Recently I had a conversation with a gentleman who spoke of his experience running a private medical practice as the director. He spoke of often having to crack the whip and assure others that he knew when they were and were not doing their jobs. I smiled politely and wondered to myself, Why would he… (read more)
Want to simplify your note-taking and stay organized at the ASHA convention this year? There are some great apps for that. We’ve got you covered some technology-forward tips for ASHA and all of your professional development events to come! Before you go . . . Try Tripit as your personal travel assistant. Tripit will keep all your… (read more)
“Is this the life I want to live?” I keep this Post-It note on my desk, reading it every day, to remind me that I’m the only one in charge of my future. It also gives me pause to think about what I want not only today to look like but the future, too. And… (read more)
![](<p>[caption id="attachment_9384" align="alignright" width="225"]<a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/districts/people/" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-9384 size-medium" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_0011-e1447698278530-225x300.jpg" alt="Lucinda Bowman and Gina Ossanna celebrate after a successful PD event on AAC/AT" width="225" height="300" /></a> Lucinda Bowman and Gina Ossanna celebrate after a successful PD event on AAC/AT[/caption]</p>
<p>Last week Hello folks gathered for our Fall Professional Development event to learn about the latest tricks of the trade in Assistive Technology. <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/people/gina-ossanna/">Gina Ossanna MS, CCC-SLP</a> shared tools used to support students with learning challenges in the general education classroom, and <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/people/lucinda-bowman/">Lucinda Bowman MS, CCC-SLP</a> shared her expertise and reviews of speech generated devices.</p>
<p>Let’s be honest – Assistive Technology is one of the lesser understood parts of special education. As specialists we know that it exists, but rarely see it being used to its full potential. With the increased use of technology in the classroom, however, it is becoming easier for students to access the curriculum with a variety of tools.</p>
<p>Here are some of the highlights of what was shared last week:</p>
<p>[caption id="attachment_9387" align="alignleft" width="153"]<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-for-occupational/id866842989?mt=8" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-9387" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/snaptype1-163x300.jpeg" alt="" width="153" height="281" /></a> Snaptype app for iPad/iPhone[/caption]</p>
<p><strong>3 AT tools you should try (and maybe already have)!</strong></p>
<p><em>– Text to speech (reads text out loud</em>) – audio books, built in features on Safari and Chrome browsers</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>– Speech to text (Dictation)</em> – Dragon, Siri on iPad</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>– Writing supports (word prediction, flexible spelling, topic dictionaries)</em> – Co:Writer, Read and Write, built-in supports on iPad/smart phones</span></p>
<p>A variety of free and low-cost apps were also shared. Perhaps the most popular app was <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-for-occupational/id866842989?mt=8">Snaptype</a> (Pro – $3.99, Lite -free, ), an app that allows student to take a picture of a worksheet and then type in answers. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kidspiration-maps/id675321195?mt=8">Kidspiration</a> ($9.99, Lite – free) is also an app with a variety of graphic organizers to support students with writing.</p>
<p>For the second half of our evening, Lucinda shared her expertise on the ever-changing world of speech generating devices (SGD’s). She outlined how to trial SGD’s with students, and how to determine what is the most appropriate voice output device for each client. Lucinda also reviewed the SGD’s that are currently on the market, and the pro’s and con’s of each device.</p>
<p>[caption id="attachment_9383" align="alignleft" width="259"]<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avaz-pro-aac-app-for-autism/id558161781?mt=8" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-9383" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/avaz-pro-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="259" height="194" /></a> Avaz Pro app for iPad[/caption]</p>
<p>Lucinda’s favorite SGD right now is the <span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avaz-pro-aac-app-for-autism/id558161781?mt=8">Avaz Pro</a> app for iPad (AvazInc. $199.99). It has </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">35 languages, access to Core & quick words at all times, a keyboard, mini games to teach skills, tracks use & progress, and is easy to program. Specialists can obtain a </span>Free evaluator copy of AVAZ for AAC trials <a href="https://avazapp.viewpage.co/Workshop">here</a>.</p>
<p>It is amazing to see how the development of voice output devices is changing given the availability of iPads and other tablets. Each device clearly has its own advantages – it will be interesting to see how the field of AAC/AT changes over the next 10 years.</p>
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Last week Hello folks gathered for our Fall Professional Development event to learn about the latest tricks of the trade in Assistive Technology. Gina Ossanna MS, CCC-SLP shared tools used to support students with learning challenges in the general education classroom, and Lucinda Bowman MS, CCC-SLP shared her expertise and reviews of speech generated devices…. (read more)
Talk to almost anyone who has done articulation therapy, and at some point they have enjoyed the convenience of a deck of cards. Flashcards offer pre-selected targets with a visual representation, and great opportunities for repetition and practice. Given a batch of articulation cards with words containing your target sound, it’s easy to scaffold… (read more)
The newly updated ChatAble 1.3 is now available from Therapy Box! I received a review copy of this AAC app, which offers communication through symbol-based grids as well as visual scene displays. Initially, I was quite taken with the combination of features provided (especially the Write Pad — more on that later!) and my mind… (read more)