ScienceDaily (Feb. 13, 2009) — When someone speaks to you, do you see what they are saying? We tend to think of speech as being something we hear, but recent studies suggest that we use a variety of senses for speech perception - that the brain treats speech as something we hear, see and even feel.
The San Francisco Chronicle (Feb. 18, 2009) -- Researchers at biotechnology giant Genentech and the Salk Institute have discovered a new mechanism of nerve-cell death that might play a role in Alzheimer's disease, opening the door to a fresh array of possible tactics to battle the devastating neurodegenerative illness.
A protein long suspected as the culprit behind the brain disorder might actually release not just one, but two components that can cause nerve cells to self-destruct. In theory, the breakdown of the protein, called APP for short, could unleash a double whammy of harmful effects on nerve cells.
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2009) — The day that robot playmates help children with autism learn the social skills that they naturally lack has come a step closer with the development of a system that allows a robot to monitor a child's emotional state.
ScienceDaily (Feb. 16, 2009) — Children born in areas with increased traffic-related pollution may be at greater risk of developing asthma due to genetic changes acquired in the womb, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
In a study of umbilical cord blood from New York City children, researchers have discovered evidence of a possible new biomarker—an epigenetic alteration in the gene ACSL3—associated with prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These chemical compounds are created as byproducts of incomplete combustion from carbon-containing fuels, resulting in high levels in heavy-traffic areas. Exposure to PAHs has been linked to diseases such as cancer and childhood asthma.
Researchers say this finding provides a potential clue for predicting environmentally related asthma in children—particularly those born to mothers who live in high-traffic areas like Northern Manhattan and South Bronx when pregnant.
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009) — Eating a Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with less risk of mild cognitive impairment—a stage between normal aging and dementia—or of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Among behavioral traits, diet may play an important role in the cause and prevention of Alzheimer's disease," the authors write as background information in the article. Previous studies have shown a lower risk for Alzheimer's disease among those who eat a Mediterranean diet, characterized by high intakes of fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals and unsaturated fatty acids, low intakes of dairy products, meat and saturated fats and moderate alcohol consumption.
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009) — Using injections of a small derivate of the protein insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), scientists at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have successfully treated a mouse model of the devastating neurological disorder Rett syndrome.
Rett syndrome is an inherited disease affecting one of 10,000 girls born and is the most common basis of autism in girls. Infants with the disease appear to develop normally for their first six to 18 months, at which point their movement and language skills begin to deteriorate. Loss of speech, reduced head size, breathing and heart rhythm irregularities, and autistic-like symptoms are common by age four. Some symptoms may be mediated with prescription drugs, but no cure or truly effective treatment for the disease exists.
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Return to the Expo 09 page Sponsored by the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program at the USC School of Medicine Center for Disability Resources, the SC Department of Education, the SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, the SC Association for Educational Technology, Mid-Carolina AHEC, Inc., and the SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee, Division of State Information Technology (DSIT), SC Budget and Control Board.South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Columbia, South Carolina
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARYSession 1 – 9:30 – 10:30 am
The Real World:
Demonstrations of how assistive technology is used to access web pages, and common barriers experienced by users. Facilitated by Janet Jendron: Demonstrations by Clay Jeffcoat (JAWS), Sam Creech (Headmouse and Augmentative Communication), Grace Strother (ZoomText). Jonathan Cruce, SCVR (Technical Support and Challenges)E-books!
Free e-book resources. Using them to help build language and literacy skills. How text can be speech-enabled and accessed online, downloaded or used with readily available text readers. Bookshare, Microsoft Reader, University of Virginia ebooks, Browser Books and CAST UDL Book Builder. Mary Jo Schneider, Stacy Springer, Susan Maloney, AT Specialists, SC Department of EducationAssistive Technology, Supported Living and Employment:
Focus on individuals over the age of 18 with Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Intellectual disabilities, and Autism. Meghan Trowbridge, Susan Davis, Kristi Hartwell, Supported Community Living Initiative, USC Center for Disability ResourcesWorkplace Strategies and Solutions for People with Learning Disabilities:
AT strategies and solutions that have worked to promote success in the workplace. Overview of word prediction, screen reading, speech input, handheld technologies, GPS solutions, ergonomics and customized employment approaches. Carolyn Phillips and Liz Persaud, Georgia Tools for LifeRecycling and Reutilization in SC:
Overview of SC opportunities for pickup, delivery, and online services to get and provide used assistive technology. Overview of the STAR network services, Portlight Strategies Services, and the online SC AT Exchange, Paul Timmons (Portlight), Tiffany Johnston (Walton Options, STAR), Catherine Graham (SC AT Exchange)Session 2 – 11:30 – 12:30 am
Ideas to Layout:
Beginning web layout using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Basic ideas, practices, tools and resources for designing a tableless web site using CSS. How CSS affects a site's accessibility and usability. CB Averitt, Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeCortical Visual Impairment:
A Look at what it is, who has it, and what we can do about it. Designing treatment strategies, selecting materials, and engineering therapy activities to support individuals with CVI. Sharon Steed, AnMED HealthAT Consideration for Students in K-12 School Systems:
Comparison of consideration vs. assessment? Five-step process on thoughtful consideration of whether or not students with disabilities require AT. Ways for the IEP team to accomplish this at every meeting. Sue Maloney, Stacy Springer, Mark Daniels, AT Specialists, SC Department of EducationAssistive Technology for Computer Access:
Overview and demonstration of high and low tech methods and technology used for computer access by persons with physical disabilities. Carolyn Phillips and Liz Persaud, Georgia Tools for LifeAssistive Technology and Employment Options: How AT helps returning to or continuing employment:
Wheel chair accessibility and workplace modifications. SCVR’s Telework Program. Barbara Jolly, Tom Jackman, SC Vocational RehabilitationSession 3 – 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Basics of Web Accessibility and Usability:
What makes web pages inaccessible to people who use assistive technology due to disabilities or age-related limitations? Tools for designing accessible and usable web sites. Wendy Mullin, USC, Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Midlands Technical CollegeLow-tech seating and positioning solutions for real-life situations:
Seating needs of children including those with autism, attention deficit disorder, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down Syndrome. Interactive problem solving for seating challenges. Review of a wide variety of low tech seating systems. Kathy Ganley, Abundant Life Physical TherapyAugmentative and Alternative Communication Devices and Strategies for Adults with Communication Problems:
Issues and communication problems unique to the adult population. Low tech strategies and multimodal communication systems. Carol Page O’Day, SCATPPost Secondary Education and AT:
New L.I.F.E. programs at USC, Clemson, and Coastal Carolina University and the impact of assistive technology as it relates to the students success. Meghan Trowbridge, Supported Community Living Initiative, USC Center for Disability Resources, Emma Savage-Davis and Gayle Disney, Coastal Carolina UniversityAssistive Technology Solutions for People with Degenerative Neurological Disorders (DND):
Basics of the process for people with permanent stable and permanent degenerative DND (e.g., Huntington’s Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, AIDS, stroke). AT Solutions, the HEAaT Model, and team approaches. Resources and Funding. Carolyn Phillips and Liz Persaud, Georgia Tools for Life
Read biographies of our presenters
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
ScienceDaily (Feb. 3, 2009) — A Northwestern University-led research team reports that insulin, by shielding memory-forming synapses from harm, may slow or prevent the damage and memory loss caused by toxic proteins in Alzheimer's disease.
Pacesetter (Winter 2009) -- New regulations of the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) became effective Dec. 31, 2008. IDEA provides a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities.
ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2009) — An extensive new review summarizes the many studies refuting the claim of a link between vaccines and autism. The review, in the February 15, 2009 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and now available online, looks at the three main hypotheses and shows how epidemiological and biological studies refute these claims.
The Observer (Jan. 25, 2009) -- Group therapy sessions are to be introduced to classrooms to help adolescents avoid succumbing to depression. More than 7,000 teenagers, aged between 13 and 16, will take part in the £1m government-funded trial.
BBC News (Jan. 18, 2009) -- A Glasgow team is to launch a major trial to assess whether stem cells can be used to treat stroke patients, the BBC has learned.
ScienceDaily (Jan. 7, 2009) — UCLA scientists have used innovative brain-scan technology developed at UCLA, along with patient-specific information on Alzheimer's disease risk, to help diagnose brain aging, often before symptoms appear. Published in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, their study may offer a more accurate method for tracking brain aging.