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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
October 7, 2012 3:08 PM
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"ClaroSpeak is a high-quality text-to-speech reader capable of speaking any accessible text with a range of human-sounding high-quality voices. ClaroSpeak offers the option of visual highlighting in-sync with the spoken words – and a great range of colour and font settings to allow for optimum reading. ClaroSpeak is a quality app for proofreading text through listening, helping with reading and literacy development and creating audio files from any text. Product Features: ✔ Text-to-Speech
• Users can import documents and PDFs into ClaroSpeak from apps such as Mail, or import PDF, Word, Pages and other files directly from Dropbox using ClaroSpeak's Dropbox integration. Text can be typed into ClaroSpeak and then spoken back. Users can check text and proofread quickly and easily.
• Text from any app can be copied and pasted into ClaroSpeak ready to be read back.
• With the iPad 3 and iPhone 4S Apple’s speech recognition can be used to dictate text directly into ClaroSpeak, and can be listened back to ensure it is right.
• Save the text as an audio file using the same high-quality voice." Leveling the Playing Field Worldwide!
This webinar will focus on the many universal design technologies built-in to the iOS. This will be followed by alternative access options to the iPad – from styluses, to keyguards, to switches. Access options built into the iOS and into specific apps will be also be discussed. We will cover the range of switch interfaces that offer compatibility to switch accessible apps – and participants will be given links to resources for finding switch accessible apps. This year has also seen the release of a few more comprehensive alternative access options – offering switch access between apps as well as within many apps. Some of these also offer control of your iPad via wheelchair joysticks. These more comprehensive hardware and software alternative access options will be covered – as well as a discussion of the role that the iOS accessibility features of VoiceOver and AssistiveTouch play in alternative access.
"Whether you’re the parent of a child with a reading disability or an educator that works with learning disabled students on a daily basis, you’re undoubtedly always looking for new tools to help these bright young kids meet their potential and work through their disability." Here, we highlight just a few of the amazing apps for the iPad out there that can help students with a reading disability improve their skills not only in reading, writing, and spelling, but also get a boost in confidence and learn to see school as a fun, engaging activity, not a struggle.
Via Dr. Susan Bainbridge, John Evans
"Math Paper is by far the best option I’ve seen for doing math work on the iPad! Math Paper won’t do calculations or graphs, but it provides all the tools needed to do everything from basic computation to complex algebra. Math Paper has been developed with the principles of UDL in mind, so it’s a tool that can be used effectively and independently by anyone, including individuals with motor challenges or cognitive processing issues. Accessibility and ease of use have been addressed successfully. Math Paper cost: $19.99. Paul Hamilton notes in his blog that this is an exceptional app and is worth the cost.
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
September 4, 2012 10:08 AM
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"Whether it is getting off a bus or reading a menu, a new app aims to make life easier for the blind or visually impaired. Called Georgie, the app for Android devices enables people with little or no sight to accomplish daily activities that could be difficult for them. The app can make calls or send texts but it also provides location-based technologies, which can let users know, for example, when the next bus is coming, which direction they're facing, or the ability to set location-based reminders. It also reads out text, such as ingredients on a label, using a technology called optical character recognition (OCR)."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 22, 2012 3:23 PM
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Fleksy is a state of the art text input system for touch screen devices. "Designed for those whose eyesight is bad or nonexistent, Fleksy records the taps on the screen and makes a guess based on your patterns. It then says the word, enabling you to quickly construct sentences without even looking at the screen." For the first time ever, blind, visually impaired, and sighted people are able to quickly and easily type text on touch screen phones and tablets. This free app gives you the full Fleksy typing experience. Visually impaired users can also upgrade to the full version to email, copy, or message the text you enter. One more app that is leveling the playing field!
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 11, 2012 5:08 PM
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In a nine-month senior design project, seven Drexel Univesity students in a computer-science program, chose to do something different: help another set of students who could see more limited horizons because they are blind or visually impaired. "The tangible result of this unusual collaboration between Drexel and the 180-year-old Overbrook School for the Blind is a set of mobile apps called VisAssist. It could even lead the Drexel students to a start-up company of their own if they choose to go that route. Three of the five apps, available for now only on Android devices, enable the blind or visually impaired to use Facebook, Twitter, or Wikipedia. The two others are more general-purpose: a faster keyboard – called a BinoBoard, for "binary keyboard" – that works anytime a user needs to type, and a souped-up magnifier called the Contrastinator that helps the user read."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 7, 2012 10:30 AM
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Diana Petschauer from UNH has shared a link that includes a comprehensive set of apps for iPods, iPads and Androids that could support the college students that may have challenges in reading, writing, organizing, planning, time management and vision. Each app has a description on how it can be used along with the link to iTunes to download the app. Thank you Diana for this list that can "level the playing field" for college students everywhere!
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 1, 2012 5:22 PM
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Here’s a Venn diagram of three of the top mood tracking apps, Optimism, T2 Mood Tracker, and CTH Mood Tracker. Thank you to the daughter of Candida Abrahamson for creating this infographic
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 29, 2012 5:39 PM
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"TouchChat is a full-featured communication solution for individuals who have difficulty using their natural voice. TouchChat is designed for individuals with Autism, Down Syndrome, ALS, apraxia, stroke, or other conditions that affect a person's ability to use natural speech. Text generated with TouchChat pages can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or via text message and email. It's simple too, just generate a message, push on the text and choose a service. Touch send and the message is automatically posted. Text from other applications can be copied to TouchChat so that it can be spoken out loud. Also, text generated in TouchChat can be copied to other applications."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 24, 2012 2:44 PM
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Deb Tomarakos is an AHSA certified speech-language pathologist who has developed a rating scale for speech/language/education apps. She has also created a database of apps located in a Google spreadsheet. If you use these scales, she has asked that you provide feedback.
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 19, 2012 3:30 PM
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"The purpose of The App Academy is to provide training on apps that have been evaluated and have the ability to be individualized based on evidence-based evaluation criteria which has shown positive outcomes for families of individulas with autism spectrum disorder in past research studies." A searchable database in 6 categories of ASD apps is included. "Each app listed has been evaluated and meets the following criteria 1. App can be manipulated to adhere to foundational principals of evidence-based intervention practices 2. App has the ability to be individualized to meet each families’ specific needs 3. App treats symptom-specific behaviors within the triad of impairments 4. App runs locally with or without an internet connection"
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 14, 2012 3:11 PM
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Sound Literacy is an instructional tool and resource for teaching phonemic awareness, phonological processing, the alphabetic principle, and morphemic awareness. It is the first in a unique line of apps that will encourage teachers and students to work together in an intensive work study program. With an abundance of 'sound knowledge', SoundLiteracy provides a platform for teaching students to hear, see, and analyze words in ways they have never thought of before.Unlike individualized computer software instruction, SoundLiteracy is intended to facilitate interaction between a teacher and student(s). An instructor is needed to demonstrate concepts and skills as well as guide practice sessions with student(s). SoundLiteracy can be used in conjunction with any curriculum that emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonological processing, and systematic phonetic instruction.
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
October 7, 2012 2:41 PM
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"Ariadne GPS offers you the possibility to know your position and to get information about the street, the number, etc. and explore the map of what’s around you. What do we mean by saying “explore”? You’ll deal with a talking map. This app is completely accessible using voice over and gives you access to information that are normally unavailable to people using the speech synthesizer and can be therefore especially useful to blind and partially sighted people.
This app has the following main features:
> Telling you where you are; > Letting you explore what’s around you;Letting you explore a specific zone; > Periodically checking your position and telling where you are (by only telling the details changed since last check); > Letting you add and list your favourite points; > Alerting you when you are close to one of your favourite points."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
September 28, 2012 10:35 AM
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Discover how apps are changing lives. Featured in this video is an app that helps blind people discover the world independently. That app is Ariadne GPS (www.ariadnegps.eu/). Learn about Toca Boca (tocaboca.com/) apps that support learners in speech and language development. Other apps are included in this video not related to challenges but the power of apps are changing peoples lives, everywhere, everyday!
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
September 18, 2012 12:24 PM
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"iWordQ CA is an easy-to-use writing and reading application to assist struggling writers and readers. In Writing mode, a simple text editor is used for writing with the support of word prediction, abbreviation-expansion and speech feedback features. Spell-check and dictionary access is included. Use speech recognition with an iPad 3. In Reading mode, text is shown in a more visually pleasing manner to improve readability. This is used for proofreading, reading to learn, silent reading, reading aloud, and casual reading/listening. A novel text chunking method (patent-pending) can be selected to enhance comprehension and readability of text to allow you to focus on one text chunk at a time."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
September 12, 2012 10:26 AM
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Are you interested in learning about some of the Apps that are available to help children with special needs? There are thousands available, but which ones should we choose to help students with reading, writing and math concepts? How can Apps be used to meet individual student needs? These questions and more will be answered by our guest, Kathleen McClaskey! A past guest, Kathleen will be sharing a wealth of information with on The Inclusive Class Podcast on Friday, September 14, 2012, 9 AM EDT
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 27, 2012 10:07 AM
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"Speech Journal is designed to allow parents and speech pathologists the ability to create customized versions of any targeted speech-language activity. Uses for Speech Journal include: picture sequencing, multi-step picture schedules, multi-step directions, articulation, expressive language exercises, building narratives, individualized social stories, practice conversations. Speech Journal can also be used as a personal diary and as a way to create family vacation photo slideshows.Any image from your photo album can be imported into Speech Journal. Speech Journal can also function as a basic voice output augmentative communication device for children with limited verbal ability. Speech Journal gives parents and speech language professionals an unlimited amount of flexibility to create speech activities and generate speaking opportunities that best suit the needs of their children."
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 21, 2012 7:44 PM
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Are your ready to level the playing field for students this year? What’s available or new in reading apps for iOS devices? Check out the reviews from OT's with Apps! "With hundreds of new apps released everyday fortunately some of them are targeted for individuals with special needs. It has been about 2 years since the first debut of the iPad and it appears as though apps are more robust now than ever, doing more and having more features for individuals with disabilities. So it goes with reading apps, but can they compete with Kurzweil, Read & Write or ClaroRead? No, but there are more and more available to help print disabled access print. Here are some reading apps for iDevices with good quality voices(s) and highlighting of spoken works that supply reading solutions for student or adults who struggle with reading (and some help with writing):" > Read2Go ($19.99) > ClaroSpeak US Edition ($5.99) > AppWriter US ($19.99) > Voice Dream Reader ($4.99) > Speak it! (free) > Firefly app (free with Kurzweil web-license)
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 9, 2012 1:45 PM
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"This is a list of Social Skills and Non Verbal Communication by Body Language Apps compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Two of the three core symptoms for an autism spectrum disorder are communication deficit and social impairment." Autism Spectrum Directory provides a link, description and cost for each app. > Face Cards C (free) > Expressionist > Micro-Expression Trainer > emotion x > Autism Xpress (free) > FaceReader > iVenting > ExpertVideo: Body Language Decoded > Express Voice Culture > Body Language by VK > iGuides - Basics of Reading Body Language and more...
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 4, 2012 2:18 PM
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OTs with Apps has published an update on the Apps for Middle/High School Students and Adults with LD. This PDF includes apps for ... > reading > writing > math > dictionary/reference > file/document management > concept mapping > note taking > OCR/scanning > organization
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
August 1, 2012 4:10 PM
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TalkRocket Go app, especially for children and adults with speech disabilities gives a voice to the voiceless. "TalkRocket Go is the family-friendly communication aid that helps people with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinson’s (and many others) speak out loud." The wheelchair-friendly app can be availed for only $99. Users can now link buttons and switches as well as those on wheelchairs to an iPad, iPhone (News - Alert), or iPod with TalkRocket Go, thereby ensuring the use of these controls for speaking aloud words and phrases.
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 27, 2012 10:24 AM
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"Voice Dream is a low cost ($4.99) app that provides text-to-speech, with a high quality voice, for files that are opened in it on an iDevice. The app has been optimized for both the iPad and the smaller iPhone or iPod Touch. Voice Dream reads PDF files well, but its developers say that it will also handle ePub, eBook, MS Word, plain text, Apple Pages, MS PowerPoint, RTF and HTML. I’ve tried it with PDF, .txt, PowerPoint, and HTML, and it handled them all well. It is important to note, however, that all formatting on the original file is lost when the file is brought into Voice Dream. This app offers additional features that can be helpful. First, each word is highlighted in one color as it is read aloud, while the line is highlighted in another color. The user is able to select white text on a dark background, and text size can be adjusted. Finally, Voice Dream works well with DropBox for importing desired reading material." Thank you Paul for another review of an app that can level the playing field!
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 22, 2012 5:41 PM
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"Named one of “the best iPad apps for special needs kids” in a Washington Post article! Abilipad combines the functionality of a notepad with word prediction, text-to-speech and a customizable keyboard, putting advanced writing tools within everyone’s reach." It includes: > User-friendly interface > Word Prediction Power > Text-to-speech with great voices to select from > Keyboard Editor > Library of resources > Bluetooth enabled
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Scooped by
Kathleen McClaskey
July 18, 2012 5:14 PM
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"Gradually, apps for people with autism or other special needs for devices based on Google’s Android operating system are emerging. The list is short if you compare it with the list of applications for iPad / iPhone / iPod touch, but there are 128 available to date (June 17th)." The list or table has the following columns: > App category > App logo > App name > Web: website with more information on the app provided by the developer or its distributor. > Test: a link to the review of the application published in this blog, if it is already written, represented with the “TEST” logo. > List of languages supported by the app. For AAC apps, languages of the voices included are taken in account. > A short description of the app.
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