Autism Acceptance Month - Deep Discounts with Assistiveware

To celebrate Autism Acceptance Month AssistiveWare will be offering a 50% discount on 4 of their popular AAC apps: Proloquo2Go®, Proloquo4Text, Pictello and Keeble. Gateway to Language & Learning©, the core word vocabulary available through an in-app purchase in Proloquo2Go, will also be at half price.

The discount, available worldwide on the App Store, will be in effect from April 2nd until and including April 4th.

If you buy more, you save more

The discount also applies to Apple’s Volume Purchase Program for Education. When your school or educational organization purchases 20 copies or more, you get an additional 50% off!

Spread the word

Do you know people who could benefit from these apps? Make sure you share the news about this limited-time discount!

If you have any questions about the discount please contact the AssistiveWare support team at support@assistiveware.com

* Please note: The discount percentage is based on the US App Store. Exact prices vary from country to country. Bundles will not be discounted during this promotion.

Just Say Hi - Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation created the "Just Say Hi" campaign to address the awkwardness and reduce the stigma some people feel when engaging in conversation with individuals with disabilities. Visit the CPF website to see the many celebrities and CP advocates who lent their time to support this exciting cause. Also, read the "Nice To Meet You" infographic below created by the Ross Feller Agency.

Source: Cerebral Palsy Foundation; Ross Feller Agency

Understanding CP....Diagnosis and Treatment

To print or view larger, click on the image. 

To print or view larger, click on the image. 

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month - The Neuroscience of Learning

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

According to the United Cerebral Palsy website:

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a broad diagnostic term used to describe a problem with movement and posture, due to damage or abnormalities in the brain that makes certain activities difficult. It is the most common motor disorder and the second-most common disability found in children.

Although many children with cerebral palsy face wide-ranging challenges, with the help of assistive technology, CP patients not only have the ability to overcome difficulty with mobility, but they also address difficulties with hearing and speech. As stated on the Cerebral Palsy Group website, assistive technology holds the potential to inspire:

Confidence – Physical and neurological impairment frustrates development for CP patients. Assistive and adaptive devices boost function, allowing for increased confidence and acceptance in their newfound abilities.
Self Sufficiency – The more a child contributes to his or her care and well-being, the less it falls upon parents and caregivers to cover every need.
Independence – Emotional and physical independence develop at their own pace. Assistive aids ensure the road to independence is not blocked by CP challenges.
Quality of Life – Equipped with assistive devices, CP patients experience life to its fullest. Custom adaptive equipment speaks to the needs of children of all ages, and evolves with them as they develop.

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation's goal is to provide education through interactive resources with regard to the profound impact proper interventions and support can have on those with Cerebral Palsy. As part of the site, the video library gives viewers access to the insight of experts. Today's blog post highlights one of the videos focusing on the effective ways to support a developing brain. To learn more about the neuroscience of learning, visit the CPF website and watch the brief video of assistive technology consultant and expert, Karen Janowski.

Source: Cerebral Palsy Foundation; Cerebral Palsy Group; United Cerebral Palsy

Motivational Monday

Learning Ally's 1 in 5 Initiative

Learning Ally is known for their subscription based human narrated audiobooks and vast professional development opportunities. However, when I recently attended the Dyslexia: Making It Personal session with Mark Brugger at the Everyone Reading Conference in New York there were several "hand outs" available for participants to take at the conclusion of his session. As all like-minded educators do, I naturally I grabbed one of each and began looking them over. Although all were excellent (and will be shared at a later date), one in particular caught my eye with its simplistic, yet incredibly insightful graphics focusing on the identification of dyslexia and varying methods of support. I have posted it below with a link should you be interested in printing it for yourself. 

Click here to download this infographic

After scrolling through the information and graphics, at the bottom of the page I noticed the link to Explore1in5.org, so naturally I did what most of us would do and I visited the webpage. Little did I know what lie ahead...

Explore1in5.org exceeded my expectations for a webpage because it is so much more than that. Upon visiting the site, I discovered a community for dyslexic students to learn more about their diagnosis, to connect with others and share their personal experiences. Even if you're not a member of the Learning Ally community, the website and resources available on there are free and accessible for all. Before reading further ahead, I encourage each of you to watch the short video below to see how far reaching Learning Ally's 1in5 Initiative is. 

So what does the 1 in 5 Initiative offer? 

• To start there are bi-monthly student to student webinars about dyslexia related topics. These webinars are created by students and are geared for students. 
• The Tips, Tools & Tech section offers information to promote self-advocacy and understand the impact it has on their success. Here, students can listen to inspirational testimonials from other dyslexic students and be given the tools to overcome stigmas and insecurities. Additionally,  students can learn about various assistive technology tools to support learning difficulties and view demonstrations of the tools in use. 
• Videos and printed resources help explain what dyslexia is by listening to others share their feelings when first diagnosed and the experiences of their personal journey. 
• The Share Your Story section allows students to share their own personal experiences in a safe and supportive community. 
• Through the "Connect with Us" section, there are many ways to keep connected with the 1in5 Community by subscribing to the newsletter, signing up for text tips, participating in a student webinar and creating connections through social media! 
• Additionally, there are resources for parents too through printed materials and online webinars. 

What is the YES! Program? 

Although only available currently in Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Utah, Learning Ally's YES! Program is an in-person program that pairs younger students with learning differences with an older student who is trained to help guide them through a series of goals. The purpose of YES! is to train students with learning differences to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, to help them build confidence and to provide them with the tools to become strong self-advocates. Each student is assigned a Youth Ambassador who will monitor member progress, act as a resource and provide guidance. Through the four annual events, your student will:

• Build Self Esteem and Confidence
• Receive Support and Suggestions
• Expand Communication Skills
• Learn About Dyslexia
• Learn Self-Advocacy Skills
• Build Friendships and Network

Parents will also have the opportunity to attend informational presentations at each event and will have the chance to network with other parents.

So why wait....visit the 1 in 5 Initiative site today and get connected! 

Source: Learning Ally, 1in5 Initiative

Save Bookshare: Have Your Voice Heard

Bookshare is a vital resource, providing free access to digital media to over 400,000 qualifying members. Within its vast library, subscribers have access to nearly a half a million titles available, which include braille, large print, and audio versions of books. Within our federal government, the projected budget appropriations bill in the House of Representatives proposed eliminating funding for Bookshare. Without Bookshare, the consequential impact both financially for local governments and taxpayers, as well as the thousands of users who rely upon the service would be devastating at best. The following passage below is taken from a letter I received in email from Benetech's CEO, Jim Fruchterman. For more information about the proposed bills and the impact this will have on Bookshare, please read below. 

I ask that you please take a moment, which is all that it will take, to click the image (or link within the text) below.  By doing so, you'll have the chance to voice your opinion and urge your members of Congress to continue funding Bookshare. 

Bookshare funding remains in jeopardy as the new Congress considers the budget for both the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years. Your representative and senators need to hear from you. Please act now and ask them to support Bookshare as they consider programs to receive federal funding. As you may recall, the House of Representatives proposed a FY2017 funding bill that would, in effect, defund Bookshare. In recent months, we have worked with Bookshare supporters in specifically targeted states and districts to advocate for funding of the program that funds Bookshare, known as the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials Program. We need your help again to enlist the support of your members of Congress. Please ask your Members of the House of Representatives and Senate to preserve funding for the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials Program. Hearing from constituents is crucial for Members of Congress-it can often mean the difference between their support for a program or not. So, we need your help! Please use this link to send a letter to your senators and representative. We encourage you to customize these letters by including information about the impact Bookshare has had for your child or in your school. This is a critical time for Bookshare, and your help is essential to ensure that the program will continue.

Sincerely,
Jim Fruchterman
CEO
Benetech

Motivational Monday

Friday "Appy" Hour: Snap & Read Universal for iPad

At the recent Everyone Reading conference, I participated in a product presentation session which highlighted two of the Don Johnston products uPAR and Snap and Read Universal, a glimpse into the vast suite of products offered. This prompted me to create this Friday's "Appy" Hour post...because a resource like this is just too good to not share! 

Until recently, Snap and Read was only available as a Google Chrome extension on a PC or Mac. With it's recent release, now iPad and iPhone users will have the same access as PC and Mac users, to listen to printed text read aloud in high quality voices alongside the ability to dynamically level, take images of and listen to worksheets read aloud using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), highlight text and create outlines and notations with citations on webpages and documents alike. Additionally, translations are available in over 100 languages, making this an ideal tool for ELL students.

This brief video provides a comprehensive overview of the features available through Snap and Read Universal for iPad.

To learn more about Snap and Read Universal or any of the other amazing products made by possible by Don Johnston, visit the Don Johnston website. On the website, you can view videos that highlight the specific features available within Snap and Read, such as dynamic text leveling or study tools and outlining in more depth. I am unable to share pricing as it varies on the number of subscribers and accounts created. However, you can request a quote directly on the website if interested. 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Educational Technology Infographic clarifies some of the habits highly-effective educators who utilize learning technologies might possess. In particular, successful teachers that integrated edtech in their teaching...

• always start with the why
• are malleable and can easily adapt
• embrace change
• share
• think win-win
• are thorough and think ahead
• actively care

To download a copy of this infographic click here!

Source: http://blog.alwaysprepped.com/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-teachers-who-use-technology/

Everyone Reading: Dyslexia - Making it Personal

This week I attended the first day of the 2017 Everyone Reading Conference in New York City. The unpredictable New York weather postponed our second day to a future date, but I can honestly say I am incredibly excited to return for day 2. Along with several of my colleagues and administration, we were presented with conference sessions focusing on a range of topics from selecting the right assistive technology tools, to multi-sensory structured language strategies, to learning about a New York State bill that will promote more training on dyslexia for pre-service teachers, to product demonstrations, to the neuropsychology of reading disorders. This is just a snapshot of the sessions available, and it was so hard to choose which session was the right one to attend.

The session that had a profound impact on me was Dyslexia: Making It Personal - A Simulation & Presentation presented by Learning Ally's, Mark Brugger. Mark openly shared his own personal dyslexia journey and the struggles he encountered and persevered through as he advanced in his educational career. Dyslexia is the largest disability group, yet receives far less attention and has an increased misrepresentation when compared to many other disability groups. 



It is important to understand that dyslexia is a real disability, which has been proven through anatomical and brain imagery studies to show differences in brain development and function. Additionally, dyslexia is not: 

•  rare
• associated with low intelligence or cognitive ability
• a vision problem
• a developmental lag which can be outgrown
• the result of laziness
• reading or writing backwards

The attendees were put through several interactive, hands on, orthographic and  phonemic simulations to enable participants to view learning through the eyes of a dyslexic. Within the session, the attendees shared how these simulations left them feeling "dumb", less confident, and wanting to give up...all real life feelings many of our students experience on a daily basis in the educational setting. If this is how the attendees felt in an isolated simulation, it is incredible to think of how many students sit inside of our classrooms daily feeling the same way. 

After discussing the impact of dyslexia, concurrent conditions, early warning signs, potential indicators, methods of screenings and intervention, the conversation turned towards the critical role of parents and educators to recognize and identify the characteristics of the condition and to provide, if/when possible, early intervention to help "rewire the brain", offset genetic vulnerability and implement life long, permanent strategies. Through the provision of extra time, addition of assistive technology, with specific mention of ear reading eBooks/audiobooks, and an intensive, Multi-Sensory Structured Language (MSL) Instruction program students can access what they know by mitigating areas of deficit.

I am looking forward to incorporating this knowledge in all future practices and reading the two books Mark shared...

                            

Fundraising Event - Long Island, NY

For anyone local to the Long Island or tri-state area, there will be a family friendly, local event taking place on April 1, 2017 to help raise awareness and funding for The International Dyslexia Association (I.D.A.) and Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease (C.U.R.E.D.). Event and contact information can be found in the flyer below. To learn more about I.D.A. and C.U.R.E.D., click on the hyperlinks or on the images below.  

Motivational Monday

Great things happen with acceptance...

How Audio Promotes Literacy Infographic

If you've been following my blog over the past few months, you probably have read many posts regarding the effectiveness of audiobooks or eBooks. However, if not, I welcome you here and have provided links to several of the articles and infographics previously posted. Click on each title to view the posts. 

Listening Isn't Cheating: How Audio Books Can Help

Assistive Technology At A Glance

Why Audio Books Work Infographic

Overcoming Print Disabilities with eBooks

Friday "Appy" Hour: Epic! 

To add to my expanding resources in support of audio or eBooks, I wanted to share this incredible infographic created by APA (Audio Publishers Association). The APA is a not-for-profit trade association which focuses on advocacy for audio publishers. APA's goal in creating the infographic was to address the question that arises often:

Have you ever wondered just how much audiobooks can improve early literacy skills? 

Through the visual representation viewers can see at a glance through statistics and researched facts how audiobooks or eBooks can make an impact on vocabulary skills, articulation, reading accuracy, reading fluency and more.

To download or copy this infographic click on the link here. 

Source: APA