Mobile devices enable reading in those with dyslexia - Dr. Matthew H. Schneps

Dr. Matthew H. Schneps

The widespread advent of electronic books is beginning to break down barriers that previously restricted access to high-quality content for education, needed to support the economic betterment and well being of peoples worldwide. 

Even as electronic books promise to improve access to text, many will nevertheless be unable to benefit from these advances because of neurological disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) that make reading a struggle.

In this presentation Dr. Matthew H. Schneps describe new research that shows; when handheld mobile devices capable of displaying text (e.g., smartphones) are configured in prescribed ways, many with dyslexia are able to read with less effort and more quickly, with better comprehension, making fewer errors in reading.

Virtually no training is required on the part of the reader to benefit from this effect on mobile devices.

However, for the method to work, text material must be prepared and displayed in specific ways, and this requires an understanding of the relevant parameters at play.

The Smithsonian Institution in the US has initiated an outreach program to help educators learn how to use mobile devices in this way, and are seeking help and guidance from participants of UNESCO Mobile Learning Week 2014 to help disseminate this information outside the US.

Watch the Presentation here - Matthew H. Schneps

Biography
Dr. Matthew H. Schneps is the director of the Laboratory for Visual Learning (LVL) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).

A founding member of the Science Education Department there, Schneps has been carrying out research and outreach in science education since 1983.

He is well known for his work in educational television media that includes the award-winning programs "A Private Universe", and "Minds of Our Own" broadcast worldwide (famous for scenes of Harvard and MIT graduates struggling with concepts about the seasons).

In recent years he has been conducting research in cognitive psychology to investigate how individual differences in neurology, including those associated with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders, effects how people learn science.

An outgrowth of this work is the development of an innovative technique for reading for people with dyslexia using mobile devices, research carried out through funding from the National Science Foundation in the US, and other sources.

Schneps was awarded the George E. Burch Fellowship in Theoretic Medicine and Affiliated Sciences in 2010 – 2012.

Schneps has been continuously employed at the CfA since receiving his PhD in physics from MIT in 1979.

Dyslexia: An Introduction to BookShare

Do you have a print disability? Do you live in the US or UK?

With a Bookshare membership, you can access over 93,000 accessible eBooks.

Bookshare, the world’s largest online library for individuals with print disabilities, offers a wide range of books including bestsellers, novels, children's books, mysteries, science fiction, nonfiction, foreign-language books, and more, direct from publishers.

Who may join?
Anyone with a qualifying print disability, such as blindness or low vision, a physical disability that prevents using a physical book, or a learning disability that affects reading, like severe dyslexia, may join Bookshare.

Organisations such as schools may also join Bookshare to serve and support their students or clients with print disabilities.

Dyslexia: UK Charity teaches prisoners how to read and write

Patron: Rebecca Harris MP

A PIONEERING scheme aimed at cutting reoffending rates in prisons has been hailed as a success.

UK charity The Cascade Foundation has been carrying out a three-month pilot project in Doncaster Prison to provide education for inmates with dyslexia-related learning difficulties.

The charity teaches offenders basic literacy skills and diagnoses those suffering with learning difficulties.

It is hoped the work will stop prisoners reverting back to a life of crime and provide the skills to keep them on the straight and narrow.

The charity was set up by campaigner Jackie Hewitt-Main in her home in Kents Kill Road, alongside Benfleet councillor Andrew Sheldon and Chelmsford resident Karen Osman.

Ms Hewitt-Main said: “A large number of offenders in British prisons have learning difficulties. If offenders haven’t learned to read and write by the time they finish their sentence, they have little hope of properly interacting with society, getting a job and staying on the straight and narrow.

“We are taking them out of the traditional prison classroom environment with our teaching and setting up a support network of mentors amongst the offenders themselves to give them these skills and get them one step closer to rehabilitation.

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris, who is dyslexic herself and a founding patron of the charity, added: “I am very proud to be a patron of the Cascade Foundation and it was great to travel up to Doncaster to see first-hand how their efforts are changing the lives of these offenders and through education, cut the chances of them committing further crimes.”

Learn basic facts about dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADHD - Video

Learn basic facts about dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADHD and visit LD.org for resources on how to get the most out of your relationship with your child's doctor.

Credit for video goes to the National Center for Learning Disabilities

Sonocent's Audio Notetaker

Read more about this Audio Note Taking tool at www.sonocent.com/

UK Police Taser teenage boy with complex learning difficulties

A teenage boy with complex learning difficulties has been Tasered by police in the grounds of a special school owned by the exclusive Priory Group.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Chelfham Senior School near Plymouth, which specialises in children with learning difficulties including behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and autism, after reports of an alleged assault on a teacher.

The force confirmed officers deployed a Taser during the incident at 9.20pm on December 1, which involved three boys, a 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds, after reports that knives were brandished at officers.

The day and residential school for boys and girls aged seven to 19 is owned by the Priory Group, a private company known for its addiction clinics favoured by celebrities.

It is in the village of Bere Alston in the Devon countryside, close to Dartmoor National Park.

Sophie Khan, a solicitor-advocate and legal director at Police Action Centre, said: "The use of a Taser on this occasion has to be called into question. The police action may have been excessive."

"The use on children is only allowed if it is the only feasible method of restraining the child. It's only there if there are no other alternatives to restrain the child," she said.

"Often officers can say they weren't aware of behaviour issues, but in this case they must have been aware."

"Using a Taser on someone suffering some kind of behavioural difficulty or disability is something the policy or guidance doesn't allow."

Devon and Cornwall Police are being investigated by the police watchdog over an incident in which a man who doused himself in petrol burst into flames when he was shot with a Taser. Andrew Pimlott, 32, suffered horrific injuries in the confrontation outside his house and died in a hospital burns unit five days later.

However, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has not been contacted in relation to the incident at Chelfham.

The teacher was treated at the scene by paramedics for chest and head injuries before being taken to Derriford Hospital.

All three boys involved in the incident were jointly charged with affray and will appear at Plymouth Magistrates' Court on December 20.

A spokeswoman for the school said it was "an isolated incident on the school grounds and as legal proceedings are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further".

Figures released to UK Parliament earlier this year showed armed officers discharged, targeted or threatened to use Tasers against youngsters more than 320 times in 2011 - an 11-fold increase from the first year they were cleared for use against under-18s in 2007.

In the first year of officers being cleared to Taser children, they were used 29 times in England. By 2009, this had increased to 135.

In 2010, the weapons were used 339 times against children and by 2011 - the latest year that figures are available - the total stood at 323.

The figures were released following a parliamentary question asked by Lib Dem backbencher Julian Huppert.

In 2004, following a trial in five forces, it was agreed to allow chief officers of all police forces in England and Wales to make Tasers available to authorised firearms officers.

Stop Climbing, Start Swimming: The hidden advantages of dyslexia: Johnathan Buchanan

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

Dyslexia: Smartphone Apps for Students

NCLD: Reading is the area in which students with dyslexia struggle the most. 

Fortunately, there are many mobile apps that can help.

While we’ve reviewed all of the following ones, and they work well for my daughter who has dyslexia, we also know that “one size (or app) does not fit all.”

You may need to do additional research before finding the app that provides the best “fit” for your child.

Scottish Teenagers with Learning Difficulties make Computer game in four hours

A Dundee computer game maker has worked with young people with learning disabilities to create a new game in just four hours.

It was designed as part of efforts by designers Guerilla Tea to dispel myths about working in the sector.

Working with Enable Scotland, the programmers tried to encourage the youths to consider careers in gaming.

The collaboration resulted in the game "On the Freerun", which has now been released for download.

The game features a "freerunner" called Norman who sprints across roof tops trying to avoid hostile elderly people.

Guerilla Tea, who are firm of game designers made up of graduates from Scotland's Abertay University, said the project was developed after working with Enable Scotland's East Renfrewshire Local Area Coordination Team.

The Dundee-based company said it was the first of its kind for the games industry.

Charlie Czerkawski

Career for all
Charlie Czerkawski, from the firm, said: "We wanted to show the kids and the adults, the concepts of making a game, the software, some of the processes of game development and at the end have a game with their names on the credits."

"We were really promoting that game making is a viable career option, for anybody. It is certainly not cut off or elitist."

The project was run through two workshops; the first saw the group of young people develop the concept, while the actual game was created in the second.

Those youths interested in the programming side of game making were given support from one of the company's coders, while the more artistically inclined helped develop the graphics.

Czerkawski said: "There were a lot of good ideas, we collated them all into one and by the end of the day we had the concept.

"We put this idea together and built a basic frame work and were able to bring it together with the youths' ideas and artwork.

"It was remarkable; the game was actually put together in four hours, which is a record time."

Dougie Purves, Service Leader with Enable, said: "We identified that many of the young people we engage with have an interest in the games industry and were really keen to give them the chance to find out more about this field and the training and employment opportunities that exist in Scotland.

"This was a unique experience for everyone who took part. The feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. We are so grateful to Guerilla Tea for making this possible."

Mr Czerkawski said he felt the experience may have sparked an interest in game making among several of the teenagers.

He added: "Some of them really took to it very quickly; with just a bit of practice and maybe a Christmas present in the form of software, some of them could really go ahead and at the very least make a good hobby out of it, if not more."

Dyslexia and 4 Misconceptions that surround it

Dyslexia is a frequently misunderstood (and often hidden) disability.

Much has changed in the past few decades but unfortunately there are some misconceptions that still exist.

These misconceptions are often perpetuated through a lack of understanding or sympathy, often by people who know little of the difficulties faced by people with dyslexia on a daily basis.

In this article we will explore some of these misconceptions.

1: People with Dyslexia “don’t work hard enough.”
One of the most pervasive myths is that people with dyslexia lack motivation or academic ability.

This is of course completely incorrect, but can also be very damaging to an individual’s self-confidence if they are constantly labelled in this way.

A recent example of this belief was exhibited on ITV’s The Jeremy Kyle Show: Jeremy Kyle Dyslexia Clip - NB: This is very difficult to watch.

2: Dyslexia only affects spelling
In the above video Glyn, a guest, is berated by Kyle for his difficulties with remembering information, in this case his children’s birthdays.

Arguably Kyle has some empathy - he states he has a friend with the disability - however if this is true he should really know that there is a much wider range of dyslexia-related issues than problems with spelling.

People with dyslexia often have difficulties with:

• Reading
• Memory
• Organization
• Speech
• Concentration

You can find out more on the NHS Choices website.

3: Dyslexics are a small minority
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) states that 10% of the UK population is dyslexic. However, not all people with dyslexia are diagnosed and receive help, so this figure could well be higher.

Furthermore, many people with dyslexia don't want anyone else to know, for fear of discrimination in the workplace or when applying for jobs.

4: People with Dyslexia can never improve
While dyslexia is not curable, the notion that someone with the disability is doomed to struggle for life is completely false.

While people with dyslexia certainly flourish in creative industries, there are a wealth of coping strategies and techniques availalable, not to mention a wide range of assistive technology to suit a range of needs.

If you want to find out more about dyslexia, the British Dyslexia Association has an extensive collection of information available here.

Matt Damon speaks before Save Our Schools March 2011 - YouTube video

"I had incredible teachers. And as I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all of these things came from how I was parented and taught.

And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested. Matt Damon

Learning Difficulties: EEG shows insufficient processing of information

The reason why some people are worse at learning than others has been revealed by a research team from Berlin, Bochum, and Leipzig, operating within the framework of the Germany-wide network

"Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning."

They have discovered that the main problem is not that learning processes are inefficient per se, but that the brain insufficiently processes the information to be learned.

The scientists trained the subjects' sense of touch to be more sensitive. In subjects who responded well to the training, the EEG revealed characteristic changes in brain activity, more specifically in the alpha waves.

These alpha waves show, among other things, how effectively the brain exploits the sensory information needed for learning.

Dr Hubert Dinse

"An exciting question now is to what extent the alpha activity can be deliberately influenced with biofeedback," says PD Dr. Hubert Dinse from the Neural Plasticity Lab of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

"This could have enormous implications for therapy after brain injury or, quite generally, for the understanding of learning processes."

The research team from the Ruhr-Universität, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Leipzig) reported their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Learning without attention: passive training of the sense of touch

How well we learn depends on genetic aspects, the individual brain anatomy, and, not least, on attention.

"In recent years we have established a procedure with which we trigger learning processes in people that do not require attention," says Hubert Dinse.

The researchers were, therefore, able to exclude attention as a factor. They repeatedly stimulated the participants' sense of touch for 30 minutes by electrically stimulating the skin of the hand.

Before and after this passive training, they tested the so-called "two-point discrimination threshold," a measure of the sensitivity of touch.

For this, they applied gentle pressure to the hand with two needles and determined the smallest distance between the needles at which the patient still perceived them as separate stimuli.

On average, the passive training improved the discrimination threshold by twelve percent -- but not in all of the 26 participants. Using EEG, the team studied why some people learned better than others.

Imaging the brain state using EEG: the alpha waves are decisive

Dr Petra Ritter

The cooperation partners from Berlin and Leipzig, PD Dr. Petra Ritter, Dr. Frank Freyer, and Dr. Robert Becker recorded the subjects' spontaneous EEG before and during passive training.

They then identified the components of the brain activity related to improvement in the discrimination test. The alpha activity was decisive, i.e., the brain activity was in the frequency range 8 to 12 hertz.

The higher the alpha activity before the passive training, the better the people learned.

In addition, the more the alpha activity decreased during passive training, the more easily they learned. These effects occurred in the somatosensory cortex, that is, where the sense of touch is located in the brain.

Researchers seek new methods for therapy

"How the alpha rhythm manages to affect learning is something we investigate with computer models," says PD Dr. Petra Ritter, Head of the Working Group "Brain Modes" at the MPI Leipzig and the Berlin Charité.

"Only when we understand the complex information processing in the brain, can we intervene specifically in the processes to help disorders," adds Petra Ritter.

New therapies are the aim of the cooperation network, which Ritter coordinates, the international "Virtual Brain" project, which her team collaborates on, and the "Neural Plasticity Lab," chaired by Hubert Dinse at the RUB.

Learning is dependent on access to sensory information

A high level of alpha activity counts as a marker of the readiness of the brain to exploit new incoming information.

Conversely, a strong decrease of alpha activity during sensory stimulation counts as an indicator that the brain processes stimuli particularly efficiently.

The results, therefore, suggest that perception-based learning is highly dependent on how accessible the sensory information is. The alpha activity, as a marker of constantly changing brain states, modulates this accessibility.

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum.http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/

Dyslexia and the iPad: Search for Tablet Computer Apps

New apps arrive on the market almost daily. Several websites have good lists and reviews. First, search the websites below. 

Next, do a web search using the name of a specific app. Results may provide additional reviews and movies of the app in action on www.youtube.com.

Next, go to the developer’s web site for more information and user reviews. Finally, go to the app store. Pay attention to the poor reviews as well as the positive ones!

Use your expertise to critically evaluate the content; many apps described as reinforcing “phonemic awareness” actually dealt with phonics (letter-sound correspondences) or phonological awareness (syllables and rhyming tasks).

Excellent lists and reviews can be found at these sites:

www.commonsensemedia.org
childrenstech.com (also search KAPi Awards on this site)
www.about.com (search: ipad apps)
dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/tools/apps
a4cwsn.com (apps for children with special needs)
pinterest.com (search: educational ipad apps)
www.kirkusreviews.com (search: top book app)
www.parents-choice.org/allawards.cfm (Mobile app category)
www.apphalloffame.com (unfiltered content)
www.teachthought.com (iPad link)
www.ipadineducation.co.uk/iPad_in_Education/Literacy.html (British list)

Dyslexia: Tablet Computer Apps to Aid Learning

The following apps have been carefully selected to meet most of the criteria outlined above. 

Each is identified by the app name, developer, iTunes URL, intended audience, content, and a brief description. 

All are affordable for the teaching professional or parent.

1. SoundLiteracy Developer: 3D Literacy, LLC
Teacher utility; Phonemic awareness, Phonics (spelling), Morphology
User(s): Teacher with student

Sound Literacy is a large, well-organized collection of electronic “tiles.” It includes blank tiles for phonemic awareness activities; graphemes—individual letters and consonant and vowel clusters such as sh, ng, igh, aw for phonics activities; and morphemes—prefixes, suffixes, Latin roots, and Greek combining forms—for advanced word study activities. It also includes sound charts for consonant and vowel phonemes. Teachers with Apps named it one of the 12 Best Apps for Special Needs of 2012. Disclosure: A portion of all proceeds benefits The International Dyslexia Association.

2. Beginning Sounds Interactive Game
Developer: Lakeshore Learning Materials
Phonological Awareness
User: Student independent

Students match pictures that share the same beginning sound. If the child makes an incorrect choice, the picture re-circulates for another try.

3. Letter Find
Developer: Matthew Thomas
Alphabet (letter naming)
User: Student independent

Letter Find challenges young children to identify a pre-selected lowercase letter when it is among many other letters. Children tap on the letter, which turns green and provides a pleasant sound if correct, and red with a buzzer sound if incorrect. The negative feedback, though, is quite amusing to some children, who persist in responding incorrectly to hear the buzzer.

4. LetterSchool
Developer: Boreaal
Alphabet, Handwriting, phoneme-grapheme correspondences
User: Student independent

This app provides three progressively more challenging ways to practice writing numerals and manuscript letters—both lowercase and capital forms—in three different typefaces (Handwriting Without Tears, D’Nealian, or Zaner-Bloser). Each of the three practice activities includes immediate, explicit, and engaging feedback.

The app is very intuitive; children as young as three learn to use the activities with minimal instruction. However, very small children may not have sufficient finger strength to do the most difficult activities without parental assistance.

The introduction to the letter includes a keyword picture and sound, which present the most common short vowel and consonant sounds with only two exceptions: The keyword for the letter u is “unicorn” and for x, “xylophone.” The benefits of the letter formation practice make this a very worthwhile app!

5. Starfall Learn to Read
Developer: Starfall Education
Phonics (decoding and spelling); interactive book (decodable)
User: Student independent

This app mirrors the decoding and spelling activities in Starfall.com. It includes making words from common rimes (e.g., at in cat, ake in cake), sorting one-syllable words by syllable type, games for matching words and pictures, decodable stories, and engaging cartoon videos explain phoneme-grapheme correspondences. The speech is a child’s voice, with excellent and accurate pronunciation.

6. Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic HD
Developer: Learning Touch
Phonics (decoding and spelling); interactive book (decodable)
User: Student independent

This app is an interactive version of the decodable “Bob Books.” Students practice spelling common CVC words within the context of simple stories; the task menu provides four levels of progressively challenging tasks for beginning readers.

7. Word Wizard - Talking Movable Alphabet & Spelling Tests for Kids
Developer: L'Escapadou
Phonics (spelling)
User: Teacher with student; student independent

This app is appropriate for both spelling practice in teacher-directed small groups or for independent practice using pre-set lists of words: CVC words, high frequency words, and common content words (numbers, colors). Settings are easily changed to suit the purpose of the activity; for example, when touching each letter, a human voice speaks either the sound (good for single letter-sounds) or name of the letter (appropriate for digraphs). A unique feature is that “naughty” words are transformed instantly into “oops.”

8. SpellingCityDeveloper: SpellingCity
Phonics (reading and spelling); vocabulary; alphabetizing and handwriting. User: Teacher with student; student independent This app features seven activities to reinforce spelling, vocabulary, and alphabetizing skills.

The sample lists include homophones and content-based words (e.g., colours, beach, space). However, one can easily create custom lists to practice any spelling pattern using a personal account on the free, accompanying website.

Words to spell are dictated using a natural, human voice, and words are all put into the context of a sentence. Personal lists also feature a choice of appropriate sentences to include in the activities! An added bonus is that any word list can be easily printed in manuscript or cursive on “lined” paper, combining spelling and handwriting practice.

9. abc PocketPhonics: letter sounds & writing + first words
Developer: Apps in My Pocket Ltd
Alphabet (letter naming, handwriting), Phonics (spelling)
User: Student independent

This app provides individualized spelling instruction in a carefully sequenced progression of consonant and vowel sounds, starting with single letters and progressing to consonant and vowel digraphs. Players sign in by name, enabling the app to track individual progress.

A human voice pronounces the phonemes (e.g., /kw/) and then prompts the player to trace the grapheme (e.g., qu,) that represents the sound. After reading and writing isolated phoneme-grapheme associations, the player uses known graphemes to spell words, sound-by-sound (e.g., quit).

The correct response rewards the player with a comical illustration of the word’s meaning. The app includes digraph ng, unvoiced th (with) and voiced th (then), a rare and welcome feature in phonics apps! However, the app could be improved with a more animated and less monotone voice.

10. PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Developer: Loud Crow Interactive Inc.
Vocabulary, Comprehension; interactive book (literature)
User: Teacher or parent with student; student independent

This award-winning interactive book is one of several produced by Loud Crow Interactive, a company that converts children’s literature and comic books to an electronic form that truly enhances the text and vocabulary, a rare feature among interactive books.

In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, a pleasant British voice reads the narrative, while the app highlights each spoken word. At the end of the page, one can tap on any word to hear it pronounced again.

Like the other Pop Out books produced by Loud Crow Interactive (The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, The Night Before Christmas), the interaction mirrors the original pop-out effects as it reinforces rich vocabulary (e.g., the animation and text illustrates how Peter squeezed under the gate.).

Loud Crow also produces Goodnight Moon, several Boynton books (e.g., Barnyard Dance! Moo, Baa, La La La!), Charlie Brown stories (e.g., It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown), and the first-ever, fully interactive comic book app, Marvel’s the Avengers: Iron Man – Mark VII).

11. Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime
Developer: ustwo™
Phonological Awareness, Comprehension; interactive book (literature)
User: Teacher or parent with student; student independent

This interactive book reads familiar nursery rhymes aloud. The exquisite illustrations invite young children to trigger the interactions, which reinforce the content of the nursery rhyme.

12. Word Wit
Ballpoint Inc.
Vocabulary
User: Student independent

Designed for English-Language Learners, or native-speaking middle school students and older, Word Wit makes it fun and easy to learn the difference between frequently confused words (e.g., affect/effect).

It presents sequential activities that include explanations, quotes, and quizzes designed to deepen one’s understanding. Wrong answers cycle back for added practice. One can look up words individually, or let the app randomly select word pairs for you.

13. Vocab Rootology HD – Greek and Latin Roots and Etymology
Developer: PrepInteractive
Morphology, Vocabulary
User: Student independent

This is a flash-card tutorial of Latin roots and Greek combining forms for the serious, older student, teacher, or parent. It features flash cards for pre-testing and study, drills, and a report card to track progress. It is one of the few apps to provide feedback on a grading scale (A to F), appropriate for more mature audiences.

14. Inspiration Maps
Developer: Inspiration Software, Inc.
Written Composition
User: Teacher with student; student independent

Inspiration Maps is a portable version of the popular Inspiration composition software; it helps organize topics for writing or studying with graphic organizers.

It includes dozens of pre-made templates in a variety of forms, both expository (e.g., compare and contrast) and narrative.

15. Draw Everything! GLOW Note Free!
Developer: Jae Kwang Lee
Teacher Utility
User: Teacher with student; student independent

This app is a portable drawing/writing surface with day-glow colors. Kids can use it to practice writing letters and numbers; teachers can explain concepts electronically and display it on an overhead projector.

16. Smart White Board HD
Developer: Pad read
Teacher Utility
User: Teacher with student; student independent

This app is a portable, electronic white board for use by students and teachers. Kids can use it to practice writing letters and numbers; teachers can explain concepts electronically with the option of displaying it on an overhead projector. It includes four “pen” colors for detailed explanations.

17. Explain Everything
Developer: MorrisCooke
Teacher Utility
User: Teacher for the student (prepared in advance); student independent

This is an extremely versatile app for teachers in primary grades through university courses. Instructors can import pictures, PDF documents, and Powerpoint files into the app, where one can augment them with annotations, animated arrows and shapes, pictures, even a laser pointer!

There also is the option to record a video of the presentation, including handwriting on the screen, voice, and animated laser pointing. The finished products can be saved as a PDF document or video, which can be shared electronically with students. It is easy to learn and fairly intuitive.

18. Dropbox
Developer: Dropbox
Teacher Utility
User: Teacher, parent and/or student

Dropbox is a free cloud storage system that synchronizes files. Files placed in this folder are accessible through applications and a website, so you are able to access the file anywhere there is an Internet (or telephone) connection worldwide.

One also can create folders accessible by several people. This is the perfect application for teachers and students on the go! You never have to search for the latest version.

Dyslexia: What are the advantages of tablet computers?

Unlike desktop computers, tablet computers, such as the iPad (and iPhones) are lightweight, portable, and kid-sized. 

The long battery life means they can be used at home, in school, in trains, planes, and automobiles—literally any place where one can sit down.

iPads start instantly and can be closed in the middle of an activity at a moment’s notice.

Most apps are reasonably priced, and range from free to about $25, although some specialty apps (e.g., for Speech and Language Pathologists) can be quite expensive.

What should you look for in a good app?
A good app is educationally sound, versatile, and worth the price.

Here are a few other considerations;

• Intended user: Is the app meant for students to use independently or with a teacher or parent? Teacher-utility apps are meant for teachers to use in planning or delivering instruction.
• Breadth and depth: Is the content accurate and research-based? Are activities varied, with multiple levels of complexity? Is there scaffolding to support learners of different abilities?
• User-friendliness: Is it intuitive? Can the user move easily between tasks? How do teacher-utility apps improve teaching quality or save time and effort? Are oral or written instructions readily available? Do web-links enhance the content?
• Images and sound: Are the illustrations, graphics and sound attractive and engaging? Do they enhance content, or detract from it?
• Feedback: Is the feedback timely, specific, and motivating? Is feedback delivered at multiple levels?
• Engaging: Do the activities promote involvement? Are there motivating goals and attractive rewards? Are activities interactive and challenging and do they involve problem solving? Are student apps fun and enjoyable, compelling students to want to use them again and again?

Click Here to see a list of some worthwhile apps to consider

LD: Facing the Challenges of getting a good College Education

With high school guidance counselors, teachers, and even parents focused on college admission rather than how to succeed when they get there, students with LD remain largely uneducated about the dramatically different culture they’re about to enter.

 Even parents who graduated college themselves remain ignorant of the obstacles kids with learning disabilities encounter at the college level.

As a result, students cross the chasm between high school and college filled with misconceptions. They have no clue that their world is about to be turned on its head.

Upon entering college, students are blindsided by a totally different landscape in which the tried-and-true methods that got them through high school no longer work.

Following are the major factors that make college such a difficult proposition for students with learning disabilities:

• Pressure from parents and/or peers: It is often expected that students enroll in college despite lack of ability, desire, readiness, or significant knowledge of their strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Besides, with such a tight job market, what else is there to do? Sadly, parents learn the hard way that they can’t legislate motivation. To achieve success, motivation must come from within. In many cases, it comes with maturity.
• Semester vs. year: Material covered in a year of high school is expected to be learned in a 15-week semester, making the college workload faster, heavier, and more difficult than that of high school. It requires more time, organization, and a greater mental commitment. In addition, because a semester proceeds so quickly, students often don’t recognize they’re in academic trouble until it’s too late.
• Lack of an IEP: Students with disabilities in high school are covered under IDEA, the law that provides an individualized education plan (IEP) aimed at guaranteeing success. In college, IDEA vanishes and Section 504 takes over. All the support to which students have become accustomed is suddenly pulled out from under them. Now they are only guaranteed non-discrimination through accommodations (assuming they disclose); the onus for success suddenly shifts from the parent and school to the student.

This raises the issue of self-advocacy. Prior to college, parents were charged with looking after their child’s best interests.

In the span of 12 years, how many times did you contact the school, dissatisfied with services your child was receiving?

In college, this burden falls on the student who, up until now, has taken a passive role. This dramatic change is often underestimated and is a frequent cause of college failure.

Read more of this article here

College Degrees Challenge Students with Learning Difficulties

It may surprise you to learn that the U.S. ranks 14th among 37 developed nations when it comes to the percentage of young people holding college degrees. 

According to a study conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2011, only 56% of students in the U.S. that begin four-year colleges are likely to graduate.

If college presents insurmountable obstacles for almost half of all college students, you can imagine what that means for students with learning disabilities who already face challenges.

The postsecondary success rate for students with LD is half that of the general population; it’s estimated that only 28% receive a diploma.

According to the Institute for Higher Education Policy, the low graduation rate is largely attributable to educational missteps that begin in elementary school and continue through high school.

From kindergarten through 12th grade, students with LD experience “inadequate academic preparation when compared to their peers without disabilities; lower academic expectations; inferior pedagogy and services; and lack of full access to the core curriculum.”

Furthermore, with high school guidance counselors, teachers, and even parents focused on college admission rather than how to succeed when they get there, students with LD remain largely uneducated about the dramatically different culture they’re about to enter.

Even parents who graduated college themselves remain ignorant of the obstacles kids with learning disabilities encounter at the college level.

Read more of this article here

How to Motivate Kids to Read: Tips - Andrea Davis Pinkney video

Children's book author Andrea Davis Pinkney, who has children with learning disabilities, shares fantastic tips about how to motivate young people to read. For more information and free resources, please visit NCLD's Dyslexia page.

Olive Hickmott: Empowering Learning New Year message

Let me first wish you, my valued reader, a very prosperous and highly successful New Year in 2013.

I am sure you have spent some time in the last week reflecting on your life and family in 2012 and are planning a whole set of new adventures for 2013.

This week I received a message from my original guide and mentor, Olive Hickmott, from Empowering Learning, which may me reflect on how we got started on this path.

I would like to share this message with you and to let you know that Olive has Dyslexia herself but with great fortitude and determination, pursued a very successful career in engineering, before her retirement.

She is herself an example of a talented person with dyslexia developing into a self-determining, success story but not content with her own success she has spent the last 7 years coaching and mentoring dyslexic children.

Her aim; to help children break through their barriers to education and overcome their low self esteem; use the talents they have to learn in their own way, one that makes perfect sense to them; set them on a life-changing path of self discovery and development.

I invite you to read Olive's message. It says a lot of the progress being made in overcoming Dyslexia and other cognitive processing disorders and, I hope it will give you some more cause for optimism in 2013. It may even spark some new ideas and paths for you to follow.

"It is a very different world than when I (Olive) started work back in 2005 on literacy challenges. 

People are much more open to seeing different perspectives, identifying the exceptional talents of learning differently and overcoming the challenges. 

In 2013 we want all our exceptionally talented children and adults, who learn in a different way, to think about how they are being taught, to excel in their chosen areas, that are often very creative.

As our contribution to this, we are looking:

• to reach as many children and adult across the world as possible, so they can learn how to simply improve their literacy, numeracy, concentration and so much more, even when they have a diagnosis of Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, Asperger's or Autism. - These new skills will further develop their exceptional (mainly visual) skills and eradicate many of the negative symptoms associated with these challenges.
• to assist families and Practitioners to be as successful as they can be in their communities.

To achieve this we are building a larger and stronger international community of people with the skills to teach people who learn differently. 

The level 1 Practitioner programme is now available as a single day in Hertfordshire, UK, as a set of live weekly tele-seminars and as a home study programme that you can access whenever is convenient for you, plus on-line coaching to answer any questions. 

Recently, we have trained Practitioners and parents on-line in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, USA, throughout the UK and in January we will be adding a Dyslexia school in Kenya plus our first practitioner in New Zealand. 

These are exciting times to join the team, you don't need previous qualifcations, just an enthusiasm to make a difference to others.

In 2013 we will see the results of the Practitioners' research projects in Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Ireland plus my literacy and numeracy research through the International Association for Health and Learning for a community of nursing undergraduates in England.

I also hope to have several practitioners replicating my work in different Universities across the UK. 

In addition we expect to get the level 1 programme its first international accreditation.

When you become a Practitioner, you will have all the tools you need to succeed:

• Free monthly Continuous Professional Calls
• Workbooks for literacy, numeracy and more in development
• An accreditation process and product discount
• Commission for referrals
• Free Youtube video introductions for your clients
• Access to an on-line training platform
• Low cost upgrade training for those trained before September 2011.

This is a readymade business that can give you immense personal satisfaction and make a real difference to peoples' lives."

I hope that was of interest and you can read more about Olive's work with Empowering Learning here.

Essential iPhone Apps for the Disabled?

More than 16 million people in America have a mental illness or a cognitive function problem while 3 million people have difficulty with speech communication, thus hindering them from learning independently. 

However, learning can be facilitated, even for people with disabilities, through the help of mobile devices like the iPhone.

If you’re a parent of a disabled child or a teacher for disabled students, you can make learning more interesting for them with the help of these apps!

ArtikPix

One of the best learning methods for children is the use of pictures and graphics, one thing that modern technology such as the iPhone can now offer for free.

ArtikPix is one of those free applications geared towards empowering special education teachers and students by providing great ways to interact while learning.

In a nutshell, it’s a flashcard activity app that allows students to practice speech.

The app is also helpful for teachers because it allows them to collect and keep track of data through Google Spreadsheets.

In My Dreams

If you don’t have an iPhone 5, you can always opt for apps that are great for older iPhone versions.

In My Dreams is a great app that works on all iOS 2.2.1 devices and above (which makes it ideal for every iPhone).

It’s a matching and reading app that allows students to learn effective reading, writing and speaking through animation and repetition.

The app uses voice, sign language, pictures and words to help kids widen their vocabularies, master sentence structures and distinguish connections between words and visuals.

ADHD Angel

Aside from the usual speech and learning problems that many students encounter, a lot of children in America also have problems focusing in school due to behavioural disorders such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

For students who are having trouble controlling and monitoring their ADHD tendencies, the perfect app to try is ADHD Angel. ADHD Angel helps students understand their condition and monitor and manage their feelings.

Aside from medication reminders, the app also features information about ADHD which kids can use to explain their disability to their peers. It also has important emergency contact details, advice and reminders to help students cope with ADHD even at school.

TapToTalk

For students who can’t speak because of autism, cerebral palsy or other speech defects, the iPhone is a very helpful tool in communicating with others.

Apps likeTapToTalk serves as an easy and fun communication device. The app is filled with pictures that he or she can tap to voice their feelings and needs.

Aside from this app, the developers also created other apps to go with it such as TapToTalk Uploader which helps disabled kids expand their photo album by uploading their own pictures.

Learn Braille Alphabet

Whether or not a student is blind, it still is helpful to learn the Braille alphabet.

Students who have a blind friend or family member will find it easier to learn the Braille alphabet by using the Learn Braille app.

This app is enhanced for the iPhone 5 so that students can easily learn Braille with fun visuals and interactive games.

Not only will the kids learn a new language, they will also be able to help their blind classmate!

While there are many apps to support parents and teachers who have disabled students, developers have yet to come up with many applications to help disabled children.

But with the onset of new technologies, it won’t be too long until students with disabilities have the opportunity to learn at the same pace as other kids.