IEP, IDEA, AT… Wait, What's AT?

AT can also be referred to as Assistive Technology.

IDEA states Assistive Technology is:

“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 the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.”

Assistive Technology can range from low-tech to high-tech.

There are a lot of tools out there, but it all comes down to what works best for your child.

It can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start or where to go next.

• Should we try an app or an extension?

• Should we use a Chromebook or an iPad?

• What kinds of tools could help my child?

• How do we access the supports?

• What should we do if something is not working?

• How will my child know when to use the tools?

If any of these questions have come across your mind, know that you are not alone and I am here to support you and your child.

Have you been looking for some practical tips?

Be sure to grab your FREE download of “5 Tips for Implementing Assistive Technology!”

Don’t forget…

IDEA states: The IEP Team must consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services.

Let’s work together to grow your child’s confidence and independence by knowing when and how to use their AT Tools!

Looking for more tips and resources to support your child?

Let’s connect over on Instagram and Facebook!

Back to School with Assistive Technology!

The beginning of the new school year can be an exciting time, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. It’s possible your child may be in a new school or with new teachers. Their class schedule and assignments may also look very different this year.

There are a lot of things to get in place to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

I’m sure by now you’ve already made your trip(s) to the store and picked out all of the necessary items on the Back to School Supply List.

• Backpack…check

• Notebooks…check

• Folders…check

• Pencils…check

• Assistive Technology…?

Have you thought about your child’s Assistive Technology?

Don’t worry! I am here to help you!

To help get the conversation started, be sure to grab your free download of 5 Tips to Implementing Assistive Technology!

Here you will find practical tips to support your child with using their AT tools in school and at home.

Are you looking for more support from an experienced Assistive Technology Professional?

Let’s work together to grow your child’s confidence and independence with knowing when and how to use their AT Tools!

Space is limited, but there is still time to reserve your spot!

Training sessions are offered in the afternoon, evening and weekend. We work at a pace that works for you!

What are parents saying?

“Katie is a delight to work with; she is so knowledgeable in accessibility and technology uses for both in the classroom and to empower students to take learning into their own hands. She is also super kind and has a great demeanor with kids, if you have the chance to work with Katie, do it. ”

— Lisa (Parent)

“Katie was organized, patient, thoughtful, firm, and consistent during each tutoring session with our son. And, because of her unique combination as an Educator with Assistive Technology expertise, she was able to advise us on how to advocate for the technology tools available in our school district. ”

— Heather (Parent)

Let’s Work Together to grow your child’s AT Toolbox this school year!

Technology To Support Distance Learning

AT CHECKLIST

The beginning of the new school year is well under way, but it is still a great time to make sure your child has all of their Technology & AT supports in place!

I created the checklist below as a helpful guide for students, parents, teachers and service providers. These are some of the important things to consider when discussing how your child’s Assistive Technology supports will be accessed in the classroom.

Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about implementing Assistive Technology in the classroom!

https://assistivetechnologyfordyslexia.com/contact

The Aloha Spirit!

Aloha! This past summer I had the pleasure of meeting Margaret Higa, Executive Director, from the Hawaii Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. It was here that I experienced firsthand the Aloha Spirit! It was wonderful connecting with another IDA Branch! I loved learning about all of the exciting things happening in Hawaii and the resources available to students, teachers, parents and professionals! You can learn more about HIDA here! I hope that our paths will continue to cross in the future! Mahalo!

Upcoming Workshop on August 27th!

There is still time to sign up for my upcoming presentation with Decoding Dyslexia - California!

When: Aug. 27, 2019 @ 6:00pm

Where: Scripps Miramar Ranch Library

10301 Scripps Lake Dr., San Diego, CA 92131

RSVP: https://cutt.ly/DwsI0bj

Summer Reading & Assistive Technology!

School is out for SUMMER!

Summer Reading Programs are a great way to motivate your child to read over the summer. You can sign up for many programs by contacting your local library. It can be very helpful for struggling readers to be exposed to high-interest leveled text. However, this text can be very challenging for some students to decode and comprehend. Programs like Bookshare and Learning Ally allow you to download books while utilizing supports of text to speech and highlighted text. Audiobooks can be a great way to expose your child to text that is at their interest level while also providing additional supports for comprehension.

Voice Dream is one app that can be used to access books from Bookshare. Voice Dream is currently offering a discount on their Reader, Writer, and Scanner Apps! This discount will only be available until July 6th.

Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about different apps and programs that can support your child with accessing text in digital formats.

Happy Reading!

Upcoming Workshop on May 13th!

There is still time to sign up for my upcoming presentation!

San Diego County: North Coast Decoding Dyslexia CA Chapter

When: Monday, May 13th, 6:30-8 pm
Where: 2141 Palomar Airport Rd, Suite 160, Carlsbad, CA, 92011
RSVP: Lisa Witz and Donna Hamel at Lrwitz@gmail.com

Have you tried Voice Typing?!

Assistive Technology is all around us! Many of the devices that we use throughout our day have built in accessibility features. Have you tried Voice Typing? Voice Typing is available for FREE in Google Docs.

You can access this on a computer by:

1) Open a Google Doc

2) Go to Tools

3) Select Voice Typing

A microphone will appear and you are ready to start speaking! Using speech to text does take some practice. I recommend for students to take something that they have already written or another piece of text to practice getting used to this feature. You will also want to make sure they practice saying the punctuation marks once you are done dictating the sentence. (Example: What is your favorite book question mark) Speech to text is not for everyone, but it can be a valuable tool for both children and adults. I hope you find this tool to be helpful!

Assistive Technology Tools for Dyslexia Workshop!

Thank you to everyone that came out on Saturday to the IDA AT workshop! It was amazing to see that this event was SOLD OUT! A special thank you also goes out to Scripps Miramar Library and the International Dyslexia Association - San Diego Branch. Thank you to New Bridge Academy for providing all of the trial devices for the workshop! It is always so helpful when participants can have a hands on experience during training sessions! I hope everyone was able to walk away with something valuable!