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ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING LIBRARY
Systems and Structures that Support Assistive Technology
Sarah Davidson and Nicki Woods
Setting up your class for students with complex learning needs requires a strong foundation in best practices for complex learners. Seeing is believing so come and get inspired! Learn how one public school, Fletcher Miller Special School, in Lakewood, CO, has built a program specializing in the complex and emergent population ages 3-21 years.
Participants will be given a front row seat to discover how AT at Fletcher Miller is supported by environmental considerations as well as school-wide planning and problem-solving structures (that include all team professionals). Explore examples of how AT, when powerfully combined with quality curriculum and specialized and targeted planning for emergent learners, is yielding powerful results. Leave empowered with pictures, videos, ideas, templates, connections, and inspiration for more targeted emergent instruction!
Switching to Self-Regulation: Using AT to Create a Sensory-Based Calming Space
Kelly Clark
Do your students seem to experience a variety of emotions that you struggle to interpret? Do your students have trouble expressing their self-regulation needs due to inconsistent communication or access to assistive technology? Do you need guidance in providing students with accessible tools to regulate themselves?
This presentation will prepare you to advocate for your students’ emotional and regulation needs and provide you with the tools to create a calming space where students can safely practice self-regulation skills in a supportive environment. You will leave with practical strategies for using readily available materials that can be simply switch-adapted to support students’ regulation needs and target a variety of sensory systems.
Bringing Literacy to Life: Using AAC & Sensory Elements to Build Connections
Megan Stewart
One of the hallmark features of a comprehensive literacy program is helping learners build connections to what they are reading. However, helping students with complex communication needs build these connections can prove to be a challenge, especially when tasked with integrating varying types of AAC and additional strategies for literacy instruction, while keeping in mind their individual sensory needs.
Throughout this session, participants will examine the benefits of incorporating AAC, literacy, and sensory components into lessons, and discuss how incorporating these elements into lessons increases learners’ motivation, connection to, and engagement within the lesson. Additionally, examples of successful lessons and school-wide activities will be shared with opportunities for participants to brainstorm and construct lessons and activities for implementation in various settings.
Taming the Advice Monster: Strategies to Support Collaborative Efforts
Carolyn O’Hearn
The students we serve often have complex needs, which necessitates a team-based approach – communication isn’t and can’t just be a “speech thing.” While it may be easier for us to provide direct answers or advice to those working with complex communicators, coaching often yields better understanding and willingness to shift practices overall.
During this session, participants will be provided an opportunity to reflect on their current practices while they learn practical tools and strategies for engaging adult learners as partners to create more systemic, sustainable change.
Join us for this interactive session where participants will learn about Jim Knight’s Partnership Principles, GROWTH coaching, and how to support adult learners (yes, it’s different than working with students). The strategies learned within this session can be applied to individual teams as well as AAC capacity-building efforts.
Unlocking the Magic of AI: Beginning Skills for Educators
Anne Truger
Join us for an exciting webinar where we will explore the world of artificial intelligence and its applications in education. This webinar is designed for educators who are new to AI and are interested in dipping their toes into the AI world.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in education, offering innovative tools and resources to support educators in their quest to enhance teaching and learning experiences. In this engaging webinar, participants will embark on a journey to explore the world of AI and its practical applications in educational settings.
By the end of the session, participants will emerge equipped with the knowledge and inspiration to begin their AI journey, empowered by the possibilities that AI has to offer. This webinar promises to be an interactive and enlightening experience, providing educators with the tools and insights needed to unlock the magic of AI in their educational endeavors. We will specifically focus on the capabilities of MagicSchool.ai and a variety of other tools.
The iPad and Support for Struggling Readers & Writers: Middle School through Higher Ed
Mark Coppin
This webinar explores how the iPad can be used as a powerful tool to support struggling readers and writers in middle school through higher education. The webinar covers a range of built-in literacy supports available on the iPad, including text-to-speech, word prediction, and highlighting tools, and demonstrates how these features can benefit students with different learning needs.
Additionally, the webinar highlights third-party apps that can enhance the iPad’s capabilities even further, including apps that provide advanced text-to-speech functionality, convert text to sign language, and provide writing supports. Participants will learn best practices for integrating the iPad and its literacy supports into their instruction, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools in improving students’ literacy outcomes!
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2024 RESOURCE DIRECTORY
A Guide to Over 1,500 Assistive Technology Products for Children and Adults with Disabilities
The ultimate guide for exploring the latest advancements in assistive technology products for children & adults with disabilities. It encompasses everything, from cutting-edge software to innovative hardware. This guide has been carefully curated to facilitate your discovery, research & comparison of the latest assistive technology products on the market today. Check it out today!
FRONT PAGE REPORT
The latest developments and product releases in the assistive technology industry.
Front Page Report
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Closing The Gap Alliance Partner Program highlights strategic partners, association, organizations and other non-profits who are committed to serving children and adults with disabilities and their families.
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