2001 Conference Proceedings
Go to previous article
Go to next article
Return to 2001 Table of Contents
BEYOND THE BOOK: DEVELOPING EARLY LITERACY SKILLS THROUGH THE
USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Debbie Grant, M.A., CCC-SLP
AT Specialist/AAC Specialist
Santa Barbara County Education Office
Santa Barbara, CA
Paula Justice, M.S. Ed.
AT Specialist / Program Coordinator
North Central Region ATRC
Greensboro, NC
Kathie Maltby, M.S.
SLP/AT Specialist
Irvine Unified School District
Irvine, CA
Sharing repetitive line books with children is a concept
you've come to love, but now you're stuck. You want to provide
your students with more, but what else can you do? Through the
use of assistive technology devices and techniques you can make
books accessible for everyone.
Where do you find the time to develop multisensory themes to
promote repeated readings?
This presentation will provide answers to these questions, and
demonstrate ways to adapt off-the-shelf books, as well as
creating customized versions of the book in print and on the
computer using IntelliPics, Overlay Maker, Boardmaker and other
software applications. Strategies and activities involving the
use of assistive technology will be shared.
The following areas will be covered during this
presentation:
- How to create and use Physical and Print Adaptations
- Using Picture communication symbols to enhance text
- Versions of the book for student’s home use
- Creating computerized versions of the book which allows for
single switch users to access the story
Through the use of a "storyboard stencil" (developed by The
Literacy Committee at Gateway Education Center in Greensboro,
NC), which facilitates consistency in presentation, the
off-the-shelf book is redesigned to make page layout and
vocabulary simpler for the user to understand. One large picture
conveys the main idea, with six smaller blocks (two rows of
three) for communication symbols/words per page to convey the
text concept. The two line presentation promotes basic print
concept awareness, such as left to right and top to bottom
progressions in books. The icon/text pairing used in this
template promotes improved text/symbol awareness and moves the
emergent reader closer to being a text user.
How to Provide Physical Access
Off-the-shelf books often need to be adapted to permit physical
access by children with disabilities. Methods demonstrated will
include:
- cutting the book, laminating and binding the book, page
fluffers and
- turners, use of Velcro, highlighting important text, use of
multiple
- types of VOCAs for repeated lines and many more.
How to Create Computer Adapted Books and materials IntelliPics
activities (IntelliTools) Adapting, modifying and coloring
picture communication symbols with a graphics program and
Boardmaker (Mayer-Johnson and Claris)
The picture symbol storybook is used as a basis for developing
the IntelliPics activities/book. These will be demonstrated using
a Macintosh platform, however the materials are also created for
the Windows platform. Coloring and animating graphics, as well as
ways to incorporate children’s voices/interesting sounds
will be demonstrated.
Access methods such as regular or adapted keyboard
(IntelliKeys), mouse, touch screen, or single switch, will be
shown, allowing for possible independent reading and access by
all users.
Additional Information shared during this session:
- Communication Displays for low tech to high tech devices
- Choice boards and Overlays that can be used for literacy
building activities
- Communication aprons
- Screen captures
- Game boards
- Sample manipulative
- Props
- Adapted writing templates will be shared using a variety of
word processing applications.
Activities are designed to enhance and expand on the repeated
line book. A variety of ways to use these materials will be
shown. Many of the activities and materials shared during this
presentation will be available, for purchase, on a CD in Mac and
Windows platform at the end of the session.
Go to previous article
Go to next article
Return to 2001 Table of Contents
Return to Table of
Proceedings
Reprinted with author(s) permission. Author(s) retain copyright.