Above resource from:
Addendums later on 7/19:
Classroom language and reading trial shows promising results — from Down Syndrome Education International by Frank Buckley
Excerpt:
Speaking at an international scientific conference in Rome, researchers from Down Syndrome Education International and the University of York today reported positive initial results from a landmark study of a targeted language and reading programme for children with Down syndrome.
Down Syndrome Education International today reported promising initial findings from the early stages of a trial of a language and reading programme designed for schoolchildren with Down syndrome. The charity is conducting the multicentre randomised controlled trial in the UK with partners at the University of York. The study is the first large controlled trial of a educational intervention for children with Down syndrome.
TeachTown provides education software and solutions for children with special needs and autism. Serving special education, TeachTown addresses language learning, social skills, communications skills and emotional development.
From DSC:
I originally saw this at “New website offers autism information and support”
New U.S. Dept. of Ed. Guidance on Accessibility and Emerging Technologies — from Educause
Also see (with my thanks to Capella University here):
The Federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (June, 2001). Web-based intranet and internet information and applications (1194.22) Retrieved at http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm.
The Federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (n.d.). Electronic and information technology standards: An overview. Retrieved from http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/summary.htm.
United States Department of Justice (2009). Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. Retrieved from http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm.
United States Government (1998). Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Retrieved from http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?fuseAction=1998Amend.
WebAIM Section 508 Checklist. Retrieved at http://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist.
How the iPad can help learning disabled students — from techlearning.com by guest blogger Vicki Windman
Excerpt:
Students with learning disabilities may have problems with reading, math, reasoning and recall. But given the appropriate tools, learning disabled students too can achieve academic success. The iPad has numerous apps to help learning disabled students compensate for their particular disability.
How to create accessible Microsoft Office files — from The Chronicle by Cory Bohon
Whenever you are creating content for mass consumption (be it students, co-workers, or the Web), you should consider the accessibility of what you are creating. For example, if your content has audio, have you created a transcript or captions so that deaf people can access it? If your content has important visual information, have you formatted this information in a way that is compatible with the assistive technology used by people who are blind or have low vision?
Accessibility
At VoiceThread, we believe universal accessibility means more than just saying we meet a few guidelines in Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. We do want to make our software usable by all people, and Section 508 does a good job of encouraging that, but we want to go one step further and make it straightforward and pleasant for everyone to use, as well. We want to serve the needs of a person with dyslexia or ADHD, an outdoor classroom with mobile devices, a user in the developing world without high-speed internet, a kindergartner, or an elderly lifelong learner. In our experience, the only way to do this is by thoughtful and sensitive design, with lots of input from our differently-abled users, and that’s something that can’t be contained in any number of checkboxes.
Also see:
Coping with learning disabilities — from education-portal.com by Megan Driscoll
Afraid you or your child might be affected by a learning disability (LD)? Learn how to identify signs of common learning disabilities and access special education opportunities.
-My thanks to Mr. Michael Haan, Calvin College, for this resource
Also see:
Trends in Ed: 01.19.2011 – High-Tech Help — from EdLab at Teachers College, Columbia University by Angela Lee
Do you think you can survive completing an email, report, or business letter without the help of spell check?
This New York Times article sums up some of the most popular assistive technologies on the market. These tools are not limited to users with learning disabilities, but also extremely popular among general learners.
However, Michael L. Kamil, a consulting professor at the Stanford University School of Education and an expert on adolescent literacy and technology, warns that not every product is going to be useful, so before you spend $100 for a smart pen or $300 for an electronic learner, you should consult with the professional who has evaluated your learning ability.
Below is some of the most popular assistive technology we use today…
From the NYT article, for more information, see:
Using Microsoft’s speech recognition: helping my stepfather manage Parkinson’s — from DavidWees.com
