HighTech: Minspeak

Hello everyone! I hope you had a fantastic time in 2010. Time to start fresh and new for 2011!


To start off this year I would like to talk to you about a HighTech communication device called Minspeak. This device uses images independently or together to communicate the idea. The great thing about Minspeak is that it uses one image to communicate different things! When combining images together, different meanings are conveyed.


For example, when you see the image of an umbrella what do you think of? Depending on your life experiences and culture, the umbrella could mean rain, bright sunlight, high class, or even being at the beach. Combine the image of an umbrella with a swimsuit and you get beach!


That was only one example but you get the idea. Minspeak works with up to 100 images and is good for those who have great expressive language! Here are a few images from the Minspeak website that are real examples:

Specific individuals who would benefit from this device include those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, to name a few.


Those who work best with some fine motor adaptions can use a head pointer or any pointer-like device.


Check it out for yourself!
http://www.minspeak.com/


Have a great day!

High Tech: Dragon NaturallySpeaking

    Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a speech-to-text software created by Nuance Communications.

This program is designed to allow you to use all Microsoft programs like Word and Excel through just voice commands. This also include searching the Internet through Internet Explorer. It will work with Macintosh equivalents such as Safari. It allows you to work many programs on the computer without the use of a mouse. This can help people who have trouble with visual tracking and fine motor difficulties. It can also be a benefit of all you busy people out there!

Below is a link to the Nuance Communications website where you can watch demos from the Dragon Home version. Look to the left menu for other versions.

http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/by-product/dragon-for-pc/home-version/index.htm

If you want a really good demo, check out these videos on YouTube By VoiceRecognition. They are fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/user/voicerecognition

It comes in formats for PC, Macintosh, and even simple versions for the Blackberry and the iPhone.

There are different versions for the PC depending on your needs and your budget. (Prices are as of December 10th, 2010 from the Nuance website)

• Dragon Home  at $99.99
• Dragon Premium at $199.99
• Dragon Professional at $599.99
• Dragon Legal at $799.99

For the Macintosh computers:

• MacSpeech Scribe $149.99
• Dragon Dictate $199.99
• MacSpeech Dictate Legal $599.99
• MacSpeech Dictate Medical $599.99 

You can see how the home version for PC is not too pricey but that is the downside of HighTech solutions: the price. Beyond the price, the other downside is that it takes time to teach the software your voice and some vocabulary that you may use that it does not recognize. Also, if there is not a personal laptop to take with you or the software installed on all computers, it is hard to provide a consistent learning and working environment using Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

 To help with the recognition of the software in the store, here are a few of the most recent packaging.

I will continue to provide software and hardware solutions along with LowTech solutions because it always takes a varied approach to support the people we love or the people we support in the field.

Low Tech: Highlighers and Highlighter Tape

Everyone knows that second to my love of sticky notes, is my love of highlighters! They come in many shapes, sizes and colours.



They can be funky and great for children
Image from http://www.promotionalproducts.net/





They may be unique in shape that can make them easier to hold

Image from http://singaporecorporategifts.com/



They come in all kinds of colours and a vareity of brands.
(These are my personal favourite)
Image from http://officesupplygeek.com/



They can be designed for specialized grips
Image from http://imprintitems.com/

 There is also another wonderful product call highlighter tape. This is great because it is removable and can be used in textbooks or storybooks without ruining the pages. It is also a great alternative to highlighters if the fine motor difficulties make drawing a line a challenge.

 

The tape also comes in a
variety of colours.
Image from http://www.callowayhouse.com

The tape comes in a variety of
widths and can be put on a spool
for ease of use.(And convinient storage!)
Image from http://lakeshore.biz/home/home.jsp

Some uses for highlighters include:



Isolating key words or instructions



Isolating key information from a body of text.



Indicating important dates, appointments, or as a

reminder of what your shifts at work are.

I hope today's blog was helpful! Feel free to send me pictures of the interesting things you have done with highlighters!

Now just to share with you a photo of one of my favourite things....it's a highlighter and sticky notes!!!

Image from http://store.officeworld.com/

Low Tech: Magnifiers

Sometimes visibility is the barrier to success for individuals. Glasses are a great option for many, but for those who do not have that option or who need a little more help, there are maginfiers.
They come in several forms and can be fairly inexpensive.



There is the hand held magnifying glass.
Image retrieved from http://www.ccrane.com




   There is the magnifying sheet. 

Image retrieved from http://store.lighthouse-sf.org/





There are the magnifying bookmarks that can also have reading panes in them. These are the most portable and flexible in use. They can fit into a wallet, purse, or backpack and you can attach a coloured ribbon to them to make them easy to find.

Image retrieved from http://www.wrappedandready.co.uk/

 

Have a fantastic day!

Low Tech: Sticky Notes!

Sticky Notes have to be one of my favourite low tech tools because they are so versatile and come in all shapes, sizes, and patterns!

Sticky Notes are flexible in use, inexpensive, and can be used at school, at home, and for things in the community. Below are some examples of sticky notes from my (unhealthy) collection:

 They are great for reminders around the house:

 

They are also great for organizing the book you are reading!

They can help you isolate important information and are perfect for leaving reminders on the page.

They can also help with creating story maps and organizing thoughts for writing.

I hope today's topic was helpful! I know I love sticky notes and find them useful. Some people might say it is an addiction though...

Have a great day!

What do High and Low Technology Mean?

I thought I would start off with a simple description as to what high and low technologies really are. For simplicity sake, I will refer to them as High Tech and Low Tech for the remainder of this blog


High Technology refers to any assistive device that requires training and is often expensive. High Tech devices are generally electronically or mechanically based such as computer software and motorized wheelchairs.


Low Technology refers to any assistive device that can be easily used and costs very little if anything. Low Tech devices are things that can be bought from a dollar store or found around the house.


Anytime I talk about a device or tool I will be sure to indicate whether it is low or high tech!


Another term I would like to give you is Universal Design. In short, this means that something can be used by nearly anyone without any modification. One low tech example is curb cuts at the ends of sidewalks and walkways that can be used by people in wheelchairs, the elderly with canes or walkers, people with rolling suitcases and even delivery persons. A high tech example is the automatic doors to stores and offices that allow people in wheelchairs to access the builiding without the need to pull a handle or turn a knob. These automatic doors can also be used by someone with an armful of packages! Universal Design applies to everything including the home, community and schools.


Resources:


The Center for Universal Design (CUD) [North Carolina] http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/
Universal Design For Learning http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/


Have a fantastic day!

My First Post!

Hey Everyone! Here goes nothing :) My name is Trisha and as of right now, I am a second year Developmental Services Worker at Confederation College. This blog is part of an assignment but I would like it to grow into something that I continue long after graduation.

I'll keep this short for today, thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!