Accessing Learning with Chris CichoskyKelly

I've always been interested in assisted technologies. Life is hard enough as it is, we might as well use effective tools to get by.

As a speech and language aide I've had the pleasure of working with a variety of Alternative and Augmented Communication (AAC) devices and have found some to be cumbersome, others lacking appropriate communication strategies, and some to be either completely wrong or just right for the student. I have become well-versed through my professional endeavors in an Apple program called Proloquo2Go; a full communication system for individuals with speech and language and/or motor disabilities.

Today's conference, Accessing Learning with Chris CichoskyKelly shed light on more AT devices for both iPad and Nexus 7.



Most notably, I learned of a braille reading device called Braille Note Apex. This technology has been around since 2000 and allows the user to read anything that could be found online through a system of constantly refreshing 6-dotted letter readers. This could be a break-through for some of the students that I work with and I am looking forward to sharing this with the team.

The iPad is also set up with a text-to-speech function that allows the user to highlight a portion of text and have Siri read it aloud. The user can also control the rate of speech by adjusting it in the settings folders.

Other note-worthy programs to try are Verbally - a free word prediction application that recognizes words based on the letters typed in, a great tool for helping students identify the phonemes in common vocabulary - and Read2Go - a free resource for schools, this program follows copyright laws and is usable by all students. Students who may be reading below grade level but still want to read the same books as their peers, can utilize this by basically having a book on tape yet can still see the printed word. What I like best is that the user does not have to use the voiced reading option unless they choose to highlight a section. This enables the individual to read independently until they come to a difficult word or phrase.

I also left the conference with a renewed interest in AAC. Not all of my students can access Proloquo2Go easily, some need more basic devices, and not every student needs as basic a device such as PECs. Sonoflex, LAMP and TouchChat are all new programs to me, specifically Sonoflex which has a free lite version that I will be exploring. I will also be checking out GoTalk's new iPad app called GoTalkNow3 which has both a free lite version and a paid full version. This is so much easier than the original GoTalk which required the user to physically switch out sheets for various conversation topics. Now, with simply a swipe, the user is ready to communicate. This could be a great alternative for students who began with the hand-held GoTalk to transfer over to the iPad with a very similar program.

To check out some of Chris' knowledge, follow the links below:
Apps and Accessibility for ‘Increasing Access to the Curriculum and Independence Using Mobile Devices’
AAC Vermont Fest Presentation