Ambidextrous Children at Higher Risk for Learning Problems

Ambidextrous children are more likely to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), problems with language and schoolwork, and other mental health issues than right-handed children, new research suggests.

Children are considered ambidextrous if neither hand is dominant, where they switch between using the right and left hands for activities such as eating or writing, or they use their right hand for certain activities and the left for others.

At age 8, children who were "mixed-handed" were twice as likely as right-handed children to have difficulties with schoolwork or language, such as with reading or their ability speak as well as their peers.

At age 16, mixed-handed children were twice as likely to have problems with language at school and scores on assessment tests indicating they likely had ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD include excessive fidgeting, inability to focus on a task or concentrate, impulsivity and poor school performance.

The full article may be viewed by clicking the link in the post's title.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM JULY 14-16

The SC Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is three-day program for students 17-21 years old (as of 12/31/09) with disabilities who live in SC and have demonstrated leadership potential in both their school and community. By serving as delegates, students with disabilities will enhance and grow their leadership, citizenship, and social skills. There is no charge to attend YLF and all meals are provided. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from Newberry College. The completed application packet and must be postmarked by May 1, 2010. Please note what assistive technology accommodations (e.g. fm system, text-to-speech software, magnifier, or wheelchair) you use and will need during the forum.

The 2010 SC Youth Leadership Forum will be held at Newberry College, July 14th-16th. The forum will include guest speakers, small and large group discussions, team-building activities, ropes course, mentor luncheon, and FUN! Guest speakers will discuss assistive technology options and transitioning with assistive technology from High School into the work, secondary education, or independent living environments.

For more information, please click on the title above

Parkinson's: Treadmill Training Improves Movement

ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2010) — Treadmill training can be used to help people with Parkinson's disease achieve better walking movements, say researchers. In a systematic review of the evidence, Cochrane Researchers concluded treadmill training could be used to improve specific gait parameters in Parkinson's patients. Gait hypokinesia, characterised by slowness of movement, is one of the main movement disorders that affects Parkinson's patients and can have a major impact on quality of life. More recently, health professionals have started incorporating exercise into treatment regimes as a useful complement to traditional drug therapies. Training on treadmills is one option that may help to improve movement.

To view entire article, please click on the title above.

SC Assistive Technology Online Exchange

The SC Assistive Technology Exchange is an online recycling database to help citizens with disabilities and older people with functional limitations find affordable assistive technology devices and equipment. For more information or to buy, sell or donate, visit the Web site at http://192.146.107.7/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.scatpexchange.net/ or email Catherine Graham at Catherine.graham@palmettohealth.org.

Catherine Graham and Janet Jendron, SC AT Exchange Administrators

Please visit the page at http://192.146.107.7/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.scatpexchange.net/ and find the contact information for these and other items.

As of January 28, 2010 (note: most recently posted items are at the top of the list)

Each category has last in, first out.

Items Available:

Daily Living
· Auto-Focus Video Magnifier System, Merlin LCD
· Electric Patient Lift
· Winsford Feeder
· Formula
· HOUSE - Wheelchair accessible
· Boys Shoes For AFO's
· Commode/Shower Chair
· Jevity

Environmental Adaptations
· Vitaeris 320 Hyperbaric Chamber
· Ceiling Track Lift
· Therapy Cooler

Mobility, Seating & Positioning
· Snug Seat Gator Trainer
· Squiggles Early Sitting System
· Hoveround MPV4 Scooter
· Pride LX 12 Power Wheelchair
· Therapeutic Wheelchair Cushion
· Therapy Air Mattress APM2, Span America
· Small Youth Caregiver Operated Wheelchair
· Youth caregiver operated wheelchair
· 42" Rifton prone stander
· Child's Corner
· Small Gait Trainer Reduced
· High Low Chair
· Power Patient Lifter
· Power patient lift device
· Power wheelchair, Jazzy 1120/2000 w/ attendant drive
· Power wheelchair Permobil C300
· Power wheel chair
· Stander, Prone and supine standing frame Gazelle PS
· Jazzy Pride 1121 power wheelchair
· Jazzy Power Chair
· Reclining Shower Chair
· Convaid Safari Stroller
· Merits P182 Powerchair
· Craftmatic 1 Bed
· Pride Jet 2 HD (Heavy Duty) Scooter

Other
· Nebulizer
· Halo Helmet

Recreation, Sports, and Leisure
· Pool Lift
· Swing Seat
· Rifton Adaptive Tricycle

Speech Communication
· Assistive Tech Speech Communicator
· Speech Communication Device

Vehicle Modification and Transportation
· 2001 W/C accessible Dodge Sport Caravan
· Wheelchair Accessible MiniVan
· Harmar wheelchair lift
· Wheelchair Accessible Van
· Vannator Wheelchair Lift
· Dodge 2500 Wheelchair Access

Items being Sought

Computers and related
· Used computer

Daily Living
· Emergency System
· CPAP with humidifier
· Electric or Manual Hoyer Lift
· Recumbent Bike
· "Sure Hands" Ceiling Hoist
· E&J Shower Wheel Chair

Environmental Adaptations
· Portable Wheelchair Ramp for Van
· Portable Wheelchair Ramp

Hearing
· Hearing Aid and Eyeglasses

Learning, Cognitive, & Developmental
· Big Mack Switch

Mobility, Seating & Positioning
· Lightweight 16x16 wheelchair
· Walker
· Clinitron Bed
· Standing Frame
· Power Lift Chair
· Standing Frame
· Used Manual Wheechair
· Electric Adjustable Bed
· Personal Lift
· Lift Chair

Recreation, Sports, and Leisure
· Hand cycles & adapted tricycle
· Kayak

Speech Communication
· Step by Step Communicator
· AAC Device
· Say It All Sam Communicator
· Easy Talk16 Augmentative Communication Device

Vehicle Modification and Transportation
· Van Wheelchair Ramp
· Side Door Van Handicap Lift
· Hi Top Handicap Van
· Powerchair Transport Accessories
· Power Rear vehicle mounted scooter lift
· Exterior Power Chair Lift with a Hitch

CATEA Study on Home Modifications

Please Tell Us What You Think!

This study asks, “How do home modifications affect community participation?”

· Why:
People who use wheelchairs to get around their homes and communities may meet a variety of obstacles that make it difficult to participate in everyday activities. Researchers at Georgia Tech are interested in learning more about how people modify their homes to make activities in their home easier to get done.

· What:
We invite anyone who uses a wheelchair for most of their activities to participate in a study about home modifications. This study will take approximately 1 hour and you will be reimbursed $25.00 for your time.

· How:
Please email Dr. Fran Harris at http://us.mc1102.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=frances.harris@coa.gatech.edu, Claire Yang at http://us.mc1102.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hsiang-yu.yang@coa.gatech.edu or call us at 404-385-8539 to request details about this study.

FREE WORKSHOP-CSS AND WEB ACCESSIBILITY

We need people for this February 4, 2010 workshop. Please pass this on to people in the upstate.
Accessible and Usable Web Pages Using CSS
February 4, 2010
10 am - 1 pm
Greenville Technical College
S. Pleasantburg Dr.
Barton Campus
Technical Resource Center, Bldg# 102, Rm. 152
Greenville, SC 29607

**Attendance is limited to 20 participants

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. Attendees should have a basic knowledge of html and/or web design layout.

Presenter: CB Averitt, Webmaster, Florence-Darlington Technical College. CB Averitt is the Webmaster at Florence-Darlington Technical College. He is a part of a team of four that is responsible for eleven websites. His responsibilities include web server maintenance, SQL server maintenance, programming, designing and layout. He also works with media such as closed captioning for Adobe Flash Media. His passion is building tableless designs using Cascading Style Sheets. CB also owns and manages Cats Productions, Inc., located in Florence, SC where he designs, builds and maintains several website for local businesses and organizations.

Directions:
To Greenville Tech:
Directions on Greenville Tech Website

To register :
Option 1: Complete the online registration form
Option 2: Email Sally Young at Sally.Young@uscmed.sc.edu
Option 3: Call Sally Young at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.
Option 4: Fax your registration information to (803) 935-5342. Please include your name, organization, address, email address, phone

New Way to Generate Abundant Functional Blood Vessel Cells from Human Stem Cells Discovered

ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2010) — In a significant step toward restoring healthy blood circulation to treat a variety of diseases, a team of scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has developed a new technique and described a novel mechanism for turning human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells into plentiful, functional endothelial cells, which are critical to the formation of blood vessels. Endothelial cells form the interior "lining" of all blood vessels and are the main component of capillaries, the smallest and most abundant vessels. In the near future, the researchers believe, it will be possible to inject these cells into humans to heal damaged organs and tissues.

The new approach allows scientists to generate virtually unlimited quantities of durable endothelial cells -- more than 40-fold the quantity possible with previous approaches. Based on insights into the genetic mechanisms that regulate how embryonic stem cells form vascular endothelial cells, the approach may also yield new ways to study genetically inherited vascular diseases. The study appears in the advance online issue of Nature Biotechnology.

To view entire article, please click on the title above.

Chemical computer that mimics neurons to be created

BBC News (January 11, 2010)- A promising push toward a novel, biologically-inspired "chemical computer" has begun as part of an international collaboration. The "wet computer" incorporates several recently discovered properties of chemical systems that can be hijacked to engineer computing power. The team's approach mimics some of the actions of neurons in the brain.

The 1.8m-euro (£1.6m) project will run for three years, funded by an EU emerging technologies programme. The programme has identified biologically-inspired computing as particularly important, having recently funded several such projects.

To view entire article, please click on the title above.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2010

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2010 - flyer

Thursday, March 18, 20109 am – 4 pm
Marriott Spartanburg at Renaissance Park
299 North Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29306
(864) 596-1211 or toll free 1-800-228-9250
Marriott Spartanburg Website
*When making reservations, be sure to get the special $70 Expo room rate.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY

Exhibits and workshops about the latest assistive technology for people with disabilities and age-related limitations.

If you would like to exhibit, contact Mary Alice Bechtler at MaryAlice.Bechtler@uscmed.sc.edu.

Continuing education for OT, PT, SLP, Infant/Toddler, and Social Work will be offered for some workshops.

To request special accommodations email the SC Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) at Sally.Young@uscmed.sc.edu or call (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522 by March 1, 2009.
Sign language interpreters will be available throughout the day.

The AT Expo website may be viewed by clicking the link in the post's title.

Seeing a Diagnosis: How an Eye Test Could Aid Alzheimer's Detection

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — A simple and inexpensive eye test could aid detection and diagnosis of major neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's at an earlier stage than is currently possible, according to new research by UCL scientists. The research, led by Professors Francesca Cordeiro & Stephen Moss and published in Cell Death & Disease, demonstrates a new technique that enables retinal, and therefore brain cell death, to be directly measured in real time. The method, demonstrated in an animal model, could not only refine diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders and help track disease progress; it could also aid the assessment and development of new treatments.

To view entire article, please click on the title above.

Mutations in Different Cells Cooperate to Set the Stage for Cancer

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — Stress induces signals that cause cells to develop into tumors, Yale researchers have discovered. The research, published online Jan. 13 in the journal Nature, describes a novel way cancer takes hold in the body and suggests new ways to attack the deadly disease. According to modern biology textbooks, a single genetic mutation is rarely enough to cause cancer. It is generally thought that cells must accumulate a series of mutations that work together to trigger tumor development. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have shown that distinct cancer-causing mutations in neighboring cells can cooperate to produce tumors.

For full article please click on the title above.

January 2010 Newsletter

We had a quieter month thanks to the Christmas holidays, but still added nine new patrons and sent out quite a few articles! We purchased a series of books dealing with disabilities in adolescents and how parents can deal with them (If Your Adolescent Has...) as well as several other exciting titles.

The newsletters are archived at http://uscm.med.sc.edu/cdr/newsletterarchive.htm, and the January newsletter may be viewed directly by clicking on the post title.

December 2009 Newsletter

This past month has been busy, with over 50 checkouts, several new patrons, and over 100 information requests! This month's newsletter also includes our listing of the top ten checkouts of 2009, among them Autism is a Word and 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Our newsletters can be found at http://uscm.med.sc.edu/cdr/newsletterarchive.htm, and as always the December newsletter can be viewed directly by clicking on the post's title.

November 2009 Newsletter

November was a productive month for the CDR Library: we added several new patrons, sent out well over one hundred articles, and checked out over thirty books to our patrons. In addition, we obtained several new titles, among them Little Bear, Just As I Am, and Autism Frontiers. The newsletter also includes a review of the book Retarded Isn't Stupid, Mom!, a book which highlights the difficulties faced not only by children with disabilities but those that their parents must overcome as well.

The newsletter archive can be found at http://uscm.med.sc.edu/cdr/newsletterarchive.htm, and November's newsletter may also be viewed by clicking the post's title.

FBI RECORDS SHOW INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IS THE TARGET OF MORE HATE CRIMES THAN PHYSICAL DISABILITY (BUT STILL MUCH LOWER THAN OTHER TARGETS)

The hate crime statistics of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2008 show that 0.9 percent of all reported hate crimes involved bias against a disability. A total of 85 individuals were victims of hate crimes due to this bias. Of these, 57 were victims of bias against intellectual disability and 28, against physical disability. See FBI report/table.

To view report please click on the title above.

Gene identified as cause of some forms of intellectual disability

December 15, 2009 - (TORONTO) - A gene involved in some forms of intellectual disability has been identified by scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as published this month in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The gene is called TRAPPC9. In the same journal two other international research teams independently confirm the findings of Dr. John B. Vincent, a scientist at CAMH, and his team. "This spotlights the intense interest that genetics is bringing to types of inherited intellectual disability that, to date, have been poorly understood," says Dr. Vincent.

"Now that we have identified TRAPPC9 as a gene that may be associated with hundreds of thousands of cases of intellectual disability world-wide, we can build on that knowledge with research to help individuals and their families," says Dr. Vincent.

For more information please click on the title above.

AVAILABLE NOW: THE NEW DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION MANUAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY BY THE AAIDD

Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports, the new 11th edition of the definition and classification system by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is now available. Learn more or purchase the Manual. Also on AAIDD’s Website, three co-authors describe several facets of the Manual, including legal and educational aspects. Watch video interviews or read Q&As based on the transcripts.

For more information, please click on the title above.

EdVenture - Open House for Children with Disabilities

Visit EdVenture’s Open House for Children with Disabilities on January 23, 2010 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Admission is FREE for children with disabilities and their family members. Various organizations will also be there to share information about the services available to parents and caregivers of children with sensory and developmental disabilities. EdVenture Children’s Museum is located at 211 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201-3067. Call for more information at (803) 779-3100.

About EdVenture:

EdVenture is a locally-managed, not-for-profit informal educational institution. We are not a state-funded government agency. Our funding comes through three main sources: 50% of our annual operating budget comes from admissions and earned revenue, 30% from members, sponsors and donors, and 20% from local government support. Edventure is supported in part by the City of Columbia and Richland County.

Behind EdVenture’s doors, we are proud to have six world-class exhibit galleries, a library, learning laboratories, resource centers and other visitor amenities. Two additional outdoor gallery spaces are located just outside the museum’s front doors. Within the total 67,000 square feet that is EdVenture Children’s Museum, there are more than 350 individual hands-on exhibits.

To view the original article click on the link above.

DEADLINES APPROACH FOR RESEARCH GRANTS IN INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABLITIES

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities has announced funding for research topics including health surveillance of adults with intellectual disabilities and early identification of warning signs of developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder among underserved population groups. Deadline for submitting letters of intent is February 8. Read more.

Also, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is inviting applications for Center Core Grants designed to advance the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and amelioration of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Deadline for applications is January 24. Read more.

For more information please click on the title above.

THE LANCET NOTES MARGINAL POSITION OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN HEALTH CARE AND RESEARCH

The Lancet: In its November 28 issue, The Lancet comments that in most countries, intellectual disability receives little or no attention during medical training, and there is a large gap between the needs of affected individuals and the availability of services. Further, there is a gap between research on intellectual disability and research on other neuropsychiatric disorders. Several articles in the issue discuss these findings.

To view articles, please click on the title above.

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders --- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006

ScienceDaily (Dec. 18, 2009)/CDC: Autism and related development disorders are becoming more common, with a prevalence rate approaching 1 percent among American 8-year-olds, according to new data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study is a partnership between UAB, the CDC and 10 other U.S. research sites. It shows that one in 110 American 8-year-olds is classified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a 57 percent increase in ASD cases compared to four years earlier.

The new findings, published Dec. 18 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), highlight the need for social and educational services to help those affected by the condition, said Beverly Mulvihill, Ph.D., a UAB associate professor of public health and co-author on the study.

For full article, please click on the title above.

Maternal Responsivity Predicts Language Development in Young Children With FragileX Syndrome

AJIDD (January 2010): Study indicates that maternal responsivity predicts language development in young children with Fragile-X Syndrome. The relationship between early maternal responsivity and later child communication outcomes in young children with fragile X syndrome was investigated. Data were obtained from 55 mother–child dyads over a 36-month period. Performance data were obtained at each measurement point from video observations of four different contexts. These were coded for (a) child communication behaviors, (b) parent responsivity, and (c) behavior management behaviors. Results indicate that early maternal responsivity predicts the levelof four important child language outcomes at 36 months of age after controlling for child developmental level and autism symptomology.

For full article, please click on the title above.

Lead damages child kidneys, even low levels

Tiny amounts of lead are common in the blood of U.S. teenagers and may be damaging their kidneys, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

They found evidence of early kidney damage in children with lead levels far below what is normally considered dangerous and said this could lead to kidney disease in later life.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that very low levels of lead may impact kidney function in healthy children, which underscores the need to minimize sources of lead exposure," Dr. Jeffrey Fadrowski of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study, said in a statement.

Even though sources of lead have been drastically cut in the United States, the metal may still be damaging the health of some people, Fadrowski's team reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Re-Use Summit

When & Where

January 20, 2010
9:30 am - 2:30 pm
2nd Floor
Main Conference Room
Family Medicine
3209 Colonial Drive,
Columbia, SC 29203
(803) 434-3189

About the Summit

Presented by the SC Assistive Technology Program and the Pass It On Center

Attendance is limited to 60 people.

An estimated 20% to 40% of assistive technology goes unused for a variety of reasons. Medical and technology needs change. Equipment is outgrown, outdated, or abandoned at the end of life. Reutilization of assistive technology can meet the needs of many people who would not otherwise be able to afford the technology they need for education, independence, employment, and to maintain community involvement.

Reutilization programs can also enable children with disabilities to take direct ownership of AT devices rather than remaining dependent on school districts for AT acquisition and use.

At this Re-Use Summit, we’ll learn about South Carolina’s Reutilization Initiatives and offer our re-use programs the opportunity to gather more support from community and state networks. We’ll connect people and organizations, so we can all work more effectively to share reutilized equipment throughout the state.

Free CSS Trainings in the Upstate - February 4 and 5

To register online, go to http://www.sc.edu/scatp/trainingschedule09.html for the link to the registration form. Or, contact
• Sally Young at 803-935-5263, Sally.Young@uscmed.sc.edu
• Will McCain at 803-935-5004, Will.McCain@uscmed.sc.edu
February 4, 2010 and February 5, 2010
Accessible and Usable Web Pages Using CSS
February 4 Time: 10 am - 1 pm
February 5 Time: 9 am - 12 pm
February 4 Location:
Greenville Technical College
S. Pleasantburg Dr.
Barton Campus
Technical Resource Center, Bldg# 102, Rm. 152
Greenville, SC 29607
Attendance is limited to 20 participants
February 5 Location:
Spartanburg Community College
800 Brisack Rd.
(I-85 Business at New Cut Rd.)
Ledbetter Building, Rm. 121 (Lower level)
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Attendance is limited to 12 participants
Description: 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. Attendees should have a basic knowledge of html and/or web design layout.
Presenter: CB Averitt, Webmaster, Florence-Darlington Technical College. CB Averitt is the Webmaster at Florence-Darlington Technical College. He is a part of a team of four that is responsible for eleven websites. His responsibilities include web server maintenance, SQL server maintenance, programming, designing and layout. He also works with media such as closed captioning for Adobe Flash Media. His passion is building tableless designs using Cascading Style Sheets. CB also owns and manages Cats Productions, Inc., located in Florence, SC where he designs, builds and maintains several website for local businesses and organizations.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2010

Thursday, March 18, 2010

9 am – 4 pm

Marriott Spartanburg at Renaissance Park

299 North Church Street

Spartanburg, SC 29306

(864) 596-1211

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY

-Exhibits and workshops about the latest assistive

-Technology for people with disabilities and age-related limitations.

Check the Expo Web page regularly for updates! And pass the word along to others.

To view the expo webpage, please click on the link above.

SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network Life Planning for Individuals with Disabilities WEBINAR

***SAVE THE DATE***
SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network
Life Planning for Individuals with Disabilities
WEBINAR

Announcing the first of a
WEBINAR series

"Life Planning"

presented by
Ms. Mary Ann Perry, Coordinator of Consumer & Family Empowerment,
SC Department of Developmental Disabilities and Special Needs.

January 12, 2010
10:00-11:30 AM



You will Learn:
What is Life Planning?
What five significant life areas are critical to a person’s happiness?
How life planning can benefit a person with special needs?


To register call 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688.
Internet access and a telephone will be needed to participate via the internet.
(You may also access the audio portion only via telephone)

To learn more about the SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network or to receive a membership application, please call the numbers listed above or visit our website www.scadultsiblingnetwork.org



The SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network is a project of Parents Reaching Out to Parents, Inc. (PRO-Parents) and funded through a South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council grant.

________________________________________
PRO-Parents of SC
652 Bush River Road Ste 203
Columbia SC 29210 803.772-5688 or
800 759 4776
803.772-5341 fax
proparents@proparents.org (email)
www.proparents.org (website)
To unsubscribe/change profile: click here.
To subscribe: click here.

PRO-Parents of South Carolina
652 Bush RIver Road Ste 203
Columbia, South Carolina 29210

Equipment reutilization activities

SCATP is committed to increasing equipment reutilization activities in our state. A summary of SC AT re-use initiatives is on our web site. Ken Whitley of Key Technologies recently provided us with the following information:

“I wanted to let you know that one great way of “Re-Using” older equipment (whether working or non-working) is to trade it in through the Words+ “TRADE-IN PROGRAM.” Customers may trade in augmentative communication devices made by any manufacturer towards the purchase of a new Words+ device. The device traded-in does not have to be a working device and it does not matter how old it is. The trade-in value of the device may range from $100’s to $1,000’s applicable to the purchase of a new Words+ device.

Trade-in’s may be applied towards the purchase of an Allora, Conversa, Dura-SAM, Freedom Toughbooks, FreedomLites, NetSAM, NetTALK, Say-It! SAM Communicator, Say-It! SAM Tablets, TuffTalker Convertibles, and more.

If you have questions about the Words+ TRADE-IN PROGRAM, contact Ken Whitley at Key Technologies, Inc. toll free at 888-433-5303, email ken@gokeytech.com or visit the Key Technologies web site.”

If other AT vendors have information about trade-in or re-use programs related to your products, please let SCATP know by emailing Janet Jendron at Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc.edu.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Below are upcoming trainings of interest. For more complete information, see the our State, Regional or National AT Training web page. If you have trainings you'd like added to this page, contact Janet Jendron at jjendron@usit.net.

ABA-Based Early Intensive Intervention Embedded within Family Routines and Play
January 26-27, 2010
9:30 am-4:00 pm
Workshop Fee: $25
BACB CEU fee (optional): $20

Target Audience: Everyone is welcome. This workshop is designed for parents, teachers, board certified behavior analysts, board certified associate behavior analysts, and other professionals who design or implement behavioral programs for individuals who emit socially unacceptable behavior.
Register for this workshop

Instructor: Pat McCarthy, Ed.D., BCBA-D
This workshop is Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) approved for 12 hours of Continuing Education Credit for qualified participants.

This workshop provides a structure for a family-focused approach to ABA-based intensive intervention for toddlers and preschoolers with autism. Designed to help participants become proficient in developing a quality individualized program plan for a young child with autism, the approach combines strategies/curricula supported by early childhood development research with effective, evidence-based non-aversive behavioral analytic methodology embedded within family routines and play. Participants are taken through the steps of creating a plan to be implemented in naturally occurring settings, routines, and events which will help a child develop effective communication, social, play, self-care, and emergent academic skills; thus preventing or replacing behaviors which can interfere with quality social interaction and learning from the environment.

------------

Universal Design, Accommodations and Differentiation: an SCCEC Preconference Event
February 25, 2010
9:00 am-4:00 pm
Lunch on your own
Workshop Fee: $50

Target Audience: Everyone is welcome. This workshop is designed for parents and professionals.
Universal design is having curriculum planning, strategy and materials in place in advance to meet the needs of all learners. Accommodations are technology, materials, sequences and procedures to help a learner be successful in the classroom. Differentiation is when all of these strategies are applied to the instruction for all learners in the classroom. In this session, planning processes and examples will be provided and applied to participants’ classroom, teaching and learning situations.

Register for this workshop

Instructor: Dr. Patrick Schwarz, Creative Culture Consulting LLC
This is an SCCEC Preconference Event. Please visit South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) for conference registration.

Myrtle Beach Convention Center
2101 North Oak Street
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

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North Carolina Augmentative Communication Association (NCACA) 27th Annual Convention
"AAC: Across the Lifespan"
February 25 and 26th, 2010
Raleigh Marriott City Center, Raleigh, NC
February 25: Caroline Musselwhite, Keynote speaker - "Communication Circles - Super Support for People who use AAC"
February 26: Variety of presentations
See the website: www.ncaca.info
View Event

Contact Jessica Yeganian at jyeganian@yahoo.com.
Scholarships available for families and consumers
Download and applications from the above website.
Target Audience: This conference is designed for speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, educators, para-professionals, families, and consumers interested in increasing their knowledge of AAC and assistive technology.

North Carolina Assistive Technology Program handouts now available

The North Carolina Assistive Technology Program has posted handouts from their recent AT Expo:

http://www.pat.org/index.php/at_expo/handouts/

Sessions listed:
Funding and Financing for Home Modifications
APH Devices
Using Visual Aids to teach Friendship Skills and Emotional Literacy in the Preschool Classroom
Together Wii Can Do It
Technology Options for the Visually Impaired Professional
AT Started Early
Today’s Cell Phones
Window-Eyes
Sync Braille
Voice Sense
Desktop Sense
Portable Sense
Book Sense
Braille Sense
Wheel Deal
Succeeding with reading and writing technology for college students with AD/HD or LD
Introduction to Eye Control
The AT Process with SETT
Steps to Good Oral Health
Selected Resources on Oral Health
GW Micro Presentation

Regained Mobility in Greenville - re-use items available

This message comes from Amanda Adams at Regained Mobility in Greenville. Her contact information is below:

Our warehouse is getting kind of full so I thought I'd spread the word about what we have! We have:

4 power wheelchairs,
1 heavy duty power chair
2 handcycles,
hospital bed,
20 walkers,
11 bedside commodes,
3 bath chairs
17 manual wheelchairs
2 raised toilet seats
1 trapeze bar with stand

Please call us 498-8570 if you have anyone in need for these items!
Amanda J. Adams
Regained Mobility
PO Box 8576 Greenville, SC 29604
(864) 498-8570
"Greenville, SC's wheelchair recycling program"