Special Needs Gift Giving Guide

As stated by Cari Jean, "It's no secret that kids love toys. They see a new one on a television advertisement and tell their parents, "I want that!" If kids had their way, they would have every toy imaginable. Toys can be a great way for kids to use motor skills, to learn to play by themselves and to learn to share with others. But what happens when children do not have the required

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AT Apps and Specific Accessibility Options

Special Education has its own app category in the iTunes store. If you go to the App Store, go to Education and you will see a category for Special Education Apps, which is then broken down into categories. It is always good to do a little research on an app before purchasing it. Do a search and see if you can find some reviews or talk to others to see if they have tried it. This could save

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Assistive Technology and Early Start

The Early Start Program is California's response to federal legislation ensuring that early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families are provided in a coordinated, family-centered system of services that are available statewide.



Infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months may be eligible for early intervention services if through documented

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Spinner Activities

All-Turn-It Spinner (Made by Ablenet)


 

This is one of my favorite tools in a classroom and for the home. A spinner is great for random choice making. Place choices on a circular board, and the student presses a switch (or the button in the lower corner) to make selections. But it's RANDOM! 

While the selection can be responded to as if it is a choice it should be understood that the

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Technology Integration Isn't About Technology

Education Week came out with a great article by By Patrick Ledesma on May 22, 2011, entitled, "Technology Integration Isn't About Technology". Some of the lines that created a "Yes!" response from me are:

It's about purpose and ease of use. We should focus on enhancing and enriching the learning experience by defining the goals and processes for why and how students will use technology.  
If

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Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) iDevice Apps and Visual Supports

Communication applications (apps), designed to be used on an iPhone, iTouch or iPad (iDevices), fit different cognitive and learning profiles just like all programs and devices do. Today, most people use multiple devices to address their daily communication needs. The idea that ANY one device can (or should) “do the job” for individuals with communication needs no longer makes sense.



The

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Interactive Whiteboards with Special Needs

I love the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom! The Council for Exception Children states, "Whiteboards Engage Autistic Students in Social Learning - Although touchscreen tablets work well as personalized tools, they cannot be a replacement for interactive whiteboards, which help autistic students with social learning in a group setting." I feel this is not only true for children

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Apps in the Special Education Classroom

iDevices with special needs students... What do we need to know and consider? (This is a living document. It will change as this world of iDevices grows, expands and we learn more about the world of mobile devices and what they may provide.)




Parents, Speech and Language Specialist and teachers are developing programs specifically for the disabled population. Some may not be designed for

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iDevices in the Special Education Classroom

A number of built-in accessibility features, tools, and add-ons are helping to prompt Apple's iPad into the classroom. Now, the push to get textbooks accessed through this device to get rid of all those heavy books, ah, it is happening!! With a text reader and highlighter, this will really be something worth talking about. Students learn in different ways. The iPad can provide visual,

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