class december 1

dasher project:
"off the wall"
why use it for people with disabilities?
-not too much fine motor necessary, can be used with eye gaze and blinking
-varying speeds to access letters by left or right arrow
-letter prediction capabilities are simple and user friendly
-free
-online
-research and experimental from the UK

M. Bosch
big issues of assistive tech is assessment
also implementation
article:
outline for a formal plan
everyone has a role, including paraprofessional, teacher, and specialist
we can get the tech but getting it into the classroom and used properly is the issue
implementation!!!
U of kentucky has major grants in assistive tech
NATRI grant
examined factors
-status of AT and the role it provides
-policies and procedures
-IEP decision making\
-integrating AT in environment
-affects of AT on academic, social, and functional performance
-training and tech
-extent to which IHEs are developing AT knowledge and skills

quality indicators: the assistive tech consideration process and results are documented in IEP
planning is more important: technology planner
read article

match assistive tech to student, what do they need to accomplish the goal
-task analysis
-try it out
-identify the point of contact
-assigning responsibility of AT tasks
-specifying training
-connecting AT to IEP goals
-monitoring and evaluating use

PRE strategy:
physical space of the room
routines of the students
equipment functioning

assistive technology needs research

communication with family and teachers: training



final present on the 15th
post
put in a form to give to the teacher
chris will deliver
usable form for the teacher

Kurzweil3000 tutorial

scanning and editing documents:
clsoe dialog box,
toolbars:
minimized by clicking colored thing
study skills, math, reading, writing toolbars
to scan in , place doc on scanner, click scan

"this document has been successfully scanned"
doc preparation toolbar: tools menu, customize menu, apply toolbar set,doc prep, read text, zone edit to change zone read my program, underline text can be changed, spell check,
zone edit and edit text
left to right edit is best, read, check zone, edit text to be sure recognition of scanned doc
zone editor, highlighted text show that words are recognized by program, primary text it yellow, secondary blue, graphic green
to activate a zone for editing, click it, adjust zone, drag to create boundary


pay attention to columns and how they are read
right click for menu
adding a new zone:
right click not in a zone, click add zone, click drag to create new zone, new zone will be read last, therefore change the # for reading order, double click item to change order,

E-Book assignment

Pt 1 Classroom Suite review
1. Download the 30-day trial that was found in Focus on Technology #10 (November 10, 2008). (You can also find this in Course Materials on BB, Software Applications.)

2. Go to Pages 114-115 in your textbook and Pages 132-136. Review these pages and write a 1-2 page assessment of Classroom Suite from your point of view, using the questions found on Figure 5-1 (page 114-115) as a guide.

guided software evaluation pg 115 fig. 5-1 (to determine appropriateness...quickly)
purpose of computer?
-alt. means to complete work participation, knowledge demonstration?
-teaching basic concepts and academic skills?
-providing practice with basic concepts or academic skills?
-finding info or research?
-play, leisure, exploration?
-self-expression,making choices?
-practicing basic concepts?
-encourage emergent literacy
-other___________________
What is the content of the program?

-does it match the purpose of computer?
-does it match student interest?
Matching student needs
young and non readers benefit from speech output
students with attention difficulties may benefit from basic, non distracting program
uncluttered screens for perception difficulties
speech output for visual impairment
children with physical and cog impairments may not need response or interaction
Flexibility
-can the visual display be customized?
-can sound or music be turned off?
-can levels be selected or modified?
-can content be selected?
-can speech or reaction time be modified?

pg 132-136
Authoring software in special education
-creates opportunities for students who need a computer and those who do not but can become engaged with a computer
-can potentially support success with the general curriculum when set up correctly
Classroom Suite uses intellipics, intellimathics, intellitalk to create a variety of activities with customization to specific students or student

Classroom Suite
WOW! this program is amazing
you can connect with your boardmaker library and the huge collection of images and info the program supplies. so far, it seems like you can do anything
good amount of categories and great illustrations, can also import your own which opens tuns of very specific possibilities
the templates cover the basic needs of a teacher in a rush but give an outlet for some really meaningful and relevant content
in the make it move program, I did not like that there were no clues given and the pictures would have to be something students were previously familiar with, even I could not get the "make it fly away" command correct with foru tries, I just wanted a clue...
I guess these are things could can change about your specific program which you create
counting activity is fun, but during quiz, i think it could have been better
I think there is a lot to learn in order to really utilize the potential of the program, they give you many options but as any technology, it is on the teacher to become proficient users and make the most opportunity for the students.
In terms of creating an ebook, you would have to scan all pages then either retype the text if you want the automatic voice or just leave it as is. You could also scan the picture and block out the words to create a simpler story line with the same book to differentiate instruction
i am thinking, though, couldn't we be using powerpoint for the same thing, if our budget doesn't allow for intellitools?

also, I am wondering about copyright issues, is it legal to digitize a book?



Pt 2 Go to the CAST website listed and take a look at the examples of eBooks that they have available for use. Think about the questions on Figure 5-1 (page 114-115) and assess these UDL books from your perspective. Provide 1-2 page analysis. (You will also find this website on BB, Course Materials, Software Applications as well.)
CAST examples for review
Tell tale heart
automated voice is distracting but adds to the creepiness of the story. The automaticity of it places the wrong emphasis on many syllables.
highlight and click was simple for me, but I could see this posing a challenge for someone with difficulties in fine motor. the reader could also click on the yellow highlight text tool for a simpler task of just clicking where the speech should begin, but better option for those who the previous description doesn't work. the paper and pencil symbols highlighted literature techniques like alliteration, similes, and personification.
the specifically colored highlighter option was tricky to figure out, and the purpoe, I do not know. I guess the individual can select the easiest background fro him or her to read.
By highlighting and double clicking a word, the program connects with a search engine to find the definition. this feature is handy for sure but it seems that only a small population would utilize this feature
the spanish translation tool has a lot of potential as well. i was disappointed to see that you cannot hear the spanish translation, only see it. So this feature will be useful for second language acquisition of either spanish or english for students with strong reading skills.
stop and think predictions were good, the student can move on without them. But the coaches were cute, but i couldn't get them to work properly, the auto text kept going

lower level book has the option of choosing high, moderate, or low support
high support: did not seem like enough support, highlight and click tool needed to begin auto reading and it just kept reading through all of the options of predictions, coaches..etc
low support: seemed the same to me as high support
from the CAST website:

* Leveled supports for reading strategies and author's craft
* Context-specific multimedia glossary
* Enrichment activities
* Multimedia resources for background information
* Texthelp Toolbar for text-to-speech, highlight and gather, dictionary and encyclopedia links, and translations between English and Spanish

Class November 17, 2008

google or youtube search to find how tos with pp

save as show vs presentation to decrease the file size to post or email...

Jade used the first page to ID buttons and purposes-good idea, i could have used this

shannon's audio did not work either, talk to her about fixing, maybe then it worked but she had wav files

i could hear my audio super quiet on media player but still not through pp

sara did roll over language, for a student who is an energetic mouse user, a limit to the number of rollovers would be helpful, like just one. Sara displayed that in rolling over a bunch the language overlaps and loses significance. It can be more trouble than it is worth.

need a strong ground in curriculum, figure your what you want first, then accommodate that through your presentation

powerpoint is old, movement to WEB 2.0

smart board is fueled by smart notebook

technology is moving forward but the $$$ isn't going with it

Carol Goossens lecture

about the speaker
Carol Goossens’


Hi, I am a speech-language pathologist and special educator currently working as a consultant at the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson, New York. For the past 15 years I have worked as a consultant to several agencies in the New York City area (United Cerebral Palsy of New York City, New York City Schools, Herbert G Birch Services and The Shield Institute) and as a result have had the good fortune of working with a broad spectrum of children with special needs (children with developmental delays, multiple handicaps, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, English as a second language). I’m especially interested in the area of Augmentative and Alternative Communication and love the challenge of working with children with Complex Communication Needs. In my spare time? you ask … I enjoy making large puppets and creating art quilts that incorporate New York City graffiti (yes, I did say graffiti). Ask me about my cat’s VOCA.
taken from http://www.ncds.org/GI/ireland/bio.aspx?ID=31 on November 15, 2008


Sapphire: 10 years old 3rd grader, very motivated and eager to please
she would be a challenge because she is in a wheelchair and from clip, she displayed a lot of spastic movements
sever ballistic movement patterns-she is not able control body, always in motion
lets get into negative speech, shall we?
-cannot walk
-cannot talk
-cannot feed herself
-cannot turn book pages
-cannot write with a pencil
technology can possibly the necessity
it isn't solely about the technology, match tech with needs of indivdual
all about teamwork
lots of team support
communicates often with nonverbal head shape and yes eye-gaze, differentiated groans, used eye gaze to communicate
non-electronic communication pages
access to her communication pages? used head-pointer early on,
ACCESS: Headpointer
head pointer advantages:
-easy to make
-only means to independently access comm device
-easy to point or mark manipulatives
head pointer disadvantages
-potentially hazardous with poking other students
ergonomics, straining on her neck, fatiguing
-limited functional range
-this particular model was not stable
possible improvements? custom leather housing fro stability, angles tip to improve ease of use

a collection of techniques is usually necessary to really make headway

current access:electronic switches
using head switch and scanning selection technique to access vocabulary
highlighted vocab one by one, child hits switch to select
advantages:
-less fatiguing
disadvantages:
-slow
-requires a lot of practice to gain reliability

Diagnosis:
CP, quadraparesis with severe ballistic movement patters
functional implications of movement patterns:
impact: -task of feeding keeping hands away from food -safety to self, scratching accidentally -safety to others, involuntary harm -ability to reliably access the curriculum
potential solution:
-upper and lower extremity stabilization in order to access curriculum
?tuck arms beneath her chest harness
problems:arms slipped out of harness, worries of poor posture
potential: custom made upper extremity stabilizer
collaboration amongst multiple experts to try out different apparatus
confusion with stabilizer or restraint? how does the child feel about that? it allowed her to do more things than she could normally do, and therefore, it truely was a stabilizer
custom made worked great
-increased feeding time
BUT...perioding jaw locking...is it the result of the stabilizer or something else?
also at home, and stabilizer not at home
*need for wearing schedule
roll with the punches
she bottled up involumtaries and it manifested in another form
changes needed over time with change in weather

Access: Eye Pointing another access point
based on eye track during movement of a letter board
advantages:
-fast for spelling tests
disadvantages:
-communication through spelling is slow
-need good spelling skills (Sapphire only had beginner spelling skills)

therefore not good for communication
Access: Light pointer
light on head
advantages:
-not as fatiguing as headpointer
-more accurate
-broader range of access

they made a custom piece more comfortable and less cumbersome than the manufactured one
about the screen to point at...
-angled vs vertical
-best range of motion
tested out both with games, ended up with vertical
during this engagement, sapphire had her first apontaneous communication!!! yay
checked in the classroom
this previous was all preliminary, now onto range of motion, size of symbols
peers seemed to view her in a different light given her new ability for communication

pause at 50 minutes because this connection is not working right, causing more frustration than it is worth right now

determined range of use and then determine size of symbols
making adaptive materials accessible to all students eliminates some of the stigma involved
"disabled"
looking as locomotion...powerchair...$$$$
switches on headrest to control the movement
team approach again: team kind of talked about Sapphire like she is not therem respect for each other, but i don't like the way they are manipulating sapphire without verbally addressing her
team submitted twice for a powerchair and received in a long time 1 year 7 monthslater cost: $30,000
who paid? either the state or insurance, not parents
training from january 2005
looked into navigation issues, hallways, classroom, home, outside, independance
Access: Head Controled mouse
begins with facilitated screening
at computer used classroom suite for electronic books

art activities on the computer coloring, drawing, applying virtual makeup, stamping
e-book options of recording, go forward, go back, read again
can do recorded speech or synthetic speech(highlights words as they are read synthetically)

Sapphire does great with her new technology

link to classroom suite http://www.intellitools.com/
kid pix deluxe http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/IT/TSC/prof_dev/kidpix3/
e-books assignment she says is great for students developmentally delayed or who have autism, I think its great for all children
booby-traps embedded within the program (3 of them)
requirements: take a book, scan a minimum of 8 pages, import pages into an ebook template, must be fully functional, operates smoothly, attention to detail
create a text box to retype in the text

Implementation of Assistive Technologies in Schools Ch 12 of Assistive Technology in the Classroom

IDEA 2004 , section 504 of rehabilitation act,and americans with disabilities act all say:
students with disabilities must have access to education, are protected from discrimination based on having a disability
IDEA requires consideration of students' needs for assistive tech during the development of their IEPs

Integration of assistive tech into IEO:
sections in which assistive technologies appeear in IEP:
1. description of special instruction
2. description of supplementary aids and services
3. description of supplementary aids and services\
(may also be included in other areas)

assistive technology should be a means for students to meet general curriculum goals
objectives must be clear enough for everyone to understand the expectation

obstacles:
*digital divide
access to information technology or not, discrepancy between schools, urban vs roural, SES impact
*cultural influence may lean away or towards intervention and display individualism or collectivism
*language of IDEA may be misunderstood, specifically "consideration"
*professional lack a knowledge or skill to maintain the technology
*failure to implement the assistive tech recommendations (usually a matter of time and skill)
*information technology policies (often times, IT personnel are the only ones with the access to frequently change and modify existing technology)
*Funding
IDEA mandates assistive technology but does not fund the system
families may seek financial assistance for assistive technology of a medical nature through Medicaid as well as private health insurance

See the CEC for standards

Issues in the Access Method(s) ch.8 Assistive Technology in the classroom

Assistive Technology decision-making
there is no clear0cut definition for teams to consider in developing and implementing assistive tech, and therefore the process differs from school to school
Exemplary assistive tech decision making:
1. team approach (student, family, professionals including ot, pt, slp, sped)
2. focus on student needs and abilities(what kind of learner if the student? auditory, visual, kinesthetic) (how are the student's phonetic and decoding skills?) (can the student remember keyboard shortcuts?) (can the student control a mouse?)(does the student have control of at least one body part, which one?)
3. examination of tasks to be completed (what are the common activities in the student's daily life?)
4. consideration of envrmntl issues (what locations will you need to accomodate to meet the student's needs?) (do you need a power source?) (check attitudes of surrounding people)
5. trial use of assistive tech (check it out before making the $ commitment)
6. providing necessary supports (training for students and teachers, continuous eval/assessment)
7. view assessment as an ongoing process (be sure it is still carrying out the intended function)

resources for assistive tech assessment:
www.ataccess.org
www.resna.org/taproject/at/statecontacts.html
www.resna.org/PracInAT/CertifiedPractice/Directory/Practitioners.html
www.aota.org/featured/area6/links/LINK03.asp
http://asha.org/proserv/


Quality Indicators for assessment of assistive technology needs
1. assessment procedures are clearly defined and consistently used
2. conducted by multidisciplinary team that involves the student and family
3. conducted in student's customary environment
4. assessment will be conducted within a reasonable timeline
5. recommendations are based on data about the student. envrmt, tasks
6. provides the IEP team with documented recommendations
7. reassessment recurs based on changes in the student, envrmt, and tasks