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Here are a set of apps that inov8 Educational Consulting has reviewed that can help LD students in college in the ares of organization, note taking and research. Share this far and wide! "There are many different technologies that can help students with learning disabilities. Most college and university centres for students with disabilities (and sometimes even governments) provide information, accommodations, resources and support with many types of assistive technologies. Software is primarily designed to bypass difficulties associated with reading and writing, and can be excellent options. There are several new options, however, in the way of apps in the areas of productivity, notetaking, research assistance, and organization that centres may not yet be aware of. Organizational strategies for students with LDs in college or university is key to success. With a course load, research papers, collaborative assignments and a social life to juggle, college life can often be overwhelming. Effective note-taking, organization and research skills are extremely important. Here are 10 apps that we like in the area of productivity and organization"
"Created by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Articulation Station is a full featured articulation application to help children as well as adults learn to speak and pronounce their sounds more clearly. Beautiful high quality images represent target words to be practiced in fun-filled activities with the assistance of a Speech-Language Pathologist, teacher or parent. Articulation Station is the first and only articulation application offering practice at the WORD, SENTENCE and STORY levels!" Note: The first app on the letter "p" is a free download with additional apps at a cost.
"It has been said that technology has made the world smaller, but for the blind or those with poor vision, iDevices are opening up a whole new world. This AppList highlights some of the most innovative and entertaining apps available to the vision impaired. Now, with the aid of an iPhone, the blind can virtually see color, light, paper money and much more."
Luis Perez has gathered a set of video case studies where the iPad and a set of apps removed the barriers to learning and engaged special needs students in activities that otherwise may have been impossible. Each example exhibits how the teacher understood the learner and how they learned best to include them in these activities. The first example is from Adam Goldberg where his students have great difficulty communicating, moving, reading, or concentrating. Some of his students are on the Autism Spectrum and some have Multiple Disabilities. This hasn't stopped Adam from teaching advanced concepts in his music class; concepts like polyrhythms, dynamics, and ensemble playing. "Adam's approach helps the students use the gifts they do have rather than battle the barriers thrown up by their constraints. By using a portable touchscreen technology Adam was able to customize each musical interaction for each student's abilities. The result? A real immersion in the musical experience has become accessible to children formerly left on the artistic sidelines."
IEP & iPad Pilot Program - Teachers - Deadline soon! (There is also a similar program for parents.)
"SNApps4Kids has created a pilot program to test a service for matching applications or “apps” to IEPs of children who have special needs. We are looking for 5 teachers who have students with a current IEP or 504 Plan to participate in this pilot program. The goal of this pilot is to investigate whether offering an IEP app matching service using the iPad will be a helpful tool enabling teachers to help their students with special needs progress towards reaching IEP goals." If you are a teacher and would like to apply for this pilot program, please see the information below: Criteria for participating in pilot: > Must be a teacher of school-aged students (K-12) > Must have students in your classroom with an IEP or 504 plan > Participant must have access to an iPad
"As a special needs parent I wanted to get right to the "good stuff" and figured you did too. Check out our guide that breaks down the best of the apps by skill set so you can easily find and buy apps that most benefit your child. Great for kids with autism, ADHD, apraxia, learning disability, sensory issues and more. Included are apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and some Android apps." Thank you Dawn for creating this site with a focus on skill sets!
The report on the research that was conducted by Jim Harmon can be found on this site. Educators that want to make the case for a 1:1 should use this excellent article on the research and the results. Here is just one of the results: "The data from both standardized/benchmark assessments and students’ self reporting indicates that iPads played a statistically significant role in increased student achievement in the area of literacy." "As a veteran English teacher in the Euclid City Schools, and someone who sees great value in integrating technology, I wanted to contribute to the ongoing dialog regarding tablet computing, specifically, the iPad, and its impact on student literacy and students’ self perception of their own literacy. You can find an article detailing my teacher research as well as a short video I produced for this project and to share at the ISTE 2011 conference where I am presented this research." - Jim Harmon
Via Sam Gliksman, Spectronics
"Sosh is an approach to social skills based on a decade of work with children, adolescents, and young adults who struggle with social difficulties. The Sosh framework divides social functioning into five areas essential to social skills development and success: Relate (Connect with Others), Relax (Reduce Stress), Regulate (Manage Behaviors), Reason (Think it Through) and Recognize (Understand Feelings). These "5R's" serve as a road map for individuals who want to be social, but may have faced obstacles in the past, and also serve as a guide for parents, teachers, and therapists hoping to encourage and assist individuals with their social goals. Over 60 screens of information, strategies,
and exercises to improve social skills."
Leveling the playing field for the those learners who are deaf. "Sign 4 Me – A Signed English Translator" is the ULTIMATE tool for learning sign language. The ONLY app that provides sign language instruction in 3D. The library includes more than 11,500 words. Type in sentences, phrases, words and even the alphabet. Everything you enter will be saved in your History. Easily locate your entries by date or alphabetically."
Via Smaragda Papadopoulou
Here is an app that is designed to level the playing field for ESL students and teachers. It includes the following tools: > Flash Cards:
Learn vocabulary with over 700 illustrated flash cards in 20 different categories to help learners commit words to memory. >Grammar Structures:
Explanations of 25 different grammar structures. > Whiteboard:
Allows you to write, draw, enter text, etc. on your iPad using your finger! > Lesson Plans: Import your lesson plans directly into ESL LaunchPad using a free Dropbox account. > Translator:
Translate to/from dozens of languages in seconds! > Practice Exercises:
Test the comprehension and understanding of grammar structures using 900 questions in 19 different grammar topics. > Quiz Generator:
Choose the topics from the Practice Exercises to be included in the quiz. > Student Roster:
Keep individual student or group contact information in the Student Roster and track their progress. > Student Tracking:
Document the progress through each topic.
Clair Judas, SPED Technology Specialist, compiled a list of switch accessible apps for the iOS devices. While not meant to be all inclusive - this is a great starting point for apps that allow for alternative access. Here are just a few apps with switch access…
> Sounding Board
> Predictable
> Scene & Heard
> TapSpeak Choice
> TapSpeak Sequence
> Go Talk Now
> Alexicomm AAC
inov8-ed.com created a handout listing apps for language-based learning disabilities in two categories, > apps for remediation and > apps for language support. inov8 Educational Consulting recently presented with Kimberly Murphy (@kimberlyslp, a speech and language pathologist) at the Québec Provincial Association of Teachers conference. Their presentation focused on the planning and implementation of new assistive technologies; apps and software for students with language-based learning disabilities. They covered the language basis of reading, Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning, the SETT framework, and app and software recommendations with a number of screen-capture video demonstrations. Here is a list of their most recommended apps and software, specific to students with language-based learning disabilities. Please note that this is not a full list of software and apps that are currently available. Thank you inov8 and Kimberly Murphy for this outstanding resource!
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Here is an updated list of the top 10 iPhone apps for the deaf by Andrew Hall. Just one more example on how apps are "leveling the playing field". "The iPhone has been hugely useful for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. As a smartphone with an enormous library of applications, a number exist to better facilitate communication and make it possible to place and receive audio and/or video calls, among other things. As such, here are the latest ten apps to enhance one's iPhone experience and life in general."
"Verbally is an amazing, comprehensive assisted speech solution for the iPad. Verbally is a top-selling Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) iPad app and it's totally free. Unlike all other AAC solutions available, Verbally's unique, simple design allows users to communicate quickly and effectively in any setting. Verbally enables creative communication, self-expression, and, most importantly, conversation."
"OT’s with Apps is a resource to educational and medical occupational therapists, parents and clients on iPod, iPhone and iPad apps believed to be suited for occupational therapy intervention and services whether working with adults or children." Don't miss the section on Using QR Codes in the Classroom! Thank you to Carol Leynse Harpold, MS, AdEd, OTR/L, ATP for the reviews on these apps that can support OT practice
AssistiveWare has a webinar for Proloquo2Go 1.7 on iTunes. Eric Sailers is the presenter. "AssistiveWare announced their webinar for What's New in Proloquo2Go 1.7 is now available on iTunes as a free video podcast. Click here or go to iTunes and search for "assistiveware webinars." You will also be able to view the previous webinars from the July-August series."
"Apps for Children with Special Needs (a4cwsn) is committed to helping the families and carers of children with special needs and the wider community of educators and therapists who support them, by producing videos that demonstrate how products designed to educate children and build their life skills really work from a user perspective. Our aim is that these videos, along with relevant information and advice from an independent source you can trust, provides valuable insight into whether a product is suitable for its intended purpose or not, enabling sensible buying decisions to be made. We hope this site and its content provides a valuable resource to the community that serves our precious children with special needs."
Luis Perez, an Apple Distinquished Educator, has put together a set of 11 videos on a variety of accessibility features that you find on the iPhone, iPod and iPad. He has included Siri, Dictation and new features in IOS5, Assisitive Touch, wireless keyboards, iBooks, Voice Over, using the Rotor to change speech rates and IOS Accessbility Features. Thank you, Luis!
Dexteria works on 3 skills: pinching, finger placement/coordinated tapping of fingers such as in keyboarding, and handwriting (tracing of upper and lowercase letters, and numbers). It provides auditory feedback to show when the stroke is incorrect and gives the student a chance to fix it. "The Dexteria iPad and iPhone app is a set of therapeutic hand exercises designed in consultation with occupational therapists that improves fine motor skills or handwriting readiness by taking full advantage of the iPad’s and iPhone's multi-touch interface to help build strength, control and dexterity." "The automatic tracking and reporting feature makes it easy for parents, teachers and occupational therapists to identity time on task and progress. You can email the progress reports right from the app itself."
"iOS 5 features a new resource called Assistive Touch. It essentially streamlines more than 20 of the most-used processes for the device.It can help you do just about anything from having a custom lock screen to creating custom gestures that help you send mail. Assistive Touch is a big step forward for everyone with special needs. I suggest you check it out even if you may not think you’d benefit as it could actually help just about anyone looking to customize their experience a bit."
A comprehensive list of apps that is categorized and described with links and costs. Thanks to marinella47 for this suggestion!
Via Claude Almansi
Autism Speaks has compiled a comprehensive list of apps with a description of how the app can be used with children with autism along with a link.
Some iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch apps to make learning easier for kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Just one more way to level the playing field for these kids! These iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch apps are well organized and include the following categories: > Books > Reading > Reading - Phonics > Reading - Text to Speech > Math > Math - Calculators > Math - Money Skills and Telling Time > Writing - Dictation - Handwriting > Writing - Graphic Organizers > Note-taking > Synchronize Documents and Files On-the-Go > Organization and Homework Organizer > Reminder - Calendar > Study Help > Science and Geography > Research - News > Print from iPad > Scan and Read
Luis Pérez, a 2009 Apple Distinguished Educator and current doctoral student, has created eBooks (ePub and PDF on Scribd) that covers the accessibility features built into Apple mobile devices: > "This free ebook covers the accessibility features built into Apple mobile devices, including the iPad, the iPod touch and the iPhone. Each section includes practice activities for you to practice the techniques and tips discussed in the ebook." > How to eBooks on "ePub Accessibility Best Practices" and "Closed Captioning 101: "These two ebooks cover topics related to the accessibility of the content available for Apple mobile devices. My hope is that by following the suggestions in these ebooks you will create more accessible ebooks and caption as many of your videos as possible. These practices will go a long way toward ensuring equal access to information for people with disabilities who use mobile devices." Thank you Luis for these invaluable resources!
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