July 20th Friday

TGIF !!!!! So we are here at our last class. I have really enjoyed this class and have learned alot. I also liked the class being 2 weeks - "Quick and Dirty" ha ha..... The field trips to the AT room at the library and Leach were very educational. I also liked the guest speaker from DATI - he seems very dedicated to what his company does.

So as a quick review - I'm going to go over our main topics from this course:

-Intro to AT - any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Categories: stability, mobility, self-care, communication, computer access, recreation.

-Legal Mandates - IDEA, section 504 (students are entitled to accommodations), section 508 (electronic access), ADA, and the Tech Act.

-Determine student's needs - IEP meeting, SETT (student, environment, technology, task), function areas: stability (body support), mobility and travel, self-care, communication, education and therapies, recreation and sports, and environmental interactions.

-UDL - design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

-Software - 7 developmental stages, evaluate: flexibility, feedback, layout, technical quality, technical support, relevant sounds, support for AT devices, modification, etc.

-AT for reading and writing - NCLB, match technology to task, low tech options: raised lined paper and pencil gripper.

-Alt. control interfaces - I am now a pro on switches ha ha

-AAC - symbols, display and organization, and VOCAs (Voice-Output Communication Aids).

-Web accessibility - usability, accessibility, Section 508 and ADA have legal requirements, guidelines, and web evaluation tools.

-Funding - Head Start, IDEA, section 504, early intervention IDEA, medicaid, Tech act, and medicare.

-Built in accessibility options in computers - narrator, on-screen keyboard, mouse keys, and sticky keys, etc.

-QIAT - 3 parts to consider: student, environment, and technology. Analyze data and make changes accordingly.

Thanks for this class!!!! That's a wrap!!!!
-Julie