Updated: Free Visual Recipes

Cooking is a favorite activity in many life skills and severe special needs classrooms. Here are some links to websites with picture recipes.

• Boardmaker Share
• Bry Back Manor
• Cooking in the Classroom (scroll all the way down)
• Making Learning Fun
• Nellie Edge
• Non-Reader Recipes
• Picture Cookbook Gallery
• Rebus Recipes
• Speaking of Speech
• Students with Differences Picture Recipes
• Symbol World
• VisualRecipes.Com
• Voice4U Recipes
• Widget - Food Tastes Better Outdoors Resource Pack

Single Picture Recipes

• Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Jim's Apple Pie 
• Not Yo' Nana's Fishsticks
• Satsuma Orange Juice
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Free Programs to Make Communication Boards and Free Symbols Sets

 Free Communication Board Making Software

• Picto Selector/PECS for All
• windows based software
• includes several free symbols sets (Sclera, Arasaac, Mulberry)
• makes grid style communication boards
• Tico
• make printable and/or dynamic display boards
• uses the Arasaac symbols in addition to their full photo library
• simple software is easy to use
• see previous review of Tico
• EdWord with Grid Maker
• allows import of entire files of photos or symbols (using a second application called Symbol Maker)
• has a "symbolate" like program
• windows based
• PHOTOsyms
• use photographs or import images from other symbols sets
• very easy to use
• makes grid based communication boards
• flash based application
• see my review from November 2008

Free Symbols Sets for Communication

• Axelia - freely available French symbol set
• Arasaac - full set of color or black and white line drawing communication symbols available in multiple languages, it is also possible to add this symbol set to Writing with Symbols 
• Imagine - focusing on core and topic vocabulary this is a full set of colored line drawing symbols (note based on personal experience Imagine symbols sometimes do not import well into other programs)
• Mulberry - full set of line drawing communication symbols, register and download one at a time or the entire set
• Sclera - black and white, high contrast images which are excellent for low vision and available in multiple languages

Please also note that Slater Symbols are available for free download one symbol at a time and for classroom using Unique Learning System or News-2-You or supporting Tobii, AMDi, Jabbla, Proloquo2Go or Tap to Talk AAC users, the SymbolStix symbols can be downloaded and imported into the above board design programs with a $99 dollar yearly subscription fee if you don't happen to own the SymbolMate or Communicator software.  Similarly if you are overseas and supporting Divertic symbol users you can subscribe to that symbol set for 55 Euros.

Vocaroos Free Audio E-Mail

Vocaroos is offering a free download of their simple, easy-to-use, audio e-mail software, Vocaroos Express, from now until 12/26/2009.  Check it out.

Free and Low Cost Head and Eye Tracking Software

Updated March 30, 2011

Free and Low Cost Head Tracking Software (note head trackers can usually track any body part and more so if you put reflective tape, shiny nail polish or an LED on that body part)

Note and Tips:

• Head Tracking and Eye Gaze Tracking are two very different things.  Head tracking uses a camera to translate a body part movement, typically the head, into mouse movement.  Eye Gaze Tracking is more complicated, using one or more cameras to translate slight movements of the eye into mouse movements.  Please do not use the terms interchangeably.
• Head Tracking can generally track any body movement - a toe or finger or elbow should work as well as a head to these systems
• Many head tracking systems work better if you use a dot of metallic nail polish, aluminum foil or reflective tape (you can get this in bike stores) to make it easy for the camera to stay on one spot
• Free and low cost systems often do not have the features commercial systems have, for example you many need to install addition autoclick or dwell click software and you will not have as much (or any) access to tech support

Free and Low Cost Head Tracking Software

• Camera Mouse is for Windows XP, Vista and 7, uses a webcam and is free
• Cam Space is free body part or object tracking software
  
• Enable ViaCam uses any webcam to track head movements
  
• Free Track is free, opensource head tracking software that many other programs are based on
• HeadDev is an ipen source, Windows based head/body part tracker that uses a webcam (English info)
  
• iTracker for Mac, uses webcam $29.99
• HeadMouse3 uses any webcam for free to do head tracking
• Open Gazer Head Tracking Version free head tracking software using a web cam

DIY Head Trackers

• directions to use a Wii for head tracking
• directions to make a Lego head tracker
  

Free and Low Cost Eye Tracking Software

• ITU Gaze Tracker is a free eye gaze program for Windows that works with a webcam
• myEYE is a free eye tracking program for use on Windows with a high resolution webcam
  
• Open Eyes has directions to build two different user worn eye gaze systems
  
• Open Gazer is free eye gaze software for Linux that works with a webcam

Options to Click

• Dwell Clicker free software to allow hovering over an item to trigger a click
  
• Point and Click  free software for dwell and auto clicking 
• Use a switch set to "mouse click" or "enter"

Click and Type Portable and Other Portable AT Apps

Click-N-Type, the fantastic, free, configurable on-screen keyboard with word prediction now has a portable version which can be run completely from a flash drive! How cool is that?

More and more AT users who need specialized software are able to carry what they need from computer to computer on a flash drive. In addition using portable versions of common applications like Firefox and Thunderbird allow you to maintain your accessibility settings and add-ons from one computer to the next. Wouldn't it be great if school, college and public libraries offered flash drives of AT software for use? How cool would it be if disability support services created a flash drive from each student who could benefit from such software, trained that student on the software and allowed the student to use his or her flash drive of portable AT Apps on any computer? (In a presentation once I had the head of IT for a district complain that free software for schools isn't free because of the time in takes to install and monitor it, flashdrives full of accessible software was my answer.)

AT Apps to run from a flash drive:

• AccessApps a suite of accessibility programs
  
• Click-N-Type Portable Onscreen Keyboard with Word Prediction
• eCalc is a large key on screen calculator
• eTextReader allows you to read the plain text of Project Gutenburg Files
  
• Onscreen Keyboard Portable transfer you home Windows Onscreen Keyboard settings to any computer

Links to full collections of Portable Apps or App Suites:

• PendriveApps
• PortableApps
• MakeUseOf's List of Free Portable Apps
• WinPenPack

Don't forget you can use Package Factory to convert many program (like Classroom Suite Player) to run from a U3 SanCruz thumb drive. Here are my instructions on how to do that.

One Switch Sliding Puzzle

thanks to One Switch Blog for the link



A Sliding Puzzle for Helen is a free, one switch activated slider puzzle that comes out of the A Game for Helen contest. The only other special needs slider puzzle I know of is Flip It Slider by MKP and it only works with touch screen or mouse.

Internet Safety and Individuals with Disabilities

Childnet Know IT All is a UK company that provides resources for teaching all learners how to have a safe an positive experience on the internet FOR FREE. Lucky for us when Childnet says all they mean all. Childnet has a number of resources for teaching learners with exceptionalities about the internet and internet safety.

Their website explains some of the risks for some users, for example individuals on the autism spectrum may take things literally and believe that if they are asked for personal information they must give it out. In order to assist in using their Know IT All curriculum with individuals with special needs Childnet offers a number of additional free resources.

These include computer rules in British Sign Language, advice for parents in BSL, computer safety rules in Widgit Literacy Symbols, relevant Widget symbol flash cards and lotto games, safety rules and games in Clicker 5, text files of the script of the program, and visual print outs of the script.

The Learning Program

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County has a free and comprehensive set of learning materials that are appropriate for learners with many different developmental or intellectual working on their Learning Program website.

Included are (you must be logged in to go to most links):

Literacy Materials

• instructional materials
• introductory sight word readers and flashcards (which use photo support and large print for low vision)
• emergent readers and flashcards which support the Lakeshore Learning Readers
  
• abc phonics materials
  

Math Materials

• Introduction to Numbers (numbers, counting, number lines, concepts)
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Money
• Time
  

Daily Activity Guides

Significant and Profound Disabilities:
Many of the materials would be great for students with very significant to profound intellectual disabilities who are not necessarily working on literacy or numeracy per se. The introductory sight word readers make fantastic photo based vocabulary concept books for our learners working on earlier cognitive skills, as do the Count to Ten book and Counting Fruit book; textures or objects could be added for students with low vision.

Free Unique Summer Curriculum

Unique Learning System, the standards aligned special needs curriculum from the folks who bring us News-2-You and SymbolStix Symbols, are offering their summer curriculum for FREE! The unit is on science and is definitely worth checking out even if you aren't teaching this summer.

All you need to do is register and then you can download all the bands (grade levels).

Switch Accessible News Reader

My Blogger pal Barrie over at One Switch brought my attention to the new BBC switch accessible news reader for kids. The website is a well designed interface for children, 'tweens and even teens and adults with cognitive challenges/learning disabilities to read or have read to them via text to speech the news.

Seeing as it is from the BBC the site focuses mainly on UK news, which is why I would love to see PBS, NPR or PRI pair up with BBC and re-create this site with American news (and other countries do the same thing). If that can't happen perhaps News-2-You, who largely ignore access issues, could create something or Ablenet or Mayer-Johnson could leap at the opportunity (which would mean it would not be free, of course).

A great thing about the BBC Accessible News Reader is the level of customization. You can change how many categories of news from 1 to 6, you can use the scan feature or not and adjust it to 3, 5, 10 or 15 seconds for a scan rate. It does not currently two switch scan (except if you turn the scan off and use tab/enter - which means increasing cognitive load as it then scans everything and has no auditory scan). With the scan off you can also use what ever access equipment you have including touch screens, eye or head tracking, alternative keyboard with a custom overlay or a joystick. You can use the text to speech or not and choose from a high quality male or female voice (British accents, of course). You can change the color scheme of the text to high or low contrast or a color overlay for dyslexia (but they do not have a dyslexia friendly font choice in there font choice list). Overall this is an amazing, free resource

Lincoln Logs at Annie's Resource Attic

Annie's Resource Attic has just posted a great new activity around Lincoln Logs and log cabins. She explains it far better than I ever could so head over and check it out!

P.S. As always she has Clicker5, Classroom Suite, Dynavox and PowerPoint versions of various options.

New Switch Activities at HelpKidzLearn

HelpKidzLearn has a new program they are trying out called Train Tracker that allows switch users (one or two switches) to design train tracks and play with a train set.

Also new for those working on cause and effect are Big Bang Patterns and Big Bang Pictures.

Via Barrie at OneSwitch.

Free Audible Kids Downloads

Right now (and possible just for this weekend) there are some Audible Kids recorded books available for free. The first set are a partnership between Reading is Fundamental and Audible Kids, the second set is sponsored by Fox and Friends and the third set is sponsored by Parenting.com. You will need a (free) Audible.com or Audbile Kids account to get the books.

• Free Audio Books from Reading is Fundamental
• Free Audio Books sponsored by Fox and Friends
• Parenting.com Free Audio Books
  

Also free are "The True History of Little Golden-Hood" , "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Emperor's New Clothes"

Audible Kids also has new enhanced Audio Books in public beta that allow readers to see and follow the illustration either on the computer or on an iPod or MP3 player while the book is read.

Don't forget about all of the other alternative format books available, many of which are free.

Free for Download - Eye Tracker using Web Cam

This from myEye Project:



Free web cam based eye tracking! It is designed as a free alternative to commercial systems for use by those with significant disabilities especially for computer and AAC device control.

Here are the specs:

• CPU: 1.5 Ghz or higher
• RAM: 256 DDR RAM or higher (Recommendation 512 RAM)
• Space: at least 100MB hard disk space.
• Camera: 640x480 capture resolution or higher. (At least 30fps)
• O.S.: Microsoft Windows XP SP2

Free TextAloud - You Have Until Midnight

Today's giveaway of the day is TextAloud, which is a pretty decent text-to-speech program. You must download, install and activate by midnight today.

A Calendar for Teachers

Teachervision has a great (and free) calendar for teachers which highlights a historical event or special occasion each day of the year. Download it here.

They also have a website widget that you can add to your iGoogle, Pageflakes or blog which offers a free grade 4 or 5 worksheet a day.

Online Switch Activities (for Special Needs)

For most current list please click here.

This is an update of the post listing online switch activities for learners with multiple or significant special needs. The activities listed are chosen because they can be used with switches, they are simple and they are enjoyable. The activities listed are free. Some activities may require set up by an assistant before switch use. Although care has been taken not to include switch activities with any violence or graphic images teachers and others still need to check activities for age and general appropriateness before use.

Cause and Effect (and Press to Play):

• Hiyah
• Kneebouncers
• Priory Woods Videos Revamped
• Learning Tools (scroll down)

Single Switch Scanning or Timing Required (sites may include some cause and effect games as well):

•  A Sliding Puzzle for Helen (download)
• Bullseye
• CBBC
• CBeebies
• Cow Jumped Over the Moon 
• EleJumper
• Flabby Physics
• Jack Be Nimble
• My Switch Games by Scott McKay
• NGfL Switch Coloring
• Papunet
• Priory Woods Kids Only
• SEN/Switcher
• Shiny Learning 
• SwitchedOn Games Bowling
• The Great Fish Race (download only)

Two Switches (unless otherwise noted you music click in the area of the game and then use tab and enter to play):

• Accessible Book Launcher
• Bug Memory
• Fruit Memory
• Space Memory
• Sensory House (tab and enter)

Free Kido'z Web Broswer

Kido'z is a new web broswer for children, along the lines of the Zac Browser or Kid Zui. It is free to download and ad free. (It is in beta so the coast may change.)

Kido'z runs on Adobe Air and has a smooth clean interface that would make it great for touch screens or interactive whiteboards. There are three main areas: games, videos and websites.

Unfortunately it is not switch accesible, tab/enter does not work nor do the arrow keys. Supposedly it is for children ages 3-11, but I would stick with the 3-7 year old set in order to account for age appropriateness.

Another Fun Touch Screen Program

Bomomo is another free simple cause and effect painting program that works on touch screens or interactive white boards. It has six dots or balls that chase your movements making designs on the screens, making hand and arm movements highly rewarded. Yet, Bomomo also has higher level options making it work as an alternate slightly weird paint program for some students. Give it a try.

Anna's Book Angel Project

Seedlings offers children who are blind the opportunity to win one free braille book a year for through the Anna's Book Angel Project. Anyone can register the child and the books are delivered through Free Matter for the Blind. Ten names are drawn per week and the a book is sent out to each winner.

Starting in 2009 children can receive two free books a year from Seedlings from a separate the 2009 Book Angel Project.

P.S. They have several tri-lingual picture book titles in Braille, English and Spanish.