AT for Special Education

Visual Supports

Boardmaker Online logo

Use Boardmaker to create low tech communication boards or templates for communication devices. Available on disk from your AT Team Member.

See example materials below!

A guide to making your own visuals at home, with or without a printer.

Documenting Assistive Technology in the IEP.pdf

A Downloadable Guide


Example Boardmaker Activities

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

IfYouGiveaMouseaCookie.pdf

No, David!

No-David.pdf

Reading

Electronic text allows the student to access the text in ways that would not be possible using standard printed text. Words can be seen and heard when used with a text reader.

These are just a few of the many available resources:


Start 2 Finish online library logo
Bookshare website logo
Learning Ally website logo

Writing

This Chrome extension includes a variety of tools to support literacy. Premium features include:

  • Text-to-speech

  • Speech-to-text

  • Spell check

  • Grammar check

  • Translation

  • Picture dictionary

  • Highlighting

  • Vocabulary builder

Click here to get started!

PixWriter logo

Available through your Assistive Technology team. This software pairs pictures with text. Students can click on pictures to build sentences and the program reads the text aloud.

Our favorite FREE typing programs:

  • Typing.com: Create a teacher account and monitor your student' progress

  • Dance Mat Typing: Fun and engaging site using music and games to introduce typing to beginners

  • Nitro Type: For students that have some typing skills to practice speed and accuracy while racing cars

Our Favorite Resources

Speaking of Speech website logo

Speaking of Speech.com is the first and largest interactive forum for speech/language pathologists and teachers to improve communication skills in our schools by:

    • exchanging ideas, techniques, materials, and lessons that work,

    • finding out about materials before you buy,

    • seeking and giving advice on therapy and caseload management issues, and

    • exploring a myriad of helpful resource links.

All school-based speech/language pathologists are encouraged to contribute to this site's growing knowledge base. Everyone is invited to take ideas from this site as well as share their own insights and perspectives.

Here is our 6th annual list of the best speech and language websites that we think speech-language pathologists and parents of kids with speech and language disorders should follow this year.