Assistive Technology

We often get questions from parents that send us back to our blog to see what we have written about a particular subject. Sharing the link to a blog will often help a student or family who has questions about a particular topic that we have discussed - and written information that can be reviewed and even printed can be particularly helpful.

Such is the case with the issue of assistive technology (AT). In response to a question from a New York City mom, we took a look back at our past posts on this subject -- and found a wealth of information that we hope you might also find helpful. As we hope our readers know, our blog has a "search" feature that lets you find posts by topics, key words, or even the date posted. It's a quick way to check on any subject about which you may have questions.

There is a simple video that explains the basics of AT with information about finding out about how to locate AT resources throughout the U.S.

Our posts about various aspects of AT go all the way back to 2012, so some of the tech we discuss as "new" may not be so new anymore. But we think that you will find these posts a useful starting point for understanding what AT is, how it works, and how it can help you or your student with specific issues.

• Back in 2012, we looked at CAST (The Center for Applied Special Technology) and the wealth of resources they offer 
• We recommended a wristwatch that sent a vibrating reminder signal and an app that might help teenage procrastinators 
• We discussed audio books that have highlighting features, something we often include in our recommended strategies for students
• We shared information about a blog from the folks who bring you TED Talks about how to navigate educational technology
• We look at the accessibility features available from Google
• We describe some top time management and homework resources, a number of which we frequently recommend to students
• In a post from 2017 we review a number of excellent AT tools for managing dyslexia.

And we also wrote about the low tech subjects of handwriting and the benefits of teaching children to write by hand and other kinds of low tech AT

Finally, there is a helpful blog post from earlier this year on the InsideSchools blog about high tech tools for students with a variety of disabilities and the New York City Department of Education has a web page with information about the nuts and bolts of getting appropriate technology for students with disabilities in New York City.