LOW TECH TOOLS

Visual Edge Slant Board - Adjustable slant board that minimizes eye strain by providing an optimally slanted surface on which to work.  The angle of the board helps the user see and process printed and written text more easily.  It differs from a traditional reading slant board in that it was designed to be lightweight, durable, transportable, multifunctional and affordable.  For more information see www.onionmountaintech.com. 

Eye Lighter - The Eye Lighter is a 6” long transparent plastic highlighter with a beveled frosted edge, which you place below the line you are reading. Use to highlight text, track 1-3 lines at a time, and help with focus and concentration.www.onionmountaintech.com

PenAgain - Designed to fit in your hand to reduce tension in writing with no pressure on joints. It comes with a PDA stylus refill to use with a touch screen device ( PDA, Dana, communication device) and for students to use to help with tracking when reading. For more information go to: www.onionmountaintech.com.

Crayola Sound Studio - This interactive coloring pad lets you choose from 60 sound effects and place them anywhere on any Color Wonder coloring page! Create endless sound combinations that play back when you color your picture! Teachers can utilize this inexpensive device with switch users for participation goals. Using the farm animal sound effects card, create an overlay in Boardmaker or Microsoft Word with common farm animals. During song time, allow non-verbal students to participate by touching the animal’s picture during the Old Mac Donald’s song. www.crayola.com

Math Fact Pencils - Colorful pencils with multiplication fact table printed on the surface. Remember to use the same color coding in word problems or with operation signs used with the pencil.www.onionmountaintech.com

Loc-Line - Loc-Lin Modular Hose is a unique plastic ball and socket system that is flexible but yet self-supporting and repositionable. Great for holding switches, utensils and much, much more. http://loc-line.com/index.html

Redispace Paper - Does your student have a problem spacing between letter and words? The Mead Redispace transitional notebook paper can teach your proper spacing and adhering to the margins. From www.onionmountaintech.com for $3.

Page Up - Clever copy holder holds up to 20 sheets of paper in an upright position. Use next to the computer or at the student's desk when a standing copy is needed. Small enough to throw in a backpack or purse or to fit between computers. www.onionmountaintech.com

Dry Erase Crayons - Crayola dry-erase crayons work with your dry-erase board to deliver vibrant color without offensive odors, caps to lose or the possibility of drying out. These crayons provide more drag and greater control for students who use dry-erase boards. www.crayolastore.com

Word Wheel - Word Wheels are the newest tools for improving basic reading skills. Includes a CD with lessons on integrating these wheels into a full comprehensive reading system. Great for your kinesthetic and tactile learners!www.onionmountaintech.com

Math Tube - A great math manipulative made out of a potato chip can. Available in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Visit our website to download the templates.

MID TECH TOOLS

See N Solve Fraction Calculator - This brightly colored calculator shows the entire problem in the display window.  Features numerator and denominator keys as well as a simplify function that simplifies fractions with the press of a button.  Shows two "lines" of work and answers in reduced form.  For more information see www.onionmountaintech.com

Logan ProxTalker - The Logan ProxTalker is a communications device that anyone who uses picture exchange (PECS) to communicate can easily learn. The benefit is increased independence in communication because it actually talks! www.proxtalker.com/product.html

The Writer Fusion - Fusion offers your students the best low cost portable writing tool available. As students type they can simply press the “speak” key to hear their written work read back to them. Words are highlighted as they are spoken. Speech output combined with a large, clear, visual display improves expression, fluency, and grammar. Word prediction is also available to help those with spelling and keyboarding challenges. For more information go to: www.writerlearning.com.

Boost™ - The perfect classroom tool for your students with limited vision. This personal video magnifier features a durable design and child-friendly interface. Your students will be up and running in minutes. Just watch as your students Boost their reading and comprehension! www.abelnetinc.com

Kindle - Amazon’s portable, hand-held electronic book reader. 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle in 60 seconds. Some features include: adjustable font, text-to-speech, built-in dictionary, highlight and take notes while you read, and can hold over 1,500 books. www.amazon.com

Crayola Audio Ruler - Crayola Total Tools Audio Ruler measures out loud! This amazing tool measures in quarter inch increments up to one foot. It displays a thin line of disappearing ink to highlight the length, and then announces the result. www.crayola.com

Guitar Hero - Rock out with just one switch! Guitar Hero has now been adapted so everyone, young and old, can enjoy this bestselling video game. Our brand new unique tabletop control center allows you to play five colored buttons in sync with the musical notes. www.enablingdevices.com

Switch Adapted Digital Camera - A digital camera that allows switch users to activate one switch to turn the camera on / off and another switch to take pictures and videos. The camera is easy to operate and can be attached to table / wheelchair using a mount. www.rjcooper.com

Fraction Calculator - A calculator for fractions with a full screen display that actually shows fractions and mixed numbers as students would write them. The calculator allows students to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions; simplify fractions; display division results as remainders, fractions, or decimals; learn place values; and do all other typical calculator functions.

HIGH TECH TOOLS

Intel Reader - Portable device that takes pictures of printed material.  It then converts it to a digital form and allows magnification and/or audio playback.  For more information see www.donjohnston.com

TOBII C8 - The perfect choice for anyone in need of a small, lightweight yet powerful communication device. This device provides control and independence all in one. It allows people with communication disabilities to achieve their full potential. They can communicate via text or symbols to generate synthesized or digitized speech for face-to-face interaction or connect through email, text messages or chat. www.tobii.com

Kurzweil USB - Take the power of Kurzweil 3000 with you! With Kurzweil 3000 USB for Windows, students and teachers can access Kurzweil 3000 on any Windows computer without installing any software! Easily use Kurzweil 3000 at home or on other non-school computers. Files can be saved on the USB flash drive enabling students to have easy access to their important files regardless of what computer they are using. For more information go to: www.kurzweiledu.com.

Dynavox Maestro - The Maestro is a multi-language rugged AAC device which allows users to have the freedom to say anything they want anywhere they want to say it. It connects to the internet through WiFi or Bluetooth and can run any Windows 7 applications. It also has a built in digital camera to share memories with family and friends. www.dynavoxtech.com/products/maestro/

Universal Access Games - Teach basic computer skills (mouse, keyboard and switch), and academic skills (early literacy, and math) through games. Offers progress monitoring, single or multiple users, closed captioning, interactive cut scenes, and tons of games. The software is Mac/Win compatible. http://universalaccessgames.com/

ZoomText - ZoomText is a magnification and/or reader software that gives you the total computer access solution. It allows you to see and hear what you're doing in all of your applications. The ZoomText USB flashdrive was just released. Which allows users to carry it with them and use it on any computer. For more information go to: www.aisquared.com/index.cfm

M3 - The M3 is designed for emergent communicators featuring concrete symbols and visual scenes which reduce the cognitive load placed on the user. The preprogrammed pages provide a means to begin developing literacy skills based on core words and phrases organized in distinct categories, helping emergent communicators interact in a range of classroom, home and social settings. www.dynavoxtech.com

DynaVox Xpress - Portable, discreet and easy-to-use, the DynaVox Xpress fits in a pocket or purse and delivers full communication capabilities previously available only in larger devices. With the Xpress, you can share meaningful messages, connect with friends and family and browse your favorite web sites with the optional browser, using a single handheld device. www.dynavoxtech.com

Live Scribe Pulse Smartpen - This smartpen records and syncs audio with whatever you write, so you never miss a word. Users can tap directly on their notes to replay recorded audio from the time they were writing. Pulse connects to your computer so users can transfer, search and share their notes online with friends, classmates or colleagues. www.livescribe.com/

WordTalk - WordTalk is a free plug-in developed for use with all versions of Microsoft Word (from Word 97 upwards). It will speak the text of the document and will highlight it as it goes. It contains a talking dictionary to help decide which word spelling is most appropriate. It sits neatly in your toolbar and is highly configurable, allowing you to adjust the highlight colors, the voice and the speed of the speech. www.wordtalk.org.uk

SWITCH ACTIVITIES

Hiyah.net - These can be downloaded or played on-line.  They include basic skills, Dolch words, numbers, counting, math, behavior, holidays, stories, nursery rhymes, community, transportations, emotions, and nature.  Use a mouse click, spacebar or switch to play them. 

HelpKidzLearn - This is a collection of free software for young children and those with learning difficulties to play on-line.  The software is split into four sections:  Games and Quizzes, Stories and Songs, Creative Play and Find Out About.  Some of the software on HelpKidzLearn can be played just using the spacebar or a few other keys on your computer's keyboard.  This software can also be used with special switches for children who are unable to use the keyboard.

Shiny Learning - A few free switch accessible games you can play on-line or download.  Blasting a pirate ship and crushing cars are two that really help eye tracking, anticipation and switch timing skills.

Switch Music - This is a kind of switch juke box.  A switch or mouse click will link to these all time favorite pop videos/songs, all from YouTube.  But First be sure (a) the mouse pointer is 'parked' in the circle and (b) the switch is pressed once as soon as the page appears, to get the switch activation turned on.

Papunet - This site offers games, exercises and stories for people of different ages have been collected on this site. The games can be played as pastime learning, entertainment, and/or in teaching. The games can also serve as tools for practicing interaction and communication skills. Most of the games, exercises and stories can be operated both with the mouse and with the spacebar and enter button. The functions of the spacebar and enter can be transferred to external switches using a switch interface.