May 3

Teaching Reading in the Elementary School

May 3

Phonics Games
Annie's Rhyme Time: http://teacher.scholastic.com/annie/index.asp

Clifford's Sound Match: http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/phonics/index.htm

Reading Games to Print Out for Class: http://www.adrianbruce.com/reading/
Includes posters to print also

Game Goo: http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooeypt.html
This site has many educational games that help students develop early reading and language skills.

Jim's Crankshaft: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/index.shtml
This game is an exercise in auditory discrimination of medial vowels, often the most difficult to hear and identify when learning phonics.

The Secret Code Machine: http://www.zappazoom.com/codemachine.asp
"Making your own code to swap secret messages with your friends is now easy and fun! First, you have to define your code. You do this by going through the alphabet and setting the different letters to be other letters. Then you can print out your key, which holds the secret to your code. Or you can put a message into the secret code you've made up!"

Reading Learning Disabilities
"How many of you in this distinguished audience have found that you have to show an elderly parent or grand-parent how to connect a computer and switch it on? How often have you had to show them how to find the programme that enables them to get access to the Internet, start writing a letter, or get to grips with the e-mail? How many don't stick with it because they cannot clearly see the screen or because they cannot coordinate the mouse? I am certain that today's youth will have the same difficulties in their old age even though they were raised and educated on computers...
"So, as our planet steadily turns into a Cybersphere, we have an obligation to ensure that everyone, especially our elders, can breathe in it. The
encryption codes and log-in passwords we are being forced to use more and more in our daily communication have to be as easy to remember as the
colour-coded pills at the bedside we need to remember to take as we get older. Hardware and software designers must expand the definition of consumer beyond those that can easily see and use the controls on today's cell phones, VCRs and computers. And when our elders become too debilitated to perform even the simplest tasks, society must stand ready to understand
their communication needs and respond with both appropriate technology and good old fashioned human assistance....
"The fastest growing global population, our seniors, are simply being left out both by decision-makers and by markets... I fear that even if we have better technology, millions will be left behind, our seniors along with them."
Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
Executive Director
UN-HABITAT
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme
11 February 2004
Address to the International Conference on The Age of Connectivity - Harnessing the Generations
United Nations
New York

Are dyslexia and wealth linked? Study finds individuals with dyslexia more likely to be millionaires: http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?max=20&id=159&loc=48
The Tulip Financial Group conducted a study that found that many self-made millionaires have learning disabilities. This study included a self-report section, which showed that the majority of the 5,000 self-made millionaires in Britain struggled in school. The study also included a more comprehensive look at 300 millionaires, 40% of whom had been previously diagnosed as dyslexic.

Beginning reading and phonological awareness for students with learning disabilities: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/eric540.html

Charles Schwab didn't let dyslexia stop him: http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2003-11-10-schwab_x.htm
Leadership often entails an ability to overcome adversity. Charles Schwab, founder of the discount brokerage (SCH), is dyslexic. Schwab grew up in a time when those afflicted were considered unintelligent or unmotivated. Even today, dyslexic children are at a much greater risk of losing confidence and becoming underachievers.

Disabled student gets fresh shot at LSAT: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2633963,00.html
A federal judge in Denver orders an extended-time accommodation on the law school admission test for one woman with a learning disability.

Dyslexia linked to sound processing: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/print/news/fullstory_14441.html
Neuropsychology has recently published findings from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston that indicate that dyslexia may be linked to the processing of sounds. Researchers looked at the brain through functional imaging while children were reading.

Dyslexia May Involve Both Vision And Hearing: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/11/031110054404.htm
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center recently reported preliminary findings that dyslexia may not be solely a decoding problem but may be related to the way in which the brain processes visual and auditory information together. The study compared people with dyslexia and those without dyslexia as they were shown visual stimuli at the same time that they heard an auditory stimulus. Results support a multi-sensory approach for teaching people with dyslexia.

First Person Essays: http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?id=0&loc=11&special_grouping=0&max=20
"First Person offers personal essays on first-hand experiences with the challenges of learning disabilities. Essays authored by teachers, parents and students offer advice and insight to living with learning disabilities."

Helping Dyslexic Kids Read: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/09/tech/main599117.shtml
Nine-year-old Patrick Price bounced up to the huge MRI machine, a powerful brain scanner disguised by drapes to resemble a kid-friendly castle. Inside, he lay nearly motionless as words and symbols flashed on a screen before his eyes.

Including Ashley: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64761-2003Nov4?language=printer
She can't speak, read or write. But Ashley Meissner is sitting in a regular classroom with regular third-graders. Should other severely disabled children be there, too?

It's a Family Affair: http://www.ncld.org/newsltr/0304newsltr/0304feature1.cfm
When a child has a learning or reading disability, it often affects the whole family. In this article, Lissa Weinstein, author of the book Reading David, writes candidly of how her son's reading difficulties affected her family and marriage.

Kids' Reading Problems Can Emerge Later: http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docid=513797

Literacy problems weighing on society: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/7635502.htm
Those who can't read well more likely to be on welfare or in prison, costing everyone
So, Johnny can't read. What do you care? Johnny is the neighbor's kid. Not yours. He's the guy working in the next cubicle. He's no threat to your career.

NICHQ (National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality) ADHD Practitioners' Toolkit: http://www.nichq.org/resources/toolkit/

New Technique Can Help Dyslexic Kids Read Better: http://www.drkoop.com/template.asp?ap=93&page=newsdetail&id=517414
New dyslexia research was presented last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Researcher Virginia Berninger of the University of Washington noted the need to not only understand how the brain influences learning, but also how instruction influences the brain. Using MRI scans, Berninger found that children with dyslexia were helped when trained in all three forms of reading – how a word sounds, how it's spelled, and what it means – which are each processed in a different part of the brain.

One Boy's Journey Out of Autism's Grasp: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/29/education/29autism.html
An 8-year-old boy's continuing journey to break free of the grip of autism reflects a struggle that more than 150,000 American children have faced in the past decade.

Parents of children with reading problems may struggle with reading too. Primary-grade educators and adult literacy: some strategies for assisting low literate parents: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/low_literate_parents.html

Reading Disabilities: Why Do Some Children Have Difficulty Learning to Read? What Can Be Done About It?: http://www.educationnews.org/Reading-Disabilities-Why-Do-Some-Children.htm

"Reading disability" or "learning disability": The debate, models of dyslexia, and a review of research-validated reading programs: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/reading_approaches.html

Reading methods and learning disabilities: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/reading_methods.html

Reexamining Rowley: A New Focus in Special Education Law: http://www.harborhouselaw.com/articles/rowley.reexamine.johnson.htm
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires public schools to provide a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with disabilities. Exactly what FAPE means or requires is an elusive topic.

Remediation training improves reading ability of dyslexic children:
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2003/february26/dyslexia-226.html

Time to Refocus Special Education on Reading Achievement: http://www.mackinac.org/article.asp?ID=5000

The trouble with reading disabilities: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/swerling.html

Unfortunately, children with poor reading skills often struggle socially. How can teachers help them develop social skills? http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/social_skill_strategies.html

Why Children Succeed or Fail at Reading: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/nichdbrochure.html

Yale Researchers Identify Two Types of Childhood Reading Disability With Different Brain Patterns and Different Outcomes: http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/03-06-30-01.all.html

Understanding Students with Disabilities
About Our Kids.org: http://www.aboutourkids.org/index.html
This is the Web site for the New York University Child Study team. Their Web site has a newsletter and up-to-date information on topics related to child development. They also offer information about upcoming research projects and timely tips.

ADHD--Building Academic Success: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/add_adhd/ael_success.html#anchor978490

Assistive Technology -- An Overview: http://schwablearning.org/Articles.asp?r=286&g=2&d=2

bridges4kids: http://www.bridges4kids.org/ is a compact Web site that attempts to build partnerships between families, schools and communities. You can click on a topic and find articles related to that topic.

Disability Museum: http://www.disabilitymuseum.org
This is a searchable, theme-based digital collection that exists only online offering documents and images related to disability history in the United States. Materials in the Library date back to the 18th century.

Full Inclusion: One Reason for Opposition: http://my.execpc.com/~presswis/inclus.html
Full inclusion is a philosophical movement based upon the notion that all students, regardless of the level or type of disability, should be educated entirely in the same general education classrooms as their same-age peers.

Gender differences and ADHD.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/add_adhd/nadeau.html

A Lexicon of Learning: What Educators Mean When They Say: http://www.ascd.org/educationnews/lexicon/lexiconoflearning.html
The ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) hosts a web site that contains definitions to specialized educational terms.

Parents and Advocates Say Too Many Schools Use Cops to Manage Classrooms: http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/1-04/IncDailyPress12-29-03.html#top%20
Since the 1997 version of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was released, educators and school officials have been calling police more often to handle "behavior problems" involving students with disabilities.

The position of the monitor is very important for the student. Most monitors can be adjusted. Be sure to adjust the monitor so the student can look at it at eye level.
If the student has a physical disability, such as a wheel chair, be sure the computer is at a table that is tall enough for the wheelchair to fit underneath. You can purchase adjustable tables that can be raised and lowered depending on the needs of the student. If an adjustable table is not available you can purchase adjustable keyboards. Younger, smaller students may need a much lower table.

In "Medicating Kids," FRONTLINE reviews the increase in the prescription of behavior-modifying drugs for children. Are these medications really necessary--and safe--for young children, or merely a harried nation's quick fix for annoying, yet age-appropriate, behavior? The program exams ADHD and the use of Ritalin. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/etc/synopsis.html

LITTLE CHAIR -- LONG TABLE: http://www.educationnews.org/little-chair-long-table.htm
Remember that first IEP team meeting for your child? Let’s see if we get this right. You’re a young mother and you’re probably alone. You’re a little nervous, maybe even scared about what is supposed to happen at the meeting. You’ve been dealing with “experts” on other parts of your child’s life as you’ve learned about the medical and community realities of having a child with a disability, and you haven’t gained any measure of confidence in your abilities as a parent.

Overview of State Accessibility Laws, Policies, Standards and Other Resources Available On-line: http://www.ittatc.org/laws/stateLawAtGlance.cfm

Questions To Ask When Selecting a Professional To Assess or Treat ADHD:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/assessment/adhd_assessment.html

They Give Sight to the Blind
An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from impaired vision. Some have been blind since birth, some lost their vision over time, and others endure what's called "low vision," a state of near-blindness. The smarter technology becomes for the sighted world, the more difficult it becomes for the blind. Laundromats, for example, are switching from coin-operated machines--equipment accessible to the visually impaired--to ones controlled by digital displays that a blind person can't use.
Kushner, David. "They Give Sight to the Blind" Parade Magazine. September 7, 2003. p6.

What is ADHD? A Basic Review: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/add_adhd/what_is.html

Help for Students with Learning Disabilities
Academic Success
The key to any academic success is student motivation. Students with LD experience many issues that can decrease their drive to succeed.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/self_esteem/motivation.html
Homework How-To’s.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/hwguide.html
Avoiding the Back to School Homework Blues.
http://www.samgoldstein.com/articles/9909.html
Homework/school collaboration for the child with ADHD.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/add_adhd/tec_home_school_collab.html
To fight the homework battle or not? What does the research say?
http://npin.org/pnews/1997/pnewn97/pnewn97e.html
Helping with Homework: A Parent’s Guide to Information Problem-Solving.
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed402950.html
Strategies to help children with LD take notes in class.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/notetaking.html
Twenty ways to work more effectively with your paraeducator.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/work_with_paraeducator.html
Specific techniques to help teachers provide emergent reading opportunities for children with LD.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/emergent_readers.html
What are some of the stressors that children with LD experience?
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/social_skills/risk_resilience.html
A look at the relationship between learning disabilities and emotional dysfunction.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/social_skills/comorbid.html
Steps to writing a functional behavior assessment.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/behavior/behavioral_intervention.html
A look at the relationship between learning disabilities and social skills.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/social_skills/psychiatric_comorbidity.html

Adapting Existing Materials: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8559.html
Some existing materials may be judged to be appropriate, but need some simple modifications to make them more accessible. This article includes descriptions of how to make modifications to existing materials, and introduces several types of adaptations that research has found to be successful:
The Assignment Routine
Differentiated Textbook Instruction
S.O.S. - Survey, Obtain Information, Self-Test

Adapting Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science Materials for the Inclusive Classroom:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8538.html
A series of nine steps that suggest a comprehensive framework for making decisions about using material adaptations effectively. Article topics include:
Create a Plan for Adapting Materials
Identify and Evaluate the Demands That Students Are Not Meeting
Identify the Features of the Materials That Need to Be Adapted

Adapting Reading and Math Materials for the Inclusive Classroom:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-6729.html
Intended as a teacher's handbook, this book presents a set of principles for structuring teaching methods to facilitate adaptations in the elementary classroom (grades K-5). It also gives specific examples for adapting math and reading lessons at those levels.

The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre: Information Commons, University of Toronto: http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/

Assessing Learning and Evaluating Progress
A chapter from the book can be found at: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/assessment/adolescents_and_inclusion.html
It discusses authentic ways inclusive classrooms can grade children.

Assistive Technology and the Multiage Classroom: http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/03/assistive.html
These tips and technologies from the special needs classroom can help teachers reach struggling students.

The Association for Comprehensive NeuroTherapy (ACN): http://www.latitudes.org/ is a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring advanced and complementary treatments for neurological conditions. We are presently focusing on autism, Tourette syndrome, attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity, obsessive compulsive disorder, and learning disabilities.

Autism and learning disability website: http://dotolearn.com/
At this site you can fFind information on disabilities, advocacy resources, and teacher tips, select 350 free picture cards in 1", 2" and large sizes. Find directions on how to use cards to make schedules, choose from art projects and organizational tools. Print learning helpers like math grids, alphabet figures, color matches, & shape tracing; or purchase subscriptions to the Make-A-Schedule and Fire Safety programs. Includes ideas for books, toys, games and products that parents and teachers have found really help.

Braille Bug: http://afb.org/braillebug/
The American Foundation for the Blind created an age appropriate site for students to learn about braille. Under games, students can see what their name looks like in braille, or figure out words with a braille alphabet close by. A sighted student can send a friend a "secret message" in braille.Students can also change the colors on this website to make it easier to read. Students who are designing their own pages can learn about accessibility.

The CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) and Ohio State University have developed Cornerstones, an approach to literacy development for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, and have released three free Cornerstones teaching units on the Web at: http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones

The Family Center: http://fctd.ucp.org/fctd/aboutfctdt.htm
The Family Center assists organizations and programs who serve families of children with
disabilities by providing information and support on accessing and using assistive technology.

Finding Friends and Persuading People: Teaching the Skills of Social Interaction: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/social_skills/findingfriends.html

HandSpeak: A Sign Language Dictionary Online: http://www.handspeak.com/

Helping Teachers Formulate Sound Test Accommodation Decisions for Students with Learning Disabilities: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/assessment/sound_test_accommodation.html

Henry Winkler, star of Happy Days, speaks of his struggle with dyslexia and how through his difficulties he found his self-image: http://www.ldonline.org/first_person/winkler_henry.html

Hogs for Dogs: http://www.hogsfordogs.org/
Max & Bailey - two Golden Retrievers - will journey over 25,000 miles in their Harley-Davidson sidecars, bringing attention to the special needs of people with disabilities and highlighting the many ways that a Guide or Assistance Dog can help them lead more independent lives.

"How Do You Know If Your Child Might Have a Learning Disability?" http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/general_info/silver_have_ld.html

IEP (individualized education program) basics
Parents and teachers are involved in meetings to plan for a child's education in meetings held throughout the year. The sites below give information to help all involved understand the process. It is important to take time to "go back to basics."
The first step is to know "the steps."
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/basic_iep_process.html
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/IEP_Guide/
Next it is important to understand the components of the IEP.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/what_is_iep.html
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/writing_the_iep.html
Follow through a sample IEP
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/success_ieps.html
Parents and the IEP meeting.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/holmes_tenways.html
How to change an IEP. Reconvene the IEP team if the IEP is not working,
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/IEP_Guide/#What
The school and parents want the best for the child. How disagreements can be addressed.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/iep_communication.pdf
The Early Childhood Education Network has fun experiences for young children to
teach shapes, letters, reading and numbers: http://www.literacycenter.net/

Learning Disabilities
Increasingly, special education discussions focus on the "rethinking" of the diagnostic category of learning disabilities. These discussions are central to current IDEA funding debates. Is a learning disability a "reading disability, "a "learning difference," or a "learning
disability?" These sites help define this issue.
What is a learning disability?:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/general_info/what_are_ld_silver.html
Learning disability or a learning difference?:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/general_info/learning_differences.html
LD: Learning (Dis)Ability?: http://www.ldonline.org/newsletter.php?ID=1
G. Reid Lyon discusses learning disabilities:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/general_info/future_children.html
Current rethinking from G. Reid Lyon and from the Fordham Foundation:
http://www.edexcellence.net/library/special_ed/special_ed_ch12.pdf
http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=181&contentID=3344
Is the "label" disabling? A paper by Dr. Mel Levine:
http://www.ldonline.org/mminds/levine_paper.html
The politics of LD definition and advocacy:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/legal_legislative/politics.html

The National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ld.org/ teamed up with Cisco Systems to launch a Web site for those adolescents and adults with learning disabilities to help them achieve educational goals, chart a career path and sustain social relationships. There is also advice on interviewing skills, job hunting, legal rights, etc.

Notetaking
Helping Students to Become Better Note-takers Through Better Lectures.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/notetaking_lectures.html
Tips to Being a Better Note-taker.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/notetaking_lectures.html#students

Prevention and Intervention of Writing Difficulties for Students with Learning Disabilities: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/prevention_intervention.html

Questions to Ask When You Meet Your Child's Therapist.
http://www.pinofpa.org/resources/fact-3.html

Schwab Learning is a program area of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, a non profit. Schwab Learning's mission is to help kids with learning differences (LD) be successful in learning and in life. Their web site, Schwablearning.org, is a parent's guide
to helping kids with learning differences with over 250 articles, free publications, message boards, email newsletter and information in Spanish: http://www.schwablearning.org/

Showcasing Strengths
For children with LD and/or ADHD the classroom experience is often one of isolation, embarrassment, and low self-esteem. Creative choices in types of learning can improve a child's emotional and cognitive sense of self-worth. Sports, the arts, and music can help children develop skills that foster new paths to self-esteem and cognitive growth. Children who struggle in the classroom can shine as they proudly showcase their strengths!
Recognize and nurture a child's strengths.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/parenting/nurturing.html
Sports provide "hands on" opportunities for children with LD and/or ADHD to experience participation, structure, focus, and social groups.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/athletics.html
Art and art therapy are important special education assets that can be included in an IEP.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/iep/art_and_the_iep.html
"I dread to think where I would have landed up but for my art," writes Pat Buckley Moss, nationally recognized artist, as she explains her life growing up with LD. Visit the P. Buckley Moss Foundation.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/pat_moss.html
http://www.mossfoundation.org/
Music, art, and movement/dance activities are also important.
http://www.musictherapy.org/factsheets/specialed.html
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/parenting/music.html
Research identifies positive benefits of music instruction.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/orff_based_music_instruction.html
A Spoonful of Music explores ADHD and the effects of music:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/spoonful_of_music.html
California school pursues connections between the arts and learning.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/professional_artists.html
SPARK Creative Arts Curriculum, a literacy based preschool program, integrates arts in classrooms for children with disabilities.
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/sped/spark/
"Visual and spatial talents can lead to unique successes," writes Thomas West in Dyslexic Minds & Nobel Prizes.
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/abilities/thomas_west_nobel.html

Sleep and ADHD: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/add_adhd/sleep_problems.html

Special Needs: http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/specialneeds/index.htm

SpedEx: The Special Education Exchange, has information for parents, professionals and students: http://www.gigglepotz.com/speced.htm

Strategies for the Reluctant Writer looks at the skills needed for writing:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/reluctant_writer.html

Strategies for Teacher Collaboration:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2941.html
A resource to help school-based teams bring collaborative teaching into practice. Provides 18 specific inservice activities to help teachers understand the dynamics of collaboration.

Teachers’ Use of Technology in a Reading Clinic: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=/articles/balajthy/
Why should teachers use computers with struggling readers? What rewards and challenges will they experience when they do so? This article describes the evidence teachers report of achievement gains due to computer use.

Television Captioning: Approved/Disapproved Programs: http://www.nad.org/openhouse/action/alerts/captioningcensorship/list.html
The US Department of Education recently restricted its support for closed captioning. These alphabetical lists tell you which programs the hearing-impaired will and will not have captioned access to. Among the deletions: NFL Films, Law and Order, The Simpsons, Bewitched.

Examples of Assistive Technology Devices
Descriptive text, captioning, and visual cues for people who are deaf or people who have hearing disabilities.

Guide to Wheelchairs and Assistive Technology: USA TechGuide: http://www.usatechguide.org/
"A Web Guide to wheelchair and assistive technology choices, wheelchair views and reviews, and related information and articles. Promoting user involvement in the selection of appropriate assistive technology."

IntelliTools: http://www.intellitools.com/
Demo's at: http://www.intellitools.com/Demo/index.php

Refreshable Braille display is a hardware device that reads, translates, and subsequently renders electronic information from a computer interface to Braille.

Screen magnifier--Usually a software application that increases the size of text or images on a computer screen. Special monitors and other types of hardware adaptations can be used to project larger images as well. Screen magnification and large text fonts are for people with diminished vision or dyslexia.

Screen readers and voice browsers--Software applications combined with a synthetic voice that reads computer data back to users who are blind, or users who are more successful at auditory learning than reading due to a learning disability. This includes all screen objects (for example, windows and icons).

Screen recognition--A software application combined with a speech input device (usually a separate or built-in microphone) that enables a blind user or a user with a physical disability to speak or issue commands that the speech recognition recognizes and then acts upon. Speech recognition can also be used for creating and annotating existing material.

Specialized adaptations for people who have physical disabilities involving the use of a keyboard, voice recognition mechanism, mouse, or other input device that requires a part of their body other than their hands and fingers to control a Web browser.

Synthetic voice, digital audio, or Brailee for people who are blind.
Synthetic speech--Combined with a screen reader application or browser.

Screening Tools
Fox in a Box: An Adventure in Literacy: http://www.ctb.com/products/product_summary.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=32773&bmUID=1079370526325
"A developmentally appropriate, individual literacy assessment based on nationally published benchmarks of literacy development."

Official DIBELS Home Page: http://dibels.uoregon.edu./
Program helping kids learn to read quickly: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0126edpeck26.html

Reading Rockets - A Screening Tool for Parents and Caregivers of Four-Year-Olds: http://www.readingrockets.org/getready/

Red Flag Reading Screening: http://www.eduhelpnow.org/RFRS-Information.htm
"Many parents have concerns about their child's reading performance, but are getting mixed messages from schools and inflated report cards. They think there's a problem, but don't have any set of guidelines by which they can judge for themselves exactly how severe the problem might be. Our screening is designed to provide parents with a tool that can help confirm or negate their suspicions, through the use of objective & widely accepted standards as applied to state approved grade level material."

This site began in March 1998 by Janet Luch.
Email comments and questions to studyplans@yahoo.com