This page is designed to give descriptions, videos and links of the most common Assistive Technology supports utilized in the Molalla River School District.

The Basics of Assistive Technology (AT)

dyslexia video library

Dyslexia and the school system

Aren't you just talking about dyslexia?

No. In the school system a student that has dyslexia may or may not qualify for Supported Education services. A student may have a medical diagnosis of dyslexia, but not need accommodations, may only need accommodations or may need intense interventions and accommodations. When a student has the symptoms of dyslexia to such a severe extent that it impacts their ability to learn (as tested by the school psychologist), then the student is served under an eligibility of Specific Learning Disability. This is a broad term that includes many different learning disabilities, which may include significant dyslexia.

What about all that new "dyslexia legislation" in Oregon?

The Oregon Department of Education has provided this Frequently Asked Questions page to help answer many of the questions parents, teachers and staff have regarding the new legislation and how it impacts students.

The basics: the new legislation will help screen for the possibility of a student having dyslexia, not evaluate or conclusively identify a student with dyslexia (only a full evaluation with the school psychologist can do that.) Schools will now have a dedicated and trained "Dyslexia Specialist" at each school that can help identify students at risk for reading difficulties (including dyslexia) at the Kindergarten and 1st grade levels. Schools will provide the appropriate supports to help these students learn using a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) using evidence-based techniques to adjust to the different learning style of students with dyslexia, at an early age, thus reducing the effects of reading difficulties over time.

Oregon's dyslexia law link:

Text-to-Speech/ reading supports

Video Library

Text to Speech/ reading supports

options

Snap & Read

What is Snap & Read?

Snap & Read performs text to speech. It is a product offered by Don Johnston.

Snap & Read Introductory video

Other key features are:

• Dynamic Text Leveling (video) : allows the entire page text to be simplified to improve comprehension. This can be done on a sliding scale. The tool searches for difficult words and replaces them with easier to understand words, while hovering over the top of these changed, italicized words, shows both words together to improve vocabulary.
• Translation (video) : Snap & Read can translate into 100+ languages.
• Readability Anzylzer: Analyzes a web page, pdf and even Google Doc to determine the approximate grade level the material is.

Where can I download the FREE Google Extension so my student can access their MRSD-paid subscription to Snap & Read?

First, a Google Chrome Extension is a magic little button that appears on the toolbar next to where the web address is displayed. (You must use the free Chrome web browser, not Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc). An extension works on top of the website that is displayed. It does not take you to another website (that's a Google App).

Snap & Read FREE extension download

Download the FREE Google Chrome Extension at the Google Chrome Store. Click the button and it will ask for your username and password. Once your Learning Specialist creates the account, they will provide the username and password, but here's the pattern:

• Username (Option 1): lastnamefirstinitial
  • For example: John Doe would have a username doej
• Username (Option 2): johndoe@moallariv.k12.or.us
  • When students are signed up in large groups, they have the option of signing in using their own Google email through the school District and selecting their own password.
• Password (Option 1): student ID number
  • Should be the same as your student's lunch number or on their ID card
• Password (Option 2): INTIALS studentIDnumber
  • If a student signed up using their school Google email, they were able to select their own password or it may be the same as their email password. If they forget their password, the teacher that signed them up can reset it for them or they can select "Forgot password" on the login page.

You can tell that the extension is turned on because the icon turns blue and a black toolbar appears on the right side of the webpage. It will now read anything on the webpage.Here's a video on how to use Snap & Read.

Snap & Read Introductory video

• There's an App for that: Snap & Read also has an iPad App (video).
• Kindle: Snap & Read also has the only Kindle supported reader. You can find more support on the Kindle Cloud Reader on the left menu of this webpage.
• Bookshare + Snap & Read: Snap & Read can also layer on top of Bookshare to enhance accessibility of Bookshare books. Check it out on the left menu bar of this website.

Bookshare

What is Bookshare?

Bookshare is an online library of thousands of textbooks, novels, short stories, magazines and newspapers in auditory format. It is a clearinghouse of printed materials that can be accessed only to individuals that are blind or have a print disability. We test for a print disability and have shown that your student has difficulty when reading print on their own, and does better when they can hear text as they read along. It is illegal to use it for people other than the intended student and doing so can result in revocation of the subscription.

Video: What is Bookshare?

Video: Tour the Bookshare website

Who can use Bookshare?

Bookshare is a federally funded program that provides access to books to people who would otherwise be unable to access print due to a documented physical disability, learning disability or visual impairment. This is through the Chaffee Amendment to Copyright law. Therefore, it is not up to Special Education Law, but the Chaffee Amendment to the Copyright law that dictates whom can qualify. In order to maintain adherence to copyright law, any person using Bookshare, MUST have one of the documented disabilities and must have an authorized person that can attest to the person having a physical disability that limits the ability to hold a book, a learning disability that limits the ability to comprehend print or a visual disability that limits the ability to see print. A student that has an auditory learning style, but does NOT have a documented learning disability, does NOT qualify for Bookshare.

How do we login to use Bookshare?

First, go to www.bookshare.org. You will need to have a subscription authorized by your student's Learning Specialist or Counselor, but here's the pattern:

• Username: lastnamefirstinitial
  • For example: John Doe would have a username doej
• Password (a little more complex than the others) FIRST + LAST INITIAL student ID number.
  • For example, if John Doe's student ID number was 123456, then his password would be DJ123456

How do we read a book with Bookshare?

Video: How to read with Bookshare web reader

Video: Help Students Read Independently with Bookshare Web Reader

Books are assigned by the Learning Specialist or Counselor. Teachers can submit any textbook, novel, story, magazine or newspaper to the Learning Specialist or Counselor to check availability and have it added to an assigned "Reading List". There are several ways to access your "Reading List" from the login in page:

• Select: 1) View my assigned books (Reading List)
• Scroll Down to select the large heading "Recent Books", find the title and select the "Read Now" button.
• Scroll Down to the large heading "My Reading List" and click on the titled reading list assigned by your Learning Specialist or Counselor.

Clicking on these options opens the text using the FREE Bookshare Web Reader. Here's a video of a student using the Bookshare Web Reader. All you need is a device and a wifi or internet connection.

(Please note the website layout has changed since the making of this video. Don't worry if your login page looks different.)

Don't have the internet? Check out these other options for accessing text.

What if we want to be able to select our own books titles to read?

Request an Individual Membership for your student from your Learning Specialist or Case Manager. We want to encourage students to read any topic of their interest and to explore their world through reading. An individual membership requires the approval of the parent/ legal guardian but allows the individual family control of their own "Reading List".

The same regulations apply to an Individual Membership as those to a membership granted by MRSD: Bookshare access is only for students with a print disability and cannot be used by family members for their leisure.

Writing supports

Video Library

Writing Supports options

(Free!) google voice typing

Built into every Google Doc is the ability to dictate your work. This is a free tool, already available to every person using Google Docs. For students that get stuck in the process of writing, but have great ideas to share, try having your student dictate their ideas to the computer, just get the ideas down. Then work on editing. As many of us have experienced with smart devices, dictation isn't always perfect, so re-reading is necessary.

Bonus commands:

• State punctuation such as "period" or "comma" and Google Voice Typing will add in your punctuation.
• "New line" will start your next words on a new line
• "New paragraph" will jump down 2 lines

Snap & Read (yes, again)

Snap & Read has several tools to help support writing that can be viewed in this Study Tools Video by Snap & Read and include:

• Bibliographer
• Note taker
• Online Outline and Printable Outlines

Co-Writer

What is Co-Writer?

Co-Writer is another Don Johnston Product (like Snap & Read) that can be accessed via a Google Chrome Extension on the toolbar. Here's the Co-Writer FREE download

Once you have the button on your toolbar, you can click it to login in (looks like a thought bubble). You will know it is on because it turns purple and a blue word prediction box will pop up on the screen. It may take a few minutes to get the word prediction box up the first time you login.

You can watch this video on Co-Writer.

What does Co-Writer do?

• Word Prediction: Co-writer traditionally provides word prediction. When you turn Co-writer on in your toolbar, a word prediction box pops up with the word suggestions that the software "thinks" you are going to write, predicting the upcoming text. Sometimes, this can become overwhelming or annoying, so we utilize it like a "talking spell check" instead.
• "Talking spell check"/ spell check with auditory feedback: Frequently, we will leave the Co-Writer extension off when typing and turn it on at the end, using it more like a "talking spell check". This is done by toggling the extension on the toolbar on and off (looks like a thought bubble).

Where can I use Co-Writer?

On any web page such as when filling out forms, surveys or job applications. On Google Apps such as Docs, Slides and Sites. Remember, it is a Chrome Extension, so it works over the top of any website you are on. So, basically, any website that has a place to type!

Who to contact

Talk to your student's teacher

If your child is having difficulty with Reading or Writing, talk to your classroom teacher, first. They will be able to:

• tell you about your student's performance and how they are learning in school
• measure your student's abilities and let you know if they are lower than expected
• document concerns
• refer to the Assistive Technology team at your school, as appropriate.
• Provide access to Snap & Read and Co-Writer as part of MRSD's push for Universal Design for Learning, typically grades 4 and up.

My student is already on an Individualized Eduction Plan (IEP).

Talk to your Learning Specialist, who is also your child's case manager. They will know how to assess for Assistive Technology needs and be able to issue subscriptions if the assessments support it. Please be aware, not all students qualify and in some instances, the auditory feedback can make things more difficult for students, especially those with auditory processing difficulties.

My student already has a 504.

Talk to your school Counselor. They will know how to assess for Assistive Technology needs and be able to issue subscriptions if the assessments support it. Please be aware, not all students qualify and in some instances, the auditory feedback can make things more difficult for students, especially those with auditory processing difficulties.

Recursos españoles

Video: Bookshare ayuda a los estudiantes con dislexia a hacerse aficionados a la lectura

Video: Una odisea con dislexia: la perspectiva de un padre"

writing supports

for significant needs

Molalla River School District recognizes that some students will not benefit from the writing supports addressed by Co-Writer, which requires basic spelling skills and/ or clear articulation to dictate. In order to further support our students with significant disabilities in the area of writing, for whom Co-Writer has not been effective, MRSD now has Clicker Connect and Clicker Sentences. Because these tools are ONLY for students with significant impairments in writing, that have failed more conservative tools, students using these tools MUST have their severe impairment documented on an IEP or 504.

Clicker connect

Clicker Connect provides support for those with significant writing disability that have not benefited from Co-writer. Clicker Connect can be considered 1 step lower than Co-Writer. It helps students connect ideas with words by providing sentence frames or a digital "word wall". Word cards can be edited by the teacher and pictures can be added to words to help provide further visual cues to decoding the word. Each word can be heard aloud by right clicking (Alt+click on Chromebook). Many pre-made templates are available, or the teacher can create sentences to work on based on the topic of their lesson plan.

Clicker sentences

Clicker Sentences provides support for those with even greater writing disabilities who have not benefited from the support of Co-Writer or Clicker Connect. Clicker Sentences can be considered 1 step lower than Clicker Connect and 2 steps lower than Co-Writer. Clicker Sentences helps students learn the pattern of building a basic sentence. Students can be given an array of words to order into a sentence either with or without a model. Cards can include pictures and each card can be read aloud by right-clicking (Alt + click on Chromebook). Multiple sentences can be strung together on pages to create a story or paragraph. Many pre-made templates are available, or the teacher can create sentences to work on based on the topic of their lesson plan.

Writing supports for significant needs

video library