that would help Andy reach this annual goal. The Big Mac would help increase his expressive language by using a simple voice output device. This device will help to communicate with her peers and won't take away from her enjoying socializing during parallel play. Also, being able to add visuals to the big mac will help her to connect pictures with voice output.

IEP device #3

Example 3:

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: Becky is learning to read and is anxious to complete writing assignments with her peers. She is not able to produce handwritten material due to severe spastic quadriplegia. Becky is interested in using the computer and has been introduced to it. The staff has helped Becky experiment with several switches in a variety of locations. She seems to be most accurate using a switch mounted next to her head.

Annual Goal: Becky will use a single switch mounted on a switch-mounting arm positioned to the right side of her head and scanning software to access the computer 9 out of 10 times for a variety of educational assignments.

Universal Switch Mounting System

 

Universal Switch Mounting System, AbleNet, Inc. 2014 Roseville MN, 1-3

The Universal Switch Mounting System will be an excellent device for Becky to use to help meet her goal. This device is a single switch that can be mounted on the side of her head. This device will allow her to complete educational assignments. Not only will this help to meet her goal, it will help to control her anxiety while writing once she is comfortable using this new device!

IEP device #2

As talked about in my previous post, there are different devices to use for different IEPs.

Example 1:

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: Johnny uses his right hand to write and to physically position his left arm and hand. He has difficulty managing papers as he writes. He collects and utilizes a lap tray, incline board, non-slip mat and modified clipboard but often waits for staff to set up modifications.

     Annual Goal: Johnny will initiate the set-up of his writing station 80% of the time given a chart of needed materials for each task.

I think that a tape or cd recorder would help Johnny to help initiate the set-up of his writing station. He has all of the skills necessary to gather the materials and bring them to his desk but he has trouble motivating himself to complete the steps of set up. A teacher should come up with the steps for him to listen to each morning and have it become part of his daily routine. This would help to meet the students goal to set-up his writing station 80% of the time given a chart of needed materials for each task.

IEP device

Example 2:

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: Eric participates in regular education programs for his academic subjects. His hand strength is limited and he fatigues quickly when doing any handwriting task. Civics and English homework are a particular problem because of lengthy assignments and reports that need to be completed. 

 

 

Annual Goal: Eric will use a computer or portable word processor to complete 100% of his assignments in 10th grade English and Civics classes.

This device would meet the students goal by allowing him to complete all assignments on a portable word processor. When he needs to type lengthy assignments, he won't have to worry about his limited hand strength or fatigue. I feel that this device will be particularly helpful during English and Civics because these classes require longer writing assignments. However, I feel this device would be useful for him to use all day in each subject.