assisitive technology « Special Education Today

10 March 2010

Mi Stories: Social Story Videos for iTouch and Video iPod

Filed under: assisitive technology, autism and social skills, autism resources, iPod Videos for Autism, learning social skills, social story videos, support for social skill development — Lon @ 10:00 am

Kencrest's autism support includes a new listing of videos called "Mi Stories". They are under the autism video link and can be downloaded off the site. The set of 8 videos feature topics including:

Getting dressed, Going to the grocery store, Going to the restaurant, Riding in the car, etc.

To my understanding, you cannot download these off iTunes - you must purchase them with Paypal off the Kencrest site. You can see a preview video and read more here.

Here is an excerpt from their press release:

"Plymouth Meeting, PA - Mi-Stories were created by Debbie Lord of Harleysville, Pa, a Speech Language Pathologist who directs Health, Clinical and program supports; and KenCrest Center and are designed as brief social scenarios that focus on everyday activities. The videos, ranging from 2 – 4 minutes in length, will target communication and social behavior in community settings. They can be viewed on an iPod to allow an adolescent or adult with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities to easily watch them and learn the appropriate social behavior in a variety of different situations. The stories can also show the viewer what to expect in certain situations.

Mi-Stories utilize modeling, social scripting, and visual strategies to help target appropriate communication, behavior and social skills. There are numerous stories available including going to the grocery store, going to a restaurant, calming, getting dresses, crossing the street, riding in the car, as well as a video on how to use the iPod and a parent training protocol. More stories will be available soon.

Mi-Stories came about as Debbie Lord was asked to develop social stories for individuals served by KenCrest’s transition age after-school program, EDUCARE. “We were developing stories to help these kids, many of who are kids with autism, understand the appropriate things to do and how to act in certain situations.” Lord said. KenCrest received several grants to help with this project.

The Mi-Stories work in numerous ways. People with disabilities are able to watch the stories and hear and see appropriate behavior and social interaction. They also hear a scripted social scenario that describes how to act and interact all while watching the story. Also, with the iPod, the story can be utilized right before or during the activity, if necessary.

Debbie Lord has made presentations on Mi-Stories at the American Speech Language and Hearing Association in 2008 and 2009 and the Council for Exceptional Children National and Sate conference in 2009 and will make numerous other presentations over the next year."

All the best,

Lon

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9 March 2010

Birth to 3, Early Intervention and Technology Featured on FCTD

Filed under: EI/ECSE, Family Center on Technology and Disability, assisitive technology, birth to three special needs, early intervention services — Lon @ 3:52 pm

My EI/ECSE work with AT is always a joy as I get to sit and play with these little ones using AAC and switches, etc. I am always looking for more information to make my job more effective as I match AT with small children's needs. This issue of the Family Center on Technology and Disability is featuring resources and interviews around Early Intervention. I would highly recommend checking it out - especially if you work in that arena.

Here is what they share:

"Delivering early intervention services to families in remote rural areas has long been a challenge to service providers. Technology has, for the past twenty years, held the promise of helping to reach those families. Yet limited access to computers and the Internet has hampered efforts to use technology to overcome geographic barriers. Now, however, more than ever before, growing familiarity with, and access to technology has raised the hope that distance technologies will make possible "virtual home visits" and with them, increased service to families of young children.

This month we're pleased to bring you the insights of Sue Thain Olsen and Amy Henningson of the Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD). Their center received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities program. Under the grant, they and their colleagues have been researching the benefits and challenges of providing virtual home visits as part of the early intervention services for which they are responsible. Their research will help inform the efforts of many others throughout the country."

FCTD Link

Download a printer-friendly pdf of the newsletter.

All the best to you!

Lon

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30 January 2010

AT Blog Carnival up For Janary 2010

Filed under: AT Blog Carnival, assisitive technology, digital reading, iPad, iTouch apps for assistive technology — Lon @ 12:53 pm

The AT Blog Carnival for January is up and going right now at Teaching All Students.

There are some great posts on using AT with the iTouch, a new release from Dr. Brian Friedlander and a review of SOLO 6. Ricky Buchanan shares her MAC secrets. There is sharing on the new iPad, cooking in the classroom, Digital reading tips and more.

Check out a great issue!

Lon

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25 January 2010

Use Fun Activites to Integrate AAC and School Curriculum

Filed under: Dynavox, Dynavox V and Vmax, Learning with AAC, Using AAC with school curriculum, adding Google images to a Dynavox V, assisitive technology, speech and language pathology — Lon @ 10:00 am

How do you teach a crystal-making project using a Dynavox V?

I sat down with an SLP last week and we began to piece together the elements of a science activity using a Dynavox V that a girl has recently acquired to accommodate her speech. (Note: these ideas could be applied to any AAC - not just a V or VMax). The team of 2 SLP's I am working with on this project are pretty innovative and have used lots of motivating activities and integrated curriculum topics to use as the medium to teach their speech concepts and skills.

Design your folders and pages

We thought about what we needed and mapped out the pathway to get to the activity. We built several pages, but we started with a root folder with a directory page inside. We called it "Speech activities". We put this in this child's school category folder under a "classes" folder she has along with her science, math, reading, etc.

Once we had the root folder page made, we labeled buttons and turned them into folders so we could put the crystals activity on one and have more for future activities. We went onto Google and searched "making crystals " and found a picture like the one above. We put it on the top level button for making crystals.

We did a materials page to show all the supplies needed. We labeled them and made them so the student could tell us using the V, what each item was and test her ability to identify them We also made a step by step direction page with images of getting materials, measuring contents, stirring the mix, putting in the string, checking the minerals growth and recording data and taking digital images. (These could be shared through the V on pages for an oral presentation at the end.)

Finding and adding graphics is easy with Google Images!

The SLP needed Borax so we went on Google images and added that to a flash drive to import images to the V. Once we got going, we thought it would be

easier to make a shopping list of all the images and then see what ones might be on the V already and what ones we needed to find. For example, the Borax would really be something to find through an image search online, where a bowl or spoon or string would be in the image library ready to put on a button.

There are several ways to add images to a button on a V or VMax. One is to reduce the window of the Series 5 software with the page open and the button you want to add an image onto visible. You can insert a jump drive or go to My Document/My Pictures and click/hold/drag them onto the button - an easy task.

Another way is to go to the modify button and select your button, then choose "symbol" and then import an image. You can select "Show all files" and see the jump drive, open it and import the pictures, then they are accessible again and again through your symbol searches. The only thing to remember is that you need to re-name each image to be what you want on the button. The image file name will transfer and be on the button and in the file directory unless you change it. Might as well do it when you first save it.

Building and using activities like this makes learning to get around a V lots of fun if you are new, uisng it to do something of value at school where the lesson elements are at a students fingertips. The time spent will pay big dividends in buy in with kids. I have used worked with students on building model rockets, pizza, sandwiches, etc.

An SLP at another school has a boy with a new V that loves motorcycles. She is going to get a motorcycle model and have him label parts, get materials and work with him to use the V for building the model.

The more we can use AAC in school environments to access the curriculum and learn through motivating activities, the more effective we can be at connecting the use of a device to everything kids do all day. Oftentimes we work on wants and needs and socialization, but forget that there are plenty of topics rich with vocabulary and activities found right in front of us in school units and the curriculum. Why not try integrating some curriculum activities into your programming the AAC device for students you work with and see what happens.

All the best,

Lon

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8 December 2009

Ricochet: A Service Dog for Disabled Surfers

Filed under: assisitive technology, service dogs, surfing for disabled — Lon @ 5:40 pm

I loved this video. It is very inspiring. I love that he has found a special place to serve. We should all learn this lesson...

Lon

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27 November 2009

From Recipes to Rockets: AAC – Part 2

Filed under: Dynavox, Funding AAC, Medicaid Issues, assisitive technology — Lon @ 10:00 am

The process of funding a device, the SLP report, Medicaid applications, etc. can be daunting for some. Put on top of that, the time invested in the trials and matching an appropriate device, and you can be sure that when you see the device in a student's hands it is time for celebration.
I shared in Part 1, how we developed activities to get a middle-school boy using a Dynavox V.
We were discouraged after all our work, having Medicaid deny our claim. I have to say that all through this, the Dynavox team in Pittsburgh held our hand and the area consultant kept us in the loop as they did detective work to find what we needed to fix and re-submit our request for funding. Finally the word came back about August that we didn't do 2 things: the diagnosis for the student had a code number that had a .0 after it - we had not put it down. For example, 2145 would not be good enough. It HAD to be 2145.0! Then, for some reason, the screener of the claim wanted to not only see that there was an AT specilaist (me) overseeing the initial implementation and training, but they wanted the NAME of the AT specilaist in the description.
Past experience on everyone's part never showed that this had been necessary before - but - OK, we re-submitted and waited...
September came and went, October came and went, and then the first of November - at last! The device was approved and would be shipped out. We were ready to go down the next road, which is the set up and implementation piece.
I got a call this week from the family - they had the device and were SO excited. They wanted to know when I could come to help them get it set up. I drove over and met with them for a couple of hours and we built the student's user profile. I showed them how to edit buttons and some beginning strategies to get it up and going. Dad took a picture on his phone of his son with the device to send to the SLP that had done all the hard work of getting this boy this device (He had been transferred to new students in a new community in our region and would no longer be working with this student).
It was so exciting to leave the family with a device up and running so they could help their son express himself with his new voice for Thanksgiving break. I drove away with that great feeling that you get when you know you are in a career with some great rewards that are truly the non-financial and intangible kind. I was truly thankful.
I have another student waiting for his new device as well in another town. His didn't get denied, but we have been puzzle-piecing the funding from various sources and it has also come together in the past week or so - and he will be getting his for Christmas!
All the best to you!
Lon

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23 October 2009

In the News: Kids Use Nintendo Wii to Learn Skills – Video

Filed under: Wii and special education, assisitive technology, fine motor skills, sensory integration — Lon @ 9:00 am

Yesterday KEPR TV and KVEW TV came and taped for a news clip. The students had fun showing what they could do. Although a lot ended up on the cutting floor, there are some interesting pieces. It gives you a rough idea of what we are doing. As promised, here is the link to the KEPR article and segment. They have the link to the video there as well:

Kids Use Nintendo Wii to Learn Skills

All the best,

Lon

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6 July 2009

Dynavox has Merged with Blink Twice!

Filed under: AAC, Blink Twice Tango, Dynavox, Tango, assisitive technology — Lon @ 12:46 pm

Industry Leaders have Joined Forces to Better Serve Individuals with Speech, Language and Learning Disabilities.

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson has announced they have merged with Blink Twice, effective today, July 6, 2009. DynaVox and Blink Twice are now one company with the broadest range of products in the industry.

Here is the infomation I received today:

"DynaVox is the leading provider of symbol-based communication software and speech generating devices for children and adults with speech, language and learning disabilities. Blink Twice is the developer of the Tango, an innovative, synthesized symbol-based communication device designed primarily for children and teens. Today's merger reinforces our joint commitment to providing the appropriate communication solution for each client's unique needs.
DynaVox recognizes that augmented communicators have different needs, and our goal is to offer the right product to best meet the needs of each individual. DynaVox is excited to have the Tango as part of its product offering. We admire the innovative approach that Blink Twice has taken towards creating an easy to access, aesthetically pleasing device, along with engaging symbols and voices which are particularly appealing to children and teens.

For more information about the Tango, please visit the DynaVox Website at dynavoxtech.com.

Sales, support and manufacturing activities for the Tango will be integrated into DynaVox, with all key employees of Blink Twice joining the DynaVox team. With the Tango as part of the DynaVox family, customers will enjoy the benefits of DynaVox's industry leading support capabilities - what we like to call the DynaVox Difference. Tango customers will now benefit from:
• Increased local support through our team of over 100 North American Sales Consultants - find yours online at dynavoxtech.com
• Enhanced technical support coverage, now provided by the DynaVox Tech Support team, from 8 AM to 7 PM Eastern time. 866-DYNAVOX (396-2869)
• Expedited and accurate management of the reimbursement process, with the DynaVox Funding Team handling all Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance processing.
• Tango's inclusion in the DynaVox DREAM and rental programs.
• High quality manufacturing and the DynaCare service you've come to expect from DynaVox.

Dynavox is ready to assist you with all of your needs for the Tango.
All new orders should now be placed with the DynaVox Customer Support Team at 866-DYNAVOX (396-2869).
They are also working to expedite the delivery of all Tango devices currently on order."

Full Press Release

All the best to you!

Lon

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25 June 2009

Assessing Formats for Accessible Instructional Materials, Part Two

Filed under: AIM, CAST, NIMAC, NIMAS, assessing print disability tools, assisitive technology, implementing print disability tools, learning media assessment — Lon @ 9:00 am

Matching an AIM (Accessible Instructional Materials) format (See part one for format types) with students involves more than just locating a textbook title in etext or qualifying for eligibility to acquire NIMAS files. The correct software, type of reader, text to speech voice, method of access and visual settings for those with orthopedic or low vision issues all combine to make or break the implementation of the text in an alternative format.
In Oregon, we have the Talking Book and Braille Service for our Blind and low vision students. They usually access braille formats or listen through a Braillenote or computer. They use JAWS to navigate the computer and DAISY files that can be in a braille format (.brf).
OTAP, The Oregon Technology Access Program, has begun to develop a new state recognized media provider for accessing titles for those that are not blind - but either orthopedically impaired or having an organic brain dysfunction (See part one for more on eligibility and these conditions). As a teacher or parent gets past the eligibility piece and on into the accessing of materials, you have options of using Bookshare.org and state media providers that are recognized by NIMAC. There are other services that provide public domain texts in e formats such as Gutenberg.org and Lit2Go, etc.
As an assistive technology specialis, I am trying to develop a procedure which will help me streamline the process by which I work with teachers and IEP teams, so that we know what services we want to use for a student to access titles and what software and hardware will best serve the student to access and hear/see the text files.

What areas need to be considered in a Learning Media Assessment?
Below is a sample I have been brainstorming as a possible checklist for a Learning Media Assessment Form. It is a work in progress, but you can take it as it is and tweek it for your own use. I will hopefully have a finished and working document by the time school starts in September, and this is not an all-inclusive form - but it is a start. Let me know your thoughts and feedback. If you are familiar with the SETT method of AT Assessment, you will recognize those pieces in the sample below.

Learning Media Assessment Document
Student information:
Name:
School:
Classroom Teacher:

Case Manager:

Student Diagnosis:

Student Objectives? IEP Goals?:

Planning AIM:
1. Has the textbook and other materials been identified that need to be accessible? List below:

2. Who is the primary contact (your staff) for materials, converted files, etc.

3. What Authorized Users are being used? Bookshare ____; RFB & D ______; Other _______
____________________________;

4. In what settings will the student need text to be accessed? School ____; Home ____; Other _______________;

5. What are needs for implementation/staff training?

Media Assesment:
Check the type of media this student should use:

Audio (Mp3 file only) ___

Audio (DAISY) _____

Etext for large print only ____

Etext with reader _____

Format for etext: pdf ____; txt ____; html ____; BRF ____; DAISY _____; xml _____;

Software Tool used to read etext: K3000 _____; Read Outloud ____; DSpeech ____; TopOCR _____; Wynn _____; iTunes _____;

Hardware Tool: Classmate Reader _____; Mp3 device (i.e., ipod/Zune/Etc.) _____;

Optional readers for blind users (DAISY): AMIS _____; Victor Reader _____; Dolphin _____;ZoomTextPlus _____; JAWS _____;

Hardware Tool: Braillenote _____; PacMate ______;

This is all I have so far. Take this as a start and customize it to fit your needs.
I would suggest visiting the AIM consortium area on CAST and visiting the CAST site in general for more resources.
OTAP is working on a much more extensive set of info sheets and assessment pieces, designed by Gayl Bowser. Check the OTAP site this next fall to see when they will be accessible. Also, I am teaching 2 day classess in the Portland area in August for the Oregon Assistive Technology Summer Institute. College credit will be available through Portland State University. I will be teaching a day on free and low cost print disability tools, and a day on using Access Apps tools. Check here for registration and details. The venue is about an hour from the Oregon Coast as well.

All the best to you,

Lon

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24 June 2009

Kidthing Offers Free Downloads of Summer Books,Videos and Games

Filed under: "Kidthing", assisitive technology, free ebooks, summer acrtivities for special needs kids — Lon @ 10:04 am

Free Games on Kidthing this summer....

Kidthing, the games and ebook player for kids is promoting free games each week throughout the summer. You can download the player for free and the access the free game downloads. There are games such as The Great Outdoors word search and soccer math. July will bring a group of patriotic themed games and activities. Once downloaded, games and books can be accessed off-line on the player, so kids don't need to be on the Internet to play.
My past Kidthing posts still seem to be some of the most popular and if you haven't tried out this player and catalog of books and activities you should give it a try. I have used a switch and interface with the books to allow students to turn the pages and of course many of the books can be read to the students. The access piece matched with the books available, make it great - especially for younger or cognitively lower students. They also have an NEA/Read Across America program during the school year that allows teachers to download a free book a month - many of them Dr. Seuss titles.
We have a lot of fun with kidthing at home and my 7 year old son asks to play and read on there all the time.

All the best to you!

Lon

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23 June 2009

Assessing Formats for Accessible Instructional Materials, Part One

Filed under: AIM, Bookshare.org, NIMAC, assisitive technology, print disability tools — Lon @ 9:00 am

Getting curriculum to students in an accessible format can be a challenge, but it is a federal mandate. We are to provide materials in a timely manner which means, "At the same time as the other students".
In Oregon, we are working on a protocol for helping districts and educators streamline the process for identifying what type of format AIM (accessible instructional materials) needs to be in and how to access the materials in a timely manner and implement them.
If you are looking at qualifying some students you have, or you are a parent that knows your child needs textbooks, articles and handouts in an alternative format, but aren't currently getting them, this post might help.

Format:
What are the formats we are talking about? Most common are: Large print; Mp3 audio; DAISY files; text files in a .txt format that can be opened by a text reader (see past posts on my blog for text to speech tools); or a text file that can be opened in a program or web browser with different color text and background. (Access Apps has some great free tools for this)
These formats require an e-copy of the text book or other materials so that the text can be converted, manipulated by an assistant, parent, teacher or the reader.
Accessing the Format:
We will assume for this post that the student has already qualified and eligibility has been proven. Briefly though, the standard requirements for eligibility are that the student needs to 1.) either be blind or visually impaired, 2.) orthopedically impaired to the point where a book cannot be held or pages turned, or finally, 3.) the student has an organic brain dysfunction that causes a processing or reading disorder.
A doctor's letter supporting one of these three eligibilities is needed for accessing copyright protected files through a state authorized media provider of files coming from the NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center).
Another option, Bookshare.org , requires that a competent professional make this determination and it doesn't necessarily have to be a doctor. A special education teacher, a specialist in the field of disability, etc. can make this determination. You can consult the Bookshare.org website under qualifications for membership eligibility for more information. Bookshare is working hard to expand their ability to locate and provide textbooks for students so check them out.
I recently had a visit from a young woman who was a nursing student who wanted to know about some tools to help her access her nursing textbooks. She was able to connect me with a regional school psych who had tested her in community college for eligibility on a learning disability. I was able to send him the Bookshare form and he was able to sign off on her eligibility and fax it in.

These are some of the foundational pieces to setting up access to instructional materials that are copyright protected. We will look at the process of assessing formats for students and implementing in part two.

All the best to you!

Lon

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7 May 2009

Piloting Our Own Wii Therapy to Support OT in the Schools

Filed under: Mii creator and AAC, Wii and occupational therapy, Wii and speech and language, assisitive technology — Lon @ 9:00 am

Wii-abilitation or Wii-therapy is becoming more and more popular. I can tell by the increase in posts, articles and sites about it online. As I shared not too long ago, we were given a Wii, leftover from a program that had been closed. The Wii had some parts missing and the Wii Sports CD scratched beyond use. I got a call from a director asking me if we could use it for assistive technology somehow.
I went through the storage tub and sorted through broken remotes and odds and ends (there had been 2 Wiis at one time) and got enough working pieces to make up one good set. I bought an Outdoor Adventure mat and game, a Wii Fit board and Wii Play. I went online and printed off a good Wii Fit tutorial that lists all the activities and put together overviews from resources online for the Outdoor Adventure and the Wii Play.
We had a "launch" at a monthly OT/PT meeting last week and I gave the specialists an arsenal of articles supporting the use of the Wii in schools, veterans hospitals, care facilities, etc. I began to get requests from therapists to come out to some schools and help them get started.

A Time for Assessment
One of the OT's has set up two days, one at a middle school and one at a high school where I will set up the Wii in a closed setting. Throughout the day, we will bring in various students and based on their motor level and ability, try some games out and decide what activities will support the unique needs of that student. Will it be eye-hand coordination, balance, fine motor, speeding up reflex action, or just getting a student out of a chair, onto a mat and letting them slide down the water slide steering with their hands on the mat?
I drafted up a rough data sheet for starters that has the student information on the top as well as motor ability and motor goals, and then lists all the games with space for notes. We can fill out a form for a student, check all the games that apply to the goal and get a baseline started.
If we can pilot a program in a couple of schools and get some data that shows this is helping students, we can use that to start more Wii's in more schools under the direction of the OT/PT's.
Wii and Communication?
I have an interesting case developing for a non-verbal student where we are going to incorporate some augmentative communication with the Wii Sports to allow this student to play against a classmate and use the Communication Overlays to choose games, make comments, take turns, build a Mii (I have made boards with all the head, eyes, nose, hair, etc. parts ready to use) and say "Good game!" A great Mii site to visit for some ideas for your boards is a Mii Creator site.
Some students need a motivator to use alternate forms of communication. We are trailing a Dynavox with a student that is doing terrific things because we are having him build sandwiches, make pizza and build and shoot a model rocket (this Friday!). He happens to be in the middle school where we are bringing the Wii, so I will build some pages for using the Wii and incorporate the Dynavox V into it.
Blending tools and supports is getting to be so much fun and I find it allows some of those unique needs kids have to be met in a way that just can't happen with a one-size-fits-all philosophy.

All the best to you!
Lon

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28 April 2009

Win an Apple iTouch or Classmate Reader on Bookshare: Few Days Left

Filed under: Bookshare.org, assisitive technology — Lon @ 9:00 am

Has Bookshare changed your life or your students’ learning experience in a unique and significant way?
Bookshare Members! Tell Your Story and ENTER TO WIN
Grand Prize: Victor Reader Stream or the Classmate Reader or an Apple I-Touch
Share your Bookshare success story with us and win great prizes! Everyone has a special story about changing the lives of students with qualified print disabilities. What assistive technology do you use with Bookshare? How has Bookshare saved you time? Why do you use Bookshare in your school district? How has Bookshare made an impact in your students’ lives? For official rules check the Bookshare website at www.bookshare.org.

Official Contest Rules:
Who: You must be a current Bookshare Member. Please sign up at www.bookshare.org
How: Submit your story in any of these formats: Word, Video, MP3 or text/Braille formats. Make your video or MP3 a minute or less and your text document no more than one page. Send your submissions to Events@bookshare.org
Time: Contest runs from February, 28, 2009 (Date of newsletter launch) – April, 31, 2009
Winners Notification: We will notify winners by phone or email. Winners will be announced on the Bookshare website on June, 15, 2009. If winner is a minor, a parent consent form will be required.
Website Posting: Bookshare has the right to post winning media on our website. Bookshare will request consent from the author prior to any other use of the media.
Contest Details: One winner will be chosen for each of the following categories:
 Student – K-12
 Student – University
 Student – Adult Ed
 Individual Member
 School K-12
 Most Creative
 Best Video
 Best MP3
 Best Text/Braille
 International
 Grand Prize, Best overall story and presentation for US Members
 Grand Prize, Best overall story and presentation for International Members

Bookshare asked if I would let folks know about this even though time is short. Who knows, maybe your story will win you something!

All the best to you!
Lon

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13 April 2009

A Cowboy Makes it Work with Assistive Technology

Filed under: adapting tools for disabilities, arthritis, assisitive technology — Lon @ 11:37 am

I shook the knarled, arthritic hands yesterday on an Easter afternoon visit, of a veteran cowboy, Dean, who has ridden for 15 brands and taught himself how to rope in spite of his disability.
"I reached the goals I wanted to reach in roping," Dean said.
"And what were those goals?" I asked. He shared that he had joined the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) and competed in the Elgin Stampede - a regional rodeo in the snow-capped mountains of East Oregon.
"There I was, left-handed, trying to rope right-handed with my hands the way they were. It was my first competition and I had been practicing hard. I had to take pain medicine to rope but I was determined to do it. I entered with a friend in team roping and when it was all done that day-we won!"
He shared his frustrations with having fingers swollen and curled into knots and his inability to grip: "I went on the Internet to try and find someone who could tell me how to button up my jeans. I couldn't push the button through the hole. I spent a whole afternoon "Dancin' around on the Internet" I found handicapped tips, things about wheelchairs, etc. but nothing to help me get my pants buttoned, so I invented something myself."
When asked if he could show me what he made, he left the room and came back with two tools he had adapted. A flat head screwdriver he had heated in his shop and bent into a flat hooked tip, and a long piece of blue heavy wire bent in a "U".
"I just stick the wire loop through the hole, snag the button and pull one direction and then hook the eye-hole with the screwdriver hook and pull the two together."
I shared how ingeniously simple this was and how proud I was of him to make it work on his own.
"I just figure I need to learn how to do things myself. It might take me longer, but I have a great shop and I have all kinds of things I have adapted to pound nails, open my truck door and on and on."
As I left yesterday, I thought about this man's determination to self-accommodate. How I would love to have him share tools and talk about the whole frame of mind that comes with being able to solve problems and be independent. He is an example of what I strive to see for all our students as they struggle to achieve. Whether it is a text reader, a spell checker or an adapted screwdriver - helping students learn how to "make it work" with AT is what my work is all about. This cowboy's tools are a perfect example of what assistive technology is all about - it's not just high-tech computer equipment. Anything that solves a problem and accommodates a disability to make something work is AT. My cowboy friend is an AT designer out of necessity - and a good one to boot!

All the best to you!

Lon

(Dean has given me permission to photograph his tools and inteview him for the No Limits 2 Learning Live show and the website - so look for a great interview and photos in an up-coming edition!)

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September 2010
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13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30