AT Adventures
Accessibility & Assistive Technology tips, news, & events
December 2021
AT News
- The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) coordinators are offering their annual adapted toy workshop on December 9th and 10th. Register by going to their website.
- The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) is offering a virtual clinical conference all about AAC December 1-13th. Visit the ASHA website to register for the conference.
- Apple and Tobii Dynavox have partnered to make the iPad more accessible through eye gaze; they have introduced a new communication device called the TD Pilot.
- Did you know that November is recognized around the world as international assistive technology (AT) Awareness month! What is AT? Watch this video to learn more about AT.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) released a video on improving access to AT with 4 steps of service provision.
- AT in the community: Francis Marion University's speech-language pathology program hosted their first "AAC Palooza," a public event that was held on October 22nd. The event was open to the community and offered a chance to see and try out augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology. The coordinator of clinical education in the speech-language pathology program states this is an event they hope to offer again next year.
- AT in the community: student deigns sensory device for other students as a service project.
- Florence One Assistive Technology is providing therapists and teachers a video series called AAC Minute Clinics that launched in October. Check out one of the minute clinic videos on AAC myths.
AT+Stem Makers Projects-Help Needed!
If you are looking for project-based learning opportunities and the chance to help students in our district with real-time solutions please check out our AT makers projects. Every month, we will announce if there are any projects that are needed. Your class or club can adopt a project that will directly benefit a student or classroom in our district. These are great projects for STEM, Robotics, engineering, video/media classes, and if you see oversee a student volunteer program.
Current Projects needing solutions:
- 3D printed vocabulary (recipes provided)
- Tactile/Adapted Book Boxes
- 3D Pen adapted books/line drawings
- Vocabulary Videos (made by peers for peers)
Use this link to adopt a project: https://forms.gle/dSAMVVynWt2RR4Rc8
Use this link if you have a student or classroom need and would like to submit a project idea: https://forms.gle/EWpfuKbQWjwCvyr59
Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)
AAC Pick of the Month
Select the link below to check out a resource flipbook for quick AAC tips that you can start implementing today!
AAC Support
Looking for AAC support? Join the monthly support group by clicking on the Google Form below, to sign up for the December 14th support group.
AT Tips
Accessibility Tip: Designing for Accessibility with Pour
Use P.O.U.R when creating accessible digital educational content in your classroom. Click on the "accessibility tip" to find out how the acronym P.O.U.R will help.
Designing for Accessibility with POUR
Text-To-Speech
How can text-to-speech help struggling students? To find out more click on the video link below.
Using Text-to-Speech Assistive Technologies to Support Students
Use AAC to Direct Smart Assistants
Persons with limited or no verbal speech can interact with smart assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa using their communication devices. Click on the AAC video tip below to see an example.
Directing others is a great communicative function that can also be modeled and used with a communication device. This skill is useful for "assistants" whether they are people or other devices.
Google Assistant now Available in Snap Core First
I Spy AT in F1S
Student Designed Foot Fidget
2 Students at Lester enjoy a student-designed foot fidget, donated to their classroom.
Math Plates
A teacher at Williams uses a low-tech math idea with manipulatives on plates to help students with simple problems.
AAC Palooza
Vendors Travel to Florence to demonstrate communication devices and the latest technology. Talk To Me Technologies, is pictured here.