Assistive Technology Works!

Knowing where to begin and how to proceed can be daunting though.  We're here to help.  Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, the Family Center on Technology and Disability provides a wide range of resources on assistive technology, from introductory fact sheets and training materials to in-depth discussion of best practices and emerging research.  Try setting aside 30 minutes a day to review an FCTD resource.  Before you know it, you'll know a lot more about assistive technology and the ways in which it can improve the lives of the children and youth with disabilities.  Of course, we're here for your just-in-time information needs as well.  We hope you'll visit our site often!

Technology Voices

Social Media as a Community Engagement Tool:“We Use Technology to Put Us All in the Same Room”
Social Media graphicIt’s 2012. Do you know where your hashtags are? Some of us do; some of us don’t. Some of us have no idea what the term means. Joe Mazza, Knapp Elementary School Principal, is a master user of hashtags – a way of labeling Twitter and other social media posts so that they’re easy for their audience to find. Using Twitter and other social media tools, Mr. Mazza has found a budget-friendly way of connecting his teachers with each other, with parents and community members, with learning opportunities, and with himself. It’s an investment of time and energy that has paid off in a major way. These school-community connections have set a “best practice” standard that has drawn local, state and national attention. In this month’s edition of Technology Voices, Mr. Mazza discusses why he believes so strongly that educators, administrators, and family members need to tweet, blog, post and otherwise connect throughout the day. After you read our interview with him, you may just find that you’re ready to look for those hashtags!  http://www.fctd.info/newsletters

Assistive Technology (AT) Resources

Explore our AT Resources database for information on assistive and instructional technology.   This week our featured resource is Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (PAR).  "PAR provides you with all you need to systematize your procedures for making data-based reading accommodation recommendations for students who are not reading at grade level or have physical disabilities that keep them from utilizing printed texts."  PAR is a free, downloadable manual that includes a protocol for collecting data to compare independent reading, reading with a human reader, and reading with a text-to-speech reader to determine what works best for a student.   It includes reading samples with comprehension quizzes and vocabulary samples for grades 3 through 10.  In addition to the manual, a recorded webinar is available which explains the use of the materials and is quite comprehensive. This resource could be helpful for teachers or parents who need hard data to present for justification of reading accommodations for students who struggle with reading.

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Assistive Technology Solutions Fact Sheet

Our new AT fact sheet provides visual examples of a range of AT products to help parents who are beginning their search for assistive technology.This fact sheet includes basic questions to be considered when trying to identify assistive technology devices that will best suit your child and illustrated examples of some of the AT options available.  Each AT example has an icon indicating whether it is high-tech, mid-tech or low-tech. Product vendors are also listed. Please note that vendors listed may not be the sole supplier for a particular product. View a pdf of the AT Solutions fact sheet.

Early Childhood and AT

Our new Powerpoint presentation provides images of AT devices designed for young children and identifies the issues that  should be considered when selecting AT for them. Functional areas include: communication, mobility, and learning. This resource briefly discusses IDEA issues and the need to identify AT in IFSP and IEP plans. We invite you to use the resource with families, caregivers, educators, advocates, and disability professionals.   

2012 AT Resources CD-Rom

g2012 AT CD coverThe 2012 Assistive Technology Resources CD-ROM has hit the presses and will arrive soon!  You can order one free copy or request a bulk order to distribute to others. To pre-order your cd's, please visit http://www.fctd.info/show/order_form.  

FCTD Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning

This 50-page guide offers families information and resources to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children’s lives. In family-friendly language the guide discusses transition plans and the role of AT in them, offers checklists and suggestions. and provides a range of resources aimed at helping students make successful transitions to higher education, employment and independent living. The guide can be accessed online in both Spanish and English at http://www.fctd.info/show/fig_summary 

Assistive Technology Success Stories

Our archive of success stories features young people whose personal success and growth have been aided by their use of assistive technology. Read about them in our AT Success Stories.

Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD)
FHI 360 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW 7th Floor Washington, DC 20009-5721
phone: (202) 884-8068 fax: (202) 884-8441 email: fctd@fhi360.org
Copyright 2012