• Title: 21 Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs
• Source/Author/Date: Control, ALT, Achieve Blog; Eric Curts; October 8,2016

  
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• Key Points: This article lists 21 Google extensions that can be helpful to students with disabilities. The Chrome web browser allows users to install a wide variety of web extensions that provide tools that can help all learners, regardless of ability level.  In this post look at 21 Chrome web extensions that can assist students in five main categories:
  • Text to Speech
  • Readability
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Focus
  • Navigation
• Relevance: As a Special Education teacher, I am always looking for ways to aid my students with there academic journeys. This is a good reminder of what is availble through Google. It reminds me of some of the practices I learned at the OTEN conference last Spring. It is an excellent reference if one has forgotten about some of the apps that are available.

http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/10/special-needs-extensions.html

Feds Rethink Stance on Speech Devices

Disability Scoop/Halle Stockton/May 15, 2015


Link to Article

Key Points: About a year ago, CMS (Center of Medicaid/ Medicare Services) took steps to narrow coverage of speech generating devices, including phones, tablets, etc.  However after over 2000 people submitted comments to the agency about how these devices allow them to communicate, they have rethought their stance.  Now they will include such devices recognizing that they serve the same as someone speaking verbally.

Audience: Parents, Educators

Relevance: As teachers we need to be aware of the difficulty that our families might have obtaining speech devices for their child.  If we know current laws we can help assist them or at the very least give current information to help them when making requests.