Using Stimulus Dollars to Build Your Essential Assistive Technology Toolbox

What Essentials are in Your Toolbox?

I was asked to recommend some tools that I consider "staples of the trade" to put in a tollbox for special ed classrooms. I was asked to keep it "reasonable" in cost and equip with the essentials. I might be sticking my neck out here, but I thought I would throw my list out to you and get your feedback. What am I missing? What would be better? Give us your ideas... remember, in this scenario there is money to spend!

My Toolbox List:

Boardmaker software $399 (Mayer Johnson)

Super Talker Progressive Communicator - $339 (Ablenet)

2 Jelly Bean switches - $45 each (Ablenet)

1 Switch Interface Pro USB 5.0 - $99 (Don Johnston)

1 Big Mack Communicator - $109 (Ablenet)

1 Big Red Switch - $45 (Ablenet)

I Universal Mount - $80 (Ablenet)

1 Powerlink 3 - $189 ( I would get a cheap radio to use with it) (Ablenet)

2 Battery Interrupters (AA and C/D sizes) - $12 each (Enabling Devices)

1 Touchscreen (13"-15") - $179 (Don Johnston)

1 Canon Canoscan LiDE 200 flatbed scanner with OmniPage SE OCR software- $99

(Tiger Direct)

1 Mp3/voice recorder/audiobook flash drive player - $39.95 (RCA Pearl)

Don Johnston SOLO Literacy Suite with Talking Word Processor, Graphic Organizer, Text Reader, Word Prediction. - $749 (Don Johnston)

(A free suite of tools with some lower-end tools like on SOLO comes in Access Apps as a download to put on a 2GB flashdrive) A low cost alternative I recently discovered is Confident Reader. It will not read DAISY files, but you can get one that does free online from Bookshare.org if you have an account, They also have a free version of a Don Johnston Reader.

There are so many great software tools like Classroom Suite, Clicker 5, Kurzweil 3000, etc. but with the tools above I could do alot - I think I could survive fairly well actually. I also know there are lots of different kinds of switches, but we have our equipment center to trial varities of switches so I would check them out and get them as needed. There are low-end ideas like pencil grips, see-through color strips, etc. What are your resources? (things you would want to be on your list?)

All the best to you!

Lon

Lon Thornburg 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!

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Will Stimulus Package Benefit Special Education Programs?

Stimulus Plan could Reshape U.S. Education Policy to a Stronger Fed Voice.
Saving jobs and programs could result in loss of state and local control.
The federal investment in education would more than double under a proposed stimulus package pending in Congress. It includes $150 billion in new education spending, which would change the federal government's role in education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the money will prevent hundreds of thousands of teachers' layoffs and money also will go to support early childhood education, repair aging school buildings and improve special-education programs. The pocket of money for disabled children would increase from the current $11 billion to $17 billion. The question is, what strings or requirements will come with this money and will it be what care-givers and educators deem best?
Read the article at the International Herald Tribune.
Taiwan News, I read Sunday night, where it was already Monday, gives us a glimpse of Obama's bi-partisan White House Super bowl party Sunday and the struggles in passing the stimulus package under intense scrutiny this week. This is an interesting article too.

All the best to you!

Lon

Lon Thornburg 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!



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