Motivational Monday

 

FCA Winter Wonderland Holiday Party

 For those local to the Long Island area, tickets are now on sale for the FCA's Winter Wonderland Holiday Party! The event takes place on Saturday, December 18, and includes an evening of music, fun and festivities! Click here for details: www.lifesworc.org/holiday2021

Identifying and Managing School Related Anxiety

Many children with learning disabilities also experience anxiety related to school and academics. Positive Parent Solutions created this graphic listing anxiety symptoms which can help to identify whether your child or student is struggling with anxiety and the article "6 Essential Tools to Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety" to provide strategies to support those struggling with anxiety. 

Source: Positive Parenting Solutions 

Webinar Wednesday: Top Tips for Dyslexia and Technology

To help celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month, Dafydd Henke-Reed, Head of Accessibility at AbilityNet shared his expert advice about dyslexia and technology in a free webinar. Dafydd championed the ways technology has helped with his dyslexia. He examined the digital barriers to avoid and explained good practice for enabling dyslexic users online.

This webinar covers the range of topics including:

• Challenges with communication including written text and verbal communication
• Tech and tools available to help with dyslexia, including emojis, voice chat, and multimedia messaging
• Speech to text software: Dragon Naturally Speaking, Siri / Alexa, Office Dictate, Mac OS / iOS Dictation
• Text to speech software: Read & Write, ClaroRead, Office Speak, Mac OS / iOS Speech

If you're dyslexic, are looking for advice about how technology can help you, or are interested in how technology can revolutionize the learning experience for those with dyslexia be sure to watch. For digital professionals, the free session also examines digital barriers to avoid, and what you can do to make your websites more accessible for people with dyslexia and other cognitive issues.

   

Additional Useful resources
Factsheet: Dyslexia and Technology
Designing for Accessibility posters from UK Home Office website
AbilityNet's digital accessibility training courses

Jamie Oliver Made By Dyslexia Interview

Jamie Oliver talks to madebydyslexia.org about his dyslexia and shares personal insights and advice.

Dyslexia Awareness Month

October may be the start of beautiful fall weather and pumpkin spiced....everything, but it is also the start to celebrating those who have dyslexia. The month of October is dedicated as Dyslexia Awareness Month which provides a good opportunity to not only raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia , but also to bring about positive changes. There are many ways you can provide support from changing your profile picture, to attending a dyslexia awareness event such as a webinar or conference, sharing information regarding dyslexia on your social media pages or wearing red. This year people across the nation will be Wearing Red for Dyslexia Day on Thursday, October 7, 2021. It's a simple act, but can make a big impact to drive conversation and raise awareness.

To learn more about Wear Red for Dyslexia Day visit The #SucceedWithDyslexia Facebook page.

Webinar Wednesday: ELLevating All: Overlapping Strategies for ELLs and students with SLD (including dyslexia)

PATINS Specialist, Amanda Crecelius, will provide resources and tools for English Language Learners (ELLs) and/or students with Specific Learning Difference (SLD), including dyslexia in this live webinar. This is an overview of overlapping strategies for promoting literacy for ELLs and students with SLD with a focus on how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can eliminate barriers for ELLs/students with SLD and all students. In the "ELLevating All" training, you will learn many helpful strategies, including the Literacy Building UDL Checklist - VICS

Visuals (Phonological Awareness) Interaction (Multisensory) Connections (Context & Culture)  Scaffolding (Gradual Release of Responsibility)

Date: October 5, 2021 at 3:00 pm EST/2:00 pm CST Target Audience: General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, English Language Teachers PGPs/ASHA Hours: Yes  To request this training at a different date and time, please email Amanda Crecelius