Free Online games for blind or autistic children

Only using the arrow keys, just about anyone can move around and navigate this website. Go to a multitude of different games and have fun by answering questions with yes, just the arrow keys. Try this site out: Hark the Sound

Create work, send to student using Dropbox, student opens on iPad, completes work then sends back to teacher using email

Learn how to create work on a Mac or Pc and send to your student on their iPad, ipod or iphone using Dropbox (iPad example is given, but same techniques work for other iTools). After the student opens and completes the work, they send it back to the teacher for correction.

Watch video at Youtube: Create work, send to student using Dropbox, student opens on iPad, completes work then sends back to teacher using email

iPad, Braille display with read2go -refreshabraille demo, but any will do

Learn how to download books from bookshare and read them in read2go APP. Use audio, braille display or both.

Watch the video that can make the difference:   iPad, Braille display with read2go -refreshabraille demo, but any will do

Web Site Resources for Blind/Low Vision games/products/tools

This list has been on going for years of all the many resources I constantly use with my students and parents. It is in no particular order yet, as it is constantly growing. If you use a particular site that has helped you greatly and is not on this list, please let me know and I will add it for everyone else also. Download your free copy by clicking on link below, add to cart and check out and a digital download will be waiting for you in Your Lessons (a link at that top right hand corner of the site)

Web Site Resources

ebooks for your iPad or other iTool-Read2go

Read2Go is the most accessible e-book reader app for readers with print disabilities. Directly from within the Read2Go app, Bookshare members can find, download, and read books all on a single Apple device. No need to download books to computers, transfer files, or decompress files! Just download and READ! from the Read2Go website--watch the video

Read2Go Highlights

• Browse and search Bookshare’s entire collection
• Download and automatically unzip books
• Store books on the Read2Go bookshelf
• Connect via blue tooth to specific braille displays to read in braille
• Read books multi-modally (see and hear words at the same time)
• Read in text only or text-to-speech mode with built-in Acapela voices
• Control font size, color, background, reading speed and more!
• Volume purchase discounts available for schools

This ereader is truly one of the easiest readers to use. Once you type in your basic information and pick your configurations, just type in the title you want and it will instantly download from the bookshare site. Go out and find other periodicals and more with this incredibly easy reader. It will bring the world to your finger tips. Anyone with a reading disability will achieve the ability to see and hear a books.

Special Needs--There’s An App For That!!

“The Technology is brilliant, but the magic is in the teaching.” Phyllis Brodsky

       Just like any other learning medium, before using an iPad with your child or student, you

must first know the child’s vision and hearing, their level of foundational information, what

additional supports are needed. Apps should be chosen based on the desired outcome.

Think about what skills you are trying to teach, think about accessibility – can the child

see it, hear it? What additional learning supports need to be in place to make this understandable.

As with all aspects of teaching a child (either at school or in the home) you

must first ask why. What is the purpose of this activity? Is this to assist in communication, for

helping the child in concept development, to use in social interactions, to increase independence,

or to promote more positive behaviors. There are many apps that can be

used in each of these areas. Let’s separate them out!

 • Communication: Answers Yes No, First Then Visual Schedule, Proloquo2go, Tap To Talk

• Check out this video about Victor’s Voice!  http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/

us/2011/01/17/dnt.ipad.helps.boy.talk.WFMY

 • Concept Development: Uzu, Cosmic Top, Pocket Pond, Vocal Zoo, Peekaboo Barn

• Social Interactions: Fruit Ninja, 10 Pin Shuffle, 2 Player Xylophone, 1 on 1 Hockey, Align

Four, Tic-tac-toe

 • Literacy: Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Bob Books #1, Alphabet World, Letter

Tracer Preschool Letters, Flying Word

 • Math: Math Ninja, Math Bingo, Baseball 1 – 6 Facts

 • Independence: LookTel Money Reader

 • Behavior: That’s How I Feel, iReward,

 • Other Uses: Fluidity turns your iPad into a Light box!

          A simple but powerful app, That’s How I Feel, uses brightly colored and easy to understand

illustrations to help children express their feelings. The app is easy to use. Designed

with a traffic light in mind, the app uses three primary colors to express different emotions.

The app contains children’s most powerful feelings. Simple voice recordings convey appropriate

intonation for each feeling on That’s How I Feel.

 For more on iPads go to:

 •  Apps for Children with Special Needs

 • Apps for Digital Storytelling

 • Babies with iPads

 •  iPad Academy

 • iPodsibilities

 Taken from the West Virginia SenseAbilities newsletter, Winter 2012, pg. 8

What a blind child should do when the class is asked to create a Poster Board

When a child is asked to create a poster board or anything with paper and pencil and cutting out pictures, I direct them toward a PowerPoint presentation.

Blind children can easily create an elaborate or simple PP depending on their skill level. Last week, such an event came up with one of my newer students. Her skills are basic so we kept the PP basic. We went into the Internet and copied all the pictures out that she needed...yes she did this all by herself with just my verbal cues---she learned how to route her JAWS cursor to where it needed to be and use a special right click on a keyboard that brings up all those special options to do what you need to do--on a laptop as the commands are different on a desktop--this is not the applications key. There are many tricks in getting the perfect picture and she is on her way to learning these skills. When she saved all her pictures, she went back to her PP and inserted them where they needed to be. We did all the placement of the Title and pictures and over the weekend she did all the writing for each slide in the correct text box.

Any graphic information that she is unsure of, the assistant makes a 3-D item so she can feel---happened to be science --wikki sticks,pipe cleaners--and you can burn off different parts of the pipe cleaners to make a multitude of different textures (she created a peptide model), placed with braille labels ( braille label out with just as much blank space so you can bend the whole braille label around the pipe cleaner to stick it, which can be easily read by the blind student).
Lessons to help you teach:
PowerPoint, save pics from Internet and place in presentation-audio/visual lesson
PowerPoint Office 2003, taking you from Basics to Presentation with JAWS
PowerPoint Office 2010-taking you from the Basics to Presentation with JAWS

Teacher's computer connects directly to Student's iPad or iTool wirelessly

How many of our blind/low vision students are sitting in class now with an iPad, learning the new way of technology, but are not sure now to access what the teacher is demonstrating on her iTool or PC on the screen in the front of the room?

The Air Display APP has changed all that. By downloading Air Display onto your PC or Mac and iTool--which happens to be an iPad the majority of the time in the classroom, whatever the teacher is doing on her computer can be immediately projected on the student's iPad. If the teacher asks the students to demonstrate their skill in the front of the room, the blind student can sit at her desk and input the information right on their iPad and it will project on the teacher's computer and onto the front room screen. Technically, ALL the students can use this technique right from their desks. Our students just happen to be using Zoom effects---they still need to work on the Voice Over with Braille Display...there are still too many hiccups with this use.

If you would like more information on how to accomplish this task, go to avatron.com/apps/air-display and create that extra monitor that can be interactive or just viewed up close and personal.

Books Featuring Characters With Blindness and Visual Impairment

Hundreds of titles about stories of Books Featuring Characters With Blindness and Visual Impairment-(click on link and open file)-Find the right book for your situation. You will need to add to cart and check out to open the file.

This list is taken from many resources, most of which were in print without information of where it came from. They were scanned and added all together.

 If you know of other titles that are not here, please let me know at yourtechvision@gmail.com so I can add them to the list.

New iPad 3-A Touch Screen you can FEEL

In about a year Seneg and Apple will be putting a tool out there where you will be able to feel pictures and graphics on a flat screen iPad. Where schools are switching to using iBooks and etext, this could mean the chance for blind/low vision children to interact with the graphics in the text book. If you would like to read more about this incredible upcoming tool, go to:

Rumor: New haptic feedback touchscreen bound for the iPad 3
and another View of the Retinal Display

Evolution of Braille

Anyone interested in reading about the evolution of Braille and the importance of this medium is invited to read all about it at the Braille Authority: February 2012: BANA releases complete article on the Evolution of Braille

Braille Touch to text on a phone

Georgia Tech iPhone App Could Help Blind Users Text

Watch the full video from the link above on how anyone can learn how to quickly braille text for messages on a phone and only on a phone.

Don't just Graduate, but LEARN along the way

This situation comes up more often than is good for the blind/low vision population. Having parents who want their child to graduate so badly, but do not really care if they learn along the way. Or, somehow they believe that when they get to that graduation stage all the things they did not learn will somehow miraculous appear through osmosis, escorted by a para of course because the child failed to learn how to walk around on their own. Along the way, the parents insisted a para do the work with minimal effort from the child and when the child went home, the parents pushed the lessons to completion, only to have her do poorly on tests. Parents getting angry because of the low scores, they have the student's work reduced even more. She does not learn the same content as her peers, which will harm her in the future.

The parents do not realize that all their efforts in getting the child's workload reduced and having a para glued to the child's side all day will have a very negative effect on the child's life, her confidence, self-esteem and how she views what or rather what  a blind person cannot do because she was never given the chance to prove herself. They essentially are telling the child: "You cannot do it on your own. You need help all the time. You will fail without help."

The solution--backup. Don't push through, but increase blind skills learning so the classes that are being taken, the student can do on their own. Instead of taking 5 general education classes, reduce that to 3 or 4 (depending on how low the child's skills are--maybe even think about a School for the Blind) and The Teacher of the Blind gives instruction on how to complete the assignments without help from a para or parent. The child's esteem grows as they realize they can do the work on their own, take a bus, go and do what they want.

Yes, this most likely will take longer than 4 years in High School. That is OK...they have a life time to now go out and achieve their goals with their own skills.

If you find you were one of those students...don't lose hope. There are great training centers for the blind around the country. One great one to check in to is Louisiana Training Center for the Blind

iPhone is so easy to use with voice over, anyone can send a message

♥   HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Easy lessons at: Mac/iTools

Come see Presentation on technology in action in ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

I will be giving a presentation on all the different types of technology that help blind/low vision students achieve success in school, on February 23-24. On the 23rd, I will speak on the what and when of technology at 1:30-2:45 and on the 24th will be speaking with a panel on the different types of technology used throughout schooling.

If you are in the area, please do come by and join the conversation of success in school.

2012 NEW MEXICO AER CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 23-24, 2012

SHERATON ALBUQUERQUE UPTOWN HOTEL

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Making a Promethean Board flipcharts (smart board) accessible to blind students

How many out there are in school districts where a smart board or  Promethean board with flipcharts are used? These are graphic pictures that anyone with sight can easily see, but to a blind student, it is empty space. Many paraeducators have to take the pictures and turn them into text or braille for the blind student to read. There is the long way to do this, typing one character at a time ( as you cannot copy the images)  or a fast way.

Here is the fast way. You can download a personal  viewer from the company to load on your machine. Open the viewer then the flipchart, go to file, then to print. When the print box opens, you will see the "export as PDF" so save it as such. Place a folder on the desktop with these PDF files, so they are easy to find, especially if you are going to teach the blind student how to do this, and after all, that is what we want. Open Openbook or Kurzweil and go to open file. Go find the file on your desktop and have your OCR program open it. After it opens, go to launch it into word and it opens in Word. All the great text is there. Now be aware, all those pictures will not translate...they will turn out as a list of letters and symbols, so just go through and delete out what was meant for a picture. Now, all that needs to be done is those pictures are created 3-D by the para to go with this work.
One huge advantage I have discovered is on test day, the students can use their notes. If the flipcharts are in text format, then the blind student can do a quick "find" command on their computer and jump to the theorem they need ....actually faster than a sighted student pouring through their notes visually. Once they have the theorem, they alt+tab back to the exam and continue on answering all the problems.
Now this is just 1 way, but where there is a will there is a way to make the world more accessible.

Watch Video: Dr Robinson teaches-Making a Promethean Board flipcharts (smart board) accessible to blind students

iPhone, iPod Touch-VoiceOver, using Notes and the refreshabraille

Many students were fortunate and acquired an iPhone or IPod Touch for Christmas. Frustration soon turns to success with a few lessons. Learning how to use features in Notes makes these students successful any where else on their iTool. Once they can learn how to Turn contractions on and off, use auto correct features, use the rotor, move around with characters, words, lines,  edit, copy, paste, delete, move and undo mistakes, then Email note to whomever they desire their frustration turns to joy, then they stretch their wings and begin exploring other parts of their iTool.

Lesson at: iPhone, iPod Touch-VoiceOver, using Notes and the refreshabraille

Speech Recognition and Word-using numbers and words-audio/visual

Learn how to start using Speech Recognition, which is already built into Windows 7. You will go into word and begin to learn how to speak numbers and words and then how to correct any problems. Move around easily, copy and paste items you need.
Train your voice first and get set up on Speech recognition, as the more you train the better the outcome when you speak your commands at this lesson-just click to learn: Speech Recognition and Word-using numbers and words-audio/visual

Using a Braille display in WORD

Many students want to just use their adapted laptop or refreshabraille display to braille in content and move around. Click on this link: WORD and BRAILLE DISPLAY to see lessons to help you and your students learn how to
Go in and out of typing mode or braille mode
Using contracted and uncontracted mode
Navigating your pages
Moving around characters, words, sentences
Selecting and unselecting characters, words, sentences
Save, open and print
Moving around the ribbon and inserting a picture

Speech Recognition-give your computer verbal commands to make it move

Speech Recognition has come a long way. If for any reason you cannot use your hands or fingers, giving verbal commands to make your computer do what you want it to do if just a matter of learning the commands. If you are blind and need the same benefits. J-SAY provides both speech recognition and verbal feedback.
This is a quick demonstration of the power of speech recognition. This program is already built into Windows 7 already, so get going.

Watch  video at : Dr. Robinson teaches Speech Recognition

Keystroke Lessons at yourtechvision.com

For lessons on using only keystrokes, go to yourtechvision.com

If you want to advance in your computer skills and do it the fastest way possible through keystrokes, then this site is for you: yourtechvision.com shows you fast access to everything on your computer

At yourtechvision.com hundreds of lessons are ready to download, on Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word, other lessons on Braille Note and other blind technology under Blind tools TAB and Mac-iTools for for Mac -iPad- iPhone users-skills to learn yourself or teach a student. All lessons are compatible with Jaws talking software or Window Eyes too.

If you are low vision, there are dozens of lessons to see your computer better too. yourtechvision.com under the Low Vision Tab

If the lesson is not there that you need, make a request and it will be written up for you and added to the site

With any purchased lesson, you can go to contact page and request a private free lesson to get you up and running and answer your questions.

Braille Note-Learn how to use this adapted laptop for the blind

The Braille Note is an incredibly easy technology tool for the blind. Light, fast on and off; create file, folders, recordings with quick keystrokes. you can do math calculations and insert the problem with answer write into a document. The new Apex has a fast connection so you can answer all your emails directly from it as well as surf the Internet.

If you would like multiple lessons to get you going on how to do these skills, then here is the lesson for you: Braille Note Lessons to take you through the Basics to more advanced skills

How to teach touch typing to students or yourself using a Braille Display

Using simple methods, a student learns the keyboard quickly within 5 hours over 5 days. By the next week, they will be in their classroom typing their lessons...slowly at first, but you will see the speed pick up quickly as they do their work everyday on the computer. Before you know it, they will be typing faster than everyone else. It is daily typing that makes the difference.
Watch video at: How to teach touch typing to students or yourself using a Braille Display

Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer with a Tablet and handwriting software

One of the greatest problems for blind students in school is how to get handwritten notes as the teacher writes them in the front of the room. Now they can get those notes on a digimemo and can translate them into text that their talking software will read INDEPENDENTLY. They just hand the writing tablet to a sighted student who is taking notes for themselves anyway. They finish the notes, take their copy and hand the pad back to the blind student. The blind student takes the pad and uses a computer to translate the handwritten notes into text for themselves.
Yes, a para educator can do all this, but it will not make the student independent and the para educator is not going to graduate and do all this when for them in college or at their job. Using the DigiMemo and the handwriting software now gives a blind person the opportunity to get the information they need and translate the handwriting by themselves using a computer. This works with Mac also.

Watch Video: Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer with a Tablet and handwriting software

Biology, Chemistry-The Sciences for the Blind

Starting in the education field of the blind over 20 years ago, I depended on wikki sticks, beans, marshmallows, and any other type of object to put together to represent a cell or chemical bond for a blind student to touch and try and understand what was going on in the microscope that the sighted student stared into and went "Ah ha".
How do we give our blind students that "AH HA" moment? We can now.
A Japanese plastics company has created all types of plastic shapes, so all the student has to do is put them together to make the model that is requested by the teacher, to understand what is going on. Or if they are really young, a para educator or teacher can do the same for them, hand it to the child and explain all the parts as the child feels the model. Just so many more options now.
HGS HINOMOTO PLASTICS CO., LTD. has all types of models and shapes to aide in the creation and design of simple to very extensive models for blind children to see. Actually, sighted children find these models very helpful also. What helps one child, always seems to help the other too.

If you need need ideas on how to take notes and data independently, go to Independence Science and see the vast ways of possibility.

How to find a picture and save it from Internet Explorer 9 using JAWS

Take control of JAWS and GO  find pictures on the Internet using IE9--Internet Explorer 9 is a more accessible browser than others  to use these tricks--- save them and use them in your working documents---or just save as a beautiful background on your desktop
Step by Step instructions on how to access those graphics, routing cursor using the right click on the numpad, then saving the picture. Open Word, find the picture and insert it into a document.
This is an -audio/visual lesson for those who want to see and hear instruction. You can find the lesson at: Take control of Jaws in IE9- save pictures from Internet-audio/visual lesson

How does a Blind person understand how to use a flat surface tool like an iPad?

Blind people that are technology literate do not ask this question. Unfortunately, there are a great deal of blind people (sighted too) that are NOT techie and have a difficult time understanding how to use something like an iPad.

All their lives, they have touched something tactile to give them feedback and now they are trying to wrap their mind around using something with a flat surface.

Enter the solution. By hooking a braille display or external keyboard and teaching them the keystrokes, the light bulb of understanding goes on quickly. They begin to see where icons are and how to activate what they want. Then you move them to the Voice Over finger movements and they truly start to understand how to move around this tool and other flat surface tools like it.

Though I have seen this more in adults than children, some children have the same difficultly and once you connect the braille display or external keyboard, (I always teach both), they catch on VERY quickly.

To help your students or if you are blind and are having a difficult time grasping what to do with this flat surface, you can download lessons at: Mac/iTools

Attach a LARGE monitor to display iPad for Low Vision Students-See how to use the iPad for School

The iPad can store textbooks, books, music, and thousands of types of apps for our students for school and pleasure. For low vision students, you can attach an external monitor to the iPad to enlarge everything so viewing is incredibly easy. Those inaccessible sites are no longer visually taxing as the child can see everything they need too depending on the size of the monitor the iPad is connected to.
For blind students, hook a braille display so they can read any accessible text available. No, they still cannot see the images that will be in the textbooks or web, but they will be able to hear what is going on.
YouTube Video: The textbook. Reinvented for iPad.
For lesson on how to attach a monitor to the iPad, go to: How to project to an external monitor from your iPad
For lessons on how to use the iPad with braille display or external keyboard, go to: Mac/iTools

Take Control of Jaws in Word-Learn the secrets to enable JAWS to speak everything-audio/visual lesson

If you have struggled in any way while using Office 2010 it is because you are not using compatibility mode. If your talking software is refusing to do what you want him to do, this lesson will help you take control. Using this mode permanently will enable you to do what you could not before with ease.

This audio/visual lesson will get you going. This FREE download will get you on your way to understanding more clearly how to control your talking software.

Take Control of Jaws in Word-Learn the secrets to enable JAWS to speak everything-audio/visual lesson

Take Control of JAWS-Lesson 1 the critical commands

Learn how to take Control of JAWS and make him do what you want him to do.

Do you get lost? Learn the tricks to find out where you are at in general and specifically and get him moving in the direction you desire.

Make him repeat information to you with a keystroke

Learn how to move around and find everything you need on your desktop.

Learn how to make shortcut keys to open programs quickly

Learn the quick commands already built into your Windows 7 system to open programs quickly.

Learn where to position JAWS to access him easily and tell him the configs you need for the type of computer you are using.

You will have peace and ease of mind after you finish this lesson, knowing you CAN control him whenever you want.

This is the first series in many lessons to come on making JAWS do what you want him to do

Take Control of JAWS-Lesson 1 the critical commands

God Parting the Sky

Photo taken in Alabama ~

Bob Frew sent this out.

"I took this picture on Int.20, traveling to Leeds , AL . It has given me strength in the times of trouble. I feel I should share it with the rest of the world. I hope it is an inspiration to you. It just goes to show what we already know...We have a God, and he's watching over us.

I e-mailed this picture to News Channel Fox 6. I was contacted by Meteorologist James Spann. He said that this picture of the sky is showing up in all states and around the world. He wanted to know where I was from and where I took it. He saw a similar picture taken in Texas. He said this is amazing to him.

Would you look at this picture? It reminds me of that song 'He's got the whole world in his hands.' He is definitely in control.

Standard Calculator on a PC with talking software-audio/visual lesson

There is a very sophisticated calculator already built in to every PC. Start your students with learning the basics of adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, % and square root calculations on a PC. Both desktop and laptop commands are used in this audio/visual lesson for those who want to see and hear the example of all keystrokes.

Lesson:

Standard Calculator on a PC with talking software-audio/visual lesson

How to make a Food Chain, Food Pyramid, Family Tree with talking software

As sighted students go about making fancy graphics for their Food Chain, Food Pyramid, Family Tree, or other diagrams, clicking away with their mouse, adding graphics and colors, our blind students can join in using their talking software. They just need to learn a few tricks.

No longer do our blind students have to sit aside and have a sighted person doing most of the work on a graphic or worse, the student doing something entirely different and then their lack of understanding deepens. If our students do not learn how to do the same things, gain the same skills, whether they can see it or not, how are they going to compete for jobs and the highest honors? Our students can do the same--their knowledge base just needs to grow.

The reminder came up as a distressed student asked me, "How am I going to do this?" Within minutes the student was enjoying the same features to create an elaborate diagram, using the talking software to guide her. She could use shortcut keys to immediately implement a design or change a configuration to finish the assignment on time. As soon as she was done, she emailed it off to her teacher. The teacher used track changes to correct the work and email it back, in which her talking software read all the remarks. A beautiful A to go with the beautiful diagram.

Audio/Visual lessons are now available to help teach your students:

Food Chain-make a creative graphic using talking software and word-audio/visual

Family Tree using talking software, graphics in Word-audio/visual lesson

Create a Food Pyramid with talking software and Word-audio/visual lesson

How to Reset your iPad when it is not working correctly

If you push the HOME button and the options start changing on you, or you just can't get the iPad to work the way you know it should, see this lesson on how to move around and reset those options.
iPad-reset options when it does not work well

Being Grateful For the Simple Things in Life

When I was young, my dad would always point out the sunsets every night with such joy. Every morning I would watch the sunrise as I drove the tractor around the fields and would think “How beautiful” but not fully realizing the meaning of it all. As a typical teen, I was caught up in what I THOUGHT was important—how I looked and what I had.

For the last decade I know what my father was trying to show us---it IS the simple things in life that make the difference. The simple incredible beauty of each morning as I hike with my dog and watch the sunrise; during the summer, the stars are so close and large, gazing down at us, almost as if I could reach out and grab one; or during the harvest moon, so voluminous and glowing that it swallows up the dark. It startles me and brings me to tears many times, as I see the wonder of God. During the day, I get to hear the simple laughter of a child, a friendly hello, receive and give a warm hug. The time I sit out on my porch with my husband and we watch the animals play in the grass, leaping at bugs and floating dust and twirling in circles to see how many things they can attack; The loving wet kiss of our dog over the cat’s head, then the cat coming up for more kisses from us---slobber and all. Children playing water games, spraying each other in the heat of the summer as the animals chase them.

It is the simple things that make us so happy. You buy an expensive item and it makes you happy for the time of the purchase then miserable as you make the payments on it; it is temporary.

It is not the stuff that makes us happy...it is the simple things: the sunrises and sunsets, the smiles, the warm hug from a child or from an animal- wets kisses and all, good friends, being thankful and grateful. Put energy into the things that will have a lasting effect and make a difference!

iPad Low vision app game for young children learning to spell and read

BB lite app offers a wonderful program to help sighted and low vision children a fun way to learn how to read and spell. Watch YouTube video: iPad app games for young children

For children who need help in learning how to speak, Tap to Talk could be your answer.
Tap to Talk is a simple communication device that helps children "talk" to the people around them. You cannot use Voice Over with it, but it has its own talking ability within the program. It works great for Low Vision children and you could use a braille overlay to help a blind child learn where each item is going to be so they could use it too.

Watch a video on this device at: iPad app-Communication Device that speaks

For more iPad app suggestions and lessons on how to use it, go to: iTools

Animals can change a bad situation to something GOOD

For a child that is blind or sighted, an animal can make life more bearable. When depression hits, the unconditional love of an animal can make it all better. When that child just can't explain what is wrong, crying into the soft fur of their beloved pet, can change a frown to a smile.

I do not suggest getting a puppy or kitty unless you are ready to raise another very needy person around your house.....and YES, they become another of the family membership.

There are so many wonderful adult animals at shelters that are ready to love someone, who are obedient and all they want is the chance to give out that unconditional love to a child who so desperately needs what they have to give. An animal helps the child become more responsible without the issues of trying to train a puppy or kitty. Put in a cat window and the litter box issue is immediately resolved and a dog can go 10 hours without a potty break.

Make the difference for a child by getting them a pet and watch the changes that will occur for incredible GOOD.

iPad and typing Spanish Characters

The iPad allows you to add dozens of languages and type in that language mode.

Watch this Youtube video to get you going: Dr Robinson teaches iPad and typing Spanish characters

Then go and download a text lesson to follow through on more steps to help you at: iTools

Helping a Blind Child become Independent

In general, when a child is born blind, parents have a sense of overwhelming grief, fear and a lack of understanding of what to do. This birth is "different" and they are very unsure. One tendency is to do everything for the child. When this occurs, children do not learn the basic skills to move around and do for themselves. If children are sighted and everything is done for them, they can "watch" to see how to do something, if they ever so desire. However, blind children MUST touch the environment and interact with it in order to understand it and learn how to "DO" life.

Many parents may do too much because it is faster for them to do it. But children are slow "at first" and as they do skills, they become faster. That is true for all of us.

Many parents have such guilt of their child being blind that they over compensate by doing "EVERYTHING" for the child, not realizing that they are hurting the child's chances of being "normal" having friends and being able to do for themselves, becoming independent later on.

The last scenario is the one I deal with often. High School students come to me, who have never made a meal, cannot cut their own food, can never be left alone because they would not even know how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They do not even know how to carry their books, hang up their coat and get ready for class because their parents have insisted that a para educator be next to them all day long. The student cannot even go to the bathroom by himself or herself. But on a cognitive scale, this child is of average intelligence and has every capability of being independent. Many times this situation will be made worse because the para that was hired for the child WANTS to do everything for the child also because they feel sorry for him/her. Pity kills---kills the spirit and soul....be there no doubt.

Some children completely give into this and just become dependent all their lives. Never going on to college, or a job or living out any potential dream deeply buried within them.

Others and this is most, in High School start to really resent their parents and those around them who refuse to let them do anything. What they did not realize was that all those years they let someone else "do" for them --but then they NEVER wanted to clean a toilet or sweep the floor, so gave in to their parents doing everything for them; they never gained the skills to do what they wanted when the time came. Parents must make this decision as children are in general too fearful or lack desire to confront them on their lack of participation in daily life activities.

When children asks to go on a major High School field trip over days of time, the answer has to be "no" because they have no ability to get around by themselves, or even organize themselves enough to know how to pack, unpack or get ready for bed and wake up and get dressed without constant attention.

Some will go onto training centers for the blind if they get angry enough about their lack of abilities and these people go on to accomplish their dreams. But those who just stay angry or resigned go on to do very little.

A highly skilled teacher of the blind can get this situation turned around. The introduction of technology is usually the first step, as students have great success fast in learning how to accomplish and do their own work. They start to gain the confidence in doing more and slowly but surely start to learn those independent skills. Once the parents start to see the success, they now understand their child can do anything they desire. Hope grows, vision changes and they start to see a new picture of possibility.

We can either make a society of independent people or not. Be careful how much you "do" for anyone. Are you really helping or hurting. If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime!!!!

iPad and Low Vision Tricks to SEE Better

The iPad has several wonderful tricks to enable you to see what you are doing while moving around and typing text. Use Zoom, or enlarge Text or use White and Black. You can combine Voice Over to speak the text while using Enlarge Text or White and Black contrast....so many options.

Watch a Youtube video to get you going: iPad and Low Vision Tricks

Other Low Vision Tricks to learn at: Low Vision and iTools

iPad-Communication Device

Tap to Talk is a simple communication device that helps children "talk" to the people around them. You cannot use Voice Over with it, but it has its own talking ability within the program. It works great for Low Vision children and you could use a braille overlay to help a blind child learn where each item is going to be so they could use it too.

Watch a video on this device at: iPad app-Communication Device that speaks

Mac with Voice Over

Mac with Lion OS system and Voice Over are truly giving the PC with talking software a run for its money. Mac has truly become accessible right out of the box. Voice Over is able to access information with a flick of a finger or a key command.

If you are a PC user and want to make a switch, you must be ready for a learning curve as everything you learned on the PC will not transfer over to the Mac, other than you will be using the keyboard. You will also be using the Track Pad. There are great features worked into the Mac that with a simple finger gesture you can sail across a page

To Watch a video demonstration, go to Dr. Robinson teaches-Mac with Voice Over and using Key Commands

To get you going and moving on the Mac with Voice Over, download lessons at iTools at www.yourtechvision.com