using assistive technology anne comfort, m.ed. meighen centre mt. a

Using Assistive Technology

Anne Comfort, M.Ed.Meighen Centre

Mt. A.

Which one would you pick?

What do you really need?Technology needs to be suited to the individual;

not the teacher.

Important factors: Availability and cost; training time; ease of use

Other factorsPersonal experiences; likes and dislikes

Computer skills; known and ability to learn

Ability to overcome the Learning Curve

Consider this:“AT is imperfect. It always will be….. AT works; it

can change lives…. The most essential human factor in AT is that it is not merely about the technology and the devices themselves. AT is primarily about people”

Assistive Technology: Essential Human Factors by T.W. King.

Today’s menuText to speech software

Speech to text software

Notetaking programs

Time to try out the software

Free Stuff!

Questions

Text to speech software“Reading” Software

Possible uses? Clientele?

Speech to Text SoftwareNewer versions have shorter training time

Turns your voice into printed text

Possible uses? Clientele?

Notetaking toolsPens

Software

Recorders

Possible uses? Clientele?

ClaroRead DemoLikes Microsoft Word

Easy to use

Kurzweil 3000The “Gold” Standard

Version differences

Learn Station vs Professional

Kurzweil Demo

Read & Write Goldhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=6c5ECZg3DcQ

Dragon Naturally Speaking

EchoPen

questions?