Technology is Worth The Effort: Part Two in a Series

Doing Your Homework as a Parent Looking at Assistive Technology
Part 2 of 3 in a Series:

When we say "Do your homework" what do we mean? Well it covers quite a bit of ground.
1. Know the law is in your favor
For starters you need to look at the law and know that your child has, by legal mandate (FAPE and IDEA), the right to the same education as every other student. Whatever assistive technology can be found that will support the child so they can succeed and access the curriculum with all the other students, that technology is required to be provided for that student - especially once it is written into an IEP. Which brings us to the second item to research - looking at the support product.

2. Look at Vendors and Costs
This is the particular technology needed and any cost you can find on it. You can look at AT sites to see equipment descriptions and prices, but if you aren't sure even where to start, what do you do?

3. Find local support
Use your special education department in your school district and your school counselor to find out what county and state agencies might supply an assistive technology specialist that can help in assessing your child. Many times an educational cooperative or service district will hire therapists and specialists under a contract paid by a kitty of pooled funds from all the districts using the services. This means that you can request an evaluation be done for your child and these folks should be scheduled to come assess.

4. Look on the Web for Parent Groups and Forums
There are many special interest groups on Google and Yahoo and AOL that deal with specific conditions and disabilities. You can probably tap these to find out what people are using as an AT support for their children.

5. Find Blogs
This blog you are on is one of many on learning disabilities, physical conditions, and assistive technology. You will find adults with disabilities that have blogs and talk about what they use for AT. They will share links to other blogs that you can go to and read also. There are specialty blogs that look at very specific sub-categories of disabilities or technology. Once you find some blogs with good lists of links to other bloggers' sites, you will find that one leads to another and the information becomes mammoth. Just try typing "learning disability blog" into a Google and see what you get - pages and pages! Get more specific with the name of the disability in your search and it should get more focused.

6. Find other parents that have children with the same issues
I have a friend that told me when he was 21 and a new father of a LD child with a certain syndrome, he and his wife went and saw another family with a child older than theirs that had the same condition. He said it was so good for him to see this older girl and how she related to them. He had been imagining the worst for the future and after he saw this girl and how she was, he thought, "I can do this." He was encouraged to see that the future, although not exact, at least was manageable in his mind. That went a long way towards peace of mind.

These are just some general tips to get you started. I hope that this gives you a jumping off place. If you would like some specific ideas on where to start looking, you can email me at my address on the sidebar. If I know of any sites to point you towards, I'll try. I have one more post in this series to share next time.

(If you wished I had links to resources in the text above, there are just so many I could not even begin to dive into it here. I am working on an AT support multi media bundle at a very low cost that will have specific training on these steps, an overview of AT basics with hyperlinks and illustrations as well as a set of tutorials and videos. There will also be a do it yourself kit included with projects you can design and build with all free software resources. It has been a huge undertaking and will save folks a lot of Internet search time, but it is taking me a lot of time to get collected and edited. I have been trying to get it ready to be available in April - we'll see how it goes.)

All the best to you,

Lon

New Voices for Tango! and Interview Coming Soon

New Tango Version and Voices

I received an announcement today from the Blink Twice Company that makes the Tango! that they have two new teen voices available, Dan and Danielle. These voices are very realistic and are new options as character voices to choose from with version 2.0 for the device.

Version 2.0 allows direct connection to a computer to use the device as a keyboard and to browse the Internet. With Tango Lab, the new computer software interface that I have been sharing about for voice file storage for use later with the Tango, you have new ways to edit and design the communication power of the device.

I have contacted the company for an interview with Richard Ellenson the CEO and inventor of the Tango and we are in the process of setting up that date. We are looking at the first couple of weeks in April. I have asked a speech therapist I work with and a student that is using the device to be on the interview too so we can all talk on a conference call. It will be on the Blog Talk Radio site as soon as I get it done. If you have any questions about the device that you would like me to ask, please email me with them and I will see if I can work them in. I am excited about this and I am planning other interviews with AT company folks in the future.

I hope you are having a great week. I am thankful for all of you that read these posts regularly.

Thanks!

All the best to you!

Lon

You are a Valuable Resource

I wanted to take a minute tonight to reflect on my day and say that I appreciate all of you even though I have not met you. I don't know the actual profile of folks, but I can guess that many of you are parents, therapists and educators. I can only say THANK YOU for your dedication and committment to working with children to make their lives better.

Today I was in a small town and sat in on 3 high school classes. I saw a level of patience, integration of technology and dynamic teaching that made me realize how fortunate these kids were to have these people - no... heroes - teaching them.

As I put a face on all of you that read this blog, represented by the Cluster map dots, I see in my imagination, hundreds of you that are probably giving 110% all the time for kids. You are making a difference, even though you might not think so. I wish I could come visit your schools, your homes, see your culture and learn what you do. You have an abundant knowledge that I wish I could share. You are a valuable resource and your experiences make you unique. There will never be anyone else like you and I celebrate you!

I hope that your week is full of wonderful surprises that make you realize how valued you are. If you don't hear it from anyone else, you are hearing it from me. I KNOW it and BELIEVE it!

I get emails from some wonderful people, and they share stories of where they live and what they do. I would LOVE to hear from more of you. I apologize that for some reason, my new domain name and email address that go along with this blog are not working. You can always email me at my other domain email: lonthornburg@nolimits2life.com

Until I get things figured out for the nolimits2learning email, I guess I need to be flexible. If you are getting an undeliverable message then that's why. Hopefully it will be straightened out soon.

I want to thank you for visiting and reading...

All the best to you!

Lon

Being A Successful Parent Advocate Series; Principle 3: Be a Contributer not an Interrogator

This is the third principle in a series I have been sharing on parent advocacy. Some of this comes from my past 25 years in education and some from interviews with parents that I meet through work, conferences, parent meetings, day care, my son's school, etc. I have been honored with the pleasure of meeting some wonderful parent advocates and our principle this time is one that I have observed being practiced by these folks more than ever being spoken.

What it means to be a contributor:
A contributor is someone who adds to the efforts of others towards a common goal. I see parents more often than you might think, who expect all the effort to come from a school team to meet educational goals and criticize them if they are not met. If a parent is a contributor to the process, they are doing many things. Here are some examples I have seen through the actions of successful parent advocates:

• Volunteering to spend time in the classroom as a helper once a week.


• Attending team meetings and being available to be in the loop on decisions that happen at school.
  
• Looking for grant and foundation money to obtain equipment and software needed in the classroom that supports modifications of the curriculum for their child.


• Looking for ways to contribute in the exploration of answers for treatment and special needs issues rather than criticize decisions that have been made without their input.


• Demanding excellence but being willing to share ideas, time and some personal expense if possible to see it attained.


• A realization that they, as parents, are experts on their children's needs and behaviors at home, but also respecting the fact that needs and behaviors can be different at school and the staff and specialists may have conflicting reports that are still accurate.
  

The wonderful thing about these kind of advocates is that through their efforts, they have earned the right to share in the processes at their schools. They have the right to be in the process anyway, whether they know it or not, but might be permitted by the school begrudgingly because of poor interpersonal relationships. If done right, the relationships at school can blossom so that the parent is seen as a positive influence in the process and their opinions are respected.

How do you think you are perceived by the staff at your child's school? Are you an antagonist and an interrogator when it comes to what is happening at school for your child's services? What could you do to improve the situation? What areas above do you do well? What areas could you possibly improve in?

Now I know there are those of you out there that are saying, "Yes, this might be true, but you don't know what I go through. I have to deal with a principal that doesn't get it when it comes to IDEA and the rights of disabled and special needs children." You might say, "The staff at my child's school always get their defenses up when I come around and I can't get through to them." You could also be one saying, "I have been dealing with incompetency throughout the whole school career of my child's life. I have been patient but I am about to the point where all I know to do is use the "S" word...sue."

I am not an attorney and I am not about to start giving legal advice. I realize there are situations where being nice isn't enough. Still...I would encourage you to take a deep breath and look at the principles above. Compare them to your realtionship with your school. Look at where you do well and where you could do better. Putting some effort into these principles can go a long way to bring positive results that will be a win/win situation for everyone.

I hope you are enjoying this series. If you know of anyone that might benefit from this post or my blog in general, please pass it on.

All the best to you!

Being a Successful Parent Advocate - Principle 2: Foster Positive Relationships

I am so glad to have you back for Principle 2 in this series on Parent Advocacy. The first principle was research, studying, and reading up to keep informed on new developments and support. Today's principle, number two, concerns fostering positive relationships.

Fostering Positive Relationships
I have worked with a lot of parents and administrators. I see some interesting dynamics at times with the relationships between these two sets of people. Sometimes the two see each other as support - the parents looking for the principal to demonstrate the intensity of an advocate for their child in getting all the services needed, and the principal, looking at the parent as the key to support and reinforcement at home to implement the strategies that will help the student improve at school. Both sides can be self-serving, but at least both have a common concern at heart, and that is the child.
Then there is the adversarial relationship. I have heard stories from parents at conferences and group sessions, where the parents refer to the principal and therapists as cold hearted and threatened and unwilling to listen. I don't work with any principals or staff like that in my service area fortunately, but these stories do happen.
When I hear stories like that I think about what my reaction would be if I were a school administrator and I had a parent who was knowledgeable and in my face about what I was going to do about her son. I would say,"You are my new best friend! I need you to assist in the process of developing what is best for your son. You need to be an integral part of our team for your son." The point of view taken by the leaders in assistive technology about the team process is that parents need to participate and be a part. Their participation is essential.

Positive should ALWAYS be the first line of defense
When you are looking at going to school to advocate on an issue, look at how you can share your point, and in that point make sure there is an invitation for collaboration. That means that it is not "my way or the highway." I know that I am much more apt to collaborate and work with people who listen to my ideas, maintain a calm affect in conversation and are supportive and have good things to say. On the otherhand, I have a hard time listening and contributing to discussions with people who are always on the defensive and looking for a comment or decision that "confirms" their pre-determined belief that, "No one really wanted to listen to me or do what needs to be done anyway." When people enter into dialogue with a pre-determined notion that they are going to have to fight, it adds an energy to the conversation that has the potential to create exactly what you expect.
Take a minute and think about the nature of your conversations with teachers, staff and administrators around you. If you are a therapist or teacher, do the same thing but think of it in terms of your communication with parents. It can work both ways. Are your conversations collaborative? Do they allow room for others to share their input? Do you strive to build bridges to understand others and work on solutions without stress and negative energy?
One thing we as therapists and specialists have to remember is that even when we don't get along with someone, we still need to give them a level of respect. There is also a little thing called IDEA and a federal mandate! No matter what I think, I have to bite the bullet, smile and do what has to be done to be in compliance. I would hope to see the same amount of determination on the parents side to work together so we could both come up with a "win-win" situation. When we add the child into the picture it becomes a "win-win-win" situation!
Being positive and working on solutions together allows for much more success. Being able to think this way in your relationships, problem solving and conversations, is an aspect of what I call the "No Limits Lifestyle." I wish you the best as you strive for healthy collaborative relationships. When you take the time to create these positive relationships, you are making advocacy a much easier task.

I hope this gives you a little support as you work in potentially high-emotion dialogue. Keep checking in for more tips on the next blog post. Please refer this blog to friends that could use the information.



All the best to you!

Oregon State-Wide Assistive Technology Gathering, Start of a Busy Week.

I am in Portland at the Oregon state-wide assistive technology meeting, February 11th and 12th. Monday, we will be presenting updates on our different regions and services. There will be a presentation on NIMAS the new standard in digital text and we will also look at the OTAP (Oregon Technology Access Program) website. It is on my sidebar under important links.

There will be a day workshop on Tuesday with Kelly Fonner, link here, presenting on assistive technology in the curriculum. I will give you highlights of her workshop Wednesday, so check back for that.

I will be posting some of the highlights as far as ideas and news from the meeting that I think might be helpful to you. I have a stock-pile of great other topics and information to post over the next couple of weeks that has been coming in and I will get to it all eventually. I am having to start keeping a log of notes and lists so I don't forget things!

Career Showcase to Present Assistive Technology as Career Option:
On Wednesday I have a table at a career showcase for teens from schools to explore different career options. I am thinking that it might be a great place to do a podcast - interview some teens on what their definition of assistive technology is - what do you think? I have some fun things to set up and let them explore for that day. I will fill you in on that day the end of the week. I have to get the podcast thing going. I have a long list of podcast projects to get recorded and archive so I can start posting.

Assistive Technology Wiki is coming.

I have started working on the categories for an assistive technology wiki for parents and specialists to post product reviews and tips. It is going to take me awhile to get it set up and ready, but it should be available by the end of the month if I can get it set up so it is easy for folks to use. I want it to be collaborative, allowing entries on products, like on Amazon, where people can tell about the product and rate it. I think it would be very valuable to the consumer and give people more information on what products are out there.
There are lots of great things happening behind the scenes right now that are going to be exciting to see take shape over the next few months so keep checking in!

All the best to you!

Image credit: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-oregon/PortlandOregon.jpg

OT and PT Supports for Disabled Children

I am beginning to find that one of the pleasures of writing on my blogs is the great email I get. I am beginning to hear from people through my email. It is so exciting to think that we can reach out to each other and support what others are doing. If you have a blog on children, disabilities and related services please let me know. You can email me if you would like. I will be sharing the information I am getting from those emails from time to time and making a "My Blog Family" listing so that you can visit their blogs and sites too.

I had an amazing lady email the other day. She is an occupational therapist, a physical therapist AND has her Phd. She has been busy! She said that she has been reading my blog and enjoying it. She has recently written a chapter in a book titled: "Ergonomics for Children". She writes posts on areas of working with children, especially advice to parents that would be a great support for parents as well as other therapists and specialists.

Her name is Barbara Boucher and her site is: http://www.therextras.com/

Barbara lives in San Antonio, Texas - my native state, by the way, and is a child development specialist with a desire to work with the parents of children with disabilities. If you are a parent and you are looking for OT/PT advice and support check this site out. There is some nice information there.

All the best to you!

Please check out my other blog at http://nolimits2life.com/blog

Also, if you enjoy this blog, refer it to your friends and colleagues and post it on your links.

Today was a landmark day for me. I was in 3 cities, 5 schools, provided AT services for 6 children, 1 parent, 4 assistants, 3 high school resource teachers, 2 Early Learning Specialists, and 2 elementary teachers. I even bought 3 chocolate chip cookies for a high school life skills class fund raiser. Life is so great when you can help out by eating cookies!

I had a potentially confrontational discussion this morning that turned out beautifully. I left the visit with 2 new colleagues and friends that I am setting up Assistive technology support for.

I had the most incredible training session with a stay-at-home-mom of a CP student. The mom wanted to be trained on how to use Intellitools Classroom Suite at home with her daughter to do writing and math. This family includes 4 other children: 2 in college, 1 in the military, and a 2 year-old. Dad works for Walmart and has found that the best way to help at school is to volunteer hours because Walmart donates $250 to the organization where he volunteers when he serves a certain number of hours (I don’t remember how many - sorry). So that is his “spare time” service - and as the only bread-winner for the family. I tell you folks - these are the unsung heroes!

So what does this have to do with No Limits to Life? Everything. I see positive and dynamic people around me everyday and I have to say that one of the biggest pleasures in my life is to BELIEVE that abundance and fullness surrounds me all day. When I am able to get in a mindset that God, the universe, the creative source - whatever you believe you should call it - wants only the best for me today, and I go out expecting and being thankful for good things, those things become a reality for me. To me, this is the “No Limits Lifestyle.”

What is your lifestyle? Whether you are disabled or not, you have a choice to make. How are you going to live today? You get to choose. Abundance or lack. Failure or success. Grief or joy. Allow yourself to dwell on the blessings that are yours, the things you have to be thankful for. See the positive potential in your situation rather than the worst-case scenario. I am telling you, after practicing that a while and experiencing the changes and blessings in your life you will never go back.

To top off my day, I went to my email to find notification from “Ezine Articles” (see the link in my sidebar). I had submitted my first article a couple of days ago and was hoping it was accepted. I would be on the beginner/basic level. The email said that I had been accepted into the expert category on my first submission and that it would be on the high traffic home page. It was also being syndicated out on their exclusive email to subscribers. I was given the icon on my sidebar to post advertising I was featured in Ezine Articles. So you can see my new “trophy” over there!
Life is good. I am tired from a busy and prosperous day. I wish the best for you and ask that you do yourself a favor - be generous and gentle with yourself. Give yourself some slack and find something great to celebrate in your day. Tap into that “No limits Lifestyle”.
All the best!

You can read the article that was published in Ezine Articles HERE.

This blog post is also on my other blog, No Limits 2 Life, because I felt it was important and I didn't want anyone to miss it!

If you like this blog, please refer it to your friends and post my links on your blog. Email and comments are welcome.

Virtual Magnifier and Lightspeed Assisted Listening: The Eyes and Ears of Assistive Technology

Yesterday Was "Eyes and Ears" Day:

I had a chance to visit an elementary classroom today and ask a fourth grade boy what he would like to try in a piece of amplification equipment in the classroom. He was excited to try a personal FM system by Lightspeed (an Oregon Company by the way) that has a little cube speaker that can sit on his desk. The teacher had been trying out a classroom system with a big speaker for the whole room. If it were me as a student, I would feel funny about the entire class listening to the teacher through a wireless microphone just for me. The student is excited to try this small custom piece of equipment just for him.

I was able to hook up a high school computer teacher with a cool FREE tool that is open source for the visually impaired. It is the "Virtual Magnifying Glass" which is an on-screen magnifier. It can be downloaded HERE. You can drag it around, stretch and change it's size and increase/decrease the power of magnification.

It is very handy for ANYONE to use when teaching a class or presenting in a large room. When your laptop is hooked to a data projector and it is shining on the screen, you can click on the magnifier icon and slide it up and magnify details of an image, data base, etc. so everyone can see in the back of the room. I love it.

All the best to you!

Free Guide for Assistive Technology is a Great Support from WATI

Considering AT is a Federal Mandate:

Did you know that assistive technology must be considered for every student on an IEP? This means that when teachers, specialists and family gather to discuss a student's IEP goals and how to meet them, assistive technology must be given time for discusion and collaboration. Oftentimes this gets overlooked because the members of the team are unfamiliar with assistive technology and don't know where to start.

Free Tools to Help:

The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) has a great guide to help in the discussion and consideration of AT for a student. The consideration guide gives you a checklist of low, mid and high tech options in AT under various curriculum areas and skills. It gives teachers and parents a place to start in research as well as information to make a beginning decision on what should happen next. Hopefully, by seeing ideas and tools off the checklist that could help support the IEP, the team would request further assistance from an assistive technology specialist.

You can download the WATI Assessment forms by going to their website linked above and on my Important Links page. Select the products link. On that page is a link to free materials. The document is "WATI Assessment forms -forms only". You can view them on a pdf file and print off what you want.

The WATI Consideration Guide:

Look for the Wati Consideration Guide and the accompanying 2 page checklist. There are also screening tools, data collection forms, AT ssessment trial sheets, etc. I will do another post on the law and requirements where I can give a little more detail. If you would like more information or have specific questions, feel free to contact me by comment or email.
WATI is a great resource!

All the best to you!

Lon

OTAP is Oregon's Best Resource for Disabled Children

Oregon Technology Access Project

I want to tell you about some friends and colleagues of mine at OTAP. OTAP stands for the Oregon Technology Access Program. The program is sponsored by the Oregon Department of Education and is housed at the Douglas ESD in Roseburg, Oregon. It is run by some very committed and dedicated folks who work daily to support the needs of children. OTAP was started as a grant-funded enterprise to provide training and equipment to families, teachers, specialists and the disabled children they serve from birth to 21 years of age throughout the state. Eighteen years later, it has proven it's worth by providing quality services for the disabled child and those who support them.

A Resource for Equipment Loans:

I work with school districts, helping them find what equipment will work best to support IEP goals for their disabled students. My loan library at the Umatilla Morrow ESD can only loan equipment to schools with the cooperation of the Case managers and clinicians.

OTAP's services are for anyone. If you are a parent, you can go online directly and review equipment under categories and check out a device to try before a purchase. It is shipped to you and you must pay for the return shipping. A checkout lasts for 4 to 6 weeks.

My advice to parents is that you do some research online under the disorder you are dealing with and find out what types of AT are being used to support it. After you have done some research, you will be able to browse the catalog with a little more knowledge. If not, the equipment data base can seem rather overwhelming. The OTAP staff can help with general advice and steer you towards agencies that can help you.

If you want more information on the equipment catalog and check out, contact Kim Philpott at 541-440-4759; email:kim.philpott@douglasesd.k12.or.us

The OTAP link is HERE and will also remain on my Links that I Support list permanently as a very important resource. Please use it and check them out. Look for some future posts that spotlight the staff and information they have that might be helpful.

All the best to you!

Just Do it!

Check This out. It doesn't give any of us excuses!

How to Make a Switch Access Help Light

We recently needed a light to velcro-mount on a lap tray with a switch for a student to indicate when he needed help. This light by CatEye is just one of many that can be adapted for switch access. We were fortunate in that when we let our local bicycle shop know why we needed it, he sold it to us for $5.00. Thanks Pendleton Bike and Board!
They have a cool website - check it out...

Now I have had my day of using a soldering tool, wire and little copper pieces to make a battery interrupter, but I would rather recommend the store-bought kind. They aren't that expensive (compared to buying a pre-adapted device) and they are sturdier and save a lot of time. If you were blessed with a God-given gift of quick efficient soldering, then I am truly envious! For the rest of us there is the done-for-you-version.

A good source for battery interrupters of various sizes ($9.95 US) can be found at Enabling Devices. The notching file to make a hole for the wire to slip through on the battery cover can be found at ablenet ($9.00). Ablenet has the interrupters too, but they are $12.00.

What I did:
I notched the lid of the light so the wire could slip through and placed the metal interrupter disk between the positive end of a battery and the wall with the metal contact. In order to get the light to stay on with a switch connected, I had to place a little metal nut over the rubber on/off switch and use some black electrical tape to hold it down. This way, when I press the connected switch, the light is already on and the switch joins the connection so the light comes on. We are using a leaf switch or ribbon switch that bends easily for this student to access the light.


Mounting: The light comes with a nice slide in bracket so you have something to start with to adapt to a wheelchair bar or velcro on a laptray etc. This is where you have to be creative based on the special adaptation you have to make.

I think this part of assistive technology is one of my favorite parts because I love gadgets and love to tinker. If you have any ideas or successful adaptations you have made let me know or post about them. I would love to share!

All the Best to You!

A Mentor to Recognize

I was on Google searching for assistive technology blogs a couple of weeks ago and came across one from Brian Friedlander Ph.D. He lives in New Jersey and I credit him with introducing me to the vocation and passion I have today.
Brian taught the assistive technology course for my Masters Degree, Technology in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. He probably doesn't even remember the conversation, but some of us went out to lunch between class sessions and he asked me about what I did. I was working at our Educational Service District doing professional development and technology integration in the classroom at the time.
"Do they know you know about assistive technology?" He asked.
"I don't think so, but I am interested in some of the applications of the software for remedial supports in the general education classroom." I replied.
"Well, I am just warning you. When they figure out you know about AT, it won't be long before you are running that program!" Brian said this with a confidence that surprised me.
Well Brian, you spoke like a prophet and your words did come true! I am in my third year overseeing the AT here in our region of the state. I served on a committee that managed our AT equipment loan program for about 6 months and then was asked to fill a position that had been vacant for a couple of years.
Brian has a unique interest in mind mapping. By graphically illustrating your ideas on paper, you can see patterns and themes to your thoughts and focus on where you want to go. I have been using this more significantly since I began planning to start blogs, work on some materials for free access and for purchase, start up a web site that I am working on to launch soon, and look at personal goals. Using this method and matching it to goals and success principles will have to be another blog entry for another time.
Check out Brian's Assistive Technology Blog and his Mind Mapping information. It is very intriguing.
Thanks Brian!

Writing with Assistive Technology Supports

I have several students that are using writing supports. They are helpful for students that have difficulty writing because of finger deformities or injuries. These supports could as easily be used for folks that have arthtritis or conditions like dyslexia where the spelling is a challenge.
Some programs have a virtual on-screen keyboard like Click-n-Type which is free. Click n type has a word prediction feature built in (a separate downoad from the keyboard) that will give choices to select to cut down on the amount of typing.

A powerhorse program that does all of the above and has a text to speech feature as well is Co:Writer by Don Johnson. This program opens a text writing window that floats above a MS Word document or whatever word processing program you want to use. As you type, you get word prediction underneath and when you type a period, the sentence is transported up to the word processing page. You also hear it read back to you. You can turn the speech off if you prefer and you can set the size of the text window, the number of words in a prediction list and how you want to select them.

There are other features like word banks under topics to load as a source for word prediction that make this an excellent program. At $325.00, it is a spendy tool, but if you want or need to write or want to find a support for your child to do homework assignments and papers on a computer at home, it is a worthy investment.
Check these out.
All the best!
Lon

Sharing Assistive Technology Ideas for Everyone

I have been so grateful to the assistive technology community for the way everyone shares their expertise. Whether I am talking to people across the state of Oregon or at a national conference, people are willing to share from the wealth of information they have gained. They are more than eager to email a link, give information on a study or project and connect you with a specialist that used a particular device, program, etc.

It is in that spirit that I am wanting to consistently post on this site. I can share what I am doing and what I am learning, but I can also provide myself as a resource. If you would like to know the answer to a question or have information to contribute, you can post it as a comment or email me at: lonthornburg@nolimits2life.com

I am wanting to support what needs are out there and I know that by doing so I am going to add to my knowledge in the process. It will probably also require my asking others to contribute to this blog also as needed. That can be good because it widens the network for communication.
I checked for my blogs on the Google search engine tonight and was able to get on the first page of searches for particular words, but I am going to have to do better with my keywords to get my blog out there where people can find it.
If you know of anyone that could use this site and is looking for information, please send them the link.
I am going to be posting about the software and tools I use on a day to day basis as well as surprises that come along so stay connected!
The best to you!
Lon

Eating Pancakes

It is Saturday morning and it is time for pancakes.

My son is 5 and he wants a stack of pancakes. I just flipped a couple on his plate and he said, "I can cut them myself." He got out a plastic knife and fork and began to cut. He paused, "I can't really do it with two pancakes".


I finished cutting up his pancakes and he ate while I was sitting here preparing to post this morning. I knew there had to be a story and an analogy here somewhere. There are several things that come to mind so be amazed at how we can learn lessons from pancakes!

1. When it comes to pancake stacks, our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. My son could only eat half the stack. When it comes to teaching and working with kids and what I want children to accomplish, I usually want them to digest more in one trial then they can handle. I am learning to break down my objectives into smaller chunks - like the chocolate post I wrote in December - so goals can be accomplished with success.


2. Instant isn't always best. In pancake mixes the "just add water type" usually are easy to make, but never taste as good as the "made from scratch" kind where you fluff egg whites to stir in, add real buttermilk, etc. How often do I choose the ready-made or simple tools instead of custom adapting materials or equipment to fit the exact needs of my students? I am learning to slow down and take the extra time for specific accommodations so the fit is better the first time around. This saves every ones time in the long run and the student ends up the winner!


3. If you get preoccupied, pancakes burn. How many times have I made my son the first pancake and then have poured the next into the hot pan - only to get caught up in his butter, syrup, cutting and puring milk - and then smell something starting to burn and find my pancake's first side is a chocolate brown? I get preoccupied at work and things can sit on the burner too long and start to burn. Sometimes this is pondering over an adaptive piece of equipment - like a bicycle light that needs a battery interrupter put in and a way to mount it on a chair with a switch for a student to use for a help beacon during the day. (That one is a story in itself I will save for another day!) I can stew in my mind over a project so it is perfect until it never gets put in place - or takes way too long. If we get side-tracked on the path of goals with kids - focusing on the small stuff can start the main stuff to "Burn in the pan". Let's try and stop getting caught up in that cycle.


4. Pancakes taste better when you add fun things to the batter. I like to add applesauce to my batter. Sometimes I add a really ripe banana, some vanilla and salt. I personally don't care for it, but some people like chocolate chips in theirs. My wife has a recipe for waffles that has part of a can of pumpkin, pumpkin pie seasoning and is very satisfying. In your teaching and adapting curriculum for students, try doing the same thing as you would do to pancakes. What in a lesson would be the equivalent to adding chopped walnuts to banana pancakes or chunks of peaches and pecans. The sky is the limit and I guarantee it will be a lot more fun!


5. When it comes to cutting stacks - kids can think they can, but need guidance to learn how. I was glad to see my son have the confidence to try and cut his own food. Do you know how long we have been cutting up his food into bite-size chunks? This was a landmark for me today! When he said he really couldn't do it with two pancakes, I should have helped him to do it. Instead, I took the utensils and did it for him. He had the confidence to try but I didn't do the follow-through. It was just faster to do it for him. When I am out in the schools I see a big issue that probably goes on all over the country. We have thousands of assistants employed to work with disabled children and they are doing everything for the student. They are well-meaning and motherly, but there are some tasks that students need to learn to do on their own even if it is a struggle to perform. If at all possible, these assistants need to help them "cut the stack of pancakes" instead of doing it for them because it is faster. I have been more aware that time is one commodity that the disabled have a lot of. Why not allow them to use it doing something for themselves - even if we have to endure watching it take 5 times as long as it would take us to do it.

O.k., I could go on, but I'll stop for now. I think you get the point. I hope you have a great three-day weekend as we approach Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday. I hope you can take some time to analyze your work with children whether it is as a teacher, specialist or parent and find out where you are with these "pancake principles". And while you're at it, make up a crazy combination and share it with your family. Then share it with us!

All the best to you!

Lon

Image credit: http://www.kidsorganics.com/Breakfast%20for%20Champions.htm#pancake

Drawing on the Wall

Today I expanded on several weekly visits where I have been modifying the curriculum and working with 2 challenged students. One is Downs Syndrome and the other CVI. We connected Intellitools Classroom Suite to a Promethean Board. The Promethean Board is like a Smart Board but caters more specifically to education and the classroom with templates and all kinds of activities.

I worked with the SLP and special education specialist to design some writing, reading and dictating activities where the students could design a story and hear it read and watch it animated back to them. The CVI student enjoyed seeing things big where he could manipulate them. He used the wand that was callibrated to the board so he could draw, write letters and drag and drop manipulatives for math.

We had a good time playing with technology today and so did our kids!

Check out the Promethean Board. Check out the latest version of Classroom Suite by Intellitools. The two work great hand in hand!

A Birthday Voice

Today a rare thing happened that will be a memory I will hold for the rest of my life. The event was so heart-warming and also so sad at the same time that I have to share it with you.

I have this device on loan from OTAP, our state assistive technology equipment loan center, called a "Tango". It is a long oval white digital computer communication talker with lime green lights and touch panels that slide through communication topics. It is very intuitive and children can naturally explore the cartoon topics and select one that branches to choices that surround that topic. It has a recorded childs voice stored for each message that is very warm and life-like. A student can even choose between angry, happy, whiney and tired voices!

I took this cool tool to an elementary school this morning to share with a couple of speech pathologists and a fourth grade student we'll call "Tyler".

Tyler is one of those kids that has a twinkle in his eye and a love of life in spite of his circumstances. He cannot pronounce many consonants and his oo-ah-oh sounding words are difficult to understand. He sits in a wheelchair much of the day and can walk with great difficulty. That doesn't stop him from going out on the playground and insisting on playing touch football with the other boys at recess. They are very kind to include him.

The first day I met Tyler - over a year ago, I brought him a binder with communication pages to start building so he could point to topics and choose things to communicate to others. He was thrilled and to this day demands his book when in speech sessions. He has added video games, family, activities, questions and a new page on friends.

I didn't know that his birthday was coming up this weekend. I arrived early and his speech path, Carol, told me they were excited to demo the Tango. Carol had told Tyler that there was a surprise coming for his birthday and that it was a person. "Is is it Lon?", he had asked.

So when Tyler came in this morning, he was very excited to see me. On the table lay this cool new "toy" that was potentially a new experience waiting for him...his voice.

"Whaaa iiis aaaat?" Tyler asked. His eyes were big as he touched it and let out an "ooh" sound.

We showed him how to choose topics and he eagerly pressed the take a turn button and listened to it say, "It's my turn now!" He grinned big.

Tyler is unique in that although he has physical limitations, his mind is totally sharp, clear and full of potential. There is so much going on in that mind of his...all the time.

"Would you like to be able to tell that to your friends when you want a turn?", I asked.

He nodded. His fingers began to explore some more.

Conversation topics under "Play Date" let him express "What do we do next?" or "Let me do it now".

After we took some pictures and recorded me telling him happy birthday, (yes, it lets you make new topic pictures and put sound to it -too cool!), I told him to surprise us and choose something he wanted us to hear and we wouldn't peek. He let me understand that I needed to move to the other side of the table to make sure I couldn't sneak a peek!

We sat watching as he smiled , touching panels and moving deeper into a topic to find just the right conversational message. I was amazed at how easily he found what he wanted to say. All of a sudden he grinned and looked at us as the Tango said, "Where are my presents?"

I was stunned. He had seen the cartoon birthday cake and party topic, selected it and moved through the sub topics to find presents as a question.

Carol's eyes teared up as she saw the excitement in his face while he held total control of his communication in his hands.

"Aaan I eep iit?" Tyler asked.

"No, we are just playing today to see if this was something you could use", I said.

He had a disappointed look, but seemed to understand.

He found the power-off button and set it down. Carol gave him a birthday post card and pencil. He read Carol's birthday message on the back of the card.

His assistant packed him up to go as he watched his new -found voice and friend get packed away at the same time.

As I said good-bye and watched him leave to go back to class, I couldn't help but be sad because he couldn't take his voice with him.

"Happy birthday Tyler. I wish the Tango could have been your birthday present. I wish you could have taken it home tonight to ask mom and family "Where are my presents?" or, "Thanks, mom. I love you."

A post-note: The principal saw the device today. After I left, the speech path went to the district office fired-up with the knowledge that she needed to go to bat for Tyler. You see the Tango costs about $7,000. There is not a way the district can justify that expense, but they agreed to contribute and look at a possible pilot program to use it with Tyler and assist in finding other contributors who could donate towards the purchase so Tyler can have his voice. If you are interested in contributing or rallying some organization that could contribute, let me know at my work email: lon.thornburg@umesd.k12.or.us and I will get you contact information as things develop. Maybe I can post a counter on this blog "A Voice for Tyler" and we can see what grows!

The Tango website has some remarkable streamed videos you can see on their home page by going to: http://www.blink-twice.com/

There Are No Limits To Learning!

Have you ever felt like you were in the "Mystery Spot" while trying to learn something new?

Have y0u ever tried to teach something to someone who you just knew was in the "Mystery Spot"?

What is the Mystery Spot?

It is that place where we all live when we are insecure and confused, when we need someone to hold our hand and walk us out into familiar territory.

Turning a mystery spot into familiar territory defines learning. What happens when new territory becomes familiar? It broadens our boundaries and increases an abundance of knowledge, confidence, security and joy.

My job happens to be in assistive technology so I am leading students out of the mystery spot daily. Sometimes this means I have to walk into that spot with them and solve the mystery for them because they can't see, talk, move or think for themselves.

I often feel unsure of my ability to understand the situation. I am often in awe of the honor I have been given to step into this spot and help a child find their way. I believe in teamwork, so I am challenged and inspired knowing there are capable occupational and physical therapists, speech and language clinicians, autism, vision, hearing and early intervention specialists all there with me to sort out a situation.

So I take a child's hand and give them a voice, or if possible, some eyes or some ears. I invent a way for them to participate and interact in an educational activity that brightens an otherwise dreary day.

When I see a child make sense of the mystery and find some new familiarity around them, I breathe a silent prayer of gratitude. Today I pray for you. I pray that you experience overwhelming joy walking into some personally new, yet familiar territory. But I also pray that you get to experience the blessings that come from bringing someone else there too.