Options in Using a Laptop for AAC

I get email questions from time to time. Folks ask a variety of questions concerning equipment, software and AT evaluations, advocacy, etc. I recently received a question that I felt might be good to share with everyone:
"What software can you purchase that would make the laptop function similarly to the Dynavox. So far, we're interested in Speaking Dynamically Pro. What do you think of this program and do you have any other suggestions?"
Great question! With the prices on dynamic display devices upwards to $7000, using a laptop can be an alternative. I have used laptops with Boardmaker Speaking Dynamically Pro, and it has a lot of potential. There is a lot of work that has to be put into building the communication sets/pages you want - but it can be done. A lot of thought and planning go into the software that comes loaded on devices and you can get ideas off of demo software and Internet sites to spark your own ideas with SDP. The program is about $649.
Dynavox sells its Series 5 software to load on a laptop. This gives you a chance to demo the whole system on the Dynavox devices on your laptop to get a feel for how it works. I got a free trial CD from our Oregon state representative from Dynavox. You might want to give the trial a try and see what you think. Also, if you do get the Boardmaker SDP, there is a CD called Velocity for about $399 that has sets ready to go - but you have to use the SDP with it and by the time you get the SDP @ $649 and the Velocity at $350 - you are in the $1000 range - maybe the Dynavox System 5 software is comporable.
Another thing to think about is that Dynavox has the Boardmaker Bridge that allows you to add sets you build with the SDP onto a Dynavox V Series. Since Mayer Johnson (which makes the Boardmaker products) and Dynavox are the same company now, there have been efforts to blend the devices with the software tools to provide a complete package. This effort has seemed to pay off. There are some great tools available through this company.
I have built speech device style branching topics with PowerPoint, although there is no way to access the choices other than a mouse. There is no scanning to make choices in PowerPoint. I am working on some basic communication pages with Powerpoint to provide in the future so check in for more on that as I get them put together. I have a video tutorial on how to assign sound and set up the basics of a communication board on the link above. You might want to check that out.
There really is no substitute for a dynamic display device, but if you are up to the challenge of building your own communication pages on a laptop to save money, it can be done.

All the best to you!
Lon

Lon Thornburg is a guest contributor, sharing from his blog, No Limits to Learning which celebrates human potential through assistive technology. He also has a talk show, No Limits 2 Learning Live on Blog Talk Radio.

Guest Shares Effective Strategies for Developing Language and Communication with AAC

Developing AAC supports for students with communication disabilities at an early age is becoming an important strategy for me in my region. We have several students at the high school level that are finally getting devices that are way overdue. If we can begin to support our students early on - in kindergarten and first grade, we can lay a foundation for them to grow and develop with their peers.
Linnea McAfoose, CCC-SLP, is an expert in developing strategies for language development and communication. In fact, she has been working on the Dynavox team as co-designer of the software series that is placed on the dynamic display devices. She has played an important role in the InterACCT framework which is a part of the Series 5 software for the Dynavox dynamic display devices.
Linnea will be on No Limits 2 Learning Live tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3 at 10:00 a.m.
You can call in with questions on the live stream or listen to the archive afterwards. I am looking forward to hearing her share about the system and how it moves from supporting beginning communicators all the way through advanced communication. The system grows with the user and has many adaptable features.
Join our visit and hear strategies for developing language and communication with the students and dependents in your care.

All the best to you!
Lon

Lon is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!

Slow Down and Let Students Accommodate for Life!

Print Disabilities provide the pleasure of teaching the use of tools and strategies that will take students and carry them on past school years and build a foundation for life. If we slow down and allow kids time to learn to use these tools the way they would really like to use them, they will actually grab onto them and begin to self-accommodate. Here is my most recent "back to school" example:I was in a high school meeting yesterday where we were designing our implementation strategy for modification and accommodation of content. The teachers have built blogs for content that are closed and secure for student access by password only. We had grand plans for amazing content and then someone stopped and commented:
"Maybe we need to wait on developing too much content and just spend the first part of fall quarter letting students spend time learning to use the text to speech tool, going to the page with all the hyperlinks to the teacher blogs for modified content, use the Mp3 download tool and save content to listen to. We need to give time for practice. We could give them some fun sample content that they could practice with."
Of course, no one could argue. We had all been discussing over-arching goals, tools to use, and content from Bookshare.org for specific students. These were good plans and necessary, but we had momentarily forgotten to slow down take a breath and allow ourselves to lay a foundation.We decided that the number one goal was to help these students with print disabilities develop a life skill of being able to use these tools for things they would need to do like reading news, accessing web sites and filling in online forms, spelling correctly, etc.
If we give students opportunities to use a text to speech tool, convert to Mp3 tool, spell checkers and use the e-text files so they can read and explore content that motivates them, then maybe they will REALLY learn how to use these tools for the reasons we want them to have them anyway. Once they have got the implementation down, then we can add more content and develop our curriculum goals. What can it hurt to let them "play" with the technology for the first 3 weeks? So we had our "Ah-ha moment" and relaxed. Now everyone is ready to explore, work on developing content, but not under so much pressure.
When you implement new technology for the first time, folks can be stressed, nervous and fear failure. If the teachers feel that way, how about the students? Some students take to tech, but for many with print disabilities, the low stress plan will really pay off. We are taking that path this next month of September and I will let you know how it goes.

All the best to you!
Lon

No Limits 2 Learning Live will host Leanne McFoose, Developer of the InterACCT system for Dynavox next Wednesday at 10 a.m. Pacific. More details to come next week.

Lon is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!

LD Online: Dyslexia and High School

LD Online reprinted Melinda's article from her Seattle PI Reader Blog, Learning Connections.

Last week I visited a local high school to observe a freshman. Even though the end of school is near, I wanted to see first-hand how the teachers were implementing accommodations and modifications for his severe dyslexia.

Before school began in the fall, I had met with this student twice a week to build his reading, writing and study skills. He began the year rating school as a "-1" on a one-to-ten scale. By mid-winter, he had moved his self-assessment of school to a "10." Since then he had become increasingly discouraged. Finally I realized that I better get a first-hand look at what was going on in his classes.

So, his teacher kindly let me sit in the back of the class. I spent the hour noting the tasks that he was asked to complete along with the other students in his literature class. Read More

Back to School Basics: Access for Students that Get Overlooked

Back to school means back to supporting learning for some students that "fall between the cracks." More and more, we see children struggling that don't have a visible or severe enough disability to qualify for special services and an IEP. That doesn't mean they should get lost in the shuffle and not have the tools to accomodate for their learning style and lack of skills.

I was doing a training in a high school with regular classroom teachers that were getting access and support technology training for the kids that were in their classes that also had IEP's and needed either modified or accomodated curriculum and instruction. When we were through with the day training, their summary of the day included the realization that the tools we explored were good for ALL students and that they probably had more "regular" students with print disability needs that were more severe than the IEP students they were preparing for. Read More

About the Author
Lon Thornburg is an educator and an assistive technology specialist and trainer. He combines success principles and motivational methods with goal setting, planning and assistive technology to help people overcome barriers. Lon also has a podcast and live online talk radio show. See players below


Subscribe Free
Add to my Page

Succeeding at School With ADHD

Free Back-to-School Handbook for Parents and Teachers of Students With Special Needs

In this free expert booklet, ADDitude magazine has assembled its best academic resources including a back-to-school checklist for parents, a sample letter introducing your child to new teachers, daytime medication guidelines, and learning strategies for students with attention-deficit disorder and learning disabilities.

ADDitude magazine, the leading publication for families and adults living with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), has released a free, downloadable back-to-school handbook for the parents and teachers of students with ADHD and learning disabilities.

Top learning specialists and ADHD professionals contributed to 9 Ways to Achieve Success at School, the 14-page booklet that contains proven strategies for:

-- Securing appropriate academic accommodations via an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan
-- Working with teachers and school administrators to begin the school year right
-- Talking with your child about his goals, fears, and challenges for the year ahead
-- Managing common ADHD symptoms like distractibility in the classroom
-- Studying smarter and completing homework assignments on time
-- Strengthening reading, writing, and math skills at every grade level
-- Managing daytime doses of ADHD medication at school

"Back-to-school time can be overwhelming -- even scary -- for children with ADHD, especially if last year was rough," says Susan Caughman, editor-in-chief of ADDitude. "This free handbook gives those students and their parents the tools they need to begin this year with confidence and a clear goal of success."

What can you do now to ensure that your child begins her next school year poised and prepared? Begin with ADDitude's summer checklist for parents, then work through "10 Conversations to Have at the Start of the Year," both included in 9 Ways to Achieve Success at School. Inside this booklet you'll also find a sample letter to your child's teacher and "Social Skills 101."

Lisa's Lingo

powered by ODEO

iPod/MP3 Player Download

Lisa Parisi is a fifth-grade teacher and educational innovator in inclusion classrooms.
Check out her thoughts at Lisa's Lingo

Lisa writes about her Successful Inclusive Classroom and I enjoyed speaking with her about how she sets up a classroom to work for a roomful of learning diversity. I posted a link to her site from Learning Connections---check out the comments, too!

Lisa notes four maxims in setting up a truly inclusive classroom for success ---

#1: Do not separate the children. They should not stand out for being classified. Remember: inclusion means to be included, not separated.

#2: Don't hide special needs. Point out that we all need assistance at times. Make it available to everyone

#3: Mix the teachers up and allow students to choose their style of learning.

#4: Keep students in the classroom as much as possible. Eliminate as many pull-outs as you can.

She uses lots of technology in her classroom. Lisa's students all have their own blog pages http://herricks.org/webpages/spcollaborative/
and Lisa posts videos on ustream

Web TV provided by Ustream

Thanks, Lisa!

Article: Disabled and Driven

"People with LD are very smart because we
constantly have to figure out a different way"

Individuals with learning disabilities face daily challenges even after leaving school.

Learning Disabilities may stem from differences in how an individual gains information - listening, reading, picking up on social cues, and/or differences in how information is sorted and remembered- affecting sequencing, comprehension, and memory, and/or differences in output - speaking, writing, coordination.

If you haven't read Disabled and Driven, check it out!

The man looked at his middle-aged employee incredulously.

She could not immediately complete a project and would need more time, she told her boss, because she is learning disabled.

"No you're not," he responded.

Read More

Carl Chew, Teaching & Civil Disobedience

Click to play
Podcast: Melinda has an indepth conversation with Carl Chew

Carl talks about how parents can opt their kids out of the WASL---

Carl Chew teaches 6th grade science at Eckstein Middle School in Seattle. This April, when he refused to administer the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning), Carl was suspended for two weeks without pay. See Seattle PI Article

How do we insure quality education for ALL students? Is your state one of the thirteen or so with high-stakes testing? Do high stakes test improve education, and if so, how?

The WASL is a complicated issue and in fact, a complicated test! Each student must answer questions by writing in several booklets for multiple subjects---reading, writing, math, and science. Each student creates over 40 pages of handwritten responses that must be hand scored! The test used to be administered at three grade levels but now but now is administered every year from 3rd to 10th grades and beyond for those who don't pass. $ $ $

Read More of Carl Chew's Thinking

Story Links:

• Real Change
• ABC News
• Tacoma News Tribune - Editorial
• The Associated Press

powered by ODEO
Listen To The Interview with Carl on Odeo.com

Doug Gill, Director Special Education Washington State

Join us!
Wednesday June 25
9:00 AM PDT

Bring your questions and concerns about special education and join us Wednesday for a conversation with Doug Gill. Currently the Director of Special Education for Washington State, Doug Gill served on the President Bush's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. The commission formed by Executive Order in 2001, disbanded in July 2002 after issuing their final report to the President--- A New Era: Revitalizing Special Education for Children and Their Families.

Of note this week, Congress is working to revamp the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) this week, working toward a new version of the ADA Restoration Act.

Interview: ADDA Board Members

powered by ODEO
Melinda talks with Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) board members Linda S. Anderson, MA, MCC, SCAC, president, and Beverly Rohman, ADDA Conference Co-Chair, about the upcoming 13th National Conference, July 10-13, that will be held at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

Linda Anderson is a master certified coach and founder of Getting Clear. She has been actively involved in the world of adult ADHD, since 1993 and has been a coach for over a decade.

Her mission is to help ADHD individuals transform failure into success and struggle into achievement through awareness, access to resources, connection to skilled professionals and the support of other ADHD adults.

Beverly Rohman is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a long-time advocate, ADHD coach and consultant for learning differences and school searches. She is the founder of The Learning Connections, which is dedicated to helping adults, families, and students who struggle with ADHD.

Her mission is to promote a world where the challenges of learning differences and ADHD are identified, managed and ultimately valued.

WASL: Interview with Shannon Rasmussen, WEA Rep

powered by ODEO

Melinda talks with Shannon Rasmussen, President of the Federal Way Education Association and the head of a Washington Education Association (WEA) task force that studies education reform about the WASL.

What is the WASL?

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) measures student learning of skills and knowledge important to our children’s success in school and life. Educators use WASL results to improve teaching and to do a better job of meeting every student’s academic needs. (Read More)

Educators don’t trust Terry Bergeson’s WASL numbers

To much fanfare, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson has now released WASL test scores for the Class of 2008.

The good news: Most seniors passed the reading and writing WASL. The bad news: Bergeson’s WASL figures appear to be inaccurate and may not give the full picture.

In fact, superintendents in several school districts dispute the WASL numbers Bergeson released.

Federal Way EA President Shannon Rasmussen said WEA members continue to oppose Bergeson’s emphasis on the WASL as a high-stakes test, and they believe it takes too much time away from classroom instruction.

"We support high academic standards, but we fundamentally disagree with how Terry Bergeson is implementing the WASL," Rasmussen said. "We've lost faith in her." (Read More)