Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology is any item, piece of equipment, or product that is used to increase, maintain or improve the abilities of individuals.
Teachers use assistive technology devices to ensure that all students in the classroom have an equal and inclusive opportunity to participate in and benefit from the learning process.
Assistive Technology for Vision: Aids students who are blind or have low vision.
Assistive Technology for Communication: Aids students who have difficulty in communicating effectively (i.e., they are unintelligible, have no or very little verbal skills, or have limited language proficiency).
Assistive Technology for Access: Aids students who have difficulties in accessing communication, learning tools, or engaging in classroom or home activities.
Assistive Technology for Hearing: Aids students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Assistive Technology for Learning and Studying: Aids students with high-incidence disabilities (learning, behavior, or cognitive disabilities) to increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities.
There are some common Computer programs to help students in their learning.
TextHELP Read & Write GOLDRead and Write is a world renowned software system for students with learning disabilities. It is designed to help students with their reading and writing skills. Its ability to read text out loud is enhanced with a talking spell checker, thesaurus and word prediction feature. Read and Write has screen reading options.http://www.texthelp.com/
Kurzweil 3000Kurzweil is a program designed to help students with their reading and writing skills. Its ability to scan and read text allows the student to strengthen comprehension through auditory and visual representation. The study skills toolbar has a number of valuable options.http://www.kurzweiledu.com/
Dragon Naturally SpeakingDragon Naturally Speaking is voice recognition software. A student can directly dictate into the computer, eliminating the need to type. Dragon Naturally Speaking works well for students who can verbalize their thoughts but may have difficulties in writing.www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking/
Inspiration Inspiration is a program to develop ideas and organize thinking in a visual format. It can be used to brainstorm, create concept maps, flowcharts and outlines in words or in pictures.http://inspiration.com/
ZoomTextZoomText Xtra is a adaptive software for Windows 95, 98, ME, NT,2000, and XP that integrates multiple technologies including magnification and screen reading. It will read all on-screen text.http://www.aisquared.com/
JAWSJAWS is a screen reading and magnification software. It works with, but does not replace, most computer applications.http://www.hj.com/
Read PleaseScreen reading software developed in Thunder Bay with excellent pronunciation and natural sounding voices. An excellent free version can be downloaded from their website. http://www.readplease.com/
Examples of assistive equipment recommended to students according to their specific needs:Palm Pilot and PDAs The Palm Pilot is a portable and convenient hand-held device that has several useful features. It allows the user to organize events/assignments and type notes (with a portable keyboard) that can later be downloaded to any PC. For more information visit: http://www.palmone.com/Alpha SmartThe Alpha Smart is a convenient, lightweight and portable keyboard that can be used to take notes in class. Notes can later be downloaded to any PC. It allows the user to strengthen keyboarding and writing skills. For more information visit:http://www.alphasmart.com/Franklin Speaking Language MasterThe Franklin Master is a handheld device that can be used to correct miss-spellings and pronounce words. It also provides the user with a grammar guide to aid in the writing process.For more information visit: http://www.franklin.com/
Reading PenThe Reading Pen is a portable pen-shaped device that can be used to scan, hear and define text. It contains a database of over 400, 000 words. It allows the user to strengthen comprehension by listening to words and their definitions. For more information visit: http://www.wizcomtech.com/
Quick Link Scanner Pen
The Quick Link Scanner Pen is an electronic highlighter that enables you to scan, store and transfer printed text, and small images to your PC, laptop or PDA. The scanner pen enables the creation of study notes from a textbook.http://www.wizcomtech.com/
FM System An FM System consists of a radio transmitter and microphone (to be worn by an instructor) and a receiver and headphones (to be worn by the student). This allows the user to listen closely to the instructor, while helping to filter out background noise.

Social Skills

Teaching Social Skills
Teaching the importance of using appropriate social skills belongs in every classroom regardless of grade or subject. Many children with behavior needs benefit from the ongoing teaching of social skills. In the inclusional model, children with special needs will benefit from the social skills learned by the regular students. When you think about it, most classroom and yard problems are a direct result of inappropriate social skills. Social skills are skills that can be learned at all ages, students need to be reminded that even adults continue to learn social skills. Students need to understand the importance of using effective social skills.

What are the Social Skills?
· Cooperation
· Sharing
· Participation
· Being a Friend
· Helping Others
· Being Patient
· Following Directions
. Taking Turns
· Remaining on Task
· Accepting Differences
· Listening
· Praising Others and Refraining from Put Downs
· Positive Communication and Interactions
· Being Polite and Courteous
· Using Good Manners
· Respecting Ourselves, Others and Items
· Being Respectful

Life Skills

How to Teach an Autistic Child Life Skills

Children with autism must develop life skills to function in society, both during childhood and adulthood. Teaching these skills, such as personal hygiene and money management, to children is challenging but it can be incredibly rewarding.

1- Develop an educational curriculum that addresses the child's specific needs. No two children with autism are alike, so it's crucial to familiarize yourself with a child's strengths and weaknesses before implementing a life skills program.
2- Use picture cards to help a child to identify common objects, like foods and signs. Picture cards are also a useful tool in teaching kids how to identify human emotions. Picture cards, much like flash cards, are most effective when used consistently.
3- Supplement your one-on-one life skills lessons with videos specifically designed for children with special needs. Much like computer-based learning models, videos that teach basic skills, like tooth brushing, potty training and dressing, may be more effective than teaching that relies on personal interaction.
4- Be consistent. Children with autism must operate in an orderly, scheduled environment to thrive. Plan daily activities carefully, established consistent sleeping and waking times, meal times and play times. Utilize a calendar or day planner and a clock or watch for planning. Include the child in the scheduling process, which will teach him to keep track of time.
http://www.cindysautisticsupport.com/