The Family Center on Technology and Disability
Assistive Technology Works
LearnZillion
Learn Zillion is a website dedicated to providing resources for proficiency in common core classes and is available to teachers, parents, and students. The website contains lessons on a variety of math, language arts, science, and social studies topics for all grade levels. A user must create an account to access the different areas but there is no cost associated with using any of the resources. Teachers from across the ...
Published: 2013 by LearnZillion , Reviewed: May 29, 2013
The Assistive Technology Blog
"The Assistive Technology Blog" is a publication of the Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at VCU (not to be confused with AssistiveTechnologyBlog.com, also reviewed here by FCTD). It is a very simply organized blog of hundreds of resources that can be accessed by month or by by these categories: - Assistive Technologies - AT and Standardized Assessment - AT and Transition - AT for Math ...
Published: 2013 by Susanne Croasdaile , Reviewed: April 01, 2013
Transition Hub
Transition Hub is collection of online tips, assessments, and toolkits related to transition planning and customized employment for students with disabilities. The website is a bit stark but the resources are excellent. The assessment page includes links to both free and paid assessment tools, and the customized employment page offers three guides and several articles related to customized employment. Some of the transition manuals and toolkits include the FCTD "Family ...
Published: 2013 by Unknown , Reviewed: April 25, 2013
iTransition
iTransition from PepNet is a tool that can be used by school counselors, deaf education teachers, parents, and students to explore the idea of transitioning from high school to college, training programs, or the world of work. Designed for use with high school students from the age of 14, the tool addresses three areas related to transition: Career Interests and Education Choices, First Year College Success, and Essential Skills for ...
Published: 2012 by PepNet2 , Reviewed: February 01, 2013
SpecialNeeds.com
This website is aimed at providing information to help people understand special needs. There are pages and pages of information for parents and professionals in a variety of formats. There are stories written by parents and discussions by professionals. There are book reviews, information on events and conferences, podcasts, and questions for the "Developmental Doc". Topics covered include diagnosis and the feelings of parents at the time of diagnosis, communication ...
Published: 2012 by SpecialNeeds.com , Reviewed: January 30, 2013
Hearing Like Me
Hearing Like Me is a website designed to provide information to individuals who are hard of hearing/hearing impaired, their families, peers and educators. It is created by Phonak, a major manufacturer of hearing devices, and includes information on their equipment. However it also has a lot of excellent and very well organized content under the titles of Living, Raising, Supporting, Learning, The Facts, and Forums. All are available to any ...
Published: 2012 by Phonak , Reviewed: November 28, 2012
BridgingApps
BridgingApps.org is a volunteer website with a stated mission of "bridging the gap between technology and people with disabilities". It is sponsored by Easter Seals of Greater Houston and is an evolution of Special Needs Apps for Kids (SNApps4Kids.org) which was previously reviewed by FCTD. This iteration is more sophisticated and powerful and includes apps for iOS and Android devices. The site has a Getting Started section with a video ...
Published: 2012 by BridgingApps , Reviewed: August 14, 2012
Accessibility Guide for Educators
This site, developed by Microsoft, has information useful for educators who want to learn about technology and making classroom technology accessible. There are two classroom accessibility guides that you can download for free. One has information for Windows XP users and the other information for Vista and Windows 7 users. The guides are also available in Spanish. The guide for Vista and Windows 7 has three chapters and a resource ...
Published: 2012 by Microsoft , Reviewed: December 03, 2012
The Right of Students with Disabilities Who Need Accessible Instructional ...
This information guide for parents, educators and advocates includes the definition of accessible instructional materials and describes how IDEA 2004 and ADA (Section 504 and Title II) reinforce the right of all students with disabilities to access those materials. By explaining the legal supports for accessible instructional materials, this guide helps families, advocates and educators better understand their rights and how to defend those rights if a school does not ...
Published: 2012 by Joanne Karger , Reviewed: June 21, 2012
Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (PAR)
"PAR provides you with all you need to systematize your procedures for making data-based reading accommodation recommendations for students who are not reading at grade level or have physical disabilities that keep them from utilizing printed texts." PAR is a free, downloadable manual that includes a protocol for collecting data to compare independent reading, reading with a human reader, and reading with a text-to-speech reader to determine what works best ...
Published: 2012 by Denise DeCoste and Linda Bastiani Wilson , Reviewed: May 10, 2012
MathTV
MathTV.com and its sister site, XYZHomework.com, combine to offer a multi-lingual, multi-sensory and interactive math learning environment. At MathTV.com a user can order print and/or online textbooks on various math topics. The site provides access to videos (uncaptioned) of several different educators teaching each concept in their own words. One educator presents each concept in Spanish. A 6-month MathTV Premium Membership provides access to all textbooks and videos for that ...
Published: 2012 by Charles P. McKeague , Reviewed: May 31, 2012
AAC Institute
AAC Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to effective AAC tools and promoting the AAC goal - optimal communication and maximum potential, the AAC Rules of Commitment, and evidence-based clinical practices for AAC worldwide. The AAC Institute website provides AAC tools (costs vary), research information, advocacy tips, and other resources for parents, educators, AAC developers, and the community of individuals who rely on AAC. The institute also ...
Published: 2012 by AAC Institute , Reviewed: May 23, 2012
Special Education Strategies and More
Michelle Yoder is a special education teacher in Florida and her blog "Special Education Strategies and More" chronicles her experiences teaching pre-K and third grade students in self-contained classrooms. This is a great blog for fellow educators and parents looking to introduce new learning opportunities at home. The blog offers hundreds of strategies and resources related to curriculum, classroom management, direct instruction, early intervention, inclusion, social skill building, positive behavior ...
Published: 2012 by Michelle Yoder , Reviewed: May 23, 2012
Teachers with Apps
Teachers with Apps is a group of individuals who consult and/or field test apps that are being developed for use by children who learn better with technology. Teachers and software developers who create apps for use with the I-Pad can pay a fee to Teachers with Apps to receive a consultation or have them field test the new app before continuing with the process of licensing and marketing the app. ...
Published: 2012 by Teachers with Apps , Reviewed: June 21, 2012
Socrative
Socrative is a web-based student response system designed to work with any web-enabled device and any internet browser. Socrative offers classroom exercises, quizzes and games, plus reports and exit tickets. Although the Socrative application is still in beta development, users can submit a request to receive release notifications and account sign-up information. The Socrative blog, at http://www.socrative.com/garden, offers users ideas and tools to make the most of Socrative.
Published: 2011 by Socrative , Reviewed: January 19, 2012
4Teachers.org
Part of the ALTEC project at the University of Kansas, the 4Teachers website is dedicated to successful technology integration in the classroom and includes professional development options, classroom tools, technology integration guides, and a blog to discuss education technology topics and success stories. Most of the tools on the 4Teachers site are free and several are linked to popular ALTEC resources.
Published: 2011 by 4Teachers.org , Reviewed: February 02, 2012
AT Evaluation: No Shortcuts to Good Outcomes
This newsletter highlights an interview with Bryan Ayres, M.Ed., ATP, Special Educator, Director, Technology and Curriculum Access Center (TCC), Easter Seals Arkansas. He has many years experience in the special education field in Arkansas and is a strong advocate for ongoing individual evaluations. Mr. Ayres sees AT evaluation as a continuous, team-based process, in which AT specialists should participate actively. He makes the case that the most reasonable outcomes are ...
Published: 2011 by Family Center on Technology and Disability , Reviewed: January 27, 2012
Supporting Literacy for Students with Significant Disabilities
This website provides a comprehensive look at the literacy programs utilized by the West Virginia Department of Education. There are three discrete sections: (1) literacy in the classroom and at home, (2) literacy curriculum and instruction, and (3) assessment for students and programs. Discussions include how to present opportunities for literacy, how to assess literacy and reflect it on the IEP, how to provide administrative support, where to locate resources, ...
Published: 2011 by West Virginia Department of Education , Reviewed: September 07, 2011
Supporting Success for Kids with Hearing Loss
This website is a resource for parents and professionals who work with children with hearing loss. The site is divided into discrete sections for parents and professionals. Each section has resources related to both Early Intervention and school-age children and includes links to online articles related to parenting, descriptions and handouts about hearing loss, simulations of different levels of hearing loss, issues related to the learning environment, teaching responsibility for ...
Published: 2011 by Karen L. Anderson , Reviewed: April 04, 2012
Beyond ARRA: Put AT Purchases on Hold; Ramp up Training and Implementation ...
This Family Center on Technology & Disability newsletter discusses the need for technology planning and relationship building in school districts, among special educators and information technology (IT) professionals, before technology is purchased and put into use. The featured expert, Mr. Fred Tchang, Director, Assistive Technology Services, Advancing Opportunities, Ewing, New Jersey, uses the then-upcoming expiration of ARRA (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) funding as an example. He encourages school districts ...
Published: 2011 by Thomas H. Allen , Reviewed: February 17, 2012