October 6 article for Friday News (AT tips)

This article discusses how various modes of technology (including technology designed as

augmentative communication systems), can be used for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD) to increase or improve their overall understanding of their environment, expressive

communication skills, social interaction skills, attention skills, motivation skills, organization

skills, self-help skills and overall independent daily functioning skills.

https://www.cesa7.org/sped/autism/assist/asst10.htm

October 13

Children with ASD typically respond to visual input as their primary source of information. (Quill,1995 in

Banda, Grimmett, & Hart, 2009)

The use of visual support systems can supplement verbal directions when students have deficits in

auditory processing as well as decrease dependence and overreliance on adults and human resources.

(Banda, Grimmett, & Hart, 2009)

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and Other Visual Supports

AbleLink: Offers a variety of software programs and packages for use on handheld devices. The

programs combine universally available features found on many handheld devices with special features

designed to support users with intellectually disabilities or other cognitive differences. The

software/packages can be purchased separately or preinstalled on a handheld device.

do2learn: A website that offers resources and materials for creating picture schedules, calendars,

social stories and more.

Picture Planner: An icon-based personal planning software program that helps individuals with cognitive

disabilities create and manage their own schedules. It is based on extensive field research on cognitive

accessibility and is designed to maximize independent use.

October 20

This link demonstrates and explains VISUAL TIMERS (a.k.a. Star-timer, 5- point timer) to help

students with ASD understand the passage of time, and to transition more independently. The

presenter (teacher) is from Australia (cool accent!) and there is a unique sign for “finished”—a

checkerboard square to indicate the race is finished (checkered flag)…Finished card can be ALL

DONE or whatever you prefer. It can also be a picture of the preferred item that student has

selected to “work” toward.

Students with ASD need to know (with inclusion of visual supports):

1. What do I do?

2. How much do I do?

3. When am I done?

4. What do I do next?

http://www.teachertube.com/video/visual-supports- for-students- with-autism- 187829

October 27

The Use of Technology in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Contributed by Kristie Brown Lofland, M.S., CCC-A

Today, there are over one million apps available, and the number continues to grow daily. The apps range

in price from free to hundreds of dollars. There is an app almost everything; however, caution must be

used.

Like all strategies used for the treatment of ASD, the selection of the technology and/or the apps must

be personalized to meet the individual needs of the learner. Assessment and data are necessary before

making a decision about any technology used (think S.E.T.T. process!).

What is the population/individual you will be working with? What skills do you want to target? In what

context will the technology/app be used? How do these skills compare with their peers? What will be the

outcomes you are expecting? To read more, go to this link!

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/the-use- of-technology- in-treatment- of-autism- spectrum-

disorders

Core Vocabulary for Students with Significant Disabilities Part I

What is Core Vocabulary?

Research out of The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that students need access to Core Vocabulary all day, every day. Core Vocabulary words are those words that are used as meaningful single words, can be combined meaningfully, used across environments.

The website for Project Core has a wealth of information regarding AAC.

project-core.com

The Project Core website has a video worth viewing that explains Core Vocabulary

http://www.project-core.com/embedding-communication-throughout-the-day/

Week 2

Core Vocabulary for Students with Significant Disabilities Part II

What does instruction look like when teaching the Core Vocabulary?

The Iowa Department of Education is supporting instruction on Core Vocabulary. The Dynamic Learning Maps website has modules to assist in instruction for the Alternate Assessment. One of the Claims on the Alternate Assessment is English Language Arts Claim 3: Students can communicate for a range of purposes and audiences. The module on “Core Vocabulary and Communication” is at the following link:

https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6myvQ0tKnGgHIaN

There is another way to access the video:

1. dynamiclearningmaps.org

2. Click on “Professional Development”

3. Scroll down the page and click on blue button labeled “Modules: Organized by Claim”

4. Click on “English Language Arts Claim 3: Students can communicate for a range of purposes and audiences”

5. Click on “Core Vocabulary and Communication” and click on “Online Self-directed Module “

Week 3

Core Vocabulary for Students with Significant Disabilities Part III

How should the Core Vocabulary be presented to my student?

We learned what the Core Vocabulary in Weeks 1 and 2. The next step is determining what format the Core Vocabulary can be presented to the student. Project Core makes is easy to determine a starting point for the starting place for instruction. A tool is designed to help determine which of the common Universal Core Vocabulary formats that might be a good fit for your student. A “Universal Flowchart” is available at the Project Core webpage at http://www.project-core.com/communication-systems/. Click on the “Universal Flowchart” to get started!

A video is available at Project Core for more information on selecting a format for your student.

https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_511cRf7Tri9JpVH

Week 4

Core Vocabulary for Students with Significant Disabilities Part IV

How do I teach and use Core Vocabulary?

Now, you are ready instruction. A video is available at Project Core for information on the principles of incorporating the Universal Core Vocabulary into Instructional Routines.

https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cIPZvzXLLo0hWVn

Dec 2nd:

Q. My third grader still struggles with decoding and isn’t reading at grade level. Will listening to audiobooks make it harder for her to improve her reading skills?

A. You’ll be happy to hear that the answer is “no.” Listening to audiobooks won’t slow down the development of your child’s reading skills. In fact, many experts will tell you it can help make her a better reader.

The first thing to know is that listening to audiobooks isn’t “cheating.” The main purpose of reading is to get information. It doesn’t matter what path that information takes to reach the brain.

It’s actually a good thing for your child to read with both her eyes and her ears at the same time. That kind of multisensory reading can help with two main aspects of reading. It can improve both her decoding skills and her comprehension.

Decoding involves learning what sounds each letter makes (phonics). Hearing words while seeing them helps her make those sound-symbol relationships.

But reading involves more than just decoding. Your child also needs to understand the meaning of what she’s reading.

Right now, since decoding is hard for her, she may be putting all of her effort into sounding out the words. She may not be able to put them together in her mind to understand what they’re saying. Audiobooks can remove the need for decoding so she can focus on the meaning.

One of the greatest benefits of audiobooks is that they can motivate struggling readers. Since your third grader isn’t reading at grade level, she may not be able to read the same books as her classmates and friends. She may be frustrated.

If she listens to those books, it can increase her engagement and motivation and keep that frustration from taking over. At her age, it’s important to develop a love of books. She needs to be willing to become a better reader in order for her skills to improve.

It’s important to find books that will draw her in and hold her interest. Check out suggestions for kids her age. Explore tips for motivating reluctant readers. You may also want to look into where to find free audiobooks.

About the Author

Jamie Martin

Jamie Martin is an assistive technology consultant, specializing in finding AT solutions for students and adults with dyslexia

October 21st: Kaizena.com Take feedback to a new level with Kaizena! This free tool allows you to leave audio feedback and converse with students all within your student’s own google doc or yours. Just add it to your google account, grant access to your drive and unleash the powerful tool. Get it at: https://goo.gl/yHBvAv

October 28th: Virtual Manipulatives Make math more concrete with Virtual Manipulatives from illuminations. Choose from the many free tools. There is something to help students of all levels. This is a web based tool that can be accessed anywhere. Get it at: https://goo.gl/J9tyJF

November 4th: Are you looking for a way to change text complexity for students? Try https://www.rewordify.com This website allows you to copy text into it and changes the complexity of words. This website also allows you to create activities to learn the more complex words.

November 11th: Did you know that you can change the complexity of the reading in wikipedia. On the left hand side of the screen there are languages. Click Simple English and it will modify the text down and keep the main idea.

November 18th:Here’s a low-tech option for helping students internalize number lines. Use clothespins, a paint stick and some markers and viola! Check out the DIY guide: http://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/diy-number-line.html

September 16: Read and Write Google has new features to assist our students. You can now use Read and Write Google in Google Slides. Text Help has added screen masking, so you can make the whole screen one color and math supports. The math support allows Math Mark up language Math problems be read to the students. Remember if you are a teacher you can use this Google Extension for free sign up here: https://rwchrome.texthelp.com/drive/Home/RegisterTeacher and add it to your Chrome here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readwrite-for-google-chro/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd?hl=en-US

September 23rd: Are you looking for a Chrome application that is a simple text-to-speech reader with editing, proofing, speaking dictionary, color changing and word prediction? Look no further- try ClaroSpeak . ClaroSpeak can be found here in the Google Chrome Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/clarospeak/fblbeibikalffoohjpiojmpmmndpkeii?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

September 30th: Are you creating visual representation for students, for example topic boards or visual schedules? Are you using different pictures from different softwares or websites? Did you know that when we change a visual for a student from one picture to another picture of the same item, we are changing language for that child? For example,to Some students are able to transfer from one picture to another, while other students aren’t able to make that transference. WIth that being said, here are some places to get visual supports: Boardmaker (pd), Picto4Me (free), Lesson Pix (pd), or Google Images (free). Please keep this in mind, when you are creating visual materials for students. Happy creating.

1/22/2016

It is becoming more and more commonplace for students with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) to have some type of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) as part of their communication system. Some parts of that communication system may be low-tech (communication boards, PCS symbols, objects) and some may be hi-tech ranging from a dedicated speech generating device (SGD) to any of a myriad of apps on a tablet or apple device. How are professionals, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents supposed to keep up with all of the different systems?? It truly is overwhelming.

A week ago I received an email from Speak For Yourself. Speak For Yourself is a blog/website written by 2 ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologists who work with nonverbal students. They have a Facebook page, many posts on Pinterest as well as they have created an iPad communication app. Despite all of these things, they have created a weekly step by step AACtion plan for professionals, teachers, parents, and paraprofessionals to implement using an AAC device in a systematic way. ANY AAC device. I have gotten the first two weeks installments and they really do provide a do-able step by step process to learn and implement new vocabulary. The key to success in using any communication system (low-tech or high-tech) is MODELING use of the AAC for the student. This program breaks down the steps into manageable chunks to do just that. Speak For Yourself is a great resource. Check them out. Like them on Facebook. Follow them on Pinterest. Sign up for their emails.

Here is the link for week one: http://www.speakforyourself.org/learning-to-speak-aaction-plan/learning-to-speak-aac/

I will end with a quote from their first week’s AACtion Plan:

“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must. But take the step.”

~ Naeem Callaway

Yvette Bardole

1/15/2016

Many of us use video clips in the classroom or during therapy sessions to teach a variety of skills or provide examples and extensions to what we are presenting. If you are looking for a place to find video clips that can be used in the classroom WatchKnowLearn (www.watchknow.org) is a website where over 33,000+ educational videos are indexed by educators, placing them into a directory of over 3,000 categories. The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom and to students at home 24/7. Users can dive into this innovative directory or search for videos by subject and age level. Video titles, descriptions, age level information, and ratings are all edited for usefulness. The Web site invites broad participation in a new kind of wiki system, guided by teachers.

I did a little searching of my own and was pleased to find a variety of videos, video clips, and audio clips for such topics as plate tectonics, Alexander Graham Bell, social stories for autism, and teaching equal parts. But there are SO many more!!! The clips were from specific websites, YouTube, etc. and organized according to category (age, topic, common core skill, etc.) The great thing was that a teacher had found these clips helpful for their instruction and uploaded it. Other people had viewed the clips and rated with stars 1-5. Although I would ALWAYS preview any videos shown to students, it made me feel more comfortable to know that another educator had already checked this out and ok'd it. Goodness knows we have all searched YouTube for something and found many things that we did NOT want to see! Another reason I like this site is that you can upload your own favorite video clips for others to benefit from as well as make it easier to find for your next lesson! If you are interested you can also set up an account where you can save your favorite videos as well as do some editing. And that is all for free!

Yvette Bardole

November 13th:

Receive the gift of good graphic organizers

I declare Friday the 13^th as a day of luck and only good things are allowed to happen. Today is your LUCKY DAY to use a tool box of good graphic organizers. Matt Miller, creator of Ditch That Textbook, has developed 15 graphic organizers and easy instructions for creating your own. The graphic organizers can be used across grade levels and subjects.

Here is the list already created and ready to share with Google users: Venn diagram, KWL, Timeline, Evaluation, Cause and effect chain, Fishbone planner, Word web, Flow chart, Hexagonal thinking, Character map, Cornell note-taking, Plot diagram, Vocabulary cluster, Vocabulary concept, Think about your thinking, and Frayer model.

Did you count 16, instead of 15 organizers? AWESOME DAY ALERT: Mr. Miller added an extra one after he posted this article. Quickly, read the suggestions for creating your own Graphic Organizer. These 2 tips written by Mr. Miller on sharing your Google Graphic Organizer were helpful to me, because sometime the items I share others may accidently get changed when the recipient should have made a copy of it. Check these out!

Using the blue “Share” button, click the “Advanced” button and set the document as “Anyone with the link” at the top and “Can view” at the bottom. That way, students won’t be able to change your original copy and will have to make a copy of their own.

PRO TIP: When you copy a URL (link) to any Google Apps file, it probably says “view” or “edit” at the end of it. If you change that word to “copy”, it will force whoever opens that link to make a copy of the file instead of opening your file. That’s another trick to keeping your original version from being altered.

In April, 2015, he provided free Kindle access to his book: Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom. It is located on the right side of his website. I have not read it, however I wanted to pass along another perk on Friday the 13^th

^{Jodi Ward}

November 6^th: AT in the IEP, then next rap song

If you’re down with AT in the IEP, YEAH YOU KNOW ME! If you are a connoisseur of rap, then the song by a certain 90’s rap group may have popped in your head. If rap isn’t your cup of tea, then maybe a blue grass jam will help make the idea of writing an IEP entertaining, refer to a fun song by David Wonder on YouTube whom created a little ditty about IEPs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYNslr16vuo.

Tiffanie Zaugg, our Assistive Technology Team Lead Singer… I mean Leader, provided ‘HELP!’ to those interested about the IEP and Assistive Technology on October 23rd. The Zoom video, not music video, is under the AT Chat Corner on the Assistive Technology home page: https://sites.google.com/a/plaea.org/plaea-at/at-chat-corner. If you are like me because IEP’s are ‘ALWAYS ON MY MIND,’ then this beautiful 30 minute video will help you out. She covers terminology, examples of AT, page B examples, page F examples, weighting for AT, and ends with excellent questions from colleagues. ‘I’M A BELIEVER’ that we can help each student with their AT needs. Don’t ‘LET IT GO’, please make sure you address AT in every IEP meeting. I think an IEP music video is in order. Who’s with me? (Crickets chirping)

Jodi Ward

October 30

I like Halloween. Spooks and monsters running about like someone possessed all in the hopes of receiving their precious. (Notation: Lord of the Rings reference to all of the fabulous nerds out there in which I count myself. By the way “Nerd is the word”.) Let’s get back to the candy. Candy apples, Mary Jane’s, Reese's cups, snickers, and the like dropped into a little plastic cartoonish carrying device or plastic bag. I remember many a Halloween running about the neighborhood with my sister and cousins looking to amass a fortune in sugary goodness. Then, realizing that my uncle, whom always escorted us around the neighborhood, had his own agenda, which was to complete the night as soon as possible. Bitter I am. However, I don’t fault him for this. I am grateful for the escort. Plus, not once did my goody bag get stolen by older Halloween haunters nor did I find myself being tempted to light fireworks and place them in a metal trash can…that may or may not have happened once I was older. In the hopes of providing you a treat for this ghoulish season, I offer you Voice Typing, which is now a built in tool for Google Drive. Yes, my little ghouls and goblins, it is not an extension nor an app. Voice type is just what you would think it is, it uses the microphone in your computer to type on Google Drive. This is just about as good as receiving a full size candy bar from a neighbor. Like I said before, it is built into Google Drive so check under the tools tab to find your access point. You will have to enable it (Talk to your friendly technology folks if it is not enabled. I hear full size candy bars go a long way.) Once enabled and you click to activate the tool, you will see a microphone pop up on the side of your text document. Voice Type seems to be quite accurate, so give it a try and see what wondrous gruesome stories that you can dictate. Just remember to proof read your document… you know, just in case it may have an error or two. I believe in editing as everyone knows, because my documents are often flawless…which he types with dripping sarcasm.

Tim Youngdahl