TECH Tidbits from TASK
Team of Advocates for Special Kids' Assistive Technology E-Mail Newsletter 

February 2016
TASK LOGO

 

Quick Links 
  
  
More About TASK
  
  

 
   
  

                   
  
Upcoming Assistive Technology Workshops
  
  
Apps for Students with Autism
Friday, February 5
9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Family Resource Center, NCLARC
Van Nuys
Call (714) 533-8275 for more information or to register.
  
Apps for Students with Autism
Tuesday, February 9
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Parents' Place
West Covina
Call (626) 919-1090 for more information or to register.
  
AT for Early Learning
Wednesday, February 24
9:30 am - 12:30 pm  
Westside Family Resource and Empowerment Center
Culver City
Call (310) 258-4243 for more information or to register.
  
Getting Your Hands on Proloquo2Go!
Thursday, February 25
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
TASK Anaheim
Call (714) 533-8275 for more information or to register.
  
Apps for Older Students
Friday, March 4
9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Family Resource Center, NCLARC
Van Nuys
Call (714) 533-8275 for more information or to register.  
  
For more workshops, including our workshops on special education and parental rights and responsibilities under the law, please visit the full workshop schedule on the TASK website.
      
  
  
TASK Membership  
  
  
Please consider joining TASK as a member! Members receive the following benefits: 
  • Free TECH Labs
  • Bimonthly 28-page TASK newsletters 
  • Membership is tax-deductible
Membership is as low as $35.00 per year, per family. We need your support to continue to provide a central resource center for legal rights and responsibilities information and to continue providing TECH Center services. You can join online; visit the Membership page on our website for more information. 
  
   
  
  TASK Needs Board Members 
   
  
Are you the parent of a child with special needs? Has TASK helped you in the past? Perhaps you are a professional that has worked with TASK advocates or attended one of our many workshops? TASK is currently recruiting members for our Board of Directors. Make a difference by helping to guide our organization into the future.   Please note that board positions are on a volunteer basis. Board members must be willing to participate in our monthly board meetings via toll-free conference call. E-mail our interim executive director, Joan Van Hooten, at [email protected] for more information about this exciting opportunity or to request a board packet. 
 
This month is short but packed full of lots of great things! First, I am excited to tell you about two new developments:
  1. This publication, (our assistive technology-focused e-newsletter) FINALLY has a name: "TECH Tidbits from TASK."
  2. And TASK has a BRAND NEW monthly e-mail newsletter focused on special education and disability issues! To subscribe, click here!
I also want to let you know about two local FREE events to experience technology and adaptive equipment:
  
February 5-7, 2016, L.A. Convention Center, West Hall A
Imagine everything you need, all under one roof! For more than 30 years, Abilities Expo has been the go-to source for the Community of people with disabilities, their families, seniors, veterans and healthcare professionals. Every event opens your eyes to new technologies, new possibilities, new solutions and new opportunities to change your life. Where else can you discover ability-enhancing products and services, play a few adaptive sports, learn new dance moves, attend informative workshops and only scratch the surface of what Abilities Expo has to offer? Free online registration.
  
March 21-26, 2016, San Diego, CA
This international conference is sponsored by the Center for Disabilities at California State University Northridge. There is a fee for this conference, but the EXHIBIT HALL IS FREE.
EXCITING ACCESSIBILITY NEWS:
  
New CAASPP Accessibility Web Pages:
 
Airline Websites Must Be Made Accessible
As of December 12, 2015, core functions of airline websites must be made accessible to assistive technology users. The travel services required to be accessible include booking and check-in functions, personal flight itinerary, flight status, frequent flyer account, flight schedules, and carrier contact information on an airline's primary website. Read more on the website ruling on the Great Lakes ADA Center's website. 
GOOD TO KNOW:
  
5 Ways to Incorporate Visual Supports in Everyday Routines 
Visual Supports can be excellent tools for helping reduce negative behaviors and improve predictability within a child's routine.  
  • What is a visual support?
  • A visual support refers to using a picture or visual item to help communicate with a child that has difficulty with language. This visual support can be a photograph, word, symbol or list.
  • To what population are visual supports helpful?
  • I think all children benefit from visual supports, specifically those with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other neurological disorders that impact a child's language and ability to stay focused on a task.
Read more about visual supports in this article from Friendship Circle.
 
20 for 20 Device Giveaway from Saltillo Corporation
Saltillo Corporation is celebrating 20 years of providing high-quality augmentative communication devices and world-class service and support to adults and children with communication disabilities. In keeping with our commitment to client success and to celebrate our 20th anniversary, Saltillo has decided to award 20 speech-generating devices throughout the year of 2016 to people with communication-related disabilities.
This "20 for 20 Giveaway" is focused on helping individuals who lack funding assistance options and would otherwise not be able to obtain a communication aid. Click here to download the application form.
NEW AND EXCITING TECHNOLOGY:
  
Dot: The First Braille Smart Watch!
Developers at Dot, Inc. have unveiled designs for the Dot Braille Smart Watch for blind users. The South Korea company aims to produce an electronic device with four cells of Braille on a refreshable Braille display that fits around your wrist. Their goals are to make it affordable, serve as an e-reader with expected smart watch features, and promote braille learning among the 95% of the visually impaired population who give up Braille for common reasons. Read the full article about Dot on WonderBaby.org.
      
GPS SmartSole Gives Peace of Mind to Parents of Wanderers
GPS SmartSole  is an invisible wearable technology device intended for non-invasive tracking of individuals with cognitive disorders (such as Alzheimer's, autism, traumatic brain injuries) in its second generation. The miniaturized GPS/cellular device is built into an insole designed to be worn in shoes, providing tracking and monitoring for the individual while giving complete peace of mind to the parent who can easily monitor the connected insole right from a mobile app.
This technology is a boon for the special needs community, especially the parents and family members that are familiar with the  wandering and elopement  of those with cognitive impairments. Read the full article from Frienschip Circle about GPS SmartSole.
NEW IN THE TECH CENTER:
  
The app allows a person to type a message using sophisticated word and phrase prediction which learns their pattern of use, making writing even faster. An advanced spell checking system designed especially for people with dyslexia offers a great support. The integrated iOS voice let you hear the word prediction suggestions before selecting and sharing your messages with others. inku offers intelligent speech-to-text features that gives you the possibility to speak a word you want to write! Designed for people with dyslexia, inku is essential for students and professionals who benefit from help when preparing messages, notes or documents on the iPhone or iPad. This app sells for $19.99, but inku will be FREE on Friday, February 5, 2016!
  
DayCape - Daily Visual Planning App
DayCape is a FREE app designed to help children with visual structure. It very simply displays images and visual times for what tasks need to be done during the day. Also, it enables a web tool for supporters to the child such as parents, teachers and mentors to plan and send tasks directly to the child's app. This can be used to plan the day for whole families or school classes. Learn more about this app on the DayCape website.
  
Getting Your Hands on Proloquo2Go - Don't Miss TASK's Newest AAC Workshop!
For those of you who support someone who uses Proloquo2Go, this workshop will help you learn to edit on the spot to keep communication motivating, save your users' vocabulary, back up your app and more! Download the workshop flyer for more information.
That is all for this month. As always, feel free to call (866) 828-8275 toll-free or e-mail [email protected] for questions or information or to make an appointment for one of our TECH Center services.
 
Happy APPing!
 
Laura Simmons-Martinez
Assistive Technology Program Manager
Team of Advocates for Special Kids

TASK is a nonprofit Parent Training and Information Center that serves all ages and all disabilities. TASK is funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the California Department of Education. The views expressed in this e-mail newsletter do not necessarily represent those of TASK, the U.S. Department of Education, the State of California or any other funding source, nor are they an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before congress. Advertisements or refernces to trade names, commercial products or organizations do not constitute endorsement by any of the above.