April / May 2010

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Webber HearBuilder Following Directions (Super Duper Publications: 800-277-8737, www.superduperinc.com) This is an excellent new software program designed to give students a systematic way to improve their auditory skills, especially those for following increasingly more complex directions. For both Macintosh and Windows, for Grades PreK to Grade 3 (ages 4-9), the program has a toy factory theme, which is present in all activities. There are five separate modules with 14-20 levels in each. In Basic Directions (The Tool Room), students follow one-step directions with one element through one step directions with six elements (i.e.

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Sorting reality from untruth in decades-old myths can be a complicated but enlightening part of finding the right augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) solutions at any point in time. This article highlights three common myths that may surface while making AAC decisions. Myth #1: AAC use interferes with the development or use of typical speechSpeech-language pathologists and autism specialists often told Kellie Roberts that her son, Chad, stood a greater chance of developing his natural voice without AAC interventions."I didn't know any different for a long time," said Roberts of Canton, Georgia.

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"Can I check my e-mail one more time, just in case my pen pal has written?" "Is it my turn to create a blog post?" These are examples of questions asked on a daily basis by students in the Inclusion Program at Highland Park Junior High, which is part of the Saint Paul (Minnesota) Public Schools. Students with the educational label of developmental cognitive disability, autism, other health impaired and/or physically impaired, all of whom are struggling readers and writers, are asking for opportunities to read and write using various technologies. Many of these students came to Highland with limited reading and writing skills.

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We have the technology, but do you have the creativity to make it work? Divergent thinking is how most professionals who assist individuals with disabilities go about their everyday routine. With duct tape and foam rubber, we can create just about any type of gadget that will allow those who are functionally limited to be limitless. Technology can be manipulated to produce the same results.

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Assistive technology (AT) can help students with learning disabilities to read, write and spell. Research shows that assistive technology can not only help these students in their academic pursuits, it can be a lifeline for them to obtain and maintain gainful employment (Hasselbring& Bausch, 2005). There are many teachers who have tried to use assistive technology with students with learning disabilities (LD), yet some of these students did not want - or even refused - to use it.

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Currently, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) indicates that studies have found between eight and 12 people per 1,000 experience severe communication disorders, impairing their oral communication and requiring AAC (Castrogiovanni, 2008). Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) may be used to assist individuals with communication disorders. It is not part of our mission to promote any one AAC device over another.

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Read:OutLoud 6 is an assistive technology software that makes it easy for students with disabilities to navigate the latest eBooks and comprehend text in a multi-modal digital learning environment. The software makes the Internet accessible and includes a robust set of reading tools to support below-grade level readers. A new human sounding speech engine provides the latest Acapela voices to read text aloud to support auditory learners. In today"s schools, general education curriculum is not readily available in accessible formats for students with cognitive, physical or print disabilities, or for a student with a reading disability, such as dyslexia.

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Alexicom Tech is proud to introduce the world's first Internet-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. This system is extremely accessible and opens up a world of opportunity for many people who cannot afford a dedicated AAC device or who want more portability from their AAC system. Designed by parents of an AAC user and speech-language pathologists, Alexicom is extremely user friendly and has the ability to grow with the user as his or her needs change.Alexicom uses cloud computing technology to provide the most versatile AAC option available today - Alexicom works on PCs and Macs, desktops and laptops, touch screens, Smartboards, iPhone or iPod touch, etc., anywhere, at any time.

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The Learning Systems Group (LSG) of Freedom Scientific, Inc., developer of literacy software designed to create custom learning environments for all students, announced that a new article published in the Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET) (www.tamcec.org/jset) found statistically significant test gains for students using WYNN's study tools. The article by Mark Horney, Lynne Anderson-Inman, and others, titled "Exploring the Effects of Digital Note Taking on Student Comprehension of Science Texts," appears in the current issue of JSET.Both General Education and Special Education Students Show GainsThe article describes a study done in 2007 and 2008 to investigate the effects of text notes and voice notes on the comprehension of science texts by fifth grade students. There were both special education and regular education students in the study.

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Powerful and sleek at just 2 cm (0.78") thick and weighing only 812 grams (1.8 lbs), the BrailleNote Apex is designed for portability and functionality. Intelligent ergonomics have always been the benchmark of HumanWare products, and the BrailleNote Apex performs with comfort and agility. A comfortable full-size Braille keyboard makes notetaking quick and easy, while HumanWare's signature thumb keys make extensive reading effortless."As a proud supporter of Braille literacy, HumanWare is committed to developing products that help blind people to fully participate in the quickly evolving, digital world around them.

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