Free Workshop: Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers

 Free Workshop: Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers

Date: Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Location: 
SC Assistive Technology Program
Poplar Building Conference Room
Midlands Center,
8301 Farrow Road,
Columbia, SC

Presenter:
Dave Butler, Senior Educational Support Specialist, Don Johnston Inc.

Description: Assistive technology has been used with students with low incidence disabilities for years, but what about students with high incidence disabilities?  More students with disabilities are being included in the general education classroom than ever before, but according to the National Center of Learning Disabilities (NCLD.org), 64% of students with disabilities are reading AT LEAST three grades below grade level.  This workshop will review assistive technology tools for students with dyslexia, autism, dysgraphia, Down syndrome and other diverse physical and learning disabilities.  We will discuss how digital text can help individuals overcome barriers to opportunity.  Proven tools and resources will be explored including:

Start-to-Finish Online Accessible Library

Snap&Read 

Read:OutLoud 6

We will cover ways to meet the needs of struggling writers by exploring a variety of technology tools including Co:Writer and  Write:OutLoud.

Free sources for activities, templates, lesson plans and ready-made files will be shared to help you quickly integrate Don Johnston products into your classroom for more literacy learning success!

Cost:  Free, but pre-registration is required.

Space is limited to 15 participants.

To register for this workshop:

• Complete the Struggling Readers and Writers online registration form
• For questions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Assistive Technology Training at Georgia Tech

Please Join Us for a Training

 Making Augmentative and Alternative 

Communication (AAC) a Reality: From 

Assessment to Funding

 Hosted by: Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology Act Program

Wednesday November 14, 2012
9:00AM to 4:00PM
Georgia Tech Centergy Building - 3rd Floor Hodges Room
75 Fifth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308

Click here for directions.

This session will address current approaches and challenges to providing appropriate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services to people with complex communication needs, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. During this time we will also discuss strategies for addressing funding barriers specifically in Georgia. 

PRESENTERS:

• Amy S. Goldman, Co-executive Director of the Institute on Disabilities, Director of the Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology, University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Temple University
• Naomi Walker, Program Director, Georgia Advocacy Office

AGENDA:

9:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM           
Welcome and Introductions - Carolyn Phillips and Liz Persaud, Tools for Life
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM         
Background; Communication Bill of Rights
10:15 AM - 11:30 AM        
Functional communication:  Implications for assessment and intervention
11:30AM - 12:00PM          
Providing appropriate services to people with complex communication needs, especially individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM         
Break for Lunch on Your Own
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM          
Making Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) a Reality - Funding Speech Generating Devices – Amy Goldman, Temple University and Naomi Walker, Georgia Advocacy Office
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM          
Resources for learning more about AAC
2:50 PM - 3:50 PM          
Tools for Life Assistive Technology Device Demonstrations and Show & Tell - Carolyn Phillips and Martha Rust, Tools for Life
3:50 PM - 4:00 PM          
Wrap up and Training Evaluation - Carolyn Phillips, Tools for Life

SPEAKERS:
Amy S. Goldman is the co-executive director of the Institute on Disabilities, University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Temple University. She directs Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology, the Commonwealth’s “Assistive Technology (AT) Act” Program and other statewide assistive technology-related programs and services. As a licensed speech-language pathologist, Amy’s career has focused on the area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and especially, access to AAC for people with developmental disabilities. Amy is the immediate past chair of the steering committee of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Special Interest Group on AAC.

Naomi Walker, J.D., is an attorney with the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO).  She has worked for 17 years with the Assistive Technology program (PAAT) at the GAO.  In this capacity, Naomi has worked with and on behalf of individuals who are in need of equipment, including augmentative communication devices.  She has guided people so that they can be their best advocates and worked towards breaking down barriers for people.

If you have any questions about this training, accommodations or need more information please contact, Liz Persaud at liz.persaud@gatfl.gatech.edu or 404-385-6573.

We look forward to seeing you there!

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

ATAC Meeting Tuesday, November 13th, SCVRD

The SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee is meeting at SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department, Laffitte Room at the State Office (the two-story building)  Tuesday, November 18^th from 9:30 am  to 12 noon. SCVRD is located at 1410 Boston Avenue in West. Directions to the Laffitte Conference Room are at the end of this message.

We hope to see you there! If you're planning to attend, it would really help for you to email me that you’re coming.

In addition to the regular items on the agenda, Janet Jendron will present an overview of laws that affect IT and Web Accessibility.

Please look at the ATAC website and let us know what you’d like to see included: http://accessibility.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx

I’d also like to call your attention to the web accessibility resources on SCATPs website.

Janet Jendron
SC Assistive Technology Program
SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee
Chair, Web Accessibility Committee

Directions to the Laffitte Conference Room, SCVRD

From downtown Columbia:

Drive EAST on I-26 (toward Charleston)

Exit at Airport/Highway 302/Exit 113

At the end of the exit ramp, turn RIGHT onto Highway 302, toward the airport

Travel 6/10 mile and turn RIGHT onto Boston Avenue. There's a Lizard's Thicket Restaurant at this intersection.

Drive a half mile on Boston Avenue, past the first large Vocational Rehabilitation sign

Take the SECOND RIGHT after the sign, onto New Hope Avenue. There is large brick signage flanking the New Hope Avenue entrance.

Turn LEFT into the big parking lot before you reach the circle/flagpole.

Park anywhere; there is no reserved parking. Overflow parking is available nearby.

Walk into the State Office Building at the double doors, and turn RIGHT immediately to find the Laffitte Room.

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War

Currently on Display at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library

October 10 - December 1, 2012

The perspectives of surgeons, physicians, and nurses are richly documented in the history of Civil War medicine, which highlights the heroism and brutality of battlefield operations and the challenges of caring for the wounded during wartime. Yet the experiences of injured soldiers during the conflict and in the years afterwards are less well-known.

Soldiers at Armory Square Hospital, Washington, D.C., 1860s

More than three million soldiers fought in the war from 1861-1865.  More than half a million died, and almost as many were wounded but survived. Hundreds of thousands were permanently disabled by battlefield injuries or surgery, which saved lives by sacrificing limbs.  Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War explores the experiences of disabled Civil War veterans who served as a symbol of the fractured nation and a stark reminder of the costs of the conflict.  

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Free Workshop: Amplify Life - How to get specialized phone equipment FREE

“AMPLIFY ! LIFE” - Grab Life by the Phone. 

How to get specialized phone equipment FREE

Date: Friday, November 9, 2012
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am
Location: Assistive Technology Resource Center, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203

Presenter: Jordyn Funderburk, Outreach Coordinator, South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program (SCEDP)

Cost: There is no fee to register for this class, but pre-registration is required.

Registration: Complete the Amplify Life! Grab Life by the Phone online registration form. Attendance is limited to 15.

Description: 
SCEDP is a state supported, non-income based program managed by the SC Office of Regulatory Staff and administered by the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.

SCEDP is aware of the daily challenges facing individuals who are hearing or speech impaired. Telecommunications equipment distributed by SCEDP is carefully chosen to cover various needs and is distributed at no cost to qualifying South Carolinians. Qualifying disabilities are: hard-of-hearing, deaf, deaf-blind, blind/low vision with hearing loss, or speech impaired.

Emphasis is placed on helping individuals become more independent through use of this free, state supported program. SCEDP classes are presented on PowerPoint to facilitate a stress-free learning environment for attendees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

ASL interpreters are available upon request.

For questions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Free Workshop: Overview of Unity Language for Life

Overview of Unity Language for Life

When:          Friday, November 16, 2012

Time:            8:30am – 1:00pm

Presenter:   Sandy Baldwin, Prentke Romich Company

Location:    Poplar Conference Room, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

ASHA CEUs: 0.4

Cost:  Free, but pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 15 participants. 

Registration: Go to  http://www.prentrom.com/training/view?id=QZAP5A04FC6J

This course focuses on the features of Unity 144, Unity 84, Unity 60 and Unity 45 (Accent, Vantage Lite, ECO). Participant will review overlays and icon features/functions, Unity Pattern 1 (verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs), Unity Pattern 2 (pronouns), Unity Pattern 3 (statements and questions), Unity Pattern 4 (noun categories), Unity Pattern 5 (grammar parts), and strategies for teaching Unity vocabularies.

Devices for this training are not required. If you choose to bring a device or laptop computer, please bring a Vantage, Vantage Lite, Vanguard, ECO, SpringBoard, SpringBoard Lite, Accent 1200, or laptop computer pre-loaded with PASS Software. All software versions are welcome. If you want to use a Mac laptop you will need a Windows 7 emulator with PASS installed. iPads are not compatible with this software.

For questions about location or directions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at 803-935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

For questions about workshop content or CEUs, contact Prentke Romich Company at 800-262-1984

Note:  Please follow the directions to the Poplar Conference Room in the link above.  GPS or Google maps will not direct you to the specific building or conference room, but only to the general area or campus.

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Free Webinar: How to create Accessible Documents using Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint

      

Free Webinar!

How to Create Accessible Documents using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Thursday, December 6, 2012

9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Trainer: Matt Polkowsky, Web Content Coordinator, Bureau of Air Quality, S.C. DHEC, with input from assistive technology users.

Sponsored by the SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee, the SC Assistive Technology Program and the SC Commission for the Blind.

Register early! Space is limited.

Register online at http://www.sc.edu/scatp/trainingschedule.html

This two-hour Webinar will review the basics of creating accessible documents using Microsoft Office programs Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. We'll explore accessibility issues common to each of these programs, as well as unique situations for each one. You'll be able to follow the creation of these documents and participate on your own computer, performing the tasks while listening to the instructor. Sample documents will be emailed to you when you confirm your registration.

This information is useful for anyone who uses Word, Excel or PowerPoint, not just Information Technology professionals. It is useful for both PC and Mac users.

We encourage everyone (e.g., people in higher education settings) to host the Webinar in a computer lab, to enable more people to use individual computers in a group setting.

A conference call number will be provided to registrants who want to be part of the half-hour discussion after the presentation (11:30 to noon).

We will cover:

·         Images and Alternative Text

·         Hyperlinks, Lists

·         Tables and Charts

·         Layout using Styles and Formatting

·         Slide Layouts

·         Use of Outline and Notes Panels

Required Software: Word, Excel and PowerPoint in

·         Office 2002-2003 or

·         Office 2007 or

·         Office 2010

·         or the trial versions of the above

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Sensory Friendly Films

Don't miss the next Sensory Friendly Film!

Wreck-It Ralph

November 10, 2012

10 a.m. local time  

AMC Theatres (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the "Sensory Friendly Films" program.

In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing - in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden^®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

Did you go to one of our previous Sensory Friendly Flims? Tell us what you thought!

Tickets are $4-6 depending on location and can be purchased on the day of the event.

Upcoming Shows 

November 10 - Wreck-It Ralph
December 8 - Rise of the Guardians 

*Please note all dates and films are subject to change

Never miss a movie!

Sign up for the Autism Society's free e-newsletter for updates on upcoming Sensory Friendly Films, as well as the latest info on autism news, advocacy, research, education, conferences and resources!

For those of us in South Carolina, 

AMC Dutch Square 14

421 Bush River Rd., Unit 80, Columbia, S.C. 29210

Can a Pill Treat Autism?

Can a Pill Treat Autism?

A new crop of drugs aim, for the first time, at the core symptoms of this disorder

By Alla Katsnelson

     Until now, attempts at treating autism have been limited to drugs that target peripheral symptoms such as anxiety, aggression and repetitive behaviors. But researchers hope that data from a crop of new drugs in development will allow them, for the first time, to treat an underlying mechanism of the condition, potentially helping those with autism to communicate.

     The majority of autism cases are idiopathic, meaning that researchers have yet to understand their cause. But some animal studies of autism have pointed to signaling problems in the brain. Targeting those signaling problems, some researchers think, may ameliorate autism symptoms once thought to be intractable.  Researchers have gleaned some of this information by studying a handful of diseases caused by single-gene glitches that can result in autism. Such disorders account for about 15 to 20 percent of autism cases, says Geraldine Dawson, scientific director of Autism Speaks. In fragile X, which causes autism in a significant number of cases, the points of contact between neurons contain too much glutamate, a chemical messenger that transmits excitatory signals.  

      Still, big questions remain. Thus far, researchers have had little success designing drugs that target glutamate without side effects. And should the drugs work, researchers will still need to determine at what age they would be most beneficial, because autism begins early in development. But the results of Seaside's trials and those of similar drugs in the pipeline, Dawson says, “are going to be a huge step to understanding what the path to discovery is going to be.”

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association is Looking for Volunteers

We Couldn't Move Without the Help of 

Angels

On Saturday, November 17 the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association will be moving. Our new, bigger office space will be in the same building as the Disability Action Center  in Columbia.  We'll update everyone on our new address once we move. In the meanwhile, I want to thank the "angels" who are contributing in special ways to make the move possible. So thanks to:

Susan Newman, Board Member - Providing drinks for volunteer movers
David Rogers, Board Member - Providing snacks for volunteer movers
John Shuford, DSS Medical - Donating four mult-line phones

Our Moving Crew:
Angela Jacildone and family
Diane Epperly and family
The Harvest Northeast Youth Group
Kathy and David Connors
JJ Jonas
Maris Burton
Craig Hairston
Shawn Reeves
Sherwood Toatley and family
Rafe Ellisor and Family

The more volunteer movers we have the quicker we can get the job done.
So if you or anyone you know is willing to volunteers a few hours of time
the morning of November 17, please contact Diane Epperly at diane@scspinalcord.org. 

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

CDR Library November Newsletter!

The Center for Disability Resource Library Newsletter is now available online!

In it you will find:

• Spotlights on new additions to the library
• Information about Life and Limb, the exhibit currently on display at the South Carolina School of Medicine Library
• Inspiring quotes, entertaining comics and more!

To check out the current newsletter, click here or on the title.

To see previous editions of the CDR Library Newsletter, click here.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link. 

Register Now for the 27th National Training Institute!

Zero to Three's 27th National Training 

Institute Leading-Edge Early Childhood 

Science, Policy,and Practice

Wednesday, November 28th - Saturday, December 1st, 2012

Pre-Institute Wednesday, November 28th

JW Marriott L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California

The only multidisciplinary training event expressly for experienced infant-family professionals.

Six general sessions

80 breakout sessions

Five robust, interactive pre-institutes

CME for health care providers

Extensive networking opportunities

To read more or to register, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Is Your Polling Place Accessible To People With Disabitilies?

POLLING PLACE SURVEY

IS YOUR POLLING PLACE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

PLEASE COMPLETE A SURVEY WHEN YOU VOTE!

Print the survey PA Polling Place Accessibility Survey,  fill in the form, and

• Mail survey by folding and sending it by US Mail (postage is pre-paid);
• Fax it to P&A at 803-790-1946; or
• Scan the survey and email to P&A at info@pandasc.org; or

Using your computer, I-Pad or Smart Phone access the survey at    https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YMWCNGT Then complete the survey and click on “Done” and the data will be sent to P&A.

To read more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.