Early Childhood Special Education and Assistive Technology Blog

By: Lori Vigeant, EC-SEAT Scholar, New Hampshire Early Childhood Special Educator I teach in an intensive special needs preschool classroom.   My students have a wide range of disabilities and abilities. There are typically developing students integrated into my classroom as well as Dual Language Learners (DLLs) with and without disabilities.   The students range in age from 3-5 years olds.   The materials and strategies that I use for students who are DLLs are also effective tools for all my students.   Also, the strategies and materials that I use with students who have special needs are effective tools for children who are DLLs    Because my students are so young, they are all English language learners and benefit from the teaching strategies and materials that are used in the classroom. Boardmaker – Boardmaker is a software program that I use to make visual supports for my students.   I am able to create schedules, communication boards an...

By: Lori Vignealt, EC-SEAT Scholar, and New Hampshire Early Childhood Special Educator While taking the course Using iPads to Support Children with Disabilities at the University of New Hampshire , I researched and reviewed iPad apps for literacy and writing. It was really eye opening to see how many free and inexpensive apps are out there for young children up to any age. I encourage you to see for yourself and check out these apps. I have used “Question It” with some of my preschool students that are working on more advanced language skills! Literacy Apps Question It (free)  Question It is app for children with autism or other significant language impairment. It provides opportunities to teach children what words answer which “wh” questions. The activities include sorting words by which question they answer, answering questions from sentences and questions from paragraphs. The app uses faded color cues and intermittently reinforces with fireworks on the screen.  ...

By: Caitlin Henchey, EC-SEAT Scholar and NH Early Childhood Special Educator Social Stories This app create allows you to access, create, print, and share social stories. The app is free and comes preloaded with stories in categories like problem behaviors, friendship and feelings, and self care. While there are some free stories most you need to purchase. The free stories do come with rules icons and read the story aloud to the student. Also, you can create your own stories by typing in text and uploading pictures from the iPad photos. One of the elements I liked about this app was that you can record your voice (or the child’s) reading the page to turn your created story into a read aloud as well. You can also print these stories and supplements like icons and visual schedules so that they can be used independently from the iPad. Wet to Dry Handwriting This app also helps with the formation of numbers and letters. While you don't have to hold a pen, you do need to iso...

By: Alexa Splagounias, EC-SEAT Scholar The Child and the Goal At my internship, I work with a five-year-old little boy. He is in Kindergarten. He has cerebral palsy , cortical blindness , and has quadriplegia . He is in a wheelchair. He communicates mostly through switch access. Lukas (pseudonym) will be able to use a battery interrupter and joy stick switch in order to activate his battery-operated toys independently in his classroom and home environments. Being able to play with his toys Lukas loves to play with battery operated toys. He really enjoys and is heavily motivated by the toys moving around, dancing or playing music. But, he is unable to play with them and use these toys independently, as he is unable to press the on and off button himself to activate the toy. Finding an Assistive Technology Device that meets Lukas' Needs I am trying to find the type of switch that is most effective for him to use, so he can activate his battery-operated toys. By playing with his...

By: Caitlin Henchey, EC-SEAT Scholar, NH Early Childhood Special Educator Eligibility for special education and service in early childhood birth to age 6.  With 167 school districts making up the state, New Hampshire is addressing early childhood special education as fragmented segments instead of a united front.  In the field of Early Childhood Education and Care, there is a disconnect. This disconnect becomes evident at a child’s third birthday. Previous to this Birthday, a child is considered a part of early supports and services. After, they are grouped under the umbrella of early education through the NH Department of Education. One place where this disconnect shows itself is the determination of whether a specific child is in need of intervention or special education services, and how that service should be offered to the family. There is extremely limited consistency in the eligibility determination process for special education and related services for children...

--> By: Alexa Splagounias, EC-SEAT Scholar Speak4Me I looked at a text to speech app called Speak4Me .   This is a free application for an iPhone or iPad in which you can type out what you want to say and the app will read it out loud.   I found this device in the App Store on my iPad.   This would allow someone who is non- verbal to be able to communicate through typing out what they want to say and having the app say it for them.   I downloaded the app and played around with the different voice tones, etc. to familiarize myself with the app.   I found this device to be very easy to use for anyone from a young children to adults.   Something positive about this device that I really liked is that you can adjust the speed at which the app reads and says what you wrote.   You can also add common phrases to your “favorites” so that you do not have to type it out each time.   You can also choose from many different voice opt...