Post on 26-Mar-2015
Adding Assistive Technology to the Toolkit
Christine Tongetongec@livingstonesa.org
Today’s Agenda
• The Assistive Technology Continuum
• High Tech Pencil
• Searching the World Wide Web
What is Assistive Technology?
• Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. (Section 300.5)
But what does that really mean?
• The key terms in the definition suggest that an AT tool can be anything.
• You can buy it• You can make it yourself• You can customize some other tool
But doesn’t technology mean computers?
• AT is a continuum of low, mid, and high tech tools and strategies
• Low and mid tech tools look more regular and students are more apt to use them
• Low and mid tech tools are easier to train and are usable in more locations
Low Tech Tools
• Look at low tech options first
• Involve no electricity• Simplest and most
often the least expensive tech tools
Visual Schedule
Magnifying Bar
Onion Mountain Technology
Pencils and grips
Mid Tech Tools
• Small, hand held and portable
• Generally involve battery power
AAC device
Portable keyboard
Talking dictionary/ spell checkerCoin-u-lator
Time Timer
High Tech Tools• Require electricity• Include computers and
computer operated communication devices
Laptop w/ head mouse extreme
Springboard LiteUniversal Reader text reader
Promises and Perils
• Assistive technology is incredibly exciting
• Ideally, the best resources are found in the local school
• Assistive technology is just a tool and not a cure
Searching the World Wide Web
High Tech Pencil
• Free plug-in
• Works with Microsoft Word
• Reads text
• Highlights words
• Talking spell checker
Tar Heel Reader
• Free
• Easy to read
• Has a PowerPoint format
• Speech enabled when read on the Internet
• Can be downloaded to a computer without speech support
www.tarheelreader.org
TumbleBooks
• Subscription e-book site• Picture books• Chapter books• Puzzles and games• Southfield Public Library