Talking Calculator Draw Free for iPad Speak it! Text to Speech “50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities” “50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities” Guest Blog by Rosa Ray Whether you’re the parent of a child with a reading disability or an educator that works with learning disabled students on a daily basis, you’re undoubtedly always looking for new tools to help these bright young kids meet their potential and work through their disability. Helpful Tools These tools are useful for both educators and students with reading disabilities alike, aiding in everything from looking up a correct spelling to reading text out loud. Speak It! Fundamentals These apps help teach the fundamentals of reading, writing, and spelling to any young learner, but can be especially helpful for those who are struggling. Alphabet Zoo: Alphabet Zoo is a great tool for helping young readers to recognize letter sounds. Reading These excellent iPad apps can be a big help to reading disabled students who need a little extra support when trying to read. Writing Spelling
Equal Access: Universal Design of Libraries | DO-IT A checklist for making libraries welcoming, accessible, and usable Libraries play an important role in ensuring that everyone has access to information in printed and electronic forms. In making these resources accessible and useful to everyone, principles of universal design (UD) can be employed. Legal Issues Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008 prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Universal Design Universal design (UD) means that rather than designing your facility and services for the average user, you design them for people with a broad range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics—such as age, reading ability, learning style, language, culture, and others. Guidelines and Examples The following questions can guide you in making your library accessible to everyone. Planning, Policies, and Evaluation Physical Environments and Products
Sibling's Voice - VOR It was a matinee showing of the Broadway play “The King and I” and the excited audience members took their seats. One mother that was attending, however, decided to bring her autistic son with her and hoped that he wouldn’t be a distraction to the other members of the audience. When the play started, however, things. didn’t go as expected. The mother’s son started making a fuss and members of the audience became frustrated. How the crowd reacted, however, shocked Kelvin Loh, one of the actors in the Broadway play. “I am angry and sad. That being said – this post won’t go the way you think it will. You think I will admonish that mother for bringing a child who yelped during a quiet moment in the show. No. Instead, I ask you- when did we as theater people, performers and audience members become so concerned with our own experience that we lose compassion for others? The theater to me has always been a way to examine/dissect the human experience and present it back to ourselves. Kelvin Loh
UDL in the ESSA Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 This past December, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaces No Child Left Behind. And for the first time, the nation’s general K-12 education law defines and endorses Universal Design for Learning. As CAST’s friends at the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) point out— UDL is referenced numerous times throughout the ESSA bill, and states are encouraged to design assessments using UDL principles, to award grants to local education agencies who use UDL, and to adopt technology that aligns with UDL. NDSS and the 45+ fellow members of the National UDL Task Force, which was formed in 2006, have played a critical role in raising awareness on Capitol Hill of UDL’s potential to support better teaching and learning with high expectations for all students, including those with disabilities. What follows are references to UDL in the ESSA and other federal policy documents. UDL in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015
One Place for Special Needs About Us Dawn Villarreal has two special needs children. When she learned of her children’s disabilities she found it difficult to find answers. Villarreal made it her mission to help families find the resources and services they need. Villarreal became parent leader and moderator of the statewide disability group Autism Community Connection in 2002. Frustrated that there was not a better system in place, Villarreal created her own called One Place for Special Needs. In December, 2007, the City of Naperville (IL) Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Disabilities honored Dawn with their RAMP-Art Award, given to residents that improve the lives of community members with disabilities. Thanks to Our Sponsors
The Learning Styles of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder | The Arc’s Autism Now Center By Bethany McCabe, MS, OTR/L Both children on the autism spectrum and their neurotypical peers learn best when they are exposed to various learning styles and teaching methods. Studies have shown that uncovering and supporting children’s favored learning styles can improve performance in all areas. To understand how a child learns best, it helps to understand what type of learning environment a child responds to organically. First, there is visual style learning. In this category, children rely on their sense of sight, and best learn from books, videos, charts, pictures and color coding methods. A second type of learning is Auditory Style. The third type of learning is considered Tactile or Kinesthetic in nature. A wonderful way to better understand how information is absorbed is to look at the “Cone of Learning,” developed by Edgar Dale. While many children learn through multiple means of input, most children on the Autism Spectrum have one preferred primary learning style.
LD and ADHD Collaboration Five Ways to Collaborate With Families of Students with Disabilities From the Marshall Memo #435 “Families’ involvement in their children’s education stands out as one of the greatest predictors of growth and well-being for students with disabilities,” say Caitlin Edwards (Nashville Public Schools) and Alexandra Da Fonte (Vanderbilt University) in this Teaching Exceptional Children article. • Be positive, proactive, and solution-oriented. Strong bonds with families really matter, all aimed at supporting each child. • Respect families’ roles and cultural backgrounds in their children’s lives. The keys here are outreach and respect. • Communicate consistently, listen to families’ concerns, and work together. The bottom line: parents feel in touch and on top of their child’s progress. • Consider simple, natural supports that meet each child’s individual needs. Families appreciate when educators take their ideas and suggestions seriously, and generally welcome expert advice.
Autism Research Institute Written by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. 'Learning styles' is a concept which attempts to describe the methods by which people gain information about their environment. People can learn through seeing (visually), hearing (auditorily), and/or through touching or manipulating an object (kinesthetically or 'hands-on' learning). Generally, most people learn using two to three learning styles. One's learning style may affect how well a person performs in an educational setting, especially from junior high on through college. Based on my experience as well as those of my colleagues, it appears that autistic individuals are more likely to rely on only one style of learning. Once a person's learning style is determined, then relying on this modality to teach can greatly increase the likelihood that the person will learn. One common problem evidenced by autistic children is running around the classroom and not listening to the teacher.