August / September 2010

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It happens towards the end of every school year. I find myself in the back of presentation rooms rather than in the front, where I would be typically lecturing, training on software or coaching staff to implement some AT tool or strategy. Why am I in the back? It's the best place for a trainer to be - because those that have been the participants for a series of AAC implementation in the classroom workshops spread over five days through the whole school year are now taking their place in the front, presenting their student cases, their hard work, their videos and their data.

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Introduction How do you feel about the low tech communication systems you are developing? Are your clients able to communicate efficiently and effectively? Can they question and comment or stay connected to the conversation? For most of us who are responsible for creating communication systems, these questions haunt us daily. Did you ever consider why your clients are not using their communication systems for functional or interactive communication? You may feel confident that their physical access is appropriate, but do you feel as confident about the vocabulary? How do you determine which words are the most essential for your client? After attending a session presented by Bruce Baker, founder and president of Semantic Compaction Systems, at an American Speech and Language Hearing Association Convention, the assistive technology staff of Baltimore County Public Schools reconsidered and revamped their process of vocabulary selection. This new process proved to be successful, opening the doors to functional and interactive communication.

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Before the Intel Reader, Jenny Smith kept dyslexia at home. Now that she uses the Intel Reader to read a book in a day instead of in weeks, Jenny's confidence has gone up. Instead of keeping dyslexia at home, Jenny gives speeches about dyslexia, including a presentation to her school, where most people had no idea that she had a learning disability.

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- A child struggles, on her way to "melting down" in a small classroom in Wisconsin. Her special education teacher doesn't even pause to take a breath while pushing the button on the remote control that starts "MeMoves." The young girl stops and turns to face the video monitor. Calmed, she begins to quietly follow the movements that she sees on the screen.

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Access to print material can be hampered by various conditions, including sensory and organic disabilities. With the advent of computer and electronic technologies, it has become possible to convert paper-based-information into digital and audio formats. The increasing number of textbooks is offered on disks and online.

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Introduction Worksheets are used to increase guided practice or independent practice of skills that have already been taught. Children with learning difficulties often require additional practice to achieve mastery and often worksheets are used to serve this purpose. In Malaysia, because of the lack of resources for special needs, special education teachers often make copies of worksheets taken from kindergarten or primary school books to be used for children with cognitive disabilities.

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Abstract The primary aim of this article provides readers with a discussion about specific tools and features of two versions of the word processing program, Microsoft Word 2003 and Microsoft Word 2007, that may be of benefit in helping students with dyslexia in their studies. As newer versions of Microsoft Word are released, so are more comprehensive features being offered to many users including students with dyslexia. In the course of this article, a selection of the most important facilities will be outlined followed by describing how each feature operates, in addition to pointing out its potential benefit for student use.

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Texthelp Systems, award-winning software publisher, has announced the newest release of its literacy support software solution, Read&Write 4 GOLD for Mac. Read&Write 4 GOLD for Mac directly integrates with familiar Apple Macintosh applications, including Microsoft Word for Mac 2008, Safari and Adobe Reader, giving students access to the reading, writing and research support tools they need while working within the programs they use everyday. The exciting new features and enhancements in Version 4 provide even more support for the variety of learning styles and abilities found in today's schools, colleges and universities. New features include Screenshot Reader, Screen Masking, a MOBILE USB version and Feature Video Tours.

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WinZoom USB is truly portable and will run on any Windows compatible computer with no software installation required. Simply plug WinZoom USB in and the autoplay function will launch the application immediately and let you use it without having to download any software or drivers. There are no administrative privileges required, which is key when using a public computer, such as ones at a hotel, library, school or even at a friend's house.

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Branch of the Vine Software and Marblesoft have announced the release of their new software program, "The Lord is My Shepherd" Mac/Win CD. Designed for the home user who uses assistive technology or the Sunday school classroom reaching out to individuals with special learning needs, The Lord is My Shepherd is intended to reach all users with the message of God's love for them. No prerequisite skills are required.The Lord is My Shepherd CD presents Psalm 23, Good News Translation, in 12 screens, with each line of the Psalm illustrated and animated.

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The Center for AAC & Autism and Autism Today have released Autism Tomorrow, The Complete Guide to Help Your Child Thrive In the Real World, a comprehensive new reference guide for families of children with autism. The 256-page guide is available at no cost from www.autismtomorrow.com or by calling 866-9AUTISM (928-8476); readers pay only for tax and shipping/handling. Autism Tomorrow covers topics of concern for families of children faced with the communication, social and emotional challenges associated with autism.

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Lingraphica, maker of the Lingraphica speech-generating device for aphasia, announces the release of its even more user-friendly Lingraphica 7, crafted by designers in response to feedback from both speech-language pathologists and Lingraphica users. New One-Click Navigation mode allows users to navigate through the icon vocabulary with one simple click of a mouse, which makes finding icons and creating messages fast and intuitive. The smart spell help enables the Lingraphica to suggest corrections for words that are misspelled, taking the worry out of spelling. A new Icon Editor allows users, caregivers and health-care professionals to customize their own icon vocabularies by easily creating new icons and changing existing ones.

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