Assistive Technology: Tools for Transition

1. Assistive Technology:Tools for Transition Presented by: Team of Advocates for Special Kids Laura Simmons-Martinez, Technology Project Director

2. What is TASK? • Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) is a Parent Training and information center that serves all ages and all disabilities. • Serves 11 counties in Southern California.

3. What Types of Services Does TASK Offer? • One on one telephone advocacy • Parent education- workshops & advocacy training • Legal rights information • Peer counseling • IEP consultations • Information & referrals • Book & video lending library • TECH center

4. TASK TECH Centers100 W. Cerritos Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92805(866) 828-8275 Toll Free in CA NEW TECH CENTER OPEN IN COMPTON: 612 S. Long Beach Blvd., Compton, CA 90221 (310) 604-1015

5. TASK’s TECH Center Services: • TECH Labs (free to members) • Assistive Technology Evaluations • Guided Labs and Teacher Training • Software Lending Library (Over 1,100 titles) • Equipment Lending Library (toys, switches, etc.) • CAMP Techie (July and August ONLY) • Toddler TECH Time • The TECH Connection • NEW! Apps for ALL • Catalogs, Demo Disks, Resources, and more!!!

6. TASK MEMBERSHIP $35.00 per year, per family • Tax Deductible • FREE Technology Labs • 28 Page Newsletter (6 times a year) • Access to our Software and Equipment Lending Libraries (DEPOSIT REQUIRED)

7. NEW! Free Publication from TASK Assistive Technology focused E-Newsletter • Send an email to: task@taskca.org with the subject line: “E-Newsletter Add” and we will put you on the list.

8. TASK TECH Center100 W. Cerritos Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92805(866) 828-8275 Toll Free in CA www.taskca.org Email:task@taskca.org or Laurasm@taskca.org Laura Simmons-Martinez, Technology Project Director Elizabeth Ortega, A.T. Specialist Eria Miller, TECH Lab Assistant

9. What is Assistive Technology? Assistive Technology Device: “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

10. Types of AT we will Discuss Today: • Low Tech • Hand Held/Portable Devices • Software • Online Resources • Applications (for iDevices)

11. Low Tech

12. Light/Low Tech Options Include: • Pencil Grips • Hi-lighter Tape • Adapted Scissors • Fidgets • Color Filters (overlays) • Carbonless Notebook Paper • Writing Guides

13. Organization/Memory Aids

14. Low Tech Organization/Transition • Calendars (for organization) • Visual Schedules • Can be complex or simplified • Visual Timers • Specialized Watches • Tape Recorders • Planners

15. Organization/Memory • Tape recorders, mini-pocket recorders that allow the user to verbally store and retrieve telephone numbers, appointments, notes, etc. • Headphones or earplugs to shut-out distractions. • Digital Clocks, Digital Watches, Talking Watches. • Auditory Cueing Devices • Visual Schedules/Visual Directions

16. Visual Timers • Products to Consider: • Time Timer • Time Timer Watch • The Visual Timer • Kitchen Timers • Watchminder Time Timer APP

17. Visual Schedules • Calendars Daily Schedule Mini Schedules

18. Silver Lining Multimedia Photo Software CDs available are: • Picture This Professional • Visual Essentials • Visual Foods • Places You Go, Things You Do • Functional Living Skills and Behavioral Rules • School Routines and Rules Sample picture: people category http://www.silverliningmm.com/

19. Hand Held/Portable Devices

20. Products include: • Franklin Products • Dictionaries, Thesaurus, Spell Checkers • Reading pens • Quick Link, Iris Pen Express, Wizcom • Calculators • Large Print, Talking, See N’ Solve • Portable Magnifiers • IPOD or MP3 Player

21. Live Scribe Smart Pens • Smartpens record everything you hear and write so you'll never miss a word. • A smartpen lets you capture words, diagrams, scribbles, symbols and audio - syncing everything you hear to what you wrote. $99.00

22. Portable Reading Devices • Portable OCR • Intel Reader • Pearl • Book Readers • Kindle • Nook • Ipad • Ibooks • Vbooks • Many more • Classmate Reader • Digital Book Players • Victor Reader

23. Intel Reader • The Intel® Reader is a mobile handheld device designed to increase independence for anyone who struggles with reading standard print. • Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel Atom™ processor that converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud while highlighting the text onscreen.

24. Assistive Listening Devices • Devices that amplify sound, although these are not hearing aids. Some also amplify the sound of speech and filter other noises, so listeners may better hear what is being spoken in larger, noisier environments. Products to consider include: • Pocket Talker, HearIt, etc.

25. Software

26. Computer Aided Reading and Writing: • E-books/Audio Books • Screen Readers • Word Prediction • Talking word processors • Contextual Spelling and Grammar Checkers

27. E-Books/Audio Books Electronic books called e-texts may provide an alternative to traditional printed texts for many readers with learning disabilities. E-texts are books in electronic form that can be downloaded from the Internet onto a computer and read out loud to the user using text-to-speech software. Including: • Learning Ally http://www.learningally.org/ (formerly RFBD) • Bookshare.org www.bookshare.org • Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/ • Lit 2 Go http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/

28. Screen Readers/Text to Speech Screen Reader = Software that reads the contents of a computer screen, converting the text to speech. • Screen Reader Products to consider include: • Browsealoud (free) • Aspire Reader • Read Outloud • Read Please (free) • JAWS (BLV) • Window Eyes (BLV)

29. Portable products include: • Premier Literacy • Premier to Go (11 tools on a USB flash drive) • Key to Access(11 literacy tools plus an MP3 player and digital tape recorder) • TextHelp • -Read & Write Gold Mobile • Claro Read USB Stick

30. Key to Accessby: Premier Assistive Technology • By just inserting the MP3 Player into any USB Port, the floating tool bar will appear and then you just select any of the eight different tools. The software NEVER needs to be installed on your computer. All your personal settings are saved on your Key to Access so that no matter which computer you use, your access will be the same.

31. Talking Word Processors Talking Word Processing programs speak aloud what is typed into the computer. Most talking word processors also provide adjustable font size and adjustable foreground and background colors. Programs include: • Write:OutLoud • “The Talking Word Processor” • Doc Reader

32. Write Outloud Solo Edition • Talking Word Processor • Built in Franklin Dictionary • Bibliographer • Spell Checker • Homonym Checker

33. Contextual Spellcheckers These are programs that check grammar, spelling and punctuation in context of the sentence you are writing. • Ginger Software www.gingersoftware.com • Whitesmoke Writer www.whitesmoke.com • Ghotit http://www.ghotit.com/

34. Ginger Software • As the user works on a regular text editor, such as Microsoft Word, Ginger Software automatically detects and corrects unusual spelling mistakes, misused words, and grammatical errors. Try it free: www.gingersoftware.com

35. Word Prediction Programs Word prediction or word completion programs predict words on the basis of the first few letters typed, providing an excellent support tool to poor spellers. • Co:Writer • Read & Write Gold • Word Q • Premier Predictor Pro

36. Word Q/Speak Q • You can emphasize words in the prediction by using topics. A topic is a list of words that are part of your vocabulary that will be predicted faster.

37. Graphic Organizers Graphic Organizers, Mind Maps and Concept Maps are a pictorial or graphical way to organize information and thoughts for understanding, remembering, or writing about. Products to Consider: • Inspiration • Draft Builder • Smart Ideas • Mind Mapper

38. Draft Builder Solo Edition 3 Easy Steps: Create Outline, Notes, Draft

39. Functional/Life Skills Software

40. Independent Living Skills Software by: Attainment Company • Including: • Conversation Skills • Community Success • Information Signs • Grooming for Life • Grocery Words • MANY MORE! www.attainmentcompany.com

41. Read to Learn Software by Attainment Company • Reads stories aloud to students with professional narration. • Text is highlighted word by word, by line or by complete sentence. • A test at the end of each story also provides speech support plus an optional hint feature that directs students to the page that addresses each question. • Students can access the software by mouse, touch screen, IntelliKeys or single switch. Titles include: • Life Skill Readers • Social Story Readers • Safety Skills Reader

42. Personal Success Softwareby Attainment • 53 activities illustrated step-by-step, along with additional tips covering safety and convenience issues. Activities are organized into topics: Personal care (women, men, both), dressing for success (women, men), and clothing care. • Instructors can select a personalized list for each participant. Students review frequently performed activities at the computer. • Use printouts to rehearse activities or as take-home picture cues.

43. Functional Math Software • Marblesoft Money Skills • Attainment Company • Dollars and Cents • Counting Coins • Calculator Tutor • Time Scales • Match Time

44. Dollars and Centsby: Attainment Company • Three programs on one CD! • Includes the intro level First Money, which identifies money names and values, Spending Money, where the user goes from store to store to buy things on a shopping list, and Making Change, our most advanced money program where the user is a store clerk.

45. Attainment Software Job Related • Connections in the Workplace • Who’s Future Is It? • Towards Independence • Social Skills at Work • Success Stories at Work

46. Attainment Company Software • Community Success Software • 45 activities organized by category: Shopping, transportation, eating out, important places and appointments. • Survival Signs Series • Basic Signs • Safety Signs • Community Signs

47. FREE Online Resources

48. Free Learning Styles Surveys: www.metamath.com/lsweb/dvclearn.htm http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/stylest.html www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm

49. GCF Learnfree • Various topics including: • Everyday Life • Telling Time, Job Applications, ATM • Computers • Email Basics, Social Media, Internet Basics • Career • Career Planning, Interview Skills, Job Applications, Resume Writing www.gcflearnfree.org/topics

50. Apps for iDevices Please note: prices for apps are subject to change!