Irlen Syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity System

  

 AT for Irlen Syndrome, also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome

Irlen Syndrome is a type of visual perceptual dysfunction. It is not an optical problem. It is a problem with how the nervous system encodes and decodes visual information. Academic and work performance, behaviour, attention, ability to sit still and concentration can all be affected.
Individuals with Irlen syndrome see the printed page differently. Irlen syndrome prevents many students from reading effectively and efficiently.
Until recently it has baffled educators and medical scientists because it has been undetected by standard visual and educational tests. Irlen has a patented treatment method using specially formulated colored overlays, or spectral filters worn as glasses or contact lenses, to reduce or eliminate perception difficulties.

Don Johnson's Assistive Technology Tools for Reading

In 2009 as part of their $32 million U.S. Department of Education OSEP award, Bookshare chose Read:OutLoud by Don Johnston Incorporated as the text reader that would best achieve the goal of providing access to reading materials and enabling students to read texts with comprehension. It is available for free to all Bookshare members.

If you are a Bookshare member you can download Read:OutLoud Bookshare Edition

                                              

This app is equipped with so many amazing features. It has a language feature that allows students to speak in a foreign language and look at the corresponding foreign translation of words. This would benefit beginning EL students. Additionally, this app has lots of other possibilities for the classroom. The teacher can give an oral assignment to several students at once, without having to go one-on-one. Students with dysgraphia or students who are resistant writers would be able to speak their assignments, then edit using the keyboard option. Another idea would be to use this app to publish student essays, which would save time for both the teacher and students.

It all started with a course in assistive technology. So for me, it justs makes sense to write about the amazing world of assistive technology.
My blog is going to concentrate on the multitute of assistive technology tools for all students. From my teaching experience, I have discovered that not two students are alike, they come in different shapes, sizes and types. The ways in which they acquire knowledge is also unique. Fortunately, for most students in an ordinary classroom, teaching can be designed to accomodate different learning needs. However, when it comes to students who need that extra boost to keep up with their classmates, assistive technology is an amazing tool that assists them in learning, understanding and social participation in the regular classroom. Well, I am going to open the treasure chest of assistive technology tools and see what I discover!

Wow, I have discovered a treasure chest full of valuable assistive technology tools for my classroom!

Students who are unable to use their hands or other related dissabilities to operate a computer are assisted by voice command assistive technology. Petrana Assistive Technologies has created voice commands for DVD software,which allows a person to successfully control and operate a computer by speech-recognition, which allows greater freedom and management.