Smartphone Technology Improves Prosthetic Limbs

ScienceDaily (Dec. 13, 2010) — Losing a limb can be a devastating experience, and while electrically powered prostheses can serve as a replacement for a lost arm, they are notoriously difficult to operate, and will never fully replace normal hand function. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are working to improve this situation through the use of smartphone technology. The technology, called an accelerometer, gives users a better sense of the orientation of their artificial limb -- thus making the limb easier to operate.

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Read an Assistive Technology Holiday Success Story!

Sent by Janet Jendron (SCATP)--Recently we sent out an appeal from the Lexington County Auditor’s Office, looking to fulfill a wish for a wheelchair desk by a foster child they “adopted” this holiday season. We sent this out to our reuse listserve.

As usual, the response was gratifying. We had some folks who tried to help with a cheaper alternative, and so forth. I talked to Ronda Catron several times about it. In the first conversation, I suggested that she just try to call the company (Rifton) to ask if they’d give one to the child. We thought, “What does it hurt to try?”

Within a couple of days, the folks at Rifton responded with a positive answer and are shipping the desk with a few attachments.

You can read more about the company at www.rifton.com

And see a video at http://www.rifton.com/products/mobility/pacergaittrainers/seancarter/

Ann at Rifton wrote:

Thank you for passing on through Valerie the story of how an office team in SC has adopted the Christmas Wish Lists of foster children. This is the kind of thing we wish we could see so much more often in our world today. We would like to make this a special Christmas for this child. We are happy to be able to release it today so that it will be received before Christmas.

Rifton has agreed that we can tell our listserv about this, but also with the explanation that they do regret that they’re unable to respond favorably to the dozens of donation requests they receive, but we were so touched by this request that they responded to this one.

Isn’t this a wonderful Holiday story? When I said “it takes a village” in regards to transporting a piece of equipment right before Thanksgiving, it was even more prophetic than we realized.

NOTE: Click on title above to go to the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program's web site.

Functional Motor Neuron Subtypes Generated from Embryonic Stem Cells

ScienceDaily (Sep. 2, 2010) — Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases.
Motor neurons in the spinal cord communicate with other neurons in the central nervous system and send long projections out to muscles, transmitting signals that are essential for proper control of movement and posture. Like other neuron classes, motor neurons are known to exhibit tremendous diversity. "The existence of dozens of muscle groups in the limbs of most mammals demands an equivalent diversity of motor neuron pool subtypes," explains the senior study author, Dr. Hynek Wichterle from Columbia University in New York.

NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above.

Repairing Spinal Cord Injury With Manipulated Neural Stem Cells

ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2010) — "One of the most common causes of disability in young adults is spinal cord injury. Currently, there is no proven reparative treatment. Hope that neural stem cells (NSCs) might be of benefit to individuals with severe spinal cord injury has now been provided by the work of a team of researchers, led by Kinichi Nakashima, at Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, in a mouse model of this devastating condition.

In the study, mice with severe spinal cord injury were transplanted with NSCs and administered a drug known as valporic acid, which is used in the treatment of epilepsy. The valporic acid promoted the transplanted NSCs to generate nerve cells, rather than other brain cell types, and the combination therapy resulted in impressive restoration of hind limb function. The authors hope that this approach, whereby the fate of transplanted NSCs is amnipulated, for example by administration of valporic acid, could be developed as an effective treatment for severe spinal cord injury."



NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above.

Thought-Controlled Prosthetic Limb System to Be Tested on Human Subjects

ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2010) — "The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract for up to $34.5 million to The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., to manage the development and testing of the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) system on human subjects, using a brain-controlled interface."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

A Brain-Recording Device That Melts Into Place

ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2010) — "Scientists have developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly fitting to the brain's surface. The technology could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord.
"These implants have the potential to maximize the contact between electrodes and brain tissue, while minimizing damage to the brain. They could provide a platform for a range of devices with applications in epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders," said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., deputy director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health."

To read the entire article, click on the title above.

UI student's wheelchair features rolling, with changes

University of Illinois mechanical engineering graduate student Scott Daigle shows the first prototype of a wheelchair he is building that features a continuously variable transmission on each wheel designed to maximize a user's shoulder function. By Heather Coit

The News-Gazette (Monday, November 30, 2009) -- URBANA – If gear shifting is good for motorists and bicyclists, why not for wheelchair users?

That's what Scott Daigle wondered as he watched people propel themselves around the University of Illinois campus in wheelchairs.

"They were going about as fast as they could. Their arms were the only things limiting them," said Daigle, a first-year graduate student in mechanical engineering.

Adding gear shifting to the wheelchair could help them get around more efficiently, he figured. So he set about designing improvements and came up with a continuous variable transmission.

There are already wheelchairs with gears, but Daigle's concept is distinct.

"The way mine is different is, it automatically senses your conditions, so if you're going quickly, it will shift to a higher gear, or if you're going up a hill, it will shift to a lower gear. The user doesn't even think about it," he said.

By Don Dodson

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

Dance Therapy Helps Cerebral Palsy Patient To Walk

Photograph by Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

The choreographer Tamar Rogoff doing “body work” with Gregg Mozgala, who has cerebral palsy and for whom she has created a dance piece.

The New York Times (November 24, 2009) -- Gregg Mozgala, a 31-year-old actor with cerebral palsy, had 12 years of physical therapy while he was growing up. But in the last eight months, a determined choreographer with an unconventional résumé has done what all those therapists could not: She has dramatically changed the way Mr. Mozgala walks.

In the process, she has changed his view of himself and of his possibilities.

Mr. Mozgala and the choreographer, Tamar Rogoff, have been working since last winter on a dance piece called “Diagnosis of a Faun.” It is to have its premiere on Dec. 3 at La MaMa Annex in the East Village, but the more important work of art may be what Ms. Rogoff has done to transform Mr. Mozgala’s body.

“I have felt things that I felt were completely closed off to me for the last 30 years,” he said. “The amount of sensation that comes through the work has been totally unexpected and is really quite wonderful.”

Cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder in which the brain does not send the proper signals to the muscles, affects gait and other movements. Those with severe cases use wheelchairs.

Mr. Mozgala’s condition is less severe but disruptive enough to have caused him to walk for most of his life like “a human velociraptor,” as he put it: up on his toes, lower extremities turned in, seesawing from side to side to maintain balance.

By Neil Genzlinger

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

Free Webcast on AT for Hearing Loss

Join the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center at ILRU for a webcast:

"Update on Assistive Technology for those with Hearing Loss"

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 2:00pm Central.

Rose Minette, Hard of Hearing Specialist for the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services will provide information on the latest innovative assistive technology solutions that can accommodate persons who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing the workplace, businesses and public services. Topics of discussion will include:

Accessibility issues Assistive listening devices Best accommodation practices Improved accessibility for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing

To link to this webcast and download accompanying materials visit:
http://ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html

For instructions on how to access a webcast visit:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html

Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer is configured and updated to participate in the webcast.

For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently asked questions) at:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html

Or contact a webcast team member at swdbtac@ilru.org or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).

This webcast is supported through the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center, a project of ILRU. The Southwest ADA Center ( www.SouthwestADA.org) is one of ten Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide training, technical assistance and materials dissemination on the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws. NIDRR is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

Call 1-800-949-4232 v/tty to reach the DBTAC that serves your area.

We hope to see you on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009!

To visit the Southwest ADA Center, please click on the link above.

NLM® is pleased to announce a redesign of the PubMed interface.

While retainfing the robust functionality, the interface was simplified to make it easier to use while promoting scientific discovery.

The changes to PubMed are outlined below. Please note that search processing, including Automatic Term Mapping, has not changed.

Here are a few of the changes:

PubMed Homepage

The PubMed homepage has been streamlined, requiring less effort to find resources. The new homepage includes an NCBI Header, Search Bar, and Footer that are common to all PubMed pages (see Figure 1).

Summary Results

Changes to the Summary format include these modifications (see Figure 2):

-Item checkboxes appear above the item number.

-The previous free article notations have been combined into the single indicator, Free article.

-Items in the Clipboard display the green note, Item in clipboard, in lieu of displaying the citation -number in green.

-Display Settings and Send to features (see below) appear only at the top of the search results.

-To move to another page, the options are now First, Last, Previous, and Next.

My NCBI Filters

Filter your results, on the right of the screen, has replaced the Filter tabs (see Figure 2). It provides Manage Filters, a quick link to change filter selections. Free Full Text has been added as a default filter option for users not signed in to My NCBI. Click on the filter link to display the filter contents. A plus sign, will display which if clicked, will add a search for that filter to the search box.

Limits

Limits (which can be activated on the Advanced search page) appear on the upper right of the screen, with links to change or remove them (see Figure 3).

Related Data

Find related data has replaced the database "Links" selections previously available on the Display pull-down menu. After selecting a database from the menu, a database-specific options menu will display if more than one option is available, as well as a description of how the related data were generated (see Figure 3).

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

EdVenture EdCeptional Families Nights Nov 09 - Mar 2910

EdCeptional Families Nights!

Ever wonder what resources are available for your child’s individual needs and challenges?

EdVenture Children’s Museum is proud to provide parents, teachers and caregivers of children

with disabilities and special needs the opportunity to expand their knowledge of resources while

allowing their children to explore the largest children’s museum in the Southeast!

For three special evenings, the museum will open its doors to provide families with critical, helpful information about services and resources that can enhance their children’s lives:

November 14, 2009 ~ 5:00pm-7:00pm

Families with children with physical disabilities

January 23, 2010 ~ 5:00pm-7:00pm

Families with children with sensory and/or developmental challenges

March 20, 2010 ~ 5:00pm-7:00pm

Families with children with hearing/vision impairments)

For more information, call 803-400-1133.

No reservations needed. Children and adults are welcome!

211 Gervais Street • Columbia, South Carolina 29201

803-779-3100 • www.edventure.org

Tuesday – Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday Noon-5:00pm

To view the Edventure website, please click on the link above.

New school in east Orange built on 'inclusion' of kids with disabilities

UCF President John Hitt delivers remarks during the dedication ceremony of the new East Orange/Bailes Campus of UCP of Central Florida. (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel / September 30, 2009

Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 1, 2009) -- Suzanne Snyder is raising three children with developmental disabilities. She's used to feeling like an outsider in a school system where her kids have bounced from one class to the next trying to find a teacher who understands them and has the time and experience to deal with their special needs.

So the other day, as she stood on the campus of an innovative new school in east Orange County, watching her 8-year-old son join in song and sit happily with his peers, she couldn't help but cry. "It is finally reality," she said. "And it's just so wonderful."

The $9.6 million East Orange/Bailes campus of UCP of Central Florida, named after the family whose donation helped make it possible, is one of the few schools in the country built for "inclusion" -- the buzzword educators use for mixing kids with and without disabilities in the same classes. The idea is that disabled kids will model their behavior after their more typical counterparts, and kids without disabilities will develop empathy and understanding.

Kate Santich

Sentinel Staff Writer

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

YAI Launches Integrated Web Site to Better Reach, Inspire and Move People to Support People With Disabilities.

(Photo from the YAI website)

Yahoo! Finance (September 22, 2009) - AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The YAI Network (YAI), one of America’s foremost non-profit organizations devoted to creating hope and opportunity for people with developmental and learning disabilities and their families, announced today the introduction of a new Web site at www.yai.org. The new site provides visitors with a crisp and clear presentation of the organization’s mission and opportunities to engage with the network to support people with disabilities as well as access services and information. The site is integrated with the organization’s online marketing, advocacy and fundraising system to provide visitors, volunteers, advocates and donors with a more personal and engaging experience. It also enables the organization to communicate more effectively with audiences based on their interest and level of involvement.

“The Internet and digital technology has changed the way our stakeholders communicate, access information and manage their most important relationships,” said Philip H. Levy, Ph.D., CEO and President, of the YAI Network. “The people who guide our mission and spread our message have high expectations for YAI and the valuable resources we offer. The new site will help us strengthen those relationships, provide greater access to information and messages of hope as well as allows us to use social media and digital technology such as video to better transform the public’s perception of people with developmental and learning disabilities.”

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

The Real World of Web/IT Accessibility and Assistive Technology

Time: Registration - 8:00 – 8:55; Workshop - 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: SC State Archives and History (see our online directions page)

Be on time! We’re giving out a door prize promptly at 9:00 am!

Description: Don't miss this unique opportunity to see people who use assistive technology show how they experience web pages! Speakers from around the state will demonstrate various technologies including screen readers and screen enlargers, which they use in accessing Internet and other electronic information. We'll discuss usability vs. accessibility, the basics of designing for accessibility, and show examples of positive and not-so-positive design. They'll be available to answer questions about what works, what doesn't work, and how they solve problems when accessing electronic information (the Web, Word, and PDF documents).

This workshop has been generated as a follow up to a Web Testers Pilot Program, conducted by the SC Assistive Technology Program and the SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC), under the S.C. State Budget & Control Board, to train both people who use assistive technology and those who don't, in the evaluation of state agency web pages for accessibility and usability.

Door Prizes (to date - more will be added!)

• A Bag of Techie goodies (flash drive, etc...)
• A free web site assessment by SC Web Testers, administered by SCATP and ATAC)
• 4 Tickets to the Columbia Riverbanks Zoo
• 2 Tickets for a Charleston carriage ride (Old South Carriage Company)(tentative) Captioning of up to 5 minutes of video for a web page

Schedule

• 8:30 – 9:00 - Registration
• 9:00 - First Door Prize Drawing (the winner chooses from the selection of prizes)
• 9:05 – 9:25 - ATAC Web Testers Pilot Program: Janet Jendron
• 9:30 – 11:45 (with short break in between) - Demonstrations and Discussions: What makes Web Pages easier? What causes frustration? What are some simple design solutions for these challenges?

• Demonstration of JAWS screenreader (Clay Jeffcoat) on Web Pages
• Demonstration of ZoomText with screenreader (Grace Strother) on Web Pages
• Demonstration of ZoomText with Kurzweil screenreader (Jim Debus) on Web Pages

The demonstrations will briefly cover issues such as skip navigation links, Flash, Drop navigation menus, appropriate alt text, meaningful link text, online forms, layout tables, data tables, video captioning CSS, and heading structure. We’ll have questions and comments from CB Averitt, Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Kevin Pondy, Wendy Mullin, Sam Hahn on web design techniques that could address problems.

• 11:45 – 1:15 - Lunch
• 1:15 - Door Prize Drawing
• 1:20 – 1:50 - Cool Tools: Demonstration of the Web Accessibility Toolbar and Web Developer’s Toolbar (Allison Yeager)
• 2:00 – 3:30 - Demonstrations and Discussion: What makes PDFs and Word Docs easier to access? What causes frustration? What are some simple design solutions for these challenges? Questions and Comments from CB Averitt, Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Kevin Pondy, Wendy Mullin, Sam Hahn on formatting issues that could address problems.
• Demonstration of JAWS screenreader (Clay Jeffcoat)
• Demonstration of ZoomText with screenreader (Grace Strother)
• Demonstration of ZoomText with Kurzweil screenreader (Jim Debus)
• 3:30 – Door Prize Drawing

To register for this workshop:

• Option 1: Complete the online registration form at: http://www.sc.edu/scatp/forms/trainingregform9-22-09.html
• 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

To view the complete workshop details, please click on the link above and scroll down to Sep. 22.

Bollywood embraces disability in quest for realism

(AFP/File – Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, seen here with wife Aishwarya Rai)

MUMBAI (AFP) (Sep. 9, 2009)– From "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" to "Children Of A Lesser God", "My Left Foot" and "Rain Man", Hollywood has a long history of portraying people with disabilities or illnesses on screen.

In contrast, India's popular Hindi-language film industry has traditionally shied away from real-life subjects, preferring flights of fancy on romantic love.

But now three major upcoming films are portraying a central character with a disability or illness, marking a shift away from fantasy to treating more contemporary themes.

by Shail Kumar Singh

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

Free Web/IT Accessibility Workshop in September

The Real World of Web/IT Accessibility and Assistive Technology

Time: Registration - 8:00 – 8:55; Workshop - 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: SC State Archives and History (online directions: http://www.sc.edu/scatp/directions.htm#archives)

Parking is free!

Note: No food or drink is allowed in the Archives auditorium.

Be on time! We’re giving out a door prize promptly at 9:00 am!

Description: Don't miss this unique opportunity to see people who use assistive technology show how they experience web pages! Speakers from around the state will demonstrate various technologies including screen readers and screen enlargers, which they use in accessing Internet and other electronic information. We'll discuss usability vs. accessibility, the basics of designing for accessibility, and show examples of positive and not-so-positive design. They'll be available to answer questions about what works, what doesn't work, and how they solve problems when accessing electronic information (the Web, Word, and PDF documents).

This workshop has been generated as a follow up to a Web Testers Pilot Program, conducted by the SC Assistive Technology Program and the SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee, under the S.C. State Budget & Control Board, to train both people who use assistive technology and those who don't, in the evaluation of state agency web pages for accessibility and usability.

Schedule

8:30 – 9:00 - Registration

9:00 - First Door Prize Drawing (the winner chooses from the selection of prizes)

9:05 – 9:25 - ATAC Web Testers Pilot Program: Janet Jendron

9:30 – 11:45 (with short break in between) -

Demonstrations and Discussions: What makes Web Pages easier? What causes frustration? What are some simple design solutions for these challenges?

Demonstration of JAWS (Clay Jeffcoat) on Web Pages

Demonstration of ZoomText (Grace Strother) on Web Pages

Demonstration of Kurzweil (Jim Debus) on Web Pages

The demonstrations will briefly cover issues such as skip navigation links, Flash, Drop navigation menus, appropriate alt text, meaningful link text, online forms, layout tables, data tables, video captioning CSS, and heading structure. We’ll have questions and comments from CB Averitt, Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Wendy Mullin, Sam Hahn on web design techniques that could address problems.

11:45 – 1:15 - Lunch

1:15 - Door Prize Drawing

1:20 – 1:50 - Cool Tools: Demonstration of the Web Accessibility Toolbar and Web Developer’s Toolbar (Allison Yeager)

2:00 – 3:30 -

Demonstrations and Discussion: What makes PDFs and Word Docs easier to access? What causes frustration? What are some simple design solutions for these challenges? Questions and Comments from CB Averitt, Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Wendy Mullin, Sam Hahn on formatting issues that could address problems.

Demonstration of JAWS (Clay Jeffcoat)

Demonstration of ZoomText (Grace Strother)

Demonstration of Kurzweil (Jim Debus)

3:30 – Door Prize Drawing

To register for this workshop:

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

To view the flyer for this workshop, please click on the link above.

SCATP Fall 2009 Training Schedule

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I Can't Believe It's Free: Technology Resources for People with Disabilities

9:00am – 11:00am

Fast Forward Community Technology Center, 3223 Devine Street, Columbia, SC

Instructors: Dee Albritton, Director of Fast Forward Community Technology Center;

Mary Alice Bechtler, SC Assistive Technology Program

Friday, September 11, 2009

Introduction to Boardmaker

9:00 – 11:00am

Presenter: Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education

Assistive Technology Resource Center, Poplar Building, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

September 22, 2009

The Real World of Web/IT Accessibility and Assistive Technology

Registration - 8:00 – 8:55am; Workshop - 9:00am – 3:30pm

SC State Archives and History (see our online directions page)

Presenters: Janet Jendron, Clay Jeffcoat, Jim Debus, Allison Yeager, Grace Strother, CB Averitt, Wendy Mullin, Sam Hahn, Cheryl Kirkpatrick

Tuesdays, October 6 - November 3, 2009

Creating Visual Supports for Children with Autism

9:00 – 11:00am

Presenter: Carol Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP

Topics and Locations:

-October 6, 2009: Introduction to Visual and Environmental Supports for Behavior and Social Skills - SC Autism Society Training Room

-October 13, 2009 Supports for Communication - SC Autism Society Training Room

-October 20, 2009 Supports for Literacy - SC Autism Society Training Room

-October 27, 2009 Free Electronic Resources - SCATP AT Resource Center

-November 3, 2009 Supports for Functional Skills in Family Life - SC Autism Society Training Room

Tuesday, October 6 – Florence

Tuesday, December 1 – Columbia

Accessible and Usable Web Pages Using CSS

9am - 12pm

Presenter: CB Averitt, Webmaster, Florence-Darlington Technical College.

-October 6 Location: The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology. 1951 Pisgah Rd., Florence, SC 29502, Room 149 (Located behind Florence Darlington Technical College).

-December 1 Location: Midlands Technical College Northeast Campus/Center of Excellence for Technology, 151 Powell Road, Columbia, SC 29203

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Supporting Language and Communication for Individuals with Autism (Repeat)

This is a repeat of a workshop being offered on October 7th in North Charleston

9:00am – 3:30pm

Collaborative Training Center, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203

Presenter: Implementation Workshops are presented by speech-language pathologists employed by DynaVox.

This course is offered for 0.5 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).

Friday, October 9, 2009

Intermediate Boardmaker

9:00 – 11:00am

Presenter: Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education

Location: Assistive Technology Resource Center, Poplar Building, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Trash to AT Treasures

9:00am - Noon

Presenters: Dr. Carol Page, Speech-Language Pathologist SCATP and Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education

Location: SC Assistive Technology Resource Center, Poplar Building, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Building or Updating Your Home for Accessibility

9:00am–11:00am

Location: Conference Center, Richland Medical Park 2, 2 Medical Park Road, Columbia, SC

Instructors: Wesley Farnum and Michael Reed with MyHome Builders, LLC; Catherine Leigh Graham with the University of South Carolina’s Interagency Office of Disability and Health.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

“AMPLIFY ! LIFE” – Grab Life by the Phone. How to get specialized phone equipment FREE.

9:00am – 12:30pm

Location: Assistive Technology Resource Center, Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia (you can find more information on our directions page)

Presenter: Anne G. Bader, Outreach Coordinator for the South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program (SCEDP)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

AAC Assessment

8:30am – 11:30am

Presenters: Dr. Carol Page, Speech-Language Pathologist, SCATP and Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education

Location: Lower Level Lecture Hall, 2 Medical Park, 2 Medical Park Road, Columbia, SC

Thursday, December 10, 2009

AAC Implementation

8:30am – 11:30am

Presenters: Dr. Carol Page, Speech-Language Pathologist, SCATP and Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education

Location: Lower Level Lecture Hall, 2 Medical Park, 2 Medical Park Road, Columbia, SC

For the complete schedule, please click on the link above.

FRCDSN Conference September 19 - Charleston

The Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs presents our 12th annual conference:

Assistive Technology - Why aren't you using it?

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Mark Clark Hall on the Citadel Campus

$10 registration fee (includes lunch)

The agenda will start with a brief panel of individuals with disabilities discussing how assitive technology has helped them and in what way.

Then there will be two presentations by Dr. Carol Page and Stacy Springer, defining assitive technology, discussing the different types, and providing information regarding which types might be useful to individuals with a variety of mild to severe disabilites. There will be breaks between sessions and participants will have the opportunity to view and try out different types of assistive technology.

During lunch there will awards prestations and time to browse the silent auction items and vendors with a variety of AT devices (high and low tech) available to explore.

We welcome exhibitors! Please call our office 843-266-1318, to be sure we have room.

To view the FRCDSN website, please click on the link above.

Mom's idea links sports, special kids

NorthJersey (Monday, August 31, 2009) --TENAFLY — The mother of a child with autism who found a shortage of local sports programs for special needs children has come up with a simple solution: start her own program.

Suzanne Schwarz said she applied 18 years of experience as a special education teacher and knowledge gained from raising her 10-year-old son Tristan to create a program that teaches special needs children the skills to learn a variety of sports.

"I wanted to do a program where kids got a lot of physical education fitness and where the children sought the activity on their own, where they weren't forced to do it," she said.

By Karen Sudol

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

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: WHAT WORKS AND WHY

2009 Annual Conference

November 6 to 8, 2009 (Early bird rates are available!)

Hyatt Regency, Bethesda, Maryland (Washington, DC metro area)

Renowned Speakers Including:

Stanley Greenspan, M.D., Sally Rogers, Ph.D., Amy Wetherby, Ph.D., Susan Swedo, M.D., Nancy Minshew, M.D., Morton Gernsbacher, Ph.D., Anil Darbari, M.D., Diane Williams, Ph.D., Stuart Shanker, Ph.D., Serena Wieder, Ph.D., Harry Wachs, O.D., Ricki Robinson, M.D., and many others.

Presentations on Critical Issues for Children with ASD:

-Developmental Interventions for Children with ASD and Evidence of Their Success

-Medical and Neurological Concerns that Interfere with Learning

-Transforming our Educational Institutions

-Saturday Afternoon Seminars Demonstrating Practical Applications of Theory and Research

Pre- and Post Conference Workshops taught by DIR Faculty:

The Development of Visual-Spatial Knowledge with Harry Wachs, O.D. and Serena Wieder, Ph.D.

DIR/Floortime with Barbara Kalmanson, Ph.D.

Sensory Integration, with Rosemary White, OTR/L

Bipolar Disorders with Ira Glovinsky, Ph.D.

The Affect-Based Language Curriculum (ABLC) with Diane Lewis, MA/CCC-SLP

DIR-Based IEP Curriculum Goals with Monica Osgood

Language Comprehension with Sima Gerber, Ph.D. CCC

To view the ICDL website, please click on the link above.