Diversity PCS!

Hey Tek-ninjas! Just recently Boardmaker announced new additions to their Boardmaker Online! PCS with an emphasis on diversity. Love this so much! 

If you have an account it's very easy to add these symbols. Go visit Boardmaker Online, log in to your account, create a new activity, click the symbol tool and search for new symbols, and add them to your activity right-away.

If you don't have a Boardmaker Online account yet, they are currently offering a free 90-day trial... might be worth taking a closer look to support your students with special needs. 

Did you know that users can request new PCS symbols? The artists (whom I met and probably fan-boyed all over) are constantly adding more symbols to the software. Share your ideas with the art team using the PCS symbol request form. All suggestions will be considered, and those that are accepted will be automatically added as part of the bi-weekly

updates.

Finally, though I've shared this before, and it has zero to do with diversity... just wanted to brag once again that I was "Boardmaker-ed" awhile back. This also, makes me very happy!

Happy therapy friends!

Free supports using Picture Communication Symbols (PCS®)

Hey Tek-ninjas, you've likely noted... the Coronavirus has created unusual circumstances.

Tobii Dynavox offers some tools to help.

Parents, clinicians, and educators... we are all of us having to pivot to find ways to do what we've taken for granted in the past. This includes how help our AAC users. Most of us are figuring out how to navigate home learning, social distancing, teletherapy, and learning new precautions to keep you and those you support healthy.

To help, Tobii Dynavox created and are offering for free various supports using Picture Communication Symbols (PCS®). Check out the links below:

Home Learning Schedule - This Home Learning Schedule will help to bring some routine and familiarity back to your child’s day.

What is Coronavirus? Book and Coronavirus Social Story - Read these stories to the children you support and introduce them to new vocabulary related to the pandemic.

Coronavirus Vocabulary and Low-Tech Core Vocabulary Boards - Use these printable boards to help your child communicate.

Tobii Dynavox provides additional information on these resources and implementation tips here.

And, for even more “At home learning” resources, please click here. Additionally, Tobii Dynavox is inviting folks to many free live web events, which you can check out here.

And as always, don’t forget to check out the Learning Hub for free on-demand courses that also provide ASHA CEUs.

Clean your hands!!

30 years as the industry standard!

Hey Tek-ninjas! Do you work in Special Education? How long have you been around? (You don’t have to answer that)

Are you "I remember when we made Xerox copies from our Boardmaker Book and cut & paste (literally) to make picture schedules" old?

If you are, you are as old (or maybe older) then me!

Well, 2019 marks the 30th Anniversary of Boardmaker! That's 30 years of being the "industry standard" in education. There a several different ways a subscriber can access Boardmaker tools to increase your efficacy as an educator/therapist. Including robust free tools that I blogged about last December.

It has been a long time since Boardmaker was "just" a picture symbol generator. Boardmaker Online provides a multi-level approach to creating engaging print and interactive materials for your special education needs. Start with convenient, ready-made print activities or just imagine, make, print and use. Extend learning by adapting curriculum to the unique needs of your learner with easy-to-use enhanced features. Then, increase student engagement by making your favorite print activities interactive on smart boards, computers, tablets and communication devices.

Take a look at all the different offerings and price structures here.

Happy therapy!

Microsoft and Tobii Dynavox Working Together

Greetings Tek-Ninjas! Here is something kind of exciting: Today, Tobii Dynavox announced a new partnership with Microsoft, supporting the next evolution of

their Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) as part of Microsoft Learning Tools.

A student will now have the ability to click on a word, see a PCS image, and hear the word read aloud simultaneously to aid with reading and comprehension.  This feature is built directly into the Immersive Reader feature within Word Online, OneNote Online, OneNote for Windows 10, OneNote iPad, Outlook on the Web, and Outlook.com.

For over 20 years, PCS have been the most widely adapted symbol set used by millions of students and adults around the world to communicate, learn, and experience. 

Follow the conversation online and share the news by following the Tobii Dynavox Facebook page!

Hajima!