April / May 2001

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When working in inclusive settings, demands for writing more often present difficult barriers to children, adolescents, and adults with learning disabilities. Particular difficulties with writing may include: problems in formulating goals, generating and organizing ideas, forming sentences, writing fluency and style, syntax, mechanical errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar, poor attitudes toward writing and a less mature metacognitive understanding of the writing process. These difficulties can be improved by the use of a structured writing model accompanied, when necessary, by assistive technology.

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Last October, I attended my first Closing The Gap conference. As an educational technology coordinator, I wanted to learn more about assistive technologies, particularly those that would benefit a range of student needs. Almost every session I attended mentioned Inspiration, software that uses pictures and diagrams to visually organize ideas and thinking.

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AT service providers have all been there. A client is seen at the clinic, school or in the home. An assessment is completed, recommendations are made, and devices are purchased.

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In the previous column, we examined the use of technology in making curriculum accommodations and modifications. We observed that teachers working with students in inclusion settings face a relentless demand to modify curricular, instructional, and assessment materials.Modifications will always be necessary as a result of technology, media, and materials that are not designed with an understanding of the range of diversity found in every classroom. It is also important to note that modifications are always reactive.

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Bill shares his experience with buying Macs and Mac stuff by mail order. Richard shares more of his thinking about migrating from SCSI to FireWire. Both of us flame about being Mac users in a Windows world.Bill: Mail order MacsTo be a Mac user is to be part of the minority.

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication Speaking Up and Spelling It Out (Fried-Oken& Bersani: Paul H. Brookes: 800-638-3775) In this outstanding book, 27 individuals who use AAC (teens to seniors) give their personal accounts on how living with AAC has affected them. They discuss education, employment, technology, and family through personal essays, poems and interviews.

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The new iCommunicator system, developed by Interactive Solutions, Inc., allows users to comprehend spoken language, achieve two-way communication with independence, improve reading skills, improve linguistics and learn sign language (optional). The system gives the user more independence and greater ease of communication. It provides exceptional access opportunities in education, employment, travel, entertainment and government services.

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This popular remedial reading software is based on the renowned Orton-Gillingham method of structured, intensive phonics. The Language Tune-Up Kit (LTK) comes in versions suitable for home and school use. Many home schooling families, and parents of children with learning difficulties use LTK.It's designed for ages 7 and older, and teens and adults currently reading at grade level 0-4.

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Choice Magazine Listening (CML) is a free audio anthology for a special audience of blind, visually impaired or physically handicapped subscribers. CML was created in 1962 by the non-profit Lucerna Fund to offer the best of contemporary magazine writing, completely without charge, to adults unable to read standard print.CML selects and records memorable writing from over 100 leading magazines. Every other month, this unique, free service offers its subscribers eight hours of outstanding unabridged articles, fiction and poetry read by professional voices and recorded on four-track cassette tapes.The required four-track player is provided free of charge by the Library of Congress through its Talking Book program, which is available to those who are unable to read because of visual or physical handicap.For more information, contact Choice Magazine Listening, 85 Channel Dr., Port Washington, NY 11050; Phone 516-883-8280; Fax 516-944-6849; E-mail choicemag@aol.com; Web site members.aol.com/choicemag.

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A new product available in western Pennsylvania exclusively through Rx Partners pharmacies and nationally through Rx Partners Specialty pharmacy, an affiliate of UPMC Health System, will make taking prescription medication easier and safer for those with visual impairments.ASKO Corporation of Stamford, NY, manufacturer of the Aloud audio labeling system, has signed an agreement with Rx Partners giving it exclusive rights to market the product through Rx Partners pharmacies and UPMC outpatient pharmacies in 42 counties of western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia and nationally via Rx Partners' prescription mail service.Aloud is a 3-inch-tall device that plays a pharmacy-recorded audio message placed on a medication bottle. The pharmacy's message identifies the contents of the bottle and tells how to use the medication safely.The re-usable Aloud audio label is a digital recording chip housed in a small plastic base that is attached to the prescription container. The pharmacy records the medication information onto the audio label after filling the prescription.

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Enabling Devices& Toys for Special Children introduces a number of exciting toys and devices. We have created five unique switches to make learning or simply playing, more stimulating. We have added to our new line of Take N' Talks and created a miniature version of our popular Shooting Stars.

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Education Insights, Inc.'s line of electronic learning aids has three new additions to its Early Learning Series. Designed for ages 3 and up, Counting Cat, Phonics Firefly and Piccolo Touch and Talk Interactive Discovery Center are interactive learning toys that prepare young children for kindergarten, first grade and beyond.Counting Cat teaches basic mathematical skills as the yellow cat captivates players with shining lights and a clear, friendly voice that actually keeps count! Counting Cat has two play modes: In the first, the cat gives the number of sliding counters players move; in the second, the cat says the addition or subtraction sentence after each move (for example, "You had six. You took away four.

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