Live Work Learn by The Arc Westchester

LEARN-WORK-LIVE A guide to low and high-tech everyday aids for people with cognitive disabilities

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preface

Page Section III - LIVE

Introduction

4-5

Chapter 7 – Task Management & Scheduling

57-60

How to Use This eBook

6-7

Chapter 8 – Getting Around

61-65

Section I - LEARN

8-10

Chapter 9 - Shopping

66-68

Chapter 1 – Self-Exploration & Advocacy

11-31

Chapter 10 – Social Connections

Chapter 2 – Learning Through Reading

32-37

Chapter 11 – Creativity

70-77

Chapter 3 – Learning Together

38-43

Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips

78-81

Chapter 4 - Communication

44-47

Afterword – We Are Not Alone

82-92

Additional Resource

Section II - WORK

Glossary

94-95

Accessibility Tools

96-97

Digital Equity

Chapter 5 – Preparing for Work & Volunteering

49-50

Smart Homes & Remote Monitoring

Chapter 6 – Work Challenges

51-55

App Listing

99-101 102-105

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Preface I like to say that I have over forty years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities as that’s how long ago my daughter came into our lives. Jessica has ataxic cerebral palsy, a great smile and a huge interest in knowing if the people around her are “happy.” She has a great spirit and is always willing to try and learn new things, but her pace of learning is much slower than others. Nevertheless, she is learning every day. This book has as its core belief that everyone has the right to participate as fully as possible in this thing called “life” and there are tools, both low and hi-tech that can help make that possible. It is intended to be an evolving collection of tools that can promote lifelong learning and personal growth. I appreciate the tremendous assistance in design and editing that made this book possible. Special thanks to my colleagues at The Arc Westchester, Lolli Ross, Assistant Executive Director of Quality Outcomes and Corporate Compliance, Kelly Wall, Staff Development Director and Regina Moore, Community Engagement and Communications Director, who were great collaborators on this project. I urge you all to not make assumptions about the people you support. Not that long ago, Jessica was standing with her walker waiting for her Paratransit bus to take her to her day hab program. She noticed a street sign across from our driveway and slowly said, “S -T-O-P, STOP!.” It was the first word she ever spelled and she was tremendously proud of herself. Everyone learns in their own way, at their own pace. Believe in the magnificence of each person!

Jordan Jankus Jordan Jankus, The Arc Westchester June 2021

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INTRODUCTION

At The Arc Westchester, we take a whole-person approach to supporting people with disabilities and seek to inspire them to live up to their individual learning potential. Doing this can be challenging, but we already have many tools – our compassion, our empathy, creativity, and our knowledge. Let’s add to that base of knowledge the tools of everyday, personal technology and a belief in lifelong learning.

Technology is “the practical application of knowledge, especially in a particular area.” Our particular area of practice includes providing tools to help with the daily living needs of people with cognitive disabilities to maximize each person’s independence, self-worth and inclusion in their world. When you hear the word “technology,” you just might think of electronics and computers, but we can include all tools, as low-tech as whiteboards and post-it notes to high-tech tools like smartphones and smart speakers. These are all knowledge tools, and their importance and utility are measured by the practical results achieved.

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While low-tech solutions have always been available, high-tech assistive technology saw a major change in 2010 with the release of affordable tablets that were based on principles of Universal Design. Their operating features were accessible to many people and the devices became much more affordable. Along with these tablets came thousands of affordable “apps” on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that revolutionized software delivery.

When coming up with innovative tools, just remember not to confine yourself to a search on the “disabled” or “special needs.” As Universal Design becomes more common, there are many tools that can help a person with cognitive disabilities accomplish the tasks of daily living and learning. For example, a person might enjoy coffee, but have significant gross and fine motor issues along with planning concerns. Making coffee for themselves seems not to be worth the challenge. Then a device like the Keurig coffeemaker comes along which allows the person just to insert a coffee pod into the machine, press a button and enjoy their drink that they made independently.

Specialized tools just for “special people” are outdated concepts Our goal in Learn-Work-Live is to share ideas on how everyday personal technology can be used by people with cognitive disabilities to improve their daily experiences and continue lifelong learning. In this e-book, you will find a variety of tools and techniques showing how affordable, everyday personal technology and creative supports can make a difference in the life of a person with cognitive disabilities.

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How To Use This Book •

The book is broken down into three broad sections: o Learn o Work

o Live Within each section, you will find examples of low and hi-tech tools and ways in which they can be used to help enrich a person’s life. o Low-tech tools are forms or exercise ideas indicated by the icon.

o Hi-tech tools are apps or websites indicated by the icon.

o The “Chat Starter” icon indicates ideas to help you get an individual or group talking on a topic.

o Links to webinar recordings relevant to the topic are indicated by this icon: o The “More to Explore” sections at the end of some sections and chapters provide links to lessons and ideas created by others that you may find helpful.

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How To Use This Book (continued) •

You will find hyperlinks throughout this eBook. When you see a highlighted word or phrase, click it to link to a definition of the term, helpful PDF documents or additional Internet resources.

•

At the end of the Learn – Work – Live text you’ll find various Additional Resources on relevant topics.

•

Since everyone is unique and technology is always evolving, it is impossible to capture the complete subject of LifeLearn-Work in this book, but if it serves to inspire and guide you, we’ve accomplished something significant! It’s our intent to regularly update this e-book, incorporating your suggestions and ideas that will come from your experiences in the field.

The SETT Framework Dr. Joy Zabala created the SETT Framework to help us discover supports for a person with disabilities. As you go through this eBook, think of the person first, what they do each day and what tasks they are trying to accomplish. We need to think of the PERSON first and not the TECH! •

S = Self, the person. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do we know about them?

•

E = Environment. What different environments does the person experience? Home, work, community, etc.

•

T = Tasks. What tasks is the person trying to accomplish? What are their native abilities and the obstacles that the task presents?

•

T = Tools. What tools and training can we suggest that might help them accomplish these tasks?

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Section I

LEARN A key part of your role as a direct-support professional is to acknowledge that each person you assist is a dynamic, INTRODUCTION vibrant being, despite their physical or cognitive challenges.

No one stays the same throughout their life and your role is to inspire and enable growth and learning in the people you support. Just because someone is over twenty-one and hasn’t yet become fully literate or lacks the ability to complete daily living tasks, this should not imply that this is as “good as it gets.” Reaching typical goals may take years or a lifetime, but the effort is what feeds the spirit. Learning is all about potential. Your role isn’t just safeguarding health & safety, but also encouraging independence through learning. In long-term-care settings, we too often see limited opportunities for the person to try things for themselves and as a result, learned dependence takes over. The easiest thing is let others do for you, but that comes at the price of a lack of stimulation and personal growth.

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9 You can facilitate learning by: •

Getting to know the person and discovering their interests and needs

•

Giving them the tools to learn through direct or peer-led instruction

•

Providing opportunities for people to experience and try new activities

LEARN-WORK-LIVE is a guide and not a rigid curriculum to follow.

The variety of individual needs and challenges of the people you support do not allow for one “magical” solution. Much of your support will be more free-form and improvisational, addressing each person and group as they present themselves to you, treating them with respect and curiosity and an open mind.

You’ll have to adapt and customize your interaction with the individual or group as you identify (many times on-the-fly) their different learning styles and facilitate their learning experiences.

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When we talk about learning in the context of this book, we’re focusing on: •

Helping people learn the basic functional skills needed to get through the day (also known as “activities of daily living” or ADL).

•

Developing learning skills like planning and problem-solving that can open the world to the person and help them actively participate in their community.

Please view yourself as a coach, someone to help people open up and discover their unique voices, whether expressed though words or physical movements.

Being a coach isn’t easy, as you have to give a person the space to try something new without judging them by your standards. Once they try, then your role is to help them understand how they might improve the next time they try something. The important thing is that they try – to speak up, to share their idea, to try something new.

See more in Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips

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Chapter 1 - Self-Exploration & Advocacy

All people need to discover their own strengths and the things they need help with, along with becoming aware of their likes, dislikes, wishes and goals. Prior to the civil rights movement, many in our society didn’t think that people with cognitive disabilities had much potential and accordingly, were denied many basic human rights. Now, in these more enlightened times, we try and view all people with an improved sense of equality and not make assumptions about them. Advocacy – speaking up for yourself – is an essential part of everyone’s life. Being passive comes at a price – a lack of independence, a lack of expression and being perceived as less than a full person.

See Me!

Not through the filter of a caregiver, teacher, or parent

- Click HERE for the related webinar recording, All Kinds of Teachers

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Use the following tools to prepare for… IEP Meetings Life Plan Meetings Getting to Know People Virtual Resumes Educating support professionals

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“I AM” Tool

Our mission is to help the people we support build independence, achieve personal goals and strengthen their community. To realize that mission, it’s important to sit down with the people we support and work on a series of questions that gets them to focus on themselves - not their staff, not their parents, not their friends – but just themselves. People need to understand themselves in order to speak up, get what they want, and help their supporters better understand them. The “I AM” Tool helps identify some of the important things that make up a person – who they are, what they like, what things they dislike and their dreams. This exercise helps reveal the richness and complexity of each person. Ask the person if they would like your help to write in the information as they share it, in cases where writing is difficult for them. Here’s an example of how the “I AM” tool might look like for one person.

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“I AM” Tool

Click HERE for a printable PDF of the “I AM” tool.

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“I AM” Tool

The “I AM” Tool is also a great group exercise that allows people to share things about themselves with others. If you have a large whiteboard or sheet of paper, or if you have a way to display the tool on a computer screen or SMART TV, it can provide a central point for the group to focus upon, watching the columns fill up as they and their friends offer information. The staff person will be the scribe and that can be a busy job when a group starts sharing! Once the form is completed, no one looking at it could easily say that any person is one-dimensional! Clearly, we are all complex, multilayered personalities. The information placed in the “I AM” Tool can become the basis for better understanding the person and help them identify, and achieve, their goals. This exercise was inspired by a YouTube video from L’Arche, an international organization that serves people with developmental disabilities, CLICK HERE to see how they used the I AM Tool.

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TV Discovery Group Tool

Ask the group if anyone watches TV? The response, of course, is a thundering -YES!!!!! Is there just one channel? Or are there many to choose from? Different channels for different interests, of course!

What would your channel look like? What would be on the “Bob Channel? “Sports, music, cartoons, cooking, wrestling? Each person gets up and describes their channel. This might take a bit of assistance, encouraging the person to share things about themselves. Each time a new person goes up, ask the rest of the students to press an imaginary remote control to switch channels.

Who would watch the “Bob Channel”? Why would you watch it? What makes it an interesting channel? Do you like the same things as Bob? Did you ever realize that Bob had so many interests?

Lots of applause follows each presentation and the group celebrates the diversity of all the “channels”!

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“Who Does What?” Tool

Sometimes a lot is done FOR people we support because of the rush of the day or their individual support needs. However, there times when we can help people learn to do things for themselves and become more independent. When a person wakes up in the morning is it because their parent or staff woke them up or because they got up by themselves? Who picks out their clothes? Did they do it or did someone do it for them? Use the “Who Does What?” Tool to review the Activities of Daily Living and ask the individual “who” accomplishes this task? You? Your parents? Your staff? Did you have any say in it or was it just done for you? Who makes lunch? Did you make it yourself? Did you decide what you wanted to eat for lunch?

All these things are so important to give a person a sense of self and not to be that person living in a hotel-like situation, at home or in a group residence. Did you have a say in where you would work? Do you get a chance to say how you spend your leisure time? Is it always with others, or do you have activities that you like to do just for yourself?

Confidence comes from expressing oneself and discovering possibilities. Let’s help build confidence in all the people we help support. Please remember that if there is an activity that someone can’t do for themselves, it’s not a negative and a cause for concern or shame. We all need some type of help from others. However, there may be things that you would like to try and do for yourself. There are always opportunities for learning something new and it can be part of one’s future goals.

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“Who Does What?” Tool

Click HERE for a printable PDF of the “Who Does What?” tool.

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MyLifePlan Free – iPad Schenectady Arc, Developer (a)

MyLifePlan is a guided method for preparing for one’s upcoming Life Plan meeting. It’s a person-centered approach to help a person think about the important things in his or her life. MyLifePlan goes through many aspects of one’s life for which a person can determine his/her degree of satisfaction. The individual can then decide if that information should be “worked on” and/or “shared” at his meeting. From there, an agenda is created. An administrator can modify the list of items for consideration and may also generate a PDF report of the responses.

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20 •

The My Life Tool comes with a list of pre-made questions that can be customized by the Administrator for particular needs

•

Questions can be read via text or heard via recorded audio.

•

Measure of satisfaction is shown by: o Sliding scale which moves face icon from smile to frown. o Individual can decide if this topic needs more work and whether it is something to be shared at the Life Plan Meeting o Additional comments can be typed or voice-recorded and photos can be added (for example, if a person wanted to talk about the accessibility of a particular building, they can take a picture and show how they have limited access).

•

The responses can be captured into a PDF that can be used as a basis for discussion at the person’s Life Plan Meeting.

Access the instructions for this and other Schenectady Arc apps by clicking on the “i” at the bottom of the app login screen.

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Laurel Skultety, Senior Speech Pathologist at Schenectady Arc (laurels@SarcNY.org), has been instrumental in developing MyLifePlan and other apps at the agency. Click HERE for a PDF of her 2018 presentation at our Tech Conference, “Apps As Planning Tools.”

Click HERE for the related webinar recording on MyLifePlan and GoalPlanDo by our guest presenter, Laurel Skultety from Schenectady Arc

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MyLifeInterests Free – iPad Schenectady Arc, Developer (a)

MyLifeInterests is a guided method for selecting career and leisure interests using a picture-based interface. generate a list of interests chosen from several categories and can also indicate areas of special interest by swiping across the image. An administrator can then generate a report of these interests for use in planning.

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By selecting from major categories and their subcategories, a list of interests can be developed and incorporated into a report that can be shared with others in the person’s circle of support.

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Mind of My Own Free – iPad - iPhone Also, Web-based https://mindofmyown.org.uk/

Mind of My Own is an app and website developed by a UK human services organization that helps people prepare for meetings, express their views, wishes and feelings and communicate with their support network. Some of the terms are UK-based, but you can adjust any of these terms for your local area needs. At the end of the discovery process, you can produce a document that can be e-mailed to members of your support network. Text is augmented with pictures to help those with lower literacy levels. The site says it geared to younger people, but it really has great utility for people of all ages. Mind of My Own uses a secure server to store the user information and will only transmit information with the user’s permission.

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As A Teaching Tool

Look for lifelong-learning videos on YouTube that many of the people that we support can use and relate to: • Direct messages with correctly-paced speech • Peer-relatable; someone like “me!” • Age-appropriate • Videos that teach and don’t just act as publicity pieces for an organization.

The Independence Myth: People with Disabilities Are Interdependent Too! Denise Lance | TEDxKC https://youtu.be/7PD04yP4n-A

Click HERE for the related webinar recording YouTube As A Teaching Tool

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What is Self-Advocacy

Get the Job ... Keep the Job!

RTC Media https://youtu.be/sOX3LWUD2_g

RCIL Youth Own! https://youtu.be/GosoTn_D8nY

Life Skills Modeling – Grocery Shopping at Target

Video Modeling (dressing): Shirt On

89rebs https://youtu.be/0TtAsO_FQmE

Stephanie Kovacs https://youtu.be/C_WPWtlfsRQ

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A WORD ABOUT PRIVACY

Several of the apps and websites featured in Learn-Work-Live may ask for personal information from the user. It’s important that all of us respect the need to maintain the privacy of the people we support. In using the apps and tools in Learn-Work-Live, we encourage you to inform people about security issues and not to permanently store sensitive personal information on agencyowned devices. If the individual you are supporting is using their own device, please make sure that they understand the concept of privacy and that the app or website they are using keeps their sensitive personal information safe from the public. Chapter 10, “Social Connections” of Learn-Work-Live provides more information on the importance of keeping one’s personal information private and safe.

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Section 1 - LEARN

Chapter 2 – Learning Through Reading

It is a miracle of the human mind that information stored in words and symbols that make up language can allow us to access the entire world and its knowledge, well beyond our immediate surroundings and time. Without the ability to understand text, a person is limited in their ability to access their community – travelling, shopping, working, connecting with others, etc. This chapter will focus on tools that we can use to improve a person’s reading skills and comprehension and also look at alternate ways that text can be read and understood (text-to-speech and speech-to-text apps). Reading is a skill that needs continual practice. Let’s provide basic readers with simple opportunities to practice this precious skill.

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, Simply Read

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Tar Heel Reader website FREE https://tarheelreader.org/

Tar Heel Reader is a growing library of accessible, beginning level books for emerging readers of all ages.

The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies of the University of North Carolina developed this platform. The site offers regular computer access to books that are being authored by educators, families, and volunteers from around the world. With books for adolescents and adults as well as books for young beginning readers, Tar Heel Reader fills a tremendous need in our efforts to address the literacy learning needs of learners of all ages with disabilities. The user can try to read the simple books on their own or be assisted by having the books read to them online in several voices. Registered users can also submit their own books to Tar Heel Reader for inclusion in their library.

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NEWSELA Website Free https://www.newsela.com

Newsela provides interesting articles on current events. Take any article and read it at five different levels of reading complexity. The stories can also be read aloud while text is highlighted, helping users follow along. Free version – Sign-on as an educator – that’s who we are! We teach, enable, and inspire every day!

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Natural Reader Free iOS App & Android App + Free Extension on Chrome Web Browser https://www.naturalreaders.com/

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37 Section 1 - LEARN

More To Explore

Natural Reader Basic Instructions by The Adaptive Technology Dept. of Owens Community College https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y90hwxI_no Family Engagement in Student Literacy: Technology Tools and Tips to Build Reading Skills https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=D4AA6C1C-36F8-4880-8947-5594BAE84143 Assistive Technology for Reading and Writing: An Overview of Innovative Tools for School, Work, and Home https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=6B4186C4-D04D-41CE-BCD7-810F9893D887 Choosing Reading Tools to Match Reading Material - presented by the Pacer Center https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVSUJ5rD4CfXx1kIkpQ9oqQ/featured Reading Instruction for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities – by Dr. Andy Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY_fmmPhils Reading Supports for Older Adults – presented by ATAC-NJ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk89bBjDQyg

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Chapter 3 – Learning Together

Here are some ideas for learning in group settings that foster social connections and gets us to break down personal barriers and isolation.

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39 Section 1 - LEARN

Chapter 3 – Learning Together

All Together Now! iPads and Group Instruction In Day Services

By design, the iPad is a personal device. But don’t underestimate its power to bring a group of people together! It’s great if each person has access to their own smart device, but that’s not often practical. Also, sometimes it’s good to bring people together and focus on an activity as a group, expanding awareness and understanding.

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40 Section 1 - LEARN

Chapter 3 – Learning Together

All Together Now! iPads and Group Instruction In Day Services

Mirror your iPad content to a large screen – SMART TV, Smartboard via cables or Airplay on Apple TV.

Individual attention becomes group attention!

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All Together Now! iPads and Group Instruction In Day Services

Some ideas…. •

Use Google Earth and Google Expeditions to explore the world. Have people talk about their ancestry and travel to those countries.

•

Build a profile of the group in Book Creator – a person’s picture, self-description, voice.

•

Have one of the group members act as game show host. Bring the iPad to players around the room. Can they “group-solve” a puzzle or word game? Being an MC is a novel experience for many!

•

Give people a chance to practice their reading skills. Newsela has interesting content that can be adjusted to several reading levels to accommodate various skills.

•

After the piece is read, talk as a group about the topic. What was the story about? Did you like it? Did you learn something new?

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, All Together Now LEARN-WORK-LIVE

Section 1 - LEARN

Chapter 3 – Learning Together

Google Assistant Free on All Platforms

Use Google Assistant as a conversation-starter in a group setting. Type or speak your questions. For example, what are interesting local places the group could visit? From that list, arrange the choices around a spinning wheel, like the FREE, Decisions Spin Wheel app (iPhone, iPad –Big Nose, Developer).

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43 Section 1 - LEARN

Chapter 3 – Learning Together Select your trip from the arbitrary spin of the wheel! Now let’s find out more about the place and how to make the most of the trip! Let members of the group be responsible for getting the information that will make the trip a great experience. • What makes this place interesting?

• Is there a place to eat there or do we need to think of other food options?

• When is it open?

• How long will the trip take? When will we get back?

• Do they have tours?

• Can we take pictures? • How much does it cost per person?

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, Learning Every Day LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Chapter 4 – Communication

People communicate in many ways besides their voice. Meaning is also communicated with body language, facial expressions, eye contact and sign language. If a person has difficulty communicating, they often first rely on a third party (parent, teacher, caregiver or other valued member of their circle) who better understands their speech patterns and gestures to act as a translator and connect with others around them. However, as the person with communication issues interacts with their community, this reliance on a third party can really limit a person’s direct connection and experiences with the world. Communication can be helped through the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. They can be as simple as a book of pictures or a word board or sophisticated hitech devices that use computer displays to offer picture or symbol-based word choices, premade phrases and context-specific models (like shopping or emergency needs) that help people interact with their world.

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45 AAC devices hold great potential. If someone you support has communication challenges, then you should try and determine if that person has ever considered or used communication aids in the past.

AAC works most successfully if the person has a support network of people that have received some training in the communication device. Without that support, AAC devices are often abandoned, and the person instead relies upon the translating skills of someone close to them. Consider the person who transitions from high school where he has used an AAC device successfully in his school setting. Sometimes the AAC device will have been paid for by the school district and will remain with the district. A successful transition to the adult world must include the technology, low or high tech, that the person has been using successfully. If it’s an AAC device, we need to work with a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) so that an assessment of communication needs is made, software and device selected, and funding obtained for the device and the support training that will be needed. This assessment must include considering all the contexts of where the person will take device will need the AAC supports – home, work and community. Hi-tech AAC devices, whether just software on an iPad or a separate dedicated device, can be costly and the process of obtaining funding for the purchase and training in the use of the device can be a lengthy process, but it is critical to a person’s connection to their community.

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46 Leaving an AAC device uncharged in an office cabinet or forgetting a person’s word board is the equivalent of putting tape on that person’s mouth. It silences their voice. If one thinks that they can compensate by understanding the person’s gestures an interpreting their limited speech, they are doing a disservice by limiting that person’s potential for a more independent life. Whatever process provides an AAC device for the person, it’s important that it becomes part of their daily life and is used beyond the time of a speech therapy session. To be successful, it must follow the person into all parts of their life and adequate training of support staff is very important for continued use of AAC. This will take patience and discipline from caregivers, as you might anticipate parts of a conversation generated by an AAC device, but you must remember that you are fostering that person’s ability to communicate with new people they meet, who don’t have as much familiarity with the person. The AAC user must be given time to communicate and have the conversation understood by all parties involved.

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Chapter 4 – Communication

AAC: Funded Devices vs. Free or Low Cost Apps – by Laurel Skultety, SLP, Schenectady Arc https://www.dropbox.com/s/0tmjku7mi373xjz/LSAAC%20funded%20Devices%20vs%20Low%20Cost%20 Apps.pdf?dl=0

An Exploration of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices and Tools https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=3F7830DD-635F-4AC7-9497-23ABEB608297

A Recipe for Summer: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=6BDB1EF4-5CF5-4FA3-B70A-B5CDA31F0FD3

William’s Story (this is not an endorsement of the AAC system used in the video, but is just presented here to show the possibilities of AAC devices) https://watch.wave.video/7776e15f23c1c8a44c0eb17b?utm_campaign=Monthly%20Email%20Marketing %20Campaign&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=117900804&_hsenc=p2ANqtz8Zpyt9vTEgvt5OaaciILVrSbNFbc-zOD-O33gtAvnZtq5likzSCGGOe1NuvIOWicN6bvMGW4gZ0jizFnWo7Bi99lJBjknVA3UDBe64L7i7nFVCZM&utm_content=117864042&utm_sou rce=hs_email

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Section II

WORK Contributing to society via paid work or volunteering provides a sense of worth and pride. This section will provide low-tech and hi-tech suggestions for finding a job, getting ready for it and being successful!

Success often involves more than just doing the task at hand. It also involves many social and soft skills such as getting along with supervisors and fellow workers, interacting with customers, problem-solving, punctuality, etc. We have attempted to provide a brief overview of low and hi-tech resources that may provide solutions for these needs.

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Chapter 5 – Preparing for Work or Volunteering

Games to Get Ready for Work Free – iPhone, iPad, Android Developed for Pittsburgh-based Partners4Work by Simcoach Games

Here are some FREE fun apps that help make sure you look good for your job interview are well prepared for it!

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Section II - WORK

Chapter 5 – Preparing for Work or Volunteering

Click HERE for the related webinar recording Work Prep LEARN-WORK-LIVE

Section II - WORK

Chapter 6 – Work Challenges So much of a person’s success at a job depends upon being responsible and practicing good social skills. Here’s a FREE app that challenges your ability to manage your time, finances and social time, while still being on time at work and doing a good job.

JobPro: My Life Free – iPhone, iPad, Android Developed for Pittsburgh-based Partners4Work by Simcoach Games

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Chapter 6 – Work Challenges

Click HERE for the related webinar recording JobPro: My Life

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Chapter 6 – Work Challenges

10 Ways - a Social Skills Game Free iPad Everyday Speech LLC

Pick a Social Skill and one or more players can play the game which provides a Jeopardy-like game board where you can select squares and correct answers.

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Chapter 6 – Work Challenges

MindShift Free -

iPhone, iPad

Android

Anxiety Canada MindShift is a Free, evidenced-based anxiety relief app. Some people will need support to initially guide them through the steps that assesses their feelings, helps them to think about the causes for any anxiety and provides them with various coping mechanisms.

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More to Explore

Transition to Employment: Tools to Help You Find a Job https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=D3D046BD-A65C-4A5D-BE51-35574EB8AB82

Using Technology to Support Executive Function and Focus on the Job https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=1CD8577A-B328-441C-BD96-66C475197E34

Getting and Keeping the First Job https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=166F138D-7899-487D-B1B9-916B2879982E Employability Skills – All Eight Skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGjNI16pxn8

Get the Job ... Keep the Job! https://youtu.be/GosoTn_D8nY

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Section III

LIVE People with cognitive disabilities want to do as much as possible for themselves and be included in the world around them. Think of how you go about your day – getting up, dressing, having breakfast, going out to work, checking e-mail, shopping for food, taking a walk in the park or spending time with friends – these are individual choices and things that give you purpose, self-satisfaction, and a feeling of being connected. We can help support people with cognitive disabilities to have similar opportunities and choices in their daily lives, assisted by low-and hi-tech tools Some common issues that people with cognitive disabilities may have is managing complex tasks, memory issues and long-term planning. Attempting to do for oneself provides learning opportunities and a sense of pride.

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Chapter 7 – Task Management & Schedules

CanPlan Free iPad, iPhone University of Victoria

Breaks complex tasks, such as doing laundry, into component steps. Provides daily and weekly scheduling of tasks. Descriptive photos can be added to schedules and tasks to help user understanding.

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Chapter 7 – Task Management & Schedules

GoalPlanDo Free – iPad – iPhone Schenectady Arc, Developer (a)

Simplified visual step-by-step method for completing a goal. • • • •

Goal Plan Do Review

Provides camera and picture supports and provides a way to share, via print or e-mail, a PDF summary of the project plan. Action steps can be attached to calendar due dates.

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Chapter 7 – Task Management & Schedules

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More to Explore

Apps to Help Young Adults with Disabilities Learn About and Manage Their Money https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=72655C18-D551-41D1-9D01-23DA607D3580

Taking Care of Your Home - Technology to Support Household Tasks https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=BAA624AC-4137-43BB-8D8D-6117232534FF

Taking Care of Meal Planning - Technology for Grocery Shopping, Cooking, and More https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=446EA3FA-F7D8-4B04-8D75-F89A950C17BA

Apps that Support Wellness for All Ages https://www.pacer.org/livestream/?wksp=FCB36F20-7B55-4F6C-AB6A-A2C494370693

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Chapter 8 – Getting Around

Sometimes our focus on the world can be so narrow, but if we try and think in larger terms, it can lead to learning about…

✓ where we live ✓ where we came from ✓ how to get around our world

In this chapter we’ll use free tools that can help us learn more about our world.

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Chapter 8 – Getting Around

Google Earth Free on All Platforms • Interesting activity for any setting, but best if tablet is connected to a large smart TV, projector, or Smart Board. • Helps teach awareness of the world and a person’s surroundings. • A good way to help with directions and orientation! • We don’t often get time to travel, but through Google Earth, we can visit almost anywhere in the world and learn about it! • Just type in an address or name of a landmark or destination and Google Earth takes you there!

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Chapter 8 – Getting Around

Google Earth

You can ask… •

Where do you live? Do you know what places are around your home?

•

How far is your new job from your house?

•

What’s your nationality? Have you ever visited where your relatives came from?

•

Which direction is North? Name the other directions.

•

What is the capital of our state? What is there? Have you ever visited?

•

Would you like to live in a new place? Let’s see what that new town looks like!

•

What places would you like to visit? Why? Have you told people about your wishes?

•

Does anyone use Google Maps or Apple Maps to get around?

Click HERE for the related webinar recording “Google Earth”

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Chapter 8 – Getting Around

I Do in the Community Free - iPad C.E.T. – Center for Educational Technology

An app that helps people learn about activities of daily living that occur in the community – eating out, shopping, health appointments, etc.

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Chapter 8 – Getting Around

I Do in the Community Each activity provides a video of the activity and a picture sequence where you can follow each step of the activity. These segments deal with going out to a café and a visit to a barbershop. You can use the app as is or make your own videos and task sequences to make it personally relevant.

Click HERE for the related webinar recording “I Do in the Community” LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Chapter 9 – Shopping

Going shopping provides many learning opportunities: • Preparing a shopping list • Knowing your budget • Going out into the community, traveling to the store • Interacting with store personnel • Picking out the items on the shopping list • Bringing your purchases home

Although there may be people with arithmetic challenges and limited literacy, the calculator on your device and some of the app resources highlighted here can help many people participate in this important community activity.

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Chapter 9 – Shopping

My Food Basket Free App - Phone, iPad Schenectady Arc

A simple nutrition guide and grocery shopping tool

Click an item and it’s added to your shopping list. This could also be a great way to find out more about a person’s food interests.

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Chapter 9 – Shopping

Seeing AI Microsoft Free App - Phone, iPad, Android Microsoft

This app was developed by Microsoft for people with visual impairments but can help the needs of many people. It can do several things - color identification, handwriting transcription, person description and scenery description, document scanning, short text reader and product scanner. Some people with cognitive limitations have literacy issues and this app can help with that challenge.

Product barcodes can be scanned, and the product described to the user. Scenes and people can be described, which could be helpful with those people that have facial recognition issues.

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, Food Shopping LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Chapter 10 – Social Connections

Through Facebook, Instagram, texting and other online tools, we can stay connected with our family and friends and this is fantastic! However, the online world, just like the physical world, can sometimes be a dangerous place and we always need to make sure we’re all safe and secure!

E-Safety A Safer Online Experience

If you get into trouble online, you’re not alone! Ask for help!

Click HERE for our full PowerPoint presentation on E-Safety! Click HERE for the related webinar recording on E-Safety

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

Creativity is about making connections – expected and unexpected. Each of us view the world in our own unique way and sharing that vision is essential for every person. Let’s expose the people we support to new experiences in art, stories and music and see what connections they all can make! While making holiday crafts is fun, helping people experience new things stimulates the mind and broadens their universe.

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

Art on the Web How many times do people with disabilities get to experience great works of art in a museum? Not many, it’s sad to say. The goal isn’t to develop the next Picasso, but to help people learn to observe, be part of and take notice of this incredible world.

The Internet gives us access to many art collections around the world. Let’s share those incredible resources with the people we support by viewing them on an iPad, or better yet, on a SMART TV or Smart Board.

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

Today:

Lifelong Learning Possibilities: Art on the Web

ver stop e s u f o None …. learning Bring the World to Us!

Show us thin

gs we may n

What do you see? • • • • • • • •

ot have see

n before… • •

serve! b o e m lp cus! He o f e m Help Lady Agnew By John Singer Sargent, 1892

•

Colors of her dress? Colors of the chair? The color of her hair? Who is she looking at? Is she wearing any jewelry? What do you think she is thinking about? Is she happy or sad? Can we look at the person sitting next to us and tell us the colors of their clothes? What makes this painting different from a photo? Anyone want to try and draw a picture of the person next to them? When do you think this painting was made? Is that a long time ago?

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, Art On the Web LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

• Metropolitan Museum of Art • https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection • MoMA – Museum of Modern Art • https://www.moma.org/collection/ • National Gallery of Art • https://www.nga.gov/collection.html

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

The SOAPS: Storytelling Gather a group of people around a table. Ask them: • Have they ever watched a soap opera? What were their favorites? • Do soap operas wrap everything up in one episode? NEVER! • Do you have to be a genius to write a soap opera? NO! • Do you dream about things? Do you have an imagination? • Let’s write our own soap opera!

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

• If someone has writing skills, let them take down the story notes. If there isn’t someone with those skills, then the support staff can be the scribe. Use a simple Word document to record the notes – you can always transfer it to something fancier like PowerPoint or Book Creator. • So – turn on everyone’s imagination…!!!! • Where will the story be set? In the mountains? A big city? Out West? A tropical setting? In the present day or in the past or future? • Find a picture in Google that looks like the setting and save it!

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Chapter 11 – Creativity • Have the group add some characters to the setting (young, old, men, women, professions, teachers, DSPs, lawyers, mechanics)

• Every story must have some conflict - something that needs resolution - balance must be found. • Who do these people interact with? Give prompts for these items, but don’t write the story! Your job is to get everyone thinking, expanding the story.

• After 15 to 30 minutes, wrap up things for the session and take the info gathered and expand it into a basic story, along with any pictures the storytellers have found on Google. And of course, the soap opera NEEDS A NAME! At your next meeting – within a couple of days, have someone read the first installment, then build onto it during your next session. This can be endless, like the real soap operas!

Click HERE for the related webinar recording, The Soaps LEARN-WORK-LIVE

77 E-Scavenger Hunts

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Chapter 11 – Creativity

E-Scavenger Hunt

• Being able to find things on the internet is an important life skill. • Searching on the Internet can be done via voice input or text. How you ask a question is important. • Teach that adding quotes (“ “) or an ampersand (&) can help focus and reduce number of search results. • It’s good to practice basic typing skills or they’ll get lost. • Even if it takes a long time, it’s good to make the effort in typing. Verbal prompts are fine. The QWERTY keyboard can be intimidating! • Typing can be a great fallback for people whose speech is difficult to understand. LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips Tips for Helping People Learn Before a session, take a moment to ground yourself so that you will be available and open to your audience, whether it’s one person or a group. Set other matters aside and be present for them. Connect with Your Audience •

Watch your words. Use language that is simple and jargon-free.

•

Make sure that you give your audience time to hear and understand your message and instructions.

•

Don’t assume full comprehension. Restate your message in different ways and interact with the audience to make sure they understand. Enhance your message with graphics. Some people learn better from images than words.

•

When dealing with different skill sets, don’t make assumptions. For example, if you’re talking about e-mail, ask if anyone has used it. What has been their experience? Why don’t more people in the group have e-mail?

•

Once the task is completed or comprehension is evident, reinforce with appropriate praise – not excessive, not babying, but affirming.

•

Try and put yourself in the shoes of your audience. How are they experiencing the moment? If you’re dealing with a group, read their body language and see signs for awareness and involvement.

•

Ground the learning session in personal experience. “Does anyone like shopping? What do you like to buy? How do you know how much you can afford to spend on the shopping trip?”

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Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips Tips for cont. Some Tips forHelping HelpingPeople PeopleLearn Learn (continued) Before a session, take a moment to ground yourself so that you will be available and open to your audience, whether it’s one personYour or a Session group. Set matters aside and be present for them. Organize to other Support Learning • As best as Your you can, share what’s coming next in the discussion/training so that people have a framework for the Connect with Audience learning session. • Watch your words. Use language that is simple and jargon-free. Followsure theirthat lead – ifgive possible, follow a diversion or capture your audience’s input soand thatinstructions. you can develop another •• Make you your audience time to hear and understand your message learning experience around it. • Don’t assume full comprehension. Restate your message in different ways and interact with the audience to make sure they understand. Plan Opportunities for SkillEnhance Practiceyour message with graphics. Some people learn better from images than words. •• When skill sets, don’t make assumptions. For example, if you’re talking about e-mail, ask if Doing dealing is betterwith thandifferent being passive. •

anyone has used it. What has been their experience? Why don’t more people in the group have e-mail? Role plays are great and break down social barriers in a group

• Once the task is completed or comprehension is evident, reinforce with appropriate praise – not excessive, not • Give them scenarios to practice their skills. babying, but affirming. • Use peers to help in learning. Pair those with more advanced skills with someone who might be struggling. • Try and put yourself in the shoes of your audience. How are they experiencing the moment? If you’re dealing with sets the tone. you don’t appear interested in the session, a group, readYour their enthusiasm body language and see signsIffor awareness and involvement. •

why should your audience pay attention? Ground the learning session in personal experience. “Does anyone like shopping? What do you like to buy? How do you know how much you can afford to spend on the shopping trip?”

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Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips Tips for Virtual Instruction Just because you have a camera and a microphone, that doesn’t mean that your session we be interesting and impactful. You must engage your audience and get used to the lack of immediacy, the distractions, and the inability to clearly read body language and easily assess your audience’s interest level. The lack of presenter/audience interaction can doom any session. Enthusiasm! The presenter must sound interested! If the presenter doesn’t appear to be interested, why should the audience care? Limit distracting background visuals and sounds – turn off ringers, alarms and notifications on your desktop computer, tablets, and smartphones. Be aware of how your visual background appears to viewers. Will the mess on your desk distract from the impact of your message? Is your background too bright, causing your face to be in shadow? Do you have any light source that you can put in front of you to remove shadows? Avoid the ghoulish effect from lighting your face from below. If you’re using a Zoom background, is it making your face darker than the background or making you look like a “cutout”? Put a sign on your door to let others in your household or office know that you’re in a session and should not be disturbed with a knock on your door or calling out your name.

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81 If you can manage it, two screens are best for a desktop presentation. It allows you to have one screen as the audience view and the other as your management screen, showing the PowerPoint presentation along with comments and information on your audience – names, whose video is live, who is unmuted, etc. Make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection. If possible, the presenter should originate the call from a hard-wired Ethernet connection, like a desktop or laptop networked computer. If you can’t do this, move around the site until you find the location for the strongest Wi-Fi signal. If you’re using a PowerPoint or other type of slide presentation, look at the slides and ensure: •

Simple, non-distracting slide design

•

Minimal text on each slide and make sure font is readable. A slide deck shouldn’t be a book or the presentation script.

•

Text should be direct – not everything has to be put into full sentences. Just highlight the main points! Use graphics to emphasize your message

Review online etiquette with participants so that sessions start on time, with limited crosstalk and abundant respect for everyone involved. At the outset, tell people what you’re going to cover, do it, and then recap what you’ve covered in the session. Is the session scheduled for a good time of day, not too early or too late, based upon your audience? Is the session a good length? An hour is a long time to maintain people’s interests. Be human, but don’t make excuses for mistakes – just move on! Don’t dwell on the problem and freeze. Click HERE for our ZOOM Tips recording ▪

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Afterword – We Are Not Alone

Everyday personal technology like tablets, smart phones, smart speakers, smart watches, apps (3 million + !!!) & web resources are an abundance of riches!

No one person or organization can possibly keep track of it all!

Now combine all that with the individual complexities of each person that we support and their individual learning styles and all the things they want to learn and accomplish, then it’s very clear that….

We have to network with each other so that we can all learn together. The odds are good that someone has encountered the challenge that you are trying to solve and already found the solution. Reach out! LEARN-WORK-LIVE

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Afterword – We Are Not Alone

In the following tables, you’ll find many websites and ideas for your exploration of lifelong learning and personal and assistive technology. There has been so much research and practices developed in the area of K-12 education for people with disabilities, but not as much developed for the needs of adults. This provides us a great opportunity to explore and adapt many K-12 practices, in an age-appropriate way, to the world of adults. It’s so important that we all remember that the supports and all the solutions that we develop must be person-centered. Don’t start your exploration with a piece of personal technology or an instructional method. Instead, focus on the person first, their abilities, where they live, what they do now and what they want to do in the future. Help provide them with tools for learning and getting things done.

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Afterword – We Are Not Alone

Dr. Joy Zabala created the SETT Framework to help us discover supports for a person with disabilities. S = Self, the person. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do we know about them? E = Environment. What different environments does the person experience? Home, work, community, etc. T = Tasks. What tasks is the person trying to accomplish? What are the native abilities and the obstacles that the task presents? T = Tools. What tools and training can we suggest that might help them accomplish these tasks?

You’re not alone on this journey! Reach out to others!

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

Website

Access and Inclusion Through Technology

A round up of news from the world of accessible technology Read, Share, Debate and Act

http://www.accessandinclusion.news/#/

Adaptive Technology Dept. of Owens Community College

Resource listings on several text-tospeech reading platforms.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdfFLme2PnJyI_sQ65xh_w/featured

The Arc TechToolbox

A place to find, share, rate and review technology for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities Various AT resources

https://toolbox.thearc.org/

Free SIFTS web-based survey tool for matching a person’s needs & strengths to AT features.

https://sifts.ocali.org/

Assistive Technology Internet Modules

Large number of FREE AT learning modules open to individuals and caregivers. Certification available for modest fee.

https://atinternetmodules.org/

AT3 Center

National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center

https://www.at3center.net/

Assistive Technology & Accessible Educational Materials Center

https://ataem.org

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

Website

Behavior Communicates

Website, weekly blog and YouTube channel by Carla Butorac that regularly provides practical lessons to help promote social skills and communication for students with special needs. Many of the lessons can be successfully used with adults with cognitive disabilities.

Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities

The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities works to https://www.colemaninstitute.org catalyze and integrate advances in technology that promote the quality of life for people with cognitive disabilities and their families.

INDATA Project (Indiana Assistive Technology Act) – Partnership with Indiana & Easterseals Crossroads

FREE trainings

https://www.eastersealstech.com/ FREE trainings

Assistive Technology Update Podcast

Upcoming Trainings https://www.eastersealstech.com/ourservices/fulldaytraining/

Tech Tip videos on INDATA Project YouTube Channel Webinars

https://behaviorcommunicates.com/

Archived Trainings 2013 to 2021 https://www.eastersealstech.com/fulldayar chives/ Tech Tip videos on INDATA Project YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82m LdQHkc8qNUOkhvRvIhA

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

Website

Jane Farrall Consulting

Resources for AAC, Literacy and Assistive Technology

https://www.janefarrall.com/

Andy John, Ph.D. Literacy Instruction Minnesota State University

Literacy instruction for people with intellectual disabilities.

http://www.opdt-johnson.com/

Learning Resources for Our Community

The Arc Westchester developed these links and lesson plans on technology, health, advocacy, reading and much more. Watch for updates! Rich website that covers • Getting started • Access to communication • Access to books • Access to writing • Emergent literacy • Conventional literacy

Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities

YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrAndyJohnson/featured

https://arcwestchester.org/news/learning-resources/

http://literacyforallinstruction.ca/presumedcompetence/

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name Maine CITE

Focus Free AT Trainings

Website https://mainecite.org/ Ongoing & Archived Webinars https://mainecite.org/training/

Missouri Assistive Technology

Great resources, especially in making the world more accessible!

https://at.mo.gov/

Mind of My Own

Self-Discovery & Advocacy

https://mindofmyown.org.uk

NATE NETWORK

Connecting Assistive Technology Specialists in Education

https://www.natenetwork.org/

Missouri AT YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCISQV_R05a7YF EcnmGfG5SA/playlists

Tremendous range of resources for AT, including searchable database.

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

Website

Newsela

News stories of interesting current events available daily. Text can be shown in various levels reading of reading complexity. Text can be read-aloud with word highlighting.

https://www.newsela.com

Nisonger Center at Ohio State Technology Project

FREE - Focus on Smart Home, Remote Supports

https://nisonger.osu.edu/adult/resources/technologyproject/

Oklahoma ABLE Tech

Explanation of the SETT Framework which discusses the person, their environments, the tasks that they want to accomplish and the tools that might help them.

Annual Tech Summit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw5cfo-iCXc

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

PACER Center

Serving as educational resource for people with disabilities and their families. FREE Live Stream events on various AT topics

Website https://www.pacer.org/ Upcoming Workshops/ Live Stream Events https://www.pacer.org/workshops/ Archived Live Stream Events https://www.pacer.org/livestream/archive.asp

Practical AAC

PrAACtical AAC supports a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication and literacy abilities of people with significant communication difficulties.

https://praacticalaac.org

QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology)

FREE listserv that allows you to ask questions about assistive technology to a huge worldwide audience

Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center (ATAC - NJ)

Virtual town Halls every Monday @ 12PM (EST) for a free-flowing discussion exploring effective implementation of AT. They are always welcoming new people who want to learn and contribute to a discussion on everything AT.

https://lsv.uky.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=qiat&A=1& SUBED1=qiat&A=1

Archived Webinars on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs3lf6VRY4tiaVcaD e_iBkQ

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We Are Not Alone Internet Resources Name

Focus

Website

Tar Heel Reader

A growing library of accessible books for beginning level readers of all ages.

https://tarheelreader.org/

Understood

Dedicated to shaping a world where millions of people who learn and think differently can thrive at home, at school, and at work.

https://www.understood.org/

WisTech (Wisconsin’s

WisTech provides information on selecting, funding, installing, and using assistive technology.

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/wistech/index .htm

Assistive Technology

FREE AT videos on their YouTube channel

Program)

Joy Zabala

Developer of the SETT framework

WisTech AT Council YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYEU649U_6i6XKl 3IKDg3_A/videos Wisconsin’s State Plain for Assistive Technology 2018-2020 https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p02162.pdf http://joyzabala.com/Home.php Downloadable slide deck on the SETT Framework http://joyzabala.com/uploads/CA_Kananaskis__SETT_ Horses_Mouth.pdf

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We Are Not Alone Helpful Podcasts Accessibility Minute with Laura Metcalf INDATA Project & Easter Seals Crossroads

Assistive Technology Update with Josh Anderson INDATA Project & Easter Seals Crossroads

Inclusive Designers Podcast See also website: www.inclusivedesigners.com Collaborative forum for designers to share creative ideas for different human conditions.

LOMAH Disability Podcast Series on a variety of topics. Hosted by Kim, the parent of a teenage daughter with multiple needs. Also see website: https://www.lomah.org/ Talking with Tech Rachel Madel & Chris Bugaj. Speech Language Pathologists, discuss supporting complex communication needs with AAC.

Think + Change: TALKS, TRAININGS and TOOLS Quick podcast sessions designed to support training and education about people with I/DD for them, their families, and professionals in their lives. Presented by the Arc Aurora. Also see website: www.thinkchange.training

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Additional Resources Resource

Page

Glossary Accessibility Digital Equity Smart Homes & Remote Monitoring App Listing

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Resource GLOSSARY Term

Definition

Source

(ADLs) Activities of Daily Living

Basic tasks that must be accomplished every day for an individual to thrive. See also IADLs – Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

https://www.kindlycare.com/activities-of-daily-living/

CCN

Complex Communication Needs

https://praacticalaac.org/tag/complex-communication-needs/

IADLs – Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are somewhat more complex than ADLs but nevertheless also reflect on a person’s ability to successfully live more independently.

https://www.kindlycare.com/activities-of-daily-living/

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Resource GLOSSARY UD – Universal Design See also Universal Design for Learning

The design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability

UDL – Universal Design for Learning

The framework to improve https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4&feature=youtu.be and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. • Show information in different ways. • Allow students to approach learning tasks and demonstrate what they know • Offer options that engage students to keep their interest.

http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/

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Resource ACCESSIBILITY

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/

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Resource ACCESSIBILITY https://www.google.com/accessibility/products-features/

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Resource Digital Equity

Digital equity refers to whether people can access and effectively use the technology necessary to participate in modern society.

As advocates for people with cognitive disabilities, it is important that we try to make sure that they have access to the digital world. For too long, people with disabilities were excluded from the physical world and now we have made great strides in making that world more accessible through universal design. The next challenge is to ensure that the digital technology, the “virtual world,” is made accessible to everyone. •

Do they have access to private or public internet resources?

•

Do they have an e-mail account? Gmail and other e-mail services are free! Without an e-mail, how is that person going to connect with possible employers, family, friends, etc.

•

Do they have access to digital resources like tablets or desktop computers?

•

Have they received training to access the digital world?

Click HERE to read the important position statement on Technology and Internet Access adopted by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) which was adopted in 2020.

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Resource Smart Homes & Remote Monitoring We all strive to make all the world more accessible to people with disabilities. If we start at the local level, the home, there are many ways that we can make a home “smart” with personal technology.

•

Smart Speakers, like Amazon’s Alexa, can tell you the weather, remind you of appointments, help you with shopping, recipes and more.

•

Video doorbells can show you who is at your door, increasing your safety.

•

Smart locks eliminate the need for keys by substituting a simple numerical code or opening locks via a Smart Phone.

•

Automated medicine dispensers can ensure timely dosage schedules.

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Induction cooktops help make cooking safer

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Resource Smart Homes & Remote Monitoring

To provide even more independence, there is a growing movement in remote monitoring, where people live by themselves or with a few roommates and are remotely monitored for their safety, with physical staff support provided on a more limited basis. These systems rely on cameras in public areas, movement sensors and more. The advantage is increased independence for the people in these homes and more efficient deployment of direct support professionals. Remote monitoring and smart home devices are together referred to as “enabling technology,” tools that promote more independent living and several state oversight systems are promoting the concept of “Tech First” states, where such technology is used to provide more flexible systems of support, especially in consideration of the nationwide shortage of direct support professionals. This a huge and rapidly expanding area of innovation and this quick overview is meant just to introduce the subject and we encourage you to keep possible opportunities for more independence in mind and work with your team to make this a reality.

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Resource Smart Homes & Remote Monitoring More To Explore TN Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities – Enabling Technology Program https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/enablingtechnology.html#:~:text=Enabling%20Technology%20is%20the%20use,systems%2C %20and%20other%20smart%20devices.

Community Supported Living: Enabling Technology – SimplyHome Systems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkKde58X1sY

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Resource App Listing When searching the Apple App Store, be sure to search with the exact App name or the developer name! These Apps are all free. If you come across a useful PAID app, please refer to your agency’s requirements for payment authorization.

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Chapter 2 – Learning Through Reading 32 Chapter 11 – Creativity

Preface 3 Section III - LIVE

How to Use This eBook 6 Chapter 8 – Getting Around

Chapter 1 – Self-Exploration & Advocacy 11 Chapter 10 – Social Connections

Chapter 3 – Learning Together 38 Chapter 12 – Instructional Tips