AT Research

ORGANIZATIONS:

1. Learning Disabilities Association of America
http://www.ldanatl.org/
This website is user friendly. It focuses on different entities such as professionals, families and teachers. The website links to many areas that provide information for anyone to learn and collect data on learning disabilities. I would recommend this website to other students and teachers because it will help them to better understand the disability and the areas it affects.

2. The National Organization on Disability
http://www.nod.org/
This website’s focus is more for professionals and those seeking research information. The page does not shout out to me search me link me. It just has links and the color is more for doctors than for teachers. I would not recommend it to teachers unless they needed it for research for classes. What I do like is the motto “its ability, not disability that counts”.

3. Attention Deficit Disorder Association
http://www.add.org/
I like this website because the colors melt together and the page is updated. This page is ADHD for adults as educators we can see what is out there and being offered to students with ADHD when they leave the school system. This site can also help with transition of students. There’s not a lot of ads on this site. There is a blog to communicate with.

4. World Association of Persons with Disabilities
http://www.wapd.org/
This site has many links to different aspects of disabilities. If you link on disability resources you’ll find lots of categories and one on assistive technology. Then from there you link to other sites such as http://assets-inc.org/technology.htm which has a technology link of its own. The information on these pages are worth reading. I would recommend this website to teachers and students alike because it broadens their knowledge.

5. National Federation of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Default.asp
This organization focuses on vision loss it is very colorful. There are lots of pictures. The link for parents and teachers focuses mostly on parents and there’s not much information that teachers can use on this link. The links are more business oriented. Where to look for information can be confusing. What I found more useful to teachers is the link I want to learn about. This website has some good and some iffy notes about it. I would only recommend it if I’m guiding the user on where to go.

6. RESNA
http://www.resna.org/
This website has a member login. It is very basic to view. The organization helps you find certified professionals and they have conferences. There’s not much information for teachers and students here. It’s more business oriented. It is updated the year is 2008. I guess it was created more for professionals. I wouldn’t recommend it to my colleagues.

7. The Alliance for Technology Access
http://www.ataccess.org/default.html
This is a great website there are lots of links, pictures and information. There’s a community, a membership and many more things to do here. I would highly recommend this site to teachers and students. There’s information on AT implications from NCLB which is good for SPED majors to look at. The links takes us to toys we can use. There’s a guide for addressing funding low cost/no cost. Everyone should view this site.

8. Rehab Tool
http://www.rehabtool.com/
This website is like a search engine for AT devices. The problem is that it was last updated in 2004. There are many links to guide you to different areas. There’s a newsletter to subscribe to. I like the links to product and vendor listings but when I clicked on some links I received the website error. This is probably caused by the update being out of date. I would recommend this website to others.

9. ABLEDATA
http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19337
This website is like GSAT, it provides information about AT devices and different products to use. It does not sell the products. The categories for products link to more categories. It works from general to specific items to review. There’s so many links that you can stay for an hour on this page just looking at items. I would recommend this site to others. There are main links and sub-links to look at. There are pictures not too many but enough.

10. Believe Ability
http://www.believeability.com/index.html
The name caught me. This organization provides assistive technology, occupational therapy and speech therapy in the home, school and community. There’s a blog and links pages. The links are for articles and resources. This page is similar to what we did in class for our e-portfolio. I like the color scheme for the site. I would recommend the site especially for its name.

ARTICLES:

1. Process factors explaining the ineffectiveness of a multidisciplinary fall prevention program: a process evaluation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18816381&tool=MedlinePlus
This article discusses a program to prevent multidisciplinary falls. It is based in the Netherlands. The program was found to be feasible. The program was comprised of a medical and occupational therapy. This article is from PubMed and you have to be a member to see the whole study. The article is interesting noting that falls are common.

2. Assistive Technology Devices Receive Wider Role In Student's Individualized Education Program
http://www.resnaprojects.org/nattap/library/atq/wdrrol.htm
The article discusses the increased role of AT devices in an IEP. It was written back in 1994, over a decade ago. Interesting how it’s still accessible on-line. Laws and SPED go hand in hand especially where assistive devices are concerned. This article talks about how just allowing hearing aids into an IEP has opened a door for so many possibilities. This is an article that is good for recommending to parents and teachers because it discusses how the law is working towards improving education for students with an IEP.

3. Assistive Technology for Children who have Cerebral Palsy: Augmentation Communication Devices
http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/inclusion/teaching/kahn.htm
This article talks about augmentation communication devices that help students with cerebral palsy a way to communicate and learn. It widens the door for education to take place. I like this article because it reminded me of the youtube video we saw in class where the girl was using a computer to do her work in a general education classroom. Technology has opened a door for so many opportunities. I would recommend this article because it shows what technology can and will do to help students.

4. Assistive Devices Help Challenged Kids Get the Most from Learning
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech086.shtml
This is an article for teachers and parents it discusses what AT devices are and what they are used for. There are also links to click on that take you to more links. This article is user friendly and a door that opens many doors. I would recommend this article to everyone that works with students as well as to parents. The links are never ending there is so much information to acquire. I really like this article it is my favorite.

5. Effective Practices in Early Intervention – NICHCY
http://www.nichcy.org/babies/effectivepractices/pages/default.aspx
This article provides tips on using assistive technology in early intervention and how it works with improving learning. The article has links to researches that were done to show the effects of programs such as tots and tech. there is also a link for funding, addressing behaviors and autism. Each bullet has a synopsis and a link to further information. I would recommend this site. There’s not a lot of adds on the site. It is from NICHCY.

6. Assistive Technology for Children with Autism http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/autism/assist/asst10.htmThe article focuses on different devices to use with children with Autism. It notes examples of usage with low-tech, mid-tech and high-tech devices. I would recommend this article to teachers who will be getting students with autism in their classroom. The links for the different techs gives visuals and more examples of what to use in the classroom. The article is a good one and very user friendly.

7. Assistive Technology Legislation
http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Foundation/Laws/atlegislation.phpThe article is a partial list which highlights some of the legislation, with the public laws that directly impact the area of assistive technology. This website is good for both teachers and students because it focuses on what is mandated by law. I like also the brief history which notes when the laws first started because we tend to start a little bit late here. The page is very simple and not much places to go to.

8. Help for Young Learners: How To Choose AT?
http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088
This article is very informative. The six steps is something that can be used when looking at ATs devices for the classroom. There are links in the article for family support and AT. I like the title because it all begins in the early ages. This article is good to keep in ones delicious account for reference when determining what works with children. I would recommend this article to others.

9. Simplified Technology for Children with Disabilitieshttp://www2.edc.org/NCIP/library/ec/Burkhart.htm
This article describes a philosophical basis for using augmentative communication with young children and those functioning at young levels. The article provides devices and a description used in a book. It’s a book order with information for creating simple devices. There’s a lot of information on homemade battery devices used with students who have moderate to severe disabilities. It focuses on the cause and effect instruments for teaching. I would recommend this article the books are not expensive and this is an area where we need a lot of assistance in when reaching out to students.

10. The Public School's Special Education System as an Assistive Technology Funding Source: The Cutting Edgehttp://www.nls.org/specedat.htmthis article provides information on AT and the IEP. The article is dated back in 2003. It must be good to still be in circulation five years later. I would recommend it because of the information it provides on SPED. The whole book can be viewed and you can get a free copy for your background information or print it on PDF. I like the reference to court cases such as 1982 Rowly. There’s even a case scenario to look at. I like this website it will help me in other classes.

DEVICES:

1. Medline Plus Assistive Devices
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/assistivedevices.html
This site lists links to related topics and research. It is a user friendly site that allows parents to research on what is out there for their children to use in helping them both in and out of school. There a directories and organizations to link to. It is basically a site for almost all you need to know about AT devices.

2. Assistive & Technology Lab, UOT
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/ATLab/Labinventory/EarlyChildhood/devices.php
This site links you to early childhood devices available at the lab. There are breakdowns by categories such as communication and sensory aids. Clicking on a link brings up the different devices and gives a description and picture on the device. It also gives prices and place to purchase. It is similar to GSAT here on Guam.

3. Assistive Technology popular AT Devices
http://www.assistivetechnologies.com/gallery.asp?category=66&CT=Popular+AT+Devices%3A
This website links to their most sought after items. On the left bar you can click on the AT Device and view its description. The descriptions tell what the device is used for and how it will improve their way of life. Some items have short scenarios.

4. Assistive Technology: Assistive Technology Devices (AT Devices)
http://www.goodshepherdrehab.org/assistive-technology/at-devices.asp
This website discusses different devices used with different disabilities. This website is from Good Shepherd Rehabilitation and it has links for different areas of specialties. The Drivers Evaluation is interesting especially for those in high school.

5. Devices That Can Help Students With Special Needs In School
(Better known as Assistive Technology)
http://www.kypa.net/drupal/files/AT%20student%20one%20pager_03_2008.pdf
This website is in PDF format. Basically it talks about AT devices and lists examples. There are no links on this page. The information is good to recommend for research but that’s as far as it goes. It needs color and links to make it more viewable. Right now it is just so basic and blah.
It is also very old 1999 – 2001. The page hasn’t been updated.

6. Assistive Technology - Products for the Disabled – Enabling Devices
http://enablingdevices.com/catalog
I really like this website. There are lots of pictures and examples. The prices are there to order. The links are easily accessible and my favorite is Ask Dr. Steve. There’s a newsletter and many resources. The page captures your eyes and says stay with me. There is even a video demo to view. I would highly recommend this website. This is my favorite by far.

7. LS&S Assistive Technology
http://www.lssproducts.com/category/assistive_technology
This is another catalog website for all to view. There are so many ideas to choose from on this site. There are pictures and price quotes to look at. The resource page lists several disability organizations for the blind mostly. There are items here I am interested in purchasing for the classroom. I would recommend this website because the prices are reasonable and the devices are usable with many students.

8. LD and Assistive Technologies
http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/at.htm#top
This will be the topic for my next research paper. I like this website because it focuses on AT and students with LD. Right now it’s sometimes difficult trying to help students close their gap in reading. This site offers information and research that makes it important for all classrooms to access AT devices for students with LD. This page is colorful with lots of links to view. I like how the main links are using clipart. The page is updated it is dated July 23, 2008. I would recommend this website.

9. Infogrip
http://www.infogrip.com/
This website brings computer access to just about anyone. There are pictures, brief descriptions and price quotes for the devices. It’s a one stop place to look and choose what devices to use. The categories link is nice because you don’t have to keep looking or scrolling down lists of items. I would recommend this website it’s a good place for clip art. There’s a list for groups and interests with brief descriptions. I like this page.


10. Sight Connection
http://www.sightconnection.com/
This sight is for products that help people with vision loss. The categories link brings up tools and pictures as well as price quotes for different items. There are games that they made big for people to use. These items can be very useful in the classrooms. Some of these items were used in class for our demonstration activity. I would recommend this website. Theres even a newsletter to subscribe to.

Demonstration #2

Educational Insights GeoSafari Smart Talk

A high-tech assistive device that helps get students talking. It’s a learning aid that introduces and reinforces essential vocabulary that all English language Learners and all children with limited vocabularies need to know and use everyday.

Students see a picture, hear the word associated with the picture and then repeat the word over and over again practicing their pronunciation until the word becomes a part of their spoken vocabulary.

Students then hear the word in context and are asked questions about the target word.

Price is $89.99 for the instrument
$39.99 for the cards
This can be bought at Amazon.com
Wizardofmath.com
Fatbraintoys.com
Target

Blog #1 Demonstration #1

My AT device is a low-tech Timer. The timer can be used to let students with disabilities know their time limit for assignments in class, tests etc. The Timer is enlarged and works great for visual learners and students with LD and autism. It can be used with all types of disabilities. You can buy a similar one to this timer at http://www.independentliving.com/products.asp?dept=418&deptname=Large+Number+Timers for $19.95

Hafa Adai!

Hi, welcome to my blog.
This is all new to me and i am here to learn as time goes on. To all of you new and old i'm learning to teach. one day i to shall teach to learn.