My Point of View ....

Nicely put.

2012-05-20T18:24:50.782-04:00

Nicely put.

I love your comment about how every new tool bring...

2012-05-20T06:50:06.577-04:00

I love your comment about how every new tool brings new challenges and barriers. It is so true and, all too often, overlooked. That is not to say something new shouldn't be implemented, but it should be known that it isn't as simply as dropping a device in someone's lap. Just because you plant a seed, doesn't mean it's gonna grow. Water it, give it sunlight, and have some patience...

I'd add this one last thing.. Have the conversation about consideration at the same time you are talking about accommodations. The question you ask at that time are the same: "what does this student to have access to a free and appropriate public education?"

Great post, thanks for sharing!

I loved this post! It was a great resource for the...

2012-04-30T15:25:11.675-04:00

I loved this post! It was a great resource for the iPad in a meaningful way! I also love the idea of using a play station 3 controller for the computer. Thanks for sharing these resources

Training appropriate to staff needs is an accurate...

2012-04-25T13:28:30.354-04:00

Training appropriate to staff needs is an accurate point. Part of training, although our school trains on "harrassment" and student harrassment every other year by law, it's an overview and does not reall address what is considered bullying among adults working in schools. Harrassment training for adults usually addresses sexual harrassment, not other harrassment beahviors that are "bullying". I think if school staff can not recognize their own bullying behaviors, no wonder it is not really addressed when students may try to tell an adult that it is occuring to them. Adults bully in the schools, and I think students follow suit. This is an area that needs to be addressed as well to prevent bullying.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jeanette. I h...

2012-04-21T10:18:45.598-04:00

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jeanette. I have appreciated your work for several years and now have one more reason to do so.

Thank you everyone for your feedback on this piece...

2012-04-19T12:57:27.428-04:00

Thank you everyone for your feedback on this piece. I am glad it was received so well. I will check out the post from Ghotit.

You are an awesome, strong woman, and you make the...

2012-04-18T17:28:22.000-04:00

You are an awesome, strong woman, and you make the world better for the people you help because you have "lived it." That makes all the difference!!

Jeannette, I'm glad you found your place as in...

2012-04-18T14:57:03.112-04:00

Jeannette, I'm glad you found your place as in assistive technology helping others get over the hump that makes learning in the traditional way difficult. I've taught and worked with students with learning differences for 20+ years, and have gained so much reward knowing these people who have to work so hard doing what most of us find relatively easy. Technology is bridging that gap. We have programs in our schools that assist students with reading, writing and understanding text, and it is so rewarding to see a kid's eyes and mouth open in surprise as a whole new world is opened up to them. Reading is about communication...not about letter sounds...and there are so many ways to communicate with the use of technology. So, keep working on developing ways for students to learn about their world through technology. You've been there and your view point is so needed to be heard by these wonderful young people who believe the rules for success are stacked against them. Thank you, Carol

Wow. Such honesty and insight. Thank you for sha...

2012-04-18T08:48:58.880-04:00

Wow. Such honesty and insight. Thank you for sharing this post. Tomorrow I will reading it to/with my 8yo son. There is so much he can learn from this. Thank you.
Gina (& tomorrow Mac)

I really liked this post especially "Are the...

2012-04-18T01:49:24.746-04:00

I really liked this post especially "Are there days I wish my learning disabilities weren't with me? Yes. But then No. The lessons I have learned over the years is what makes me who I am" but in the same time I will be happy if you will read Ghotit blog "God, I am so sick of being dyslexic! "http://www.ghotit.com/2011/12/sick-of-being-dyslexic/

It feels good to find such an interesting topic on...

2012-04-14T00:04:48.378-04:00

It feels good to find such an interesting topic on the internet like this one nowadays. I was greatly interested with what you have shared and posted with us. Thanks for this anyway.street fighter game

nice!!!

2012-01-30T12:51:54.953-05:00

nice!!!

I think that it is always good to give the student...

2012-01-19T23:37:52.579-05:00

I think that it is always good to give the student the benefit of the doubt and check to see if there is a problem with what they are working with/on. I've had students who deliberately made mistakes or hitting buttons over and over again just because they liked the response. Other times it has been a problem with the software. So I always check what the student is using.
Kathy G.

I am always stunned at how often people don't ...

2012-01-19T00:30:59.357-05:00

I am always stunned at how often people don't research or "oops!" time is up, maybe we will figure it out tomorrow... and six weeks later we write home about we don't know what to do and then I learn the first half of the quarter has passed without a tool in a usable state. Ugh!

Jacquie I wonder the same thing. I think if I didn...

2012-01-19T00:17:39.160-05:00

Jacquie I wonder the same thing. I think if I didn't have so many years with this student, I might have felt the same way as the teacher. But I have worked with this student for 10 years.
The Help cards are for everyone, I use them in my presentations all the time. A persons arm doing get tired. They put the card in front and I can help as I move around the room.

Thank you!

OMGosh! So, true. I wonder how often AT is aband...

2012-01-19T00:06:47.984-05:00

OMGosh! So, true. I wonder how often AT is abandoned for similar reasons....
Also, really like that the Help cards found 'happy homes' with several kiddos, and not just the one you were there to support!

Glad it was helpful. I am hoping to show set ups o...

2012-01-16T20:11:42.239-05:00

Glad it was helpful. I am hoping to show set ups one day.

This is a great description of how you use the iPa...

2012-01-16T18:54:03.474-05:00

This is a great description of how you use the iPad with purpose! Thanks for sharing the details!

Hello! Mary Alice Thank you for taking the time to...

2011-11-08T14:54:51.026-05:00

Hello! Mary Alice
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
I understand that augmentative communication has been around for years which now my point goes that Josh was never shown any other device but a STATIC piece of paper.
I also didn't miss the bigger picture of it is "cool". Last time I checked according to IDEA, 504 and any other law, COOL did not play a part in my justification of a tool for communication or any other tool. Last time I checked, cool was subjective. One persons idea of cool isn’t another persons idea.
I respect that the iPad is an accessible tool for MOST not all individuals. But there is a danger in saying that this tool is designed for a specific population or meets the needs of this population more than another. It is a TOOL. This tool is designed for many types of users.
I know how to use Prologoquo2 and I know that it can be modified and adapted to meet the many users' needs. However, it is not the ONLY tool on the market and it is not the best tool for all users. There are many wonderful tools that can be used with less modification, less cost and still be beneficial.
My point and you made it perfectly is that there are individuals that this tool can be ground breaking for whatever reason. That this is the tool that works with the individual. However, if this is where you start and stop, the student is not getting the benefit of the doubt on their abilities. You have to admit that Prologoquo2 is limited to giving access to language that is programmed. So unless the individual can type, the student is limited to the language set provided.
Sorry if a student is evaluated and it is found that the iPad is not meeting their needs than I can very well find a justification for a more appropriate tool. Because the iPad is not the tool for EVER individual that needs AAC. The iPad doesn’t switch access, access is very difficult if you haven’t controlled touch, also very poor for an individual with visual deficits that may need a larger screen or icons, what happens if the person needs access to the device touch off instead touch on…. So yes, I would have no problem justifying a device that may cost more especially if the iPad does not meet the needs of the student or individual I am working with.
As for the iPad doing so much more, so do most AAC devices that are computer based. Most if not all of the AAC devices that are digital displays can access the internet, have a very good screen reader with great voices, can have computer based install software.
The 60 minute segment was far from perfect. It didn’t help spread the benefits about AAC. It spread the word about how wonderful the iPad is for individuals with autism.

I would have been fine if this segment showed the possibility of the tool for all populations. However they picked the hot disability.

Whoa, Jeannette! Although you make some valid poi...

2011-11-08T13:59:51.633-05:00

Whoa, Jeannette! Although you make some valid points, you seem to be missing the big picture. The popularity and "coolness" of the ipad are what is helping those of us in the field to get them for our kids who can benefit from them.
A couple of facts--some of us were using augmentative comm. devices in the seventies with our very few clients with autism. Secondly, Proloquo2Go can be set up exactly the way you describe.
I have had a number of teenage students respond to the ipad when they have rejected every other form of communication provided to them over the years. In that sense, they truly are a "miracle".
Yes, kids need to be evaluated, and, or course, their programs need to be individualized. That said, it's pretty hard to justify a cost of $7000 and up, when the ipad can be configured to do the same thing, plus much more.
The 60 Minute segment wasn't perfect, but it sure helped spread the word about the need for and benefits of augmentative communication tools.

Hi, are you still blogging? I wanted you to know a...

2011-03-16T01:43:01.331-04:00

Hi, are you still blogging? I wanted you to know about my online children’s stories that I thought you would want to know of. Please contact me, thanks

you trial this software TxtReaderXpress from http:...

2010-10-11T08:14:47.769-04:00

you trial this software TxtReaderXpress from http://www.zinksoft.net/

Blogs are so informative where we get lots of info...

2010-08-05T14:20:59.634-04:00

Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
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Literature Review

I have just been given this by a friend and was ho...

2010-06-20T21:11:46.966-04:00

I have just been given this by a friend and was hoping to find somemore stories. I have 101 Dalmatians. I live in Perth Western Australia and mine is called the Spotlight Storytime Theater. I am abit confused because I have read comments on different cartridge sizes! How do you know which one you need and does anyone know where to get more stories from, Thanks

Hi! Do you happen to know the price range for the ...

2010-04-13T15:43:09.309-04:00

Hi! Do you happen to know the price range for the Comlink? Thanks!