SC Statewide Transition Newsletter- September 2019

In This Issue   ·         Details on SC's Annual State Transition Conference ·         Credential Corner ·         Assistive Technology for Job Success ·         Disability Mentoring Day Local/ Regional Events   ·         09/18/2019- Hire Me SC Workshop in Dorchester County Flyer ·         09/26/2019- Assistive Technology Leadership Conference Register ·         10/15/2019- Practical UDL/Personalized Instruction Tools for ALL Students Training Register Keep Up With Us   What is TASC   Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Email

Building Bridges: Constructing and Navigating Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities   South Carolina’s 6th Annual Interagency Transition Conference    November 19-21, 2019 Downtown Greenville, SC    Convene your local transition team and join your peers from across the state for South Carolina’s annual interagency transition team conference.  Conference Registration Link Hotel Accommodations Link **Reserve your room today (Space is Limited)**   GENERAL SESSIONS Eric Rowles of Leading to Change Youth from Charleston’s Leadership Academy State Transition Leadership Updates Sessions will include information and resources for improving practices and programs that support youth with a variety of transition service needs. Sessions meeting the information needs of teachers and practitioners helping students work toward the SC High School Credential will also be highlighted. A wide range of topics will be covered including: career preparation community-based employment experiences school based enterprises self-determination student leadership parent engagement drop-out prevention strategies Project Search! Download Flyer         Credential Corner (SCOSES)   The SC Office of Special Education Services is pleased to announce the newly state adopted South Carolina High School Credential Essentials of Technology Course as well as Cross-Walking Guidance that will assist IEP teams and public school personnel in the decision-making process necessary when a high school student, who has an IEP, is transitioning from one course of study to another or from out of state and that transition involves the credential course of study. Click on the links to learn more.   SCHSC Technology Coursework   SCHSC Cross-Walking Guidance   For access to these resources and more visit the SC High School Credential Website     We know there is a lot of great High School Credential work going on in South Carolina! Please share it with your colleagues across the state! Click below to send your shining stories to: transition@uscmed.sc.edu     Assistive Technology for Job Success (SCATP)   Assistive Technology (AT) is anything that improves or increases functional capabilities. It can be a device or software that makes the workplace accessible or the job easier to do. Who uses AT at work? We all do! Using a computer rather than paper and pen, walking on a ramp into a building, or completing an organized list of tasks are all ways we use AT. For many employees, it makes our job easier; for employees with disabilities, it makes the job possible. Some employees with disabilities need more than what is usually found at the work site. This is not a problem, as there are lots of solutions available to make buildings and offices more accessible. Buildings can be more accessible by adding ramps, automatic doors, and additional lighting. Bathrooms can be more accessible by widening doors using swing-away hinges and adding grab bars and raised toilet seats. To help an employee with organization, it’s best to start with the technology the employee already has. Most phones come with reminder, calendar, and note apps. These are incredibly useful tools to make sure tasks are completed before they are due, work days are started on time, and task details are not forgotten. Additional tools are available such as pens that record audio and apps that can provide audio and photos of individual steps in a task. Reading can be facilitated by software and apps that read text out loud. Apps are available that take a picture of text and read it so the employee can listen. Writing can be accomplished efficiently with pen grips, speech-recognition software and more. Speech recognition is built into all Macs and PCs. Employees who are blind can use devices, apps and screen-readers that read text out loud. For employees with low vision, there are many devices like CCTVs, handheld video magnifiers, low tech magnifiers, and even devices that can be worn or attached to glasses. Communicating by phone can be a challenge for employees with hearing loss. Amplified phones are available for people who need amplification for phone conversations. Phone Relay apps are available for tablets. For employees with difficulty communicating verbally, there are a wide variety of voice output communication devices to choose from, including communication apps for phones and tablets. These devices can be accessed using eye gaze, touch screen, or switch. Computer use is possible for some employees by typing with an adapted keyboard or using an adapted mouse. Adapted keyboards come in many shapes and sizes and some do not even have keys. Adapted mice can be configured to be used by just about any part of the body, even the eyes! For assistance finding what works best for any employee, contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at 803-935-5263 or carol.page@uscmed.sc.edu Demonstrations are provided for free in our Resource Center located in Columbia. We offer free loans of equipment for two to four weeks so employee and employer know it’s a good fit.     Disability Mentoring Day (SCVRD)   Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is an annual event coordinated by The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to promote career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships. Each year, local VR offices host a DMD event during the month of October.  These activities provide pre-employment transition services through job exploration, self-advocacy, workplace readiness, and work-based learning opportunities.   Be sure to check with your local VR Counselor to find out what exciting things will be happening for students this year and how you can participate.  You can also find more information on the VR events page, as they are added, by visiting https://scvrd.net/events/ To learn more about AAPD or DMD on the national level, visit their website at https://www.aapd.com/disability-mentoring-day/

Services of the SC Assistive Technology Program (SCATP)



Assistive technology can be a powerful tool in a student’s life. AT for students can be a device, software, apps, even adapted toys. We work with your staff and students with reading and writing disabilities and students with multiple disabilities. Having access to assistive technology in the classroom has the potential to greatly improve or increase a student’s functional capabilities, and SCATP staff are here to help you find the assistive technology that best meets the needs of your students. There are many free and low cost items available that can make a big difference!

SCATP has a demonstration center in Columbia, SC where we provide free demonstrations, offering hands-on trials with the most comprehensive inventory of AT items in the state. At the end of the demonstration, we can offer a free, short-term device loan. The loan allows the student to try the assistive technology to make sure it is a good fit before a decision is made to purchase.

SCATP staff are available to offer free assistive technology trainings on the topic of your choice to school district staff.

To find out more about our services visit our website at scatp.med.sc.edu/. We look forward to helping you meet the assistive technology needs of your students during the upcoming school year.  

For more information, please contact:

Tammy Wallace,

Program Coordinator
803-935-5276

tammy.wallace@uscmed.sc.edu

or

Carol Page, PhD, CCC-SLP,

Program Manager
803-935-5301

carol.page@uscmed.sc.edu

New dates added for free online leadership class!

Registration is now open for the

2019 online

Community Leadership Academy!

Are you a person with a disability?

Are you interested in participation on

boards, committees, and councils,

but you're unsure where to start?

Register for CLA!

And what is CLA?

CLA will give you the tools and resources necessary to effectively participate in a leadership role. Session topics include: community leadership, functions of a nonprofit board, government committees & councils, financial review, disability rights, networking, and effective communication.

No leadership experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and help your community! We will teach you the rest.

WHEN:

Six online sessions
September 23 to October 28, 2019
Every Monday from 10 AM to 12 PM

(may end sooner depending on session)

We can also come to you!

Contact Dori Tempio at 803-779-5121

 or dtempio@able-sc.org

to bring CLA to your group.

Build your confidence as a leader.

Register here!

Able South Carolina
720 Gracern Road Suite 106 | Columbia, South Carolina 29210
803.779.5121 | advocacy@able-sc.org 

Free 2019 Leadership Conference for K-12

2019 Assistive Technology

Leadership Conference

Date: September 26, 2019
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE (lunch will be on your own from noon to 1:30 p.m.)
Location: Wingate by Wyndham Hotel in Lexington, 108 Saluda Pointe Court, Lexington, SC 29073 (Directions)
Target Audience: SC Public School District Special Education Directors, School Administrators, AT Team Leaders, and AT Team Members

REGISTER NOW!

The Assistive Technology Leadership Conference is designed to provide resources, networking and support to SC school district assistive technology leaders and teams. Join us for a full day filled with opportunities to collaborate, share and expand your knowledge of assistive technology best practices for program implementation. Participants will receive information to assist with leading the way to excellence in Assistive Technology Services.

Conference Facilitator: Madalina Tudora is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional and experienced educator, currently serving as an Assistive Technology Specialist for the SC Department of Education. She worked and studied in Europe, earning her undergraduate degree in Special Education from the University of Bucharest, Romania, and her graduate degree in Psychology from Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest.

Free Universal Design for Learning workshop

Practical UDL/Personalized Instruction Tools

for ALL Students!

Date: October 15, 2019
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Cost: Free
Location: SC Assistive Technology Program, Poplar Conference Room, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203 (Directions)

REGISTER NOW!

As many as two-thirds of students in classrooms today score below proficiency in reading and STEM.  This includes students who speak English as a second language, students with disabilities, and many other students who  do not yet possess the skills needed to meet today’s rigorous standards.  While today’s digital environments provide great tools for presentation of materials, many lack STEM and literacy supports needed by these students.

In this session, attendees will see a demonstration of Read&Write for Google Chrome and EquatIO, powerful programs with over 20 million users.  These ELA and STEM-focused products work with BOTH Office 365 as well as G-Suite programs. Participants will learn more about common technology supports such as text-to-speech, word prediction, dictation, text and picture dictionaries, annotations… and more… that can help ALL students and especially those who struggle with reading and writing.  These tools can be used through the Chrome, Edge, Explorer browsers on PCs, Macs, IPads and Chromebooks.

Participants will:

• Learn to accommodate different learning styles using tools from the Read&Write and EquatIO Toolbars
• Create customized vocabulary lists and study guides
• Find new resources for accessing digital text
• Learn how to access a “Free for Teachers” account

Free training about helping kids learn

Creating Optimal Listening Environments

For Learning

Date: September 19, 2019
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Cost: FREE
Location: SC Assistive Technology Program, Poplar Building Conference Room, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 20203 (Directions)
Limit: 20

REGISTER NOW!

Participants will learn how classroom noise affects the learning process for children.  Attendees will also learn how the distance from the teacher, softness of the vocal signal, echoes in the room & interfering background noise will affect learning.  You will understand how classroom audio systems provide a complement to the acoustical environment and together they will greatly increase scholastic success.

The discussion will conclude with a look at various types of classroom audio systems composed of wireless microphones, amplifiers and speakers that are available for various types of classroom design and teacher preferences.  We will also discuss the trend in current teaching methods and how classroom audio benefits the learning process and classroom management.

Help us help others!

In preparation for Hurricane Dorian,

we are collecting donations of

gently used durable medical equipment and assistive technology.

Please consider donating!

 

All donations received will help those in need.

 

Please email Alli Upchurch

or call 803-935-5273 for more information,

to schedule a donation drop off,

or to arrange a donation pick up.

Hurricane Dorian: Assistive Technology help

Hurricane Dorian is approaching!

Are you prepared?

SCATP is here when you need durable medical equipment and assistive technology after a disaster. We also want to help you be prepared for disaster before it happens.

 

Here are some quick tips to prepare for an emergency:

• Make sure all assistive technology, including cell phones, communication devices, and wheelchairs, are fully charged. Have extra batteries ready.
• Identify accessible transportation in the event of an evacuation.
• Create an emergency kit that includes assistive technology devices or medical equipment that you may need. For a complete guide on how to prepare for an emergency, visit: https://www.ready.gov/individuals-access-functional-needs
• Download the SC Emergency Manager, the official app of South Carolina Emergency Management Division, to help prepare for emergencies:

 

Apple App Store

Google Play

If you need durable medical equipment,

please contact Alli Upchurch at SCATP

at 803-935-5273

or alli.upchurch@uscmed.sc.edu.