Technology Resources For Special Needs Children

Click to edit Master subtitle style By: Jessica Butler

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Alternative Keyboards
Keyboards that have special overlays that customize the appearance and function of a standard key board. Students who have LD or have trouble typing may benefit from customization that reduces input choices, groups keys by color/location, and adds graphics to aid comprehension.

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that is easy to transport (e.g., from classroom to home). It can be helpful to kids who may have trouble writing by hand and prefer to use a keyboard. Word processing allows the user to edit and correct his written work more efficiently than doing so by hand.

Portable Word Processors device A portable word processor is a lightweight

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Speech Recognition Software

A speech recognition program works in conjunction with a word processor. The user "dictates" into a microphone, and his spoken words appear on the computer screen as text. This can help a student whose oral language ability is better than his writing skills.

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programs that can help students organize, align, and work through math problems on a computer screen. Numbers that appear onscreen can also be read aloud via a speech synthesizer. This may be helpful to people who have trouble aligning math problems with pencil and paper.

Electronic Math Worksheets Electronic math worksheets are software

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Audio Books
Recorded books allow users to listen to text and are available in a variety of formats, such as audiocassettes, CDs, and MP3 downloads. Special playback units allow users to and search and bookmark pages and chapters. Subscription services offer extensive electronic library collections.

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Rock N Go
Math proficiency and music team up at Rock N Go. Their award-winning software for special education needs combines fun, hip music with mathematics in a program that is especially useful for special needs kids with attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia. The products are designed to be stimulating and fun, while enhancing audio, visual, small motor and tactile learning domains. Ten music genres are covered with a CD an workbook. Check out the audio sample on their site.

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Compu Thera

A seven-step gradual discrete method for teaching reading is offered by Compu Thera. Its especially useful for special needs kids with autism, Down syndrome, ADHD and those who are visual learners who have trouble learning just by observation. The program is based on methods recently pioneered at Johns Hopkins and other learning institutions. A combination of images, symbols, words, phrases and music teach reading in a way that complements traditional learning. Visual and audio cues support new language and communication skills that lead to reading in special needs kids.

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Originally designed as a school experiment, Challenging Our Minds (COM) is now a permanent cognitive skills enhancement program that has spawned three research projects. Studies show that the program actually increases intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and state test scores. Brain skills such as those needed for attention, collecting and processing information, memory, visual and auditory processing, problem solving and communications are increased with COM, which can benefit children through adults with and without special education needs. The program runs in your browser, and you pay on a monthly basis with no contract, so you can stop any time.
http://www.challenging-our-minds.com/

Challenging Our Minds

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Language, reading and cognition software for special needs kids or adults is the focus of Laureate Learning. Founded more than 20 years ago, the company offers talking programs that will teach cause and effect, basic vocabulary, grammatical forms and language concepts. All of their software is designed for people with autism, language-learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, physical impairments, traumatic head injury and aphasia. Special-needs kids can choose from a touch-screen, single switch or mouse for accessibility. Animation makes these programs fun and encourages independence, while a datacollection system evaluates performance.

Laureate Learning

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