Free help with tech tools to overcome learning challenges

by Kathy Kuhl   Assistive technology–tech tools to help people with learning challenges and other disabilities–keeps growing fast. If no one’s invented a tool to help your child or teen, it may come out next week. But there’s so many! Where to begin? And what can I get that’s good and free, to begin with? How can we better use the technology we already have in our homes.

Last month, I fielded questions on assistive technology from small groups in Richmond at the HEAV convention. (I apologize for the delay posting these comments.)

More free help from Joan Green

Last year I blogged about my favorite expert on assistive technology, Joan Green. A friend of homeschoolers, Joan moved from her original interest in helping people with aphasia, to using tech to help students and adults with all kinds of challenges.

Joan gives away a lot of good information. Here’s what’s new:

1. There’s more built in to help your student with every software upgrade on your Mac, PC, tablet, and smart phone. The problems are finding out what tools are available and how to access them. Joan keeps up and has a series of “They may not know” short videos on her website. They cover topics like
2. For parents and professionals, Joan has a private Facebook Group, IST Tech Savvy Solutions. This has become one of my best resources on new tools. Join it!
3. After you’ve watched the videos and gleaned from the group, you may want more private help. For a small monthly fee, you can access her archived talks. Another option is taking one of her in-depth courses for a fee.Joan also gives private consultations by Skype. Often one session is enough to get you going. If you grant her remote access to your computer, she can customize your computer for you or your loved one with challenges and show you both exactly how to use it. (I’m thinking of hiring her to help my mom use an iPad, if I can talk Mom into trying. Shh! Don’t tell.)

Resources:

Joan Green’s website, InnovativeSpeech.com

Here are two earlier articles I wrote on assistive technology. Got free tech resources to share? Please add them in the comments below. Thank you.

Tech Tools to Help Students Overcome Learning Challenges

BeeLine Reader makes reading on-screen easier