Hey Tek-ninjas! A while back, I posted how Kiyah uses her AAC device to effectively navigate her life. More recently, Tobii Dynavox posted a short clip of a boy named Brock and how he uses the TD i110. I've shared it below.
I'm sharing Brock's video, because I believe many folks don't understand the power of AAC, and it is simply a joyous clip! Similar to the video of Kiyah, this video of Brock provides a terrific look into AAC. On the linked page, Brock's mother is quoted saying: "His vocabulary has grown tremendously, and we love seeing our lil’ man finally being able to speak his mind". Those are powerful words!
Check out the link to read more about Brock's success, what life with Assistive Technology can look like, and the benefits of having a solid team helping our AAC users.
Course Content Level: Introductory Date & Time: Tuesday, April 07, 2020 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM ET Cost: Free of Charge Open Seats: 254
The presenter is my colleague and friend, Lisa Geary from the Tobii Dynavox Learning Team. Lisa is a super strong and engaging presenter with a wealth of experience both as a clinician, and an educator. Every time I'm at a presentation she's giving I get my learning on, so carve out a bit of time in your day to attend.
Fair warning, the event is being shared broadly, so if you are interested, sign up asap!!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Yesterday, I posted about the Speech Case. I wrote that I was super excited about some the new products coming from Tobii Dynavox. Well, there's another great device available now. The Indi 7 is a mighty AAC device in a tiny package. It's "related to the Indi, which I wrote about a few months ago.
Indi 7 comes complete with integrated, extra loud speakers, your choice of communication software, a whole ecosystem of support, and a 30-day money back guarantee for peace of mind.
With a 7 inch screen, super loud and clear speakers, and Windows 10 OS, the Indi 7 fits nicely in your hand. Multiple access methods such as switch-scanning, head-mouse, and touch with keyguards, are all compatible with Indi 7.
You can order Indi 7 directly from Tobii Dynavox and get it within days, all for an incredible price (with Communicator 5 AND Snap + Core First it is $1,699, and with JUST Snap + Core First, it is $999).
And, unlike other off-the-shelf tablets, since Indi 7 is your all-in-one communication solution, you don’t have to worry about setting up different components or going to multiple sites for assistance – it’s all right there for you!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! It's been a minute. I've been deeply immersed in the Tobii Dynavox world. Learning every day and seeing users that simply blow me away. If you have followed my blog for long, you understand that I've spent my career working with young people. In my new position as an AAC Consultant, I have had the distinct honor of working with many amazing adults who are seeking their voices. I have met people whose proficiency with our eye-gaze system has left me feeling amazed and delighted. The future is bright I tell you.
But today's blog article is a bit about our AAC software, Snap+ Core First. In my opinion one of the most robust pieces of AAC software ever, and phenomenally easy to manage for caregivers and therapists alike. That ease in my mind is the difference between a device sitting on the shelf unused, or a device being customized for the given user and opening a new world.
If you own the software, or even have the free (voiceless) version, be sure to run your updates from the App or Windows store. About a month ago, for no additional cost, we pushed out the English/Spanish version. No cost I say.
And yesterday we pushed out the English/German version. Because the German iteration requires a different symbol set there is an in-app cost of $54.99.
Accessing these different languages is as simple as logging out of your user, and creating a new profile. Be sure to use the pull down menu to see the different language options.
Additions in Snap 1.3 update include:
-Localization for the German market including a Core First DE page set, morphology, prediction, and German Acapela voices
-German Metacom symbols available as an in-app purchase
-A subscription option for Snap is now available on a monthly or annual basis
If you are unfamiliar with the software you can download the voiceless version for free which make a great tool to familiarize yourself, and as an Editor version to work on client's pages without taking their devices from them. Windows 10 version is here. For your ipad, go here.
Hey Tek-Ninjas! So I'm on a roll reviewing the Smarty-Ears Apps. Let me say that I get no moolah for sharing these apps with you, I've simply been very impressed by them.
Today I am blogging about Custom Boards, an iPhone and/or iPad app which serves as a board and activity creator. Custom Boards retails for $49.99. This may seem like a lot for "an app", but take a look at the competition and you will see their prices are at least double if not more.
Some of our students require symbol support in order to experience success with transitions, jobs, ADL's, etc. Software can be very expensive, and tied to a computer. Custom Boards provides a great option to get around those issues.
Rather than retell the features, I've simply pulled this from the creator's website. It is impressive:
• includes over 125 templates from within 6 categories
• includes over 10,000 built-in Smarty Symbols
• Choose from a total of 100 floating shapes and 7 different styles of shapes
• Ability to add images from Google search engine
• Ability to add Floating Images—place an image anywhere on the template!
• Ability to add Floating Shapes—place any of the 100 built in shapes anywhere!
• Ability to add Floating Texts— place text anywhere on the template!
• Layers — select individual floating images, text, and shapes and move them forward/back
• Add multiple pages to a template
• Lock the screen to use a static image on the iPad itself in an activity without accidentally editing it.
• Ability to lock the screen so that the iPad surface itself can be used for an activity.
• Share editable files with other Custom Boards users
• Email PDFs of your custom boards creations to anyone
• Quickly print your creations with an air ready printer
• Cloud Compatible — backup your files via the cloud
• Organize your archive of creations with folders
Also, here is a video introduction with REALLY REALLY peppy music.
The built in introduction tutorial is really well done, and helps a first-time user get up to speed.
If you are in the market for "board-making" software, Custom Boards is definitely worth a look!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Yesterday, at the Carolina HealthTEC Live Conference in Asheville, I learned about a really terrific app. While exploring it, and chatting with a rep, I realized I know the app creator. Pretty cool! The app is called Know Me. Per the app developers:
"Know Me is an integrated set of tools to help you express who you are to the people in your life. The main feature is Profile, a way of visually displaying important information about you. Profile is supported by Gallery, a place for longer documents linked to your profile, as well as Team Talk, a place where conversations between you and your team are kept."
Here is what I can tell you. I downloaded the app for free onto my iPad. Then within a few minutes, I'd created my own profile using the very intuitive interface, incorporating pictures from my photo gallery, as well as one I took on the spot. Downloading the app onto my iPhone (still for free), and logging in, the app populated immediately with my profile. On the phone, the profile is not editable, which is good to prevent accidental change.
With this app, an individual with limited communication skills can met a new person, and easily share with them who they are.
At the bottom of the app is an emergency tab where you can enter your caregiver's name and contact info.
The app is elegant, and incredibly intuitive. Take a look at it!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Our district has been wrestling with a dilemma. We are planning on replacing all all laptops at the Elementary level. That is roughly 10 schools. We replaced the Middle school laptops last year. It is expensive.
On top of the significant cost, this change has unplanned ripple effects. Modern laptops seem to all be dropping CD drives. Remember 12+ years ago when Apple got rid of the floppy drive? Then PC's followed suit? We all kicked and screamed 'cause our software wouldn't work. Well, here we go again. Apple started phasing out CD drives a few years ago, and now PC's seem to following along.
Our district has approximately 100 copies of "THE DOMINANT SYMBOL SOFTWARE" (TDSS) out there, which was purchased with Stimulus funding back in 2000. It still works fine, but won't on the new laptops (or not without a major process/headache per each device), especially as we are changing OS platforms at some schools.
Our staff who use TDSS really rely on it. But, upgrading TDSS for the new computers would cost over $12,000 PER YEAR!
Home Screen
So, it was out of necessity that I started shopping around again for symbol software, but this time more earnestly.
Enter Pogo Boards. Pogo Boards is an online, subscription model which is easy to use, and provides access to millions of images through an integrated Google search, thousands of unique, custom symbols with SymbolStix and the PiCS symbol set.
Pogo Boards arguably has the most robust symbol library available in one place.
There is a free 14 day trial to get a feel for PogoBoards, and I encourage users to sign up and use it with a student or classroom in mind, not just to tinker around. This process will facilitate you actually learning how to use it.
iPhone
The PogoBoards website offers several "how-to-videos" to help you in your learning curve.
As a user, if you are at all familiar with Microsoft Word, the interface will be intuitive. It looks similar.
The bottom line though, is the price is down-right affordable. My subscription for the same group of folks on the TDSS will be roughly $2,500 annually. Thates a significant savings.
Users can make their boards on a Mac at work, then when they get home, feasibly log into a home PC or Linux computer and access the same work. Cross platform is huge.
In addition, boards made online can be downloaded to the free app on your iPad or iPhone.
And finally, sharing of materials within a school or district is simple.
Change from a preferred tool is often challenging. My hope for our district is that this won't be too painful. I will keep you all posted!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Those of you who have been in the field for awhile will remember Choose It! Maker
(CIM). Originally CIM was software you installed onto your computer. CIM allowed users to create customized learning materials relatively quickly using personal photos, symbols, text, and sounds to create any cause & effect or choice making activities you could imagine. The end product would then be used on the computer it was made on.
Well, the folks at HelpKidzLearn have made the product more powerful, while also easier than ever to use. Now, Choose It! Maker 3 is an online, subscription based product. You make customized learning materials in minutes which can be accessed by any computer (PC, Mac, Linux) with internet capability, as well as on the free apps available for your iPad or android tablet.
Subscriptions are available for individuals or larger organizations.
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Today I'd like to tell you about a new service called Connections For Autism (CFA). CFA
is a subscription-based, online platform for any and all educators. CFA
provides educators with a wide array of tools to meet the needs of
students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The service was created by
a skilled multi-disciplinary team here in Chapel Hill. The team consists veterans from TEACCH, an Autism Specialist, Speech therapist, Occupational Therapist, Special Educator, Elementary Math Curriculum Specialist, Regular Ed Teacher, and a parent of a child with Autism. The tools include IEP goals aligned
to Common Core Standards, assessment and progress monitoring forms, and a
tremendous selection of differentiated materials to support
evidence-based practices.
TRANSPARENCY DISCLAIMER: I have been invited to have involvement in further growing CFA. So,
yes, this time I do have some personal investment in the product being
successful. I came on board because I was so impressed with the thoroughness and sophistication of
this service. In addition, I have worked with several of the
contributors over the years and count them as some of the best in their
respective fields.
The depth and breadth of support CFA offers for IEP teams is remarkable. The service includes approximately 400 IEP goals, and all goals have progress monitoring forms. In addition, all non academic goals (behavior, social and communication, daily living and time management) have initial informal assessments. CFA provides several hundred downloadable materials which are all tied to multiple goals. This service could stand alone as a complete product. However, the design is that the service will continue to grow and revise as necessary. If you work with children on the spectrum this tool could really help shape your evaluations, interventions, and service delivery, insuring best practice, whether you work in a public, charter, private, or home school setting. Hajime!
Hey Tek-Ninjas! Lately I've been fielding a lot of questions about voice dictation for young children (first through third grade).
Here are my thoughts on the subject...
In Occupational Therapy grad school, professors told us that the best opportunity to impact handwriting is up until the end of third grade. With this in mind, I never want to jettison handwriting instruction/therapy too soon.
In special education we discuss the importance of placing children in the "least restrictive environment" to help them be successful. Meaning: too much support is just as bad as not enough support. I feel the same way about technology...if a student can learn to use standard available word processors, that is ideal. Our hope is that a student could enter any library and access any computer for word processing. If they need special software or hardware, that becomes less likely.
Voice dictation requires a relatively clear voice (though this is getting better all the time) It also requires fairly succinct sentences, or you get a lot of "uhms", "errs", and other filler phrases. Along with these necessities, one needs a fairly thick skin, aka a strong frustration tolerance. Apple's Siri is remarkable, and I've spent no time with the Android version, but hear it too is good.
All that considered, sometimes a student's handwriting is just simply not functional. So, while their peers have already learned the task of writing, and are now learning with their writing, some students are still learning to write, and missing the next level content.
In such a situation, if feasible, I like to introduce word prediction, and have the student engage in keyboarding instruction daily (10-15 minutes tops). The only way to become proficient keyboarding is to practice, and use it regularly. For longer assignments we might ask the educational team to provide a scribe, thus allowing the student to focus on his/her content and not the arduous task of writing.
If the team envisions the child being able to learn and utilize keyboarding, that is my first choice. If not, then we consider voice dictation, knowing that we will ultimately be binding that child's productivity to a specific piece of equipment and software.
I'd be curious to hear how other's navigate such questions. Thanks, and happy therapy!
Greetings Tek-Ninjas. It's been a long and glorious summer. Alas, backpacking, mountain biking, and fishing will slow down dramatically with the return of school.
Clang-n-Bang!
Even so, in order for me to stay productive and focused, I must incorporate movement and a little "bang-and-clang" contact with others. Some would refer to it as my sensory diet.
Recently a friend asked me to recommend something for his rambunctious 4th grader. She also craves movement and crashing into stuff. Her teacher notes that she wiggles non-stop in class.
I am a huge fan and advocate for martial arts. But not all martial arts offer the same experience. It's good to consider what your student (or you) will most benefit from. In our area there are multiple types of martial arts; Ninjutsu, Akido, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Folk-style Wrestling (America's Martial Art!) Jujutsu, and Brazilian Ju-jiutsu just to name a few.
Primary Differences
Some martial arts are formal, and require a student to stand at attention and follow specific protocols, others are less formal and relaxed. Certain forms focus on punching and kicking, other's involve grappling on the ground to control or dominate your partner. Another distinction is whether the form incorporates learning long katas (prescribed choreographed movements) or short katas (moves). Also, does a school offer kid specific programs. A final distinction I make is whether or not the school participates in competition.
None of these distinctions make a school good or bad, but they are simple distinctions which may better suit a specific student.
Quest
Locally, my favorite school or Dojo is the Chapel Hill Quest Center (QC), which teaches Stephen K. Hayes' To-Shindo Ninjutsu. Both of my sons, and I trained for several years at QC. QC offers a blend of formality with relaxed friendliness. They offer a robust youth program which trains near-by the adults (meaning you and your child can train simultaneously), allowing you to be a role model for your youth. To-Shindo Ninjutsu is a blend of strikes, throws, wrist locks, and grappling. This art form uses short katas (ideal for folks who struggle learning long patterns), and is non-competitive. They offer a "Mighty Dragons" program for very young children which resembles an Occupational Therapist's sensory motor playground.
I'm also a fan of Folk-style or collegiate wrestling. This involves a lot
of physical contact, short moves to learn, competition, and self discipline.
A final consideration, parents may find it useful to talk with the staff and ask specific questions: i.e.: is your school comfortable working with kids with _______ (autism, Aspergar, sensory issues, or some other consideration). Some will be uncomfortable, others will jump at the opportunity to help your child reach his or her potential. Go where the staff are excited to work with your child.
A few springs ago I was introduce to Avaz, and blogged about what a great AAC app it is.
Well, the folks at Avaz have not simply rested on their laurels. They continue to offer Avaz Pro, receiving accolades from parents, teachers, and researchers. In addition, they now offer a great companion app called Avaz Together.
Avaz Together is available for a monthly subscription rate of $9.99.
What makes Avaz Together unique is that it is a communication app designed specifically to guide parents in teaching their child to communicate at home.
It is filled with ideas and tips for the parent to
create communication opportunities throughout their day. The communication board is easy to navigate, and to customize. In addition, Avaz Together tracks data regarding the number of words your child uses, and sentence lengths.
For those of us wanting to be evidence based in our work, Avaz offers a page of research behind Avaz Together, and the insights that went into the app.
For folks who want to or need to take their child's communication experience past the therapist's time, Avaz Together may be just the tool needed!
Hey Tek-Ninjas, don't we love it when we find a great app? How about when we like an app a lot, and make a suggestion or two, and those suggestions get incorporated in the next update? How cool is that?!?!
Well the good folks at ModMath built an amazing app. I wrote about it awhile back (read my blog here). They built it originally with their own son in mind, but to date around 27,000 people have downloaded it, so clearly, we like it. And, folks are making a lot of great suggestions for various updates.
I really like this app. It is a stand out because it allows math students to complete their assignments without writing out answers longhand. And it's purposefully built sans calculator so the teacher can see if a student doesn’t understand the concept, or has simply made a computation error. The app builders, Dawn and Josh Denberg could feasibly leave the app as it is, and walk away feeling successful. However, they would like to make it better, and they want to incorporate many of the ideas users have suggested. In order to do so, they will need some money. They indicate that "An upgraded ModMath 2.0 supporting advanced algebraic equations is about $25,000. An Android version with the exact same features will cost $30,000".
Dawn and Josh have started a ModMath Kickstarter campaign. For this first iteration, they are asking for $20,000 and in about a day, they are already half way there!
If you like ModMath, if you would like to see a more powerful/robust version of ModMath, or simply need a worthy place to donate, consider supporting their fundraiser! Also, be sure to "Like" their Facebook page.
Recently I have been delving into what symbol software to procure for our district. We have been using the industry standard for awhile now, and most of my folks are very happy with it, but, there are a few issues.
Pricing Structure
The main issue is that it is costly.
So, I've been considering various options including web-based software, some of which is subscription based, and not platform dependent (meaning, I get a subscription, you can use it on a PC, Mac, or Chrome device).
Recently I came across Smarty Symbols. This is an online, subscription based service or purchasable disc that provides access to over thirteen thousand illustrations. It alone may not be the solution to my question, but it is a really interesting service.
Smarty Symbols does not provide a a user interface to create boards so the user will still need something to do this, though it could be a simple word processor with tables.
What is unique about this service is that the user is allowed to sell products made with these graphics. This is not the case with any of the other vendors, at least not without significant royalties. Their library is huge, and if you still don't find what you need, they indicate that custom images can be created.
If you are looking for symbols with which you can publish a product, Smarty Symbols is a great solution. Or perhaps you don't need to own symbol software, but would like to "play" with some for a month or two, again, Smarty Symbols is a great solution.
Tek-Ninjas, if you are like me, you were excited by the Guided Access feature on your iDevice, when it came out a few years ago. Well, with the new operating system, OS8, there are some improvements, which make the feature even better! To start with, the adult can now set a timer for how long the app will run. The interface is incredibly simple. Within the timer function, the user can designate what the time bell sounds like, and also have a warning voice let the student know when the time is almost up. This can help tremendously with transitions. The timer function can be used to help students know how long they "must" participate in a given app, or how long they "get" to play a game. Pretty cool, huh?! Happy therapy!
My friend, co-worker, and sometimes guest blogger, Ashley Robinson has started her own blog! This is very exciting. Ashley's blog is called Everyday AAC.Ashley is a very thoughtful and skilled Speech Therapist. She has fresh ideas, and a tremendous amount of energy. Take a look, bookmark the blog, or follow it, as she is sure to write some very intriguing posts.
Recently a parent mentioned an app that she had been using at home with her child. She said it was a really intuitive tool for creating schedules, and that it had helped decrease stress during specific transitions.
Settings
When a parent has success with an app, I figure it bears a closer look. Choiceworks is by Bee Visual, and available for either iPads or iTouches/phones for $6.99.
Custom Photos and Sound
I like an app that I can muddle my way through without having to look for and at directions. Choiceworks is such an app, both easy to navigate and customize. It comes pre-loaded with 3 boards: Schedule, Waiting, and Feelings. In addition the library comes with 180 images and audio, but the real power comes in the ease of adding your own photos and sounds. Integrated into the app is the ability to add a timer and any or all of the boards.
Companion Book
Schedules can be printed as pdf files, or emailed. Also, boards and be exported/imported using iTunes. In addition to the 3 boards, Choiceworks comes with 3 Companion books, essentially social stories which are designed to support the boards. Below I've included a short video clip of Choiceworks in action.
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