Web+Resources

http://pluk.mt.typepad.com/pluk_news_feed/ This website is a place for teachers and parents to discuss different types of software and programs to assist students with special needs. You can click on a variety of different categories such as autism, asperger syndrome, auditory processing disorder, behavior, comprehension, down syndrome, hearing impairments, and disability to name a few. There are several discussions listed in each category with links to helpful information and tools.

[|www.softtouch.com]This website offers products that can teach students about many different concepts. Since we were making a restaurant page on the Boardmaker today, I went to a page on the site where the company offers products to represent types of foods.

http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/podcasting What about Podcasting? It can be an effective tool to motivate students to develop their skills. It can be done in the safety of a classroom, it is inexpensive and can be simple to learn with any Internet-ready computer and microphone. It could also be a way for classrooms that are miles apart to communicate and learn from each other.

http://www.wordtalk.org.uk/ WordTalk can help students with reading difficulties use Word a little easier. It will speak the text and highlight it as it goes. It has a speaking dictionary to help students decide which word spelling is appropriate. It can sit in your toolbar on your computer and is highly adaptable, allowing you to make adjustments to the colors, the voice, and the rate of the speech. Sounds like an excellent device for all students.

http://www.studystack.com/ This is a great resource for studying-hence the name! You can use existing data or add your own data to create flash cards and much, much more to study! Helpful for us as students too!

[|Empowered Living Today] is a website for people with physical disabilities to recieve information on products, service, and support. This site provides a forum for people to discuss similar problems and solutions. It also has tips and product information on items that help people overcome physical boundaries and obstacles that may be faced in the kitchen, bathroom, garden, and/or household.

[|GAWS.com] (Guild of Accessible Web Designers) This page has pictures and descriptions of alternative pointing devices for the computer. Some products include: assistive mouse adaptor, ball point mouse, haptic devices, head mounted pointers, joysticks, mouse keys, and touch screens.

[|Abledata.com] This company provides reliable information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment to consumers, professionals, and organizations. They do not sell any products but can help locate companies that do. Reviews are on products such as: aids for daily living, orthotics, prosthetics, switches, computer devices, and communication devices. Also information is available on specific products designed for people with the following disabilities: deaf and hard of hearing, blind and low vision, deaf blind, and mobility. There is also information on products concerning transportation, seating, education, recreation, housekeeping, and environmental adaptations.

[|www.closingthegap.com] is another website that is a database resource directory that contains over 20,000 different AT and instructional tech devices and software products.

[|Abilityhub.com] (Assisted Technology Solutions) Their mission is to help you find info on adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers. Quick links include computer access solutions for: Augmentative Communication, Blind and Visually Impaired, Cognitive Disabilities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Electronic Aids, Learning Disabilities, Mouse Alternatives, Keyboard Alternatives, Switch Access, Text-to-Speech, and Speech Recognition.

[|AssistiveTech.com] This company is a developer of innovative hardware and software products for people with disabilities. Products are available to purchase on-line and include augmentative and alternative communication devices and assessment, curriculum, and evaluation software.

Many devices provide communication—the Lightwriter provides for conversation! Lightwriters are small, portable, text-to-speech communication aids engineered for people with speech impairments. Its dual display, choice of keyboard layouts and languages, and long battery life make it a good choice for many individuals. This device is similar to those we saw in the video today.

This website is excellent for searching and purchasing devices and software for people with disabilities. Each softwarepage has a description and overview for new users as well as links for assisiance for existing users.

[|Resna.org] (Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America) Their mission is to improve the capability of people with disabilities to achieve their goals by using technology. They also promote research, development, education, advocacy and conditions of technology for people with disabilities and people working with those who have disabilities.

State Assistive Technology Centers

[|Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative] (DATI) The mission of this program is to improve access to assisstive technology and to provide resources to people with disabilities in Delaware so that they can work, learn, have fun and participate in the community.

There is a link here to exchange AT - whether you are in need of a device or you have something available for others to use: http://www.dati.org/v3/home.php

[|National Center for Technology Innovation] [|Texas Assistive Technology Network] [|Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative]

[|AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication Center]. This website assist individuals with communication disabilities. It provides access to a range of information and resources. It is maintained by the Barkley AAC Center and the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska. When I logged onto this website, right away I noticed the link for YAACK and the word "connecting". The word "connecting" is a valuable component in the world of individuals with disabilities. It's important for these individuals to feel connected with those who share a similar disability as well as to those individuals in society who do not have a disability. I clicked on the link and this is what I found: What is YAACK? Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Connecting Young Kids (YAACK) is a website that includes topics related to AAC and young children. It provides insight and help to families, teachers, speech/language pathologists and anyone else who is involved with a child with special communication needs. It is intended to be easy to understand and practical, and to cover a wide range of topics dealing with AAC and AAC-related issues of children at various ages and stages of communication ability, and with different strengths, disabilities and learning characteristics.

http://www.childrenwithspecialneeds.com/pecs.html This website is helpful in explaining the Picture Exchange Communication System. (PECS) This is an AAC for many non-verbal students and can also be used with verbal students. PECS is broken down into six phases which are further explained on this site.

[|__http://store.grovergear.com/__] This website has all kinds of adaptive gear to help aid people in multiple ways. It’s amazing to see what people have come up with!

[|Atstar] is an online curriculum program that provides educators with the assessment tools they need to effectively incorporate assistive technology into their classroom.

[|www.kidlink.org] A place where students from around the world can meet to talk about issues, talk about their ideas, and talk to other children.

[|www.bookadventure.com] This site is helpful for identifying books of interest for students by reading level and topic. They also have examples of comprehension questions.

[|www.gutenberg.org] This is a site discussed in class that allows you to download free ebooks. [|www.textaloud.com] and [|www.readplease.com] are both sites that offer free text readers. [|www.bartleby.com] is also another website that offers free online books.

Reading Bar is a text to speech toolbar for Internet Explorer that can be downloaded to read web pages. Check it out at http://www.gold-software.com/ReadingBar-file3735.html

[|Easter Seals] is a wonderful organization that is dedicated to ensure that people living with a disability have equal opportunities.

[|The Assistive Technology Data Collection Project] is a 4 year initiative that has collected statistical information by state on the need for and use of assistive technology.

[|__http://www.pecs.com/workshop_listing.php__] here is pyramid’s website and a list of workshops that they offer for PECS training.

[|__http://www.icdi.wvu.edu/Others.htm__] I thought this was a great resources for findinginformation about disabilities. The site is literally called **//Untangling the Web Your complete listing of disability information on the Web//**

The following websites are good resources for toys. We talked about cause and effect toys today in class and using switches to activate those toys. A lot of cause and effect toys may not even need an adapter/switch depending on the student, such as a remote control car, jack in the boxes…etc. http://www.growingtreetoys.com/toys/toddler-toys-all.html This link shows some cause and effect toys specifically: http://www.beyondplay.com/CATALOG/CAU1.HTM http://www.kbtoys.com/http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm

http://www.medford.k12.ma.us/assistive_technology/mid_tech.html Talks about different softwares used by students with disabilities

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm Talks about listening devices used for assistive technogy.

[|Enablemart] devolps products and software for people with disabilities. The categories include switches, workstations, keyboards and mice, communication devices, vision devices, hearing devices, and mobility devices.

http://www.ncld.org/ This is the national center for learning disabilities website. Lots of legal issues and information and helpful links.

[|__http://www.rfbd.org/__] the site Marvin told us about that has books on tape using special devices.

[|__http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/stylest.html__] here is a site that you can have older kids use to determine their learning style.

http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dvi/ This is the Division for Visually Impaired website that Marvin mentioned.

http://www.rfbd.org/ Here is the website for Readings for the Blind and Dyslexic. I found the part about teaching training particualarly interesting. You can actually receive training on RFBD's Learning Through Listening Program.

http://www.lifeprint.com/ This is a site that is an online curriculum resource for American Sign Language students, instructors, and parents. There are free lessons and resources for self-study. Some of the links include: dictionary, jokes, lessons, newsletter, quizes, fingerspelling tools, ect.

http://www.hawking.org.uk/home/hindex.html This is the official website of Steven Hawking. In the presentation by Marvin, he showed a picture of Steven and Jim Carey. Steven was born in England. He has twelve honorary degrees. He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes, and his popular works in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general. He has three children and is seriously disabled by Lou Gehrig's Disease. He gradually lost the use of his arms, legs, and voice, and is now almost completely paralyzed. The computer system attached to his wheelchair is operated by Hawking via an infra-red 'blink switch' clipped onto his glasses. By scrunching his right cheek up, he is able to talk, compose speeches, research papers, browse the web and write e-mails. The system also uses radio transmission to provide control over doors in his home and office. The information found in this wiki came from the officail website.

There is a web based learning style inventory at http://ttc.coe.uga.edu/surveys/LearningStyleInv.html After you answer the questions it gives you a bar graph from which you may determine the learning style for which you have the greatest tendency.

http://www.tinsnips.org/ This is a special education resource for teachers with ideas for teaching tools and techniques as well as worksheets and activities.

http://www.nobodyhere.com/toren.hier A great fun cause/effect website to use with students with special needs. Great game for switches.

[|__http://www.flaghouse.com/whatissnoz.htm__] this site has a lot of things that you can order for your classroom. They have all your big sensory room items! J Just click on sensory solutions and it gives you great information on creating a sensory room.

[|__http://www.specialneedstoys.com/usa/viewcontent.asp?section=MSE&kw=sensory%20room&fl=38260__] this is also another site to find different toys for children with special needs.

[|Ablenetinc.com] is a website that creates products and technology to help teach students with disabilities.

http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dvi/index.html This is the Division for the Visually Impaired website that we have spoken about especially when DATI was here.

[|Solutions for Humans] sells adaptive technology (categories such as: computer access, telephone access, communication devices, speech recognition, furniture, blindness, wheelchairs, and oxygen.

I just hit the MOTHER LOAD of links to resources of assistive technology devices at [|wheelchairnet.org]. They have all these websites categorized by type of access needed for example: AAC, computer access general, computer access physical disability, computer access visual impairment, computer access LD, computer access special education software, hearing impairments, electronic aids to daily living, AT for cognitive disabilities, mounting devices, furniture, switches, and web asscessibility.

http://www.techaccess.org/ Website referred to in my presentation on Living Books.

http://www.educationworld.com/special_ed/assistive/index.shtml Check out Education World for Special Education and Assistive Technology. It is an "educator's best friend" with endless resources and links for tons of information.

[|__http://www.pcsforschools.org/index.htm__] this site offers computers for schools at 1/3 of their market prices.

[|The Council for Exceptional Children] (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities. This site offers journal articles, profesional development opportunities and resources, as well as discussion forums to name a few.

[|__http://www.asha.org/default.htm__] this is a great site for speech and language resources. They have many great resources from journals to various products available.

[|__http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product.asp?product=14869__] here is a site about creature chorus sterling edition by laureate. It is a software that helps students learn how to use a mouse. Great program for new and young computer users.

http://atto.buffalo.edu/ The **Assistive Technology Training Online Project** **(ATTO)** provides information on AT applications that help students with disabilities learn in elementary classrooms.The **Assistive Technology Training Online Project** **(ATTO)** provides information on AT applications that help students with disabilities learn in elementary classrooms.