Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

Monday, March 25, 2013

Life Skills Apps for iOS

Activities of Daily Living

iTouch iLearn Life Skills Morning Routines for Preschool Kids
Everyday Cooking: Fried Egg Breakfast $4.99
iDress for Weather $1.99
Read to Learn $39.99
Photo Cook Book $3.99
Visual Shopping Lists

Graphic Calendars/Planners

Health and Safety

My Health, My Choice, My Responsibility $9.99
Living Safely $29.99
Learn My Info $3.99
Fire Rescue $1.99
Conover Functional Skills Series
Dial Phone $1.99
DialSafe Pro FREE
Bee Safe $.99
Be Seen FREE

Money Skills/Budgeting

Reward/Chore Charts

Social Skills

Hidden Curriculum for Adolescents $1.99
Hidden Curriculum for Kids $1.99
Social Skill Builder $12.99
The Social Express $89.99
Quick Cues $4.99 (plus in-app purchases)
Social Quest $19.99
Social Adventures $19.99
SOSH $39.99

Social Stories

Pre-Made

Make Your Own

Timers

Video Modeling

Make Your Own

Pre-Made

Everyday Skills $39.99
Visual Impact/Visual Impact Pro Free/$49.99

Visual Schedules

Make Your Own

First Then Visual Schedule $5.99
iCommunicate $49.99
Picture Me Calm $0.99
My Life Skills Box Free, in app purchases
Visual Cue $9.99
Visual Working For $4.99
iPrompts XL $39.99
Picture Scheduler $2.99
Visual Schedule Planner $14.99

Pre-Made

iSequences $2.99

Friday, March 22, 2013

Boardmaker Freebies

It had been a while, so the Free Boardmaker Resources Perma-Post is updated. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Some Books about Kids Who Use AAC

Out of My Mind is about 11 year old Melody who, in spite of her high intelligence and perfect memory spends her days listening to baby songs. Until she is provided with a chance at inclusion and an AAC device. (Middle school and up.)

How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool new nickname!) is about Katie who is a wheelchair user and in the end gets a new speech device. (Elementary and up.)

Sarah's Surprise stars six year old Sarah who wants to sing happy birthday to her dad. Her speech therapist helps her move from a communication board to a speech output device - just in time. (Early elementary and up.)

Rules is about Catherine, whose brother has autism. She likes to go with her mom to take her brother to occupational therapy. There she meets who is a wheelchair user and communicates using a low technology communication book. Romance ensues. (Middle school and up.)

So Don't and See What Happens and Sour Puss are both picture books about Madi and her brother Colin. Madi happens to use a wheelchair and a pink Dynavox to communicate. (Elementary school and up.)

The Romeo Riley, Private Eye Series is a set of detective novels about Romeo, another character who happens to use a wheelchair and a speech generating device. (Late elementary school and up.)

On Being Sarah tells the story of a young lady who has CP and uses a wheelchair and a Bliss Symbol communication board to communicate.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

News-2-You Videos

Last week News-2-You introduced an exciting new product, News-2-You Animated Videos.

These videos, done in collaboration with Wonder Grove, embed SymbolStix picture symbols as animated characters teach about safety, nutrition and other life skills. The concepts taught in the videos produced to date nearly all require communication or independent mobility to be relevant to learners. Hopefully topics more relevant to our learners with more significant challenges will be added, such as self-advocacy, abuse prevention and choice making beyond nutrition and fitness. As they stand the collection of videos would be superb for many students with Down Syndrome or related disorders or on the Autism spectrum. I can see them being added to lessons on a SmartBoard or put on mobile devices for students to watch.

Currently there are 12 videos which star four animated characters: Chris, Dee, Maria and Peter are a diverse bunch of characters. However it is my hope that a character with a physical and/or communication disability is added.

As an alternative to SymbolStix a number of the videos can be purchased with "Signing Savvy" sign language embedded into the video. The videos can also be purchased without any embedded signs or symbols. You can find free samples on their website.

You can check out two samples or purchase the videos online at News-2-You or Wonder Grove Kids.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Like This Video!

My brother is a special education teacher. He and the students of the Tech Club created this video for a video public service announcement contest. You can vote for these amazing kids by liking it on YouTube or by clicking the thumbs up in the upper right hand corner while it is playing. (P.S. My brother is the Diabetes in the video.) Thanks!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Sensory Stories Recompiled

I've long been a fan of Pete Well's Sensory Stories. In particular I've used the Christmas Carol and Wizard of Oz Sensory Stories with much success as curriculum units. Now some of these great resources are available in a new place at Portland College's website.

These resources are fabulous but as a teaching tool be sure you go all out! Use the scripts and the ideas for sensory stimulation that come with the stories. It takes a few times to get used to juggling all the props and sensory experiences, but it is worth it! Enjoy!