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Amazing resource found on Pinterest

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The Process of Considering Assistive Technology (AT) is a 5-minute video produced by the Utah Assistive Technology Teams with a grant from the Utah State Office of Education. It provides an introduction to AT, looking at both AT devices and services. Considerations include the following steps:

1. Review student's present level of achievement and academic performance

2. Discuss and determine student's IEP goals

3. Identify tasks to accomplish IEP goals across all environments

4. IEP teams should then ask, "What does the student need to do that he/she cannot do because of his/her disability?"

5. Identify appropriate supports and services, including any assistive technology needed

The video also describes and discusses the value of using the Assistive Technology Consideration Quick Wheel in this process (available through CEC). This helps to examine low tech and high tech devices, access, and more.

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The Process of Considering Assistive Technology

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The Process of Considering Assistive Technology (AT) is a 5-minute video produced by the Utah Assistive Technology Teams with a grant from the Utah State Office of Education. It provides an introduction to AT, looking at both AT devices and services.

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Process of Referral for Assistive Technology

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Copy of Referral & Assessment for Assistive Technology Steps

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An illustration of the four step process

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Bubble map of different materials to use in classrooms.

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Blogger

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When working with students who are using any form of Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC), it is important to teach several components when using a device. These may be good areas to focus on when writing an IEP:

How to operate the device and take care of it as independently as possible

How to communicate with it, (Eyes, Ears, Voice, Hands/Feet, Brain, Body, Feelings)

When to use it and when not to (Just like everyone- when is it appropriate to talk and not appropriate to talk)

The power of language (When I say this, I get this - or - when I say this, this happens)

Consider, just as typical kids need to hear language for quite a while before starting to talk, so do our kids who need AAC. It is important to do all those natural activities with non-verbal children, such as- reading to them, singing activities (Where is Thumbkin), playing games, talking about your surroundings, making animal sounds... When working with students, no matter what their age, begin with the philosophy of
PRESUMING COMPETENCE, Communicate Accordingly and remember to Create Communication Opportunities!!

There are 4 Identified Primary Functions of AAC:

provides us with 4 Communication Competence Areas to consider when working with our students:

To think about it even further and looking at specifics, isn't this what communication is all about: Love, Love, Love this one page guide called Language Acts as the Foundation For Communication Exchange

Once a device is in place:
It is important to remember that most kids and their families have never seen anyone use a device. Everyone needs to know what is in the device and how it works. Each communication partner needs to take some time to get to know the device as modeling is so very important. The speaking communication partner should model the device, naturally, without saying "touch this one" or doing a hand over hand assists. Instead, just "talk" to the child, as if it where your device also. Or use a metacognitive approach (demonstrate your own thinking), "Let's see, I want to tell you that I need a hug. First I think I would need to go to the ____ page because _____..."
Be sure to introduce the device around an activity that is fun and reinforcing.
It is okay to learn together. Relax and make it fun. Opening a child up to the powerful world of communication is a gift. Once they understand the power of language, it will be hard to stop them!
AAC Boot Camp regardless of AAC system used (no tech, low tech, high tech) or skill level... Getting AAC Users COMMUNICATING . Please share this with all staff and families involved with an AAC user!

If you are working with older students, please go directly to this site's posting on First things first: AAC (like many things in special education) has a language of its own. If you need a , We are all dealing more and more with students with Autism. I thought you might appreciate a few sites dealing specifically with AAC and Autism as it is an area that is growing more and more. Here are some of my favorites:
There are some wonderful AAC resources on the Internet. This listing is designed around some of my favorites. I will continue to add to it as I find new resources that might be useful, so please check back. (Provided in alphabetical order, not in order of importance.)

Creating Communication Opportunities for the Older Learner.

University of Washington AugComm has an extensive one worth bookmarking.

(No idea why this #1 is here. It won't go away, so I am trying to let it go.UGH!)

1. AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication offers an Overview of AAC tools and strategies. Many topics listedwith various links by Communication Greenhous.

2. AAC Intervention by Dr. Caroline Musselwhite, another leader in the field, has a very simple site with some wonderful information worth exploring. Also check out Carol's Corner.

3. AAC and Literacy by Janice Light & David McNaughton, provides guidelines for teaching literacy skills to learners with special needs, especially learners with complex communication needs.

4. AAC-RERC is a "collaborative research group dedicated to the development of effective AAC technology." The area on the left under "Features" is my favorite section where there is information on AAC Literacy, Emergency Information, Early Intervention and oh, so much more.

5. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention A by Janice Light offers top of the art strategies.

6. We have a role too. Don't forget to educate others! Communicating with an AAC user and Guidelines for Communicating with a Person who uses AAC.

7. Compic and Scope offers a wonderful visual representation of the Communication Bill of Rights(open in pdf reader). I recommend everyone who is dealing with anyone who is nonverbal have this posted as a reminder of our own behaviors and the goals we should be setting for ourselves.

8. Early Intervention for young children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and other disabilities by Janice Light and Kathy Drager from Penn State provides you with an extremely rich site/resource no matter what the age of your child, including

Step-by-step guidelines for early intervention to build language and communication skills

Photographs and videotaped examples of intervention with young children with special needs

9. A YouTube Video worth sharing and exploring showing students communicating with each other using various forms of AAC: Helping to Communicate through AAC.

10. Let's Book It just provides lots of great ideas for making books. Not designed with AAC in mind but I think it provides some great ideas for how to put all that important stuff into a book format that kids will love. They could make their own little book based on their goals in speech...

11. PrAACticalAAC provides regular tips that are quick and to the point. They also post on Pinterest.

12. Provincial Integration Support Program is full of great handouts on various topics related to communication. This site is a must!!

13. comprehensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Device Curriculum. This provides some great information for providing a kind of scope and sequence for working with AAC users themselves although this is not how it was intended.

14. SpeechBubble is a database hosted by the ACE Centre in Oxford, England. The database includes detailed information about almost all communication aids currently available. Price and supplier information will be different for people in the USA but the database could be very useful for identifying devices that might fit a particular child that you are working with.Worth exploring.

15. Strategies for Enhancing Non-Verbal Communication is a rich resource with a variety of topics, providing you with PDFs worth exploring.

16. Tobii Assistive Technology has a training page offering a range of live and archived webinars; guides, tips and tricks, troubleshooting page and other resources worth exploring.

17. For a listing of technology that is out there, with links of where to learn more about each, visit Write State University'scurrent technology page.

Need some help figuring out the Funding Maze? AAC Funding Help is the place to locate all your answers.

For visuals and links to various instructional AAC sites, visit my Pinterest site, "AAC".
Considering an iPad to support communication, explore this listing of AAC Apps but know that the iPad is not necessarily the best tool for your specific child. Be sure to have an AAC assessment before purchasing any tools as there is often more to consider than what some may think.

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When working with students who are using any form of Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC), it is important to teach several components when using a device.

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Nathan Hall has complied a list of FREE resources for teachers to use with students

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Guide to tools for students with disabilities and learning disabilities

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Getting Started

Whether low-tech, high-tech, or somewhere in between, assistive technology and related services play an important role in reducing barriers to learning for students with a variety of special needs and challenges. Before exploring the resources below, watch VideoAmy's " Five-Minute Film Festival: The Power of Assistive Technology," to better understand how technology can empower kids and help them build independence.

For Educators

Assistive Technology Module: To review the basics, check out this great overview of assistive technology for classroom teachers. (IRIS Center/Vanderbilt University)

Assistive Technology: Find general information on assistive technology and accessible educational materials, including relevant federal laws. Assistive Technology Resources is a comprehensive list of national organizations, conferences, state resources, and transition resources. (National Center on Accessible Educational Materials)

AEM Navigator: Explore a decision-making tool -- designed for use by Individualized Education Program teams -- that can help determine the need, selection, acquisition, and use of accessible educational materials. (National Center on Accessible Educational Materials)

For Parents

Finding Assistive Technology

Explore the following websites for information about specific technologies and guidance on finding appropriate tools.

For Educators

TechMatrix: Search a database of over 400 assistive and educational technology tools and resources. The products are searchable by content area, grade level, IDEA disability category, and type of instructional support. (U.S Department of Education/American Institutes for Research)

Consumer Guide for School Administrators: Download TechMatrix's useful consumer guide for guidance on technology purchases. Also available are research articles on the theory and practice of using technology to improve student learning. (National Center for Technology Innovation and the Center for Implementing Technology in Education)

For Parents

Tips and Tools

Social-Emotional Apps for Special Ed: Find apps to help students of all ages build emotional literacy, learn self-regulation, and focus on problem solving and task planning. (Edutopia, 2015)

Apps to Support Diverse Learners in the Classroom: Find apps to help diverse learners gamify tasks, learn social cues, prioritize, strengthen math skills, and sharpen language abilities. (Edutopia, 2015)

It's a Snap! 4 Ways to Use Music With Special Needs Students: Discover ways to supplement visuals with music, teach through students' favorite songs, emphasize rhythm, and generalize lessons into non-musical settings. (Edutopia, 2014)

Creating a "Least Restrictive Environment" with Mobile Devices: See how mobile devices can help create a "least restrictive environment," not only for students with disabilities, but for everyone else as well. (Edutopia, 2013)

Dictation Technology Will Change Writing Instruction: Consider this thoughtful examination of how dictation technology is likely to change the future of writing instruction. (Edutopia, 2013)

Edutopia's community is another great source of tips and tools. " The Ultimate Guide to Assistive Technology for Students With Special Needs," a post by Rebecca Dean, is a good place to start. Dean describes some of the many resources available to help support children experiencing challenges with reading, writing, math, listening, memory, and organization.

Resources to Address Specific Challenges

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

What is UDL?: Understand the basics of universal design for learning. (National Center of Universal Design for Learning)

UDL and Technology: Read about the relationship between UDL and technology. UDL strategies do not replace the need for AT, but UDL and AT can be complementary. (National Center of Universal Design for Learning)

Universal Design for Learning: What It Is and How It Works: Explore key takeaways for parents, including information about advocating for children. (Understood.org)

Was this page helpful? Are you familiar with other useful resources? Please share your feedback in the comments, and let us know if you'd like to see other types of resources included on this page.

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Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

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Whether low-tech, high-tech, or somewhere in between, assistive technology and related services play an important role in reducing barriers to learning for students with a variety of special needs and challenges. Before exploring the resources below, watch VideoAmy's " Five-Minute Film Festival: The Power of Assistive Technology," to better understand how technology can empower kids and help them build independence.

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34 assistive technology apps for students with disabilities

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Do you have students with disabilities or special needs? Then you may need an assistive technology: a technology used by an individual with a disability to perform a function that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.

Samantha Thomas, a student, future librarian, and educator at Kutztown University, created this handy collection of assistive technologies that you may find helpful. Some are commonly used with special needs individuals, such as augmentative & alternative communication apps like My Pictures Talk, Look2Learn, and iTalk. Others are general consumer apps, such as Evernote, Google Earth, and Audacity. Listed alongside each app is her assessment of its value as an assistive technology.
Image attribution flickr user OregonDOT

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34 Assistive Technology Apps From edshelf

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Do you have students with disabilities or special needs? Then you may need an assistive technology: a technology used by an individual with a disability to perform a function that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Samantha Thomas, a student, future librarian, and educator at Kutztown University, created this handy collection of assistive technologies that you may find helpful.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qxkATvzwrDXApPPAtUxH3egbAFTkmaqeVlWbLgdABFE/edit

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Teachers and students use Echo to access tools for PBL
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/services/learning-management-systems

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Anderson, G. H. (n.d.). Glenda's Assistive Technology Information and more... Retrieved July 05, 2016, from http://atclassroom.blogspot.com/2010/04/aac-resources.html#.VBo3i8t0wdk

Brandt, Å., Alwin, J., Watson, A. H., & Smith, R. O. (2012). Comparison of two school-based assistive technology outcome instruments. Technology & Disability, 24(1), 83-92 10p.

Chushman, C. (2016, May 26). Paths to Literacy. Retrieved July 06, 2016, from http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/technology/process-considering-assistive-technology

Edutopia. (2013, October 09). Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup. Retrieved July 05, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/article/assistive-technology-resources?crlt_pid=camp.jJ3IgySwQplH

Hall, N., & Byrne, R. (2015, December 16). A Great List of Web Tools That Don't Require Registration. Retrieved July 5, 2016, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/12/a-great-list-of-web-tools-that-dont.html#.V3xInlf2fzI

Holland, B., & Tolisano, S. (2015, April 09). Used Effectively or Simply Used? Retrieved July 05, 2016, from http://langwitches.org/blog/2015/04/09/used-effectively-or-simply-used/

Robitaille, S. (2009). Chapter 2: History of Assistive Technology. In , Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology & Devices: Tools & Gadgets for Living Independently (pp. 9-13). Demos Medical Publishing, LLC.

Thomas, S. (2013, May 04). 34 Assistive Technology Apps From edshelf. Retrieved July 05, 2016, from http://www.teachthought.com/uncategorized/34-assistive-technology-apps-from-edshelf/

Tolisano, S. (2011, June 06). IPad, youPad… the classPad(s). Retrieved July 06, 2016, from http://langwitches.org/blog/2011/06/06/ipad-youpad-the-classpads/

White, D. H., & Robertson, L. (2015). Implementing assistive technologies: A study on co-learning in the Canadian elementary school context. Computers In Human Behavior, 51(Part B), 1268-1275. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.003

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Are students engaged, creating, reflecting, and sharing their work with the use of technology?