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For young children

ACN Vol 12 #6, July 2000

New products are available to assist in addressing the needs of very young children with severely delayed communication skills. Play & Learn is a preschool curriculum designed for early childhood professionals. Tech for Tots is an introductory orientation to assistive technology with very young children. Emergent Literacy Success, Storytime Songbook and Making Language Visible have creative ideas and activities for very young children.

Play & Learn
Mary J. Sullivan Coleman and Laura Krueger. This 300 page preschool curriculum incorporates technology, motor skills development, communication, socialization and cognitive skills in a 12-month program. Included are a list of toys, equipment resources and a functional motor checklist. The authors believe “all children learn through movement and meaningful play.” The school day begins with Warming up for the Day, and ends with Perfect Ending activities. Monthly themes include: October (Fall colors); January (Winter wonderland); August (Exploring our environment). Within each theme, the teacher emphasizes: (1) routines and music; (2) repetition; (3) play and (4) social interaction. The classroom is designed to promote independence and active involvement. Assistive technology allows the inclusion of all children and motivates children to explore activities.
$59 US. AbleNet, Inc. 1081 Tenth Avenue, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414-1312. www.ablenetinc.com

Tech for tots: Assistive technology for infants and young children
Toni Solano and Sonia K. Aller. This educational package is designed to acquaint parents, professionals and students across disciplines with issues regarding assistive technology for infants and young children. It includes a course book, instructor notes, guided discussions and activities, reproducible handouts, a 16-minute video, an assistive technology resource guide, an exam, a course evaluation and a choice of either slides, overheads or a PowerPoint file on a CD.
From $59.99 to $99.99. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Research Institute, Box 54700, MS #84, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0700. Fax 323-668-7923. www.uscuap.org

Emergent literary success: Merging whole language and technology
Caroline Musselwhite and Pati King-DeBaun. This book compiles current theory and practical applications to support and empower students in their quest for literacy. Sections include a review of the literature, illustrations and mini-case examples.
Pati King-DeBaun, Communicating, PO Box 3358, Park City, UT 84060. 435-645-7737. www.creative-comm.com

Storytime Songbook 2: Parts I and II
Pati King-DeBaun. The stories on this CD are in a song format. Features include: highlighted text, enlarged text, simple graphics, animation, digitized singing and music. Compatible with both MAC and Windows platforms. Children can access it using a mouse, Touch Window, IntelliKeys, single switch and scanning (auditory prompts).
Pati King-DeBaun, Communicating, PO Box 3358, Park City, UT 84060. 435-645-7737. www.creative-comm.com

Making Language Visible
Pati King-DeBaun. This CD has a collection of scripts and symbols for home and school. Easy to print out and use. Compatible with MAC and Windows.
Pati King-DeBaun, Communicating, PO Box 3358, Park City, UT 84060. 435-645-7737. www.creative-comm.com

IntelliTools Website
This site has an area where you can download overlays and activities for young children. It is easy to find things and just as easy to “grab” them for your own use.
Check it out! www.intellitools.com

This article appears in Augmentative Communication News, Volume 12, #6.

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