I Speak of Dreams

Assistive Technology & Upcoming Coffee Klatch Chat

Assistive Technology

One of my growing interests is assistive technology for those who struggle with language in any way. On Wednesday at 6 pm PDT (9 pm EDT) there will be a discussion with Bridget Gilormini of the Simon Technology Center (part of the Minnesota-based Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights, or PACER Center) on Twitter, hosted by The Coffee Klatch (more on TCK on my blog).  Go to http://tweetchat.com/room/tck to follow the discussion.

Simon Technology Center Overview

Assistive technology can be a device or service that helps children with disabilities participate more independently within their environment at home or school.

The Simon Technology Center (STC) is dedicated to making the benefits of technology more accessible to children and adults with disabilities. Through a collaborated effort involving parents, professionals, and consumers, the STC can provide numerous services for your family, as well as resources and informative answers to your questions. Since 1987, the Simon Technology Center has helped many children and adults, with a variety of disabilities, use assistive technology to enhance learning, work and independence.

There's a UK-based organization, IANSYST. I stumbled across some presentations from them: Abi James on Assistive Technology Trends. There are more presentations from Neil Milliken. 

I Totally Stole This Idea from Bora, Who Got it From Chris Rowan

Chris Rowan's version is here and Bora's version is here

The idea is to put down the important links I posted to twitter. I do back up my tweets, but this is the suspenders to that belt.

Sunday:

• This mother of an autistic child paid for a speech-language evaluation and an assistive/augmentive communcation device for her kindergarten son.  The school won't let him use it at school.
• Red Cross Has New Friend to Teach Children about Preparedness (I'm on a preparedness roll as you will see)
• Mom-NOS has a story about her son's 10th birthday -- how inclusion works to benefit all children not just those with special needs
• Canadian study on what parents value most about independent schools: community and caring
• DC Momsblog asks "What Has Got Into Those People?" about parents who refused to let their children hear President Obama's speech to students.

Saturday

• Two from Kristina Chew on struggling with her son's school: Conflicts of Interest in Autism Care and Is the problem the student, or how the school is handling the student?
• Karoli on John Boemer, the Freedom Project, and questionable expenses
• Critical thinking -- definition and teaching
• The National Testing Survey is asking what standardized testing is doing for teachers and students in the United States. We'd also like to know what you think testing ought to do for teachers and students.
• I joined the ADD Audio Library--you might find it useful too.

Friday

• I'm on an emergency preparation kick -- where were you 20 years ago when the Loma Prieta Quake hit?
• David Von Drehle 's shameful "balanced" article on Glenn Beck http://bit.ly/A6w5T Facts are irrelevant to von Drehle.
• US chiros filed class-action suits against insurance companies who don't cover chiro care http://bit.ly/6jzOM via @Blue_Wode @zeno001
• Great success story about using Dragon to overcome challenges of #dyslexia; http://twurl.nl/jk2b2g ; #edtech; #fb
• Parents, does your community have a playground like this? http://www.possibilityplayground.org/ #disabilities
• @Karoli & @nicki2377 de Becker's "The Gift of Fear" http://bit.ly/4CErmc should be required reading re predators, sociopaths.
• @BoraZ: "1 Million Strong Against our Socialist Fire Departments" http://www.intuitivestatistics.com/ The "Flamers" movement has arrived!

Thursday

• Must read: Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics (from 1964) http://bit.ly/8eaIf via @Shoq @TeresaKopec @jayrosen_nyu
• Sullivan is constantly amazed at the low level of proof people use to demonstrate that vaccines cause autism. http://bit.ly/Lhfdv
• RT @mmspeced: latest blog post:'We don't test for dyslexia, Part III' : http://tinyurl.com/lgal8b #specialed follies
• Putting fundraising in the proper place in your #nonprofit http://budurl.com/yeq7 W/o fundraising, no programs via @PamelaGrow
• RT @WRY999: ADHD symptoms improve with neurofeedback therapy in randomized clinical trial. http://ow.ly/pPCp
• Dateline & Dr. Wakefield's patent activities -- undiscussed conflict of interest http://bit.ly/14zvN (leftbrain/rightbrain) #autism
• From academic clinical neurologist @stevennovella, "Evidence-based Education" http://bit.ly/RRc2K #education #teaching
• Autism New study: Which DSM-IV-TR criteria best differentiate HFA from other dx http://bit.ly/TKQng [email protected]

Wednesday

• Early diagnosis and effective treatment prevents school failure, poor self-concept #Reasons #ADHD http://ow.ly/pEh3 via @CHADDING
• RT @novenator: Operation Rescue says it's broke, may shut down http://digg.com/d314TyX #p2 #prochoice #fem2 #du1 #dnj

Tuesday

• GREAT section on safety of H1N1 vaccine via Q &A w/ CDC http://ow.ly/pGI7 via @ImmunizeCOKids
• From @rpondiscio Cargo Cult thinking is *exactly* what drives reading and writing instruction. http://tiny.cc/ZzB1X @matthewktabor: agrees
• Real scientists admit errors. Case in point, @david_colquhoun http://www.dcscience.net/?p=2222
• RT @DrNICHCY: RT @CECMembership: Necessary conditions for implementing Response to Intervention #RTI http://bit.ly/uwpTa

Monday

• RT @ChristineMMTTM: RT @DrSelzNew DrSelz blog post: "Dyslexia / Reading Disability & Common Sense" http://tinyurl.com/lvc6kl #homeschool #LD
• Myth: There is no way to diagnose dyslexia. FACT: Well-established battery of tests to diagnose dyslexia http://short.to/ptwl
• he National Autism Association's Lies and Distortions about Paul Offit http://bit.ly/MgnjI from @Confutata
• RT @krelnik: The National Autism Association's embarrassing spitefulness: http://bit.ly/PwhGQ (via @badscienceblogs & @Dianne_)
• Paul Offit on his financial benefit from Rotateq, the rotavirus vaccine. http://bit.ly/e0Xqj . @ageofautism has facts wrong. #autism

Sunday

• Glenn Reynolds: How Self-Reliance Can Get You Through A Disaster http://bit.ly/I8rKO & "Resilience Engineering"

Saturday

• RT @novenator: The Difference Between Astroturfing and Grassroots Protests http://is.gd/2dve2 #hcr