As scooped from Zyg0-USA
ZyBox X for iOS 7 is a switch adapter designed to utilize the Switch Control capability of iOS 7 for switch scanning.
Zybox X switch control for iOS 7 for switch scanning.
As scooped from http://www.scoop.it/t/ot-mtool-kit
AppoLearning App
Apps and services that provide app reviews are a great source when scouring for the right app. There are several that are my favorite go to apps for reviews – KinderTown app and Autism App providing a rating and overview of apps for specific populations and age ranges.
AppoLearning app, developed for iPad by Appolicious™ website reviews iOS and Android apps in a number of categories, provides a review of educational apps by grade level and subject. Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle and High School grade apps covering numerous subjects areas, including special needs, are reviewed and rated. Here is a video describing their app:
Checking out their listing of apps for MS Special Needs Dyslexia included familiar and favorite apps such as Visual Attention TherAppy, Read2Go, PaperPorts and Voice Dream Reader apps) . Here is an example of the Elementary School Special Needs app category and the subjects of app reviewed:
Five apps are selected for review in each of the subject areas:
A narrative describes why these particular 5 apps were chosen. Each app is reviewed and scored according to 6 traits: Educational Content, Kid Appeal, Assessment, Features and Design, Value, Safety and Privacy generating a report card score between 0-100.
AppoLearning appis an easy to navigate and time saving tool when searching for apps to support students in the classroom. Currently free this may be well worth your time to download or share this app with your favorite teachers.
Review of educational apps can also be found directly on the AppoLearning website with other features such as saving a personal list with creation of your own account.
What other tools do you use for app selection?
Carol
iOT Screener App
The iOT Screener app is a free screening tool for professionals and parents who may have concerns regarding their child or student. Created by Dr. Frederick B. Covington, OTD, the iOT Screener app requests the user to input answers to general information about the child and themselves using a series of Yes/No questions. For children under the age of five, the app’s questions pertain to developmental milestones and progress typical to the child’s age. For children over the age of five/school aged the app looks at maladaptive traits or behaviors noticed that may affect academic performance or everyday tasks.
Results of the screening for children ages under 5, reveals what percentages of developmental milestones are currently being met. For the children over five/school aged, it reveals the percentage of maladaptive traits observed. The ratings are categorized as;
Screening areas include cognitive, sensory, visual, hearing, fine motor, gross motor, self-care, functional skills and social emotional skills pending the age of the child. Age ranges for screening offered:
Pending the age range of the child, areas of screening differ. As an example the screening for a 4-7 month old child includes the following screening areas:
For 5 year olds and older the following screening areas are provided:
A report of the iOT Screener for a 1 year old resulted in the following:
The iOT Screener app provides the ability to email report results. Concerns raised after viewing the screening results are addressed by locating appropriate medical professionals consisting of Occupational Therapists, Psychiatrists, Pediatricians, Physical Therapists, and Speech Pathologists from a searchable data base by location.
Use of the iOT Screener app was easy to use. As a free app it does provide a YouTube ad at onset thus not free from advertisement. Initial trials of the app finds it appropriate for teachers, parents, counselor, child care worker or other health professionals who are familiar with a child and looking for a method of deciding whether to refer to OT for further evaluation. As a school based OT, this could only be used if involved in a group screening where no single student was identified but generally screening to identify needs. The screening requires that you are familiar with the child and can answer questions about their skills in areas of their development. No protocol, just observation and knowledge of the child is required. Certainly it is definitely a tool to trial to assist with referral decision-making. Free, it is worthwhile downloading and checking out if you are looking for a mobile device OT screening tool.
Perusing the iOT Screener website indicates an Android App is on the way.
Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?
Carol
Spectronics iPad Masterclass: Using iPads to support people with Autism
Spectronics’ post ” iPad Masterclass: Using iPads to support people with Autism provides resources for the iPad as well as application and apps for individuals with Autism. Information is provided in the following categories (these categories are Evidenced Based Practices for ASD as identified by the National Professional Development Center of Autism Spectrum Disorders) :
As also ways, the Spectronics Blog expertise in working with individuals with special needs is displayed in the well presented information on this blog post. Check it out at the link above and peruse their blog for more information.
Using iPads to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
This information has been compiled by the Spectronics Consultancy Team. Please email us on mail@spectronicsinoz.com if you need any further information….
Spectronics is a great resource for all things AT. Check out their recent resource for communication for ASD.
Carol
As scooped with Scoop it . See on www.spectronicsinoz.com
Are you or your clients feeling the effects of abuse from use of electronic devices in their hands, arms or fingers?
Check out this article from Advance for OT “Protect Hands from Digital Distress“, by Cheryl McEvoy, providing tips and exercises to counter the effects of abusive texting and use of electronic devices.
Information in the handout comes from the American Society of Hand Therapists’ National Consumer Education Alert on Heavy Use of Handheld Electronic Devices. In their position paper they provide a few additional tips relating to the use or abuse of handheld electronic devices:
ASHT released professionally designed guidelines to foster healthier use of handheld electronics and portable devices:
Retrieved on November 3, 2013 from: http://www.asht.org/professionals/handheld_electronics_release.doc
Advance for OT is a free subscription service and provides a monthly electronic and hardcopy magazine for Occupational Therapists. For years I have enjoyed the articles and information it provides as a professional source of information (for free).
As Scooped from iPad Insight, “How to Reduce Motion/Parallax Effects in iOS 7” Tips and Tricks
One of the many notable new features in iOS 7 are the ‘Parallax’ motion effects that are noticeable throughout the new UI in the latest version of iOS. Many Apple fans are very fond of it, many And…
I have heard concerns of motion sickness with the new motion effects of the iPad. One of my students stated concerns over updated their dedicated device specifically due to the visual concerns of this new feature. iPad Insight provides a tip on how to reduce this iOS 7 effect.
Scooped on Scoop.it – OT mTool Kit
CloudCam App
With devices that have now had a year or more of accumulated apps, photos and videos, lack of space on mobile devices seem to be a recurrent theme. This is especially true for teachers who manage several devices each with a wide variety of apps and photos taken on each of the devices. Discussion of where to look to check out what is taking up space on iDevices happens frequently at school and space taken by photos is frequently one of the culprits (tips on how to tell storage space used by Photos ).
CloudCam app (free; upgrade .99) might just take care of a number of issues with managing and archiving photos and videos, especially for Google Drive or Dropbox users. Use of the free app provides medium quality pictures, however with an iPad4 I did not see significant differences with picture quality using the free app.
CloudCam app provides a camera app that links directly to your Google Drive or Dropbox account to immediately upload the picture taken.
Options are available to upload from your devices Photo Library and save to the desired cloud drive.
A huge benefit, I believe, is the automatic creation of a CloudCam folder in your Google Drive eliminating the need to return to locate and organize the photos within your Google Drive (organization within my Google Drive is a huge challenge for me …). Uploaded photos/videos will consistently be transferred to this file!
You also have the option of importing or uploading existing files from your iDevice Photo Library to the Google Drive or Dropbox CloudCam folder. The CloudCam folder allows numerous choices within your Google Drive. The folder can be shared with others who might need access to those photos (such as when used for communication devices, visual schedules or other supports or storytelling) for student activities. I was also able to easily download the entire CloudCam folder or single photos from Google Drive on my computer.
Photo storage and transfer options are also available for those using Google Drive app on their iPad.
Not the only way to manage, transfer or archive photos, but a fast and easy solution if you dislike the process of uploading photos to cloud storage services. I will pick and choose when I will use this app, but I definitely will start using this app to help with managing storage space on my devices.
Have you used this app or anything similar?
Carol
Fraction Apps
A colleague asked me about fraction apps for some of her students who needed concrete methods of learning and would be motivated by using the iPads available at the school. The search began with some of the available fraction math apps listed:
Virtual Manipulative app (free) by ABCya.com came immediately as a suggestion, providing visuals and interaction with fractions, decimals and percentages for activities that are guided by a teacher. A few settings are available (bar graphs or circles or pie shapes’ numbers on pieces, opaque/transparent) within the app and instructions for how to use. This app is designed not as remedial practice but an interactive tool used with teacher instruction.
Visual Fractions, Decimals and Percentages app (free; iPad) developed by Esa Helttula, is about visually exploring how percentages and decimals are types of fractions. No tasks to complete or problems to solve, this apps purpose is to build conceptual understanding. This app is one of many educational math apps created by the developer.
Here is a video of the Visual Fractions, Decimals and Percentages app:
Here are a few more resources for reviewed fraction apps:
AppAdvice- http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/learning-fractions
Make Use of – http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-apps-that-will-make-learning-fractions-easier-more-fun-ios/
Grasshopper Apps – Match the Fraction (.99) a game app that can be customized according to the skills of the students.
Any other favorite fraction apps ?
Carol
OT iTool Kit App List for MS thru Adults with Disabilities 10-27-13 – (PDF file).
A partial list of apps from the complete OT’s with Apps List, this list focuses on apps in the following categories (not limited to) for iOS and Android:
And more – always a work in progress. If you have suggestions for apps to include, please let me know!
Carol @ OT’s with Apps.com
The 17 Best Anxiety iPhone and Android Apps of 2013
As scooped from Healthline.com on October 26, 2013.
Anxiety may be treated with medications, behavior therapies, and relaxation techniques. Consider these apps to help you feel less anxious.
Healthline.com has a great list of Anxiety apps for iOS and Android worth perusing. Familiar apps and those unfamiliar are among the list of 17 app presented in this quick slide show. Whether you work with adults with anxiety disorders or with students with ASD who also have anxiety, there might be a mobile app that can help support those individuals.
Well worth a visit to Healthline.com
Great site!
Carol
From Scoop.it – OT mTool Kit
The OT eTool Kit resource - review of apps and other technologies for OT's working with children and adults.
The OT eTool Kit resource - review of apps and other technologies for OT's working with children and adults.
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Assistive technology to help infants and toddlers communicate, move, play, and grow
The Stories of an Occupational Therapist with Retinopathy of Prematurity
The OT eTool Kit resource - review of apps and other technologies for OT's working with children and adults.
The OT eTool Kit resource - review of apps and other technologies for OT's working with children and adults.
Tech Integration for Busy Teachers
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Technology support for all dyslexic people
Re-train the Visual Brain…Advancing awareness, understanding and best practices
Literacy, AAC & Assistive Technology
Supporting Accessibility with the iPad
OT's with Apps & Technology 