Webinar Wednesday: Your Dyslexia/Dysgraphia Toolkit

 

Live Webinar: March 10, 2021 Building a Dyslexia/Dysgraphia Toolkit That Works Dyslexia and dysgraphia were in focus even before eLearning. But, now more than ever, districts are looking for stable and effective ways to help students access and complete assignments independently—wherever they learn.  Students with dyslexia or dysgraphia, often have difficulties with: Decoding and comprehension Handwriting Spelling & Grammar Organization Written expression and writing speed (thinking faster than they can write) Independence (they rely on adults for reading and writing tasks) Writing math symbols; aligning numbers and word problems Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Finishing research, reading, and writing assignments on time You're going to need the BEST combination of technology and measurement tools to help your students rise above these issues, recover from the COVID slide, and build confidence to work independently.   Register for the Webinar   In this webinar, Diana Petschauer, M.Ed., ATP, Laurie McIntosh, M.S., (from AT for Education - ATforED.com), and Kati McIlroy, OT, will show you a powerful toolkit to support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia including: Tools/ Tech/ demos and strategies; realistic implementation for the iPad and Chromebook/laptop to support literacy, math and multi-sensory instruction Co:Writer® (Word Prediction and Voice Typing for written expression)  Snap&Read™ (Text-to-Speech, PDF Annotation, Text Leveling, Study Tools/Highlighter to fully access reading materials) Annotation tools that make PDFs quizzes and worksheets accessible  The uPAR process to help staff choose appropriate reading accommodations with data The DeCoste Writing Protocol—a process to evaluate writing issues Come see what makes a real difference for students living and learning with dyslexia and dysgraphia.   Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance, Word Prediction Screening Tool, and Participant Resource Folder with extensive resources on apps, extensions, tools and technologies to add to your Dyslexia Toolkit! Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Eastern (New York) Central (Chicago) Mountain (Denver) Pacific (Los Angeles) 1:00 PM 12:00 PM 11:00 AM 10:00 AM This FREE webinar is 90 minutes.   Register for the Webinar   About the Presenter(s) Diana Petschauer, M.Ed, ATP  is the Managing Director of Assistive Technology for Education & Access4Employment; and a nationally certified Assistive Technology expert for over 20 years. She worked in public Special Education for over 15 years, as well as for a University for AT & Disability Services prior to her business. She manages her team of consultants at ATforED who provide AT evaluations, training, consultation, PD workshops & webinars. Diana has experienced working with a significant number of students & adults with Dyslexia & Dysgraphia, including using Assisive Technology to access curriculum & instruction, build confidence & independence, support executive functioning, increase literacy skills, as well as use AT to support the individual & student in the workplace and community. She has also provided training to SLP's and reading specialists to use AT as part of their OG lessons and instruction. Diana presents many workshops & webinars on AT and Literacy Intervention combined to provide the most efficient multi-sensory support for individuals with Dyslexia, including at the most recent International Dyslexia Association conference. Laurie McIntosh, MS, OTR/ L, ATP is a consultant at Assistive Technology for Education & Access4Employment after working as an OT (occupational therapist) in public schools and private practice for 38 years.  Her primary experience has been to work with school teams to provide accessible educational materials, specially designed instruction, and technology access to students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities/ Dyslexia, and autism. She has worked with students from preschool to high school, and adults across the lifespan.  Laurie is skilled at providing training to students, paraprofessionals, teachers, administrators and parents in order to create an environment in which assistive technology is part of typical daily learning. Kati McIlroy, Assistive Technology Specialist and an Occupational Therapist who has worked in school districts for over 15 years in Southern California and currently works with Don Johnston Incorporated as an Educational Support Specialist. She collaborates with district professionals, educators, and therapists to integrate technologies that help students access the curriculum. By conducting presentations and trainings at schools and conferences, she helps spread the word about how Universal Design for Learning opens the world to students and creates lifelong learners.

Webinar Wednesday: Dysgraphia: 5 Minute Screening for Writing Accommodations

What does writing look like for students with dysgraphia? How can educators and parents help to better support students with writing difficulties? There are many things to consider when helping our struggling writers to improve outcomes and build confidence. Students who struggle with writing may have poor fine motor skills, messy or slow handwriting, lack of attention to tasks, poor spelling, and difficulty getting ideas down on paper. Is it Dysgraphia? View this on-demand webinar from Don Johnston to learn how to use accessible technology to better support students with IEPs who have Dysgraphia or other writing challenges. Broaden your understanding of dysgraphia, learn how Co:Writer Word Prediction, Translation, and Speech-to-Text remove barriers to writing and sign up for the webinar to request an easy, 5-minute Writing Accommodation Screening Tool.

Source: Dysgraphia 5 Minute Screening for Writing Accommodations from DonJohnstonInc

The Case Against Assistive Technology

If you've made your way to this blog then you surely understand how technology supports, such as word prediction software, text readers and dictation tools, allow educational content to become more accessible for students including individuals with dyslexia, weaknesses in literacy and even English Language Learners.

Despite an increase in awareness in how these tools can support varying learners, there are always myths associated with the use of technology to promote accessibility. The most common myth hinges itself on whether these technology supports are "unfair" and provide an advantage to the students using them. The following video, The Case Against Assistive Technology, from DonJohnstonInc help to debunk the myths surrounding assistive technology and focuses on how the provision of technology levels the playing field for those with disabilities.

A narrated version is available at donjohnston.com/thecase

Source: The Case Against Assistive Technology from DonJohnstonInc

Where It's AT Blogiversary: Giveaway #2: Don Johnston DeCoste Writing Protocol and Plugable Color Keyboard

*Update: Congratulations to our randomly selected winner: Lenette S.! Be sure to check out each day's giveaways!*

*In order to be eligible to win you must be a confirmed subscriber of the blog by signing up on the right side! Then add your information to the Google form below!*

Click for the ENTRY FORM! 

One winner will be randomly selected tonight at 11:59 PM EST

Today's giveaway is an incredible score of two invaluable tools to support writing. Be sure to enter to win the DeCoste Writing Protocol eBook by Don Johnston and Plugable's USB Kid Keyboard. Read below to learn more about each of the products available!

Don Johnston's DeCoste Writing Protocol is a formative assessment tool that helps educators identify factors affecting an individual student’s ability to produce writing. It compares a child’s individual performance across handwriting and keyboarding tasks and examines spelling performance and writing skills so educators make more informed decisions about instructional strategies and the appropriate use of technology to meet classroom demands. To take a more extensive look at what the DeCoste Writing Protocol offers visit the Don Johnston website and watch the webinar below!

Plugable's USB Kid Keyboard is the perfect tool for any home or classroom! It features large brightly colored keys that are color coded so it’s easy to identify and recall letters, numbers, punctuation and certain functional keys. Purple keys are designated for vowels, green keys for consonants, orange keys for punctuation and blue for function and editing keys. The keyboard's standard layout with extra large keys and sturdy flip-up tilt feet make it easy for kids to learn.  Visit the Plugable website to learn more about this amazing product! 

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.