What cell phone applications can benefit students with ADHD?

Bridget Brady

September 09, 2010 9:24:18 PM

I work as an OT with high schools students and wanted to know… what cell phone applications can benefit students with ADHD? We have used the basic features (calendar, alarms, etc) but have not explored additional applications and are wondering what other ideas or suggestions you might have.

What technologies can help a high school student with dysgraphia in science and math classes?

Bridget Brady

September 09, 2010 9:14:38 PM

What accommodations/modifications do you recommend for high school students in math and science when the main issue is dysgraphia? I have found that many of the "usual" accommodations (Alphasmarts, computers, voice activated programs, etc.) do not work as well due to the format of the math and science classes (i.e., drawing graphs, diagrams, writing in journals, etc.). What do you recommend?

Can you recommend an effective typing program for our son, who is dyslexic and dysgraphic?

Bridget Brady

March 31, 2010 10:34:53 PM

We recently purchased an AlphaSmart Neo for our son, who is dyslexic and dysgraphic. We have also tried the Mavis Beacon program, but he thinks it is boring. Do you know of another good typing program?

What treatment is needed for a child with dysgraphia?

Bridget Brady

March 31, 2010 9:39:03 PM

I have an 11 year-old daughter who will be entering seventh grade next year. She was diagnosed with learning disabilities in first grade and is severely dysgraphic. While she has learned to write fairly well, it is still a struggle for her and her writing is hard to read. I've asked her special education teacher to work with her on handwriting because I want her to be able to write clearly. Her teacher thinks that we should just let her use the computer because handwriting is too difficult and frustrating. But I think it is important for my daughter to be able to write with pen and paper too. If she always uses a computer, won't that make things more difficult for her later when she has to write things out? You can't always use a computer for writing, and I'm worried about what she'll do when she's not in school anymore and her job might not make accommodations for her.

Where can I calculate readability levels online?

Bridget Brady

March 31, 2010 9:09:16 PM

I work for an organization that serves individuals with disabilities. We often create materials for a variety of audiences and we want to make sure that the content is accessible. Are there any online tools or resources that can help us evaluate the level of reading materials? Where could we find suggestions for how to simplify the reading level of text?

What online resources are available for a student in a rural area without access to special education services?

Bridget Brady

March 31, 2010 8:42:38 PM

My six-year-old son is obsessed with super heroes. He often talks about his favorites (Batman, Superman, Spiderman, etc.) and is very fond of watching their movies and cartoons. He has an amazing memory about things he is interested in and can remember everything about superhero movies and cartoons he likes but still does not recognize his numbers and letters. I'm very worried about his studies and his reading. How can I help him improve his reading skills? We don't have access to special education near our home as we live in a remote town in Pakistan.

Should I go back to school as an adult if I suspect I have a learning disability?

Liana Heitin

October 12, 2009 9:01:04 PM

I am in the process of going back to college to seek a degree in education. Although I have been out of school for many years, I am excited about going back. Unfortunately, I find myself having a hard time processing a lot of the assignments my instructors give. I get concerned and worry that I might have a learning disability. Will I still be able to pursue my career as an educator if I can't keep up with the work?

What technology tools can help my son with spelling?

Liana Heitin

July 27, 2009 11:40:43 PM

My third grade son has problems with spelling; even if he practices a word several times, he cannot remember it. Often, he writes the word down the way it sounds to him. How can I help him with his spelling?

What technologies can help my third grade daughter organize her writing?

Liana Heitin

May 01, 2009 12:56:39 PM

My daughter cannot organize her writing at all. She becomes frustrated beyond belief when she tries to put her ideas on paper. Can you give me a list of suggested technologies?

What assistive technology tools could we use with a middle school student so he doesn’t feel singled out and different from his peers?

Administrator

February 01, 2009 8:23:50 AM

We have a middle school student that has difficulty with written work and reading difficulties. We would like to get some of the voice-activated software for him. We also wanted him to start using the computer and learning keyboarding but there may be some fine motor weaknesses. He is embarrassed by his difficulties and does not want to appear different to the other children. Do you have any ideas for how we might get him to use assistive technology tools and feel less singled out?

What technology tools can I use in my work writing to make sure I haven’t made errors?

Administrator

January 01, 2009 10:00:43 AM

I am a 32-year-old with dyslexia. I've been pretty successful and went to college and grad school. I had great teachers and accommodations and modifications when I was in school and was able to work around my disability a lot of the time. Now that I'm working, I'm finding one area that's always been a problem is cropping up — my spelling is terrible and my work emails are full of errors.

My friends and family understand when they get emails from me that there might a lot of mistakes, but I still spend hours going over everything I write trying to make sure it looks professional. Spell check on the computer helps, but the problem is it doesn't always pick up the mistakes I make. Sometimes I write a word correctly, but it's the wrong word. Or I spell something wrong, but it doesn't get picked up.

Sometimes if I have to write something really important for work, I send it to my brother first and ask him to proofread it, but I can't keep doing that. Are there any technology tools that I can use?

Are there any assistive technologies for dysgraphia?

Administrator

September 01, 2008 10:18:22 AM

I am an education graduate student with dysgraphia. What assistive technologies do you suggest to meet my needs?

Jen

What software helps students improve their typing on a keyboard?

Administrator

June 01, 2008 9:57:37 AM

Our son has a non-verbal learning disability, (very fine) hand tremor and poor graphomotor control. His handwriting is either fast and sketchy or slow and frustrating for him. His fourth grade teacher will allow him to use a keyboard exclusively for assignments; however, his keyboarding skills are still not sufficient to do this. I know he needs to practice keyboarding at home — are there any programs out there he can use on his own to practice typing?

What software will assist a manager who wants to overcome a learning disability to write better?

Administrator

May 01, 2008 2:43:09 PM

I am a 35-year-old director of marketing with a learning disability. I recently met with my CEO about my future with the company. He informed me that the only thing holding me back from moving into a CEO position in a few years is my lack of writing skills. He wants me to seek out some help with working on my LD. I have a degree in Management and Marketing and I do well with presentations, speeches and interacting with my clients, but I really need to work on my writing skills. What can I do?

How can a parent choose a good speech to text tool that will help their dysgraphic child ?

Administrator

May 01, 2008 2:37:55 PM

My 11-year-old son was recently diagnosed with dysgraphia. We were given recommended accommodations to request for his school work, but it was also recommended that we buy a "speech-to-text" program to assist him with his school work. I'm drowning in a sea of software options and don't know what would be best for him. Any suggestions?

What technology helps math, handwriting, and spelling?

Administrator

January 31, 2008 5:59:34 PM

I have been trying to find a list of assistive technology for my son who doesn't know his sounds, his handwriting is labored, and he doesn't know his multiplication facts. He has his math reading problems read to him, thank goodness. He remembers his spelling words long enough for the test, but come Monday, he can only remember a couple of them.

My son has had perfect conduct and perfect attendance. He's teachable, just not being taught. My main question is what should he be getting as to assistive technology? Thanks for your time and allowing me to ask you questions.

Are there any programs that can help my daughter who can spell, but can't write words correctly?

Administrator

November 01, 2007 7:36:43 PM

My daughter can identify words and can spell them out loud, but she cannot write them the correct way. What is this and is there any kind of help out there for this problem?

Can you recommend any computer programs to help my son, who is dyslexic, with his writing?

Administrator

October 01, 2007 3:29:47 PM

My son is going into 11th grade. He has a learning disability with a very "hands on" learning style. However, he cannot write to save his life, take notes, etc. What computer programs do you recommend? What laptops would you recommend?

Sarah