Learning Disabilities Archives - Page 2 of 2

Published September 27, 2016

Denver Administrators Strengthen Reading For Students with Print Disabilities Through Expansion of Bookshare

Denver Academy’s Philippe Ernewein, Director of Education, and Anthony Slaughter, Director of Information Technology, were eager to hear about the progress of Alyssa Campbell. While Alyssa has had a Bookshare Individual Membership for many years, it wasn’t until she entered middle school at Denver Academy that she began reading more textbooks and literature using accessible ebooks with assistive technologies. Alyssa has a documented learning disability that makes it difficult to read traditional print materials. Text-to-Speech Makes Reading Easier Due to her disability, Alyssa could not keep pace with the rigorous reading assignments for her grade level. Her mom, Debbie Campbell, an educator herself,…

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Published September 14, 2016

Parent Partners with School Administrators to Advocate for Accessible Ebooks and Dispel Myths

Deborah Campbell with Denver Academy’s Director of Education, Philippe Ernewein, and Director of IT, Anthony Slaughter When Deborah Campbell volunteered at Denver Academy, she had one mission: to educate teachers and families of children with reading disabilities about the benefits of accessible ebooks and assistive technologies for learning. Mrs. Campbell holds a master of arts degree in curriculum and instruction and has a deep understanding of the education process. Alyssa, her eldest daughter, attends Denver Academy and was diagnosed with a learning disability in second grade. At that time she read at a noticeably slower pace than her peers, and it was difficult…

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Published August 16, 2016

Creating Equal District and Schoolwide Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Raising academic performance to meet the mandates of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a critical mission for school leaders, yet finding solutions to accommodate diverse student populations across districts and schools can be overwhelming and costly. Students with learning disabilities or visual impairments, for example, have difficulty reading print books. Often, they need accommodations like audio, large print, or braille to make classroom and homework materials accessible. The effort and resources required to produce accessible educational materials (AEM) is significant. Teachers and librarians struggle to find textbooks and Common Core materials in accessible formats. Parents stress about support…

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Published October 23, 2015

Beyond the Dys in Dyslexia

In recognition of Dyslexia Awareness month in October, we are reposting a blog by McKenzie Erickson, Marketing Coordinator at Benetech, which originally appeared in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Blog (U.S. Department of Special Education) on October 5. Dyslexia. It’s a word I’ve heard since the third grade. It was the explanation for why I couldn’t read, why I had to cheat on my weekly spelling tests, and why I felt different. I’ve since come to realize there is more to dyslexia than its disadvantages. When I was in school, I put a significant amount of energy…

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Published October 8, 2015

Missouri Educator Underscores Value of Student Logins and Individual Memberships

Catherine Fortney, an Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Facilitator at the Francis Howell School District in St. Charles, Missouri, says her Bookshare student members love Individual Memberships and Student Logins—a new feature that lets students log in on their own and read assigned books wherever they want. Students’ Reading Transformations Fortney also likes to share stories of transformation with colleagues, administrators, and parents. “Transformative stories fortify the value of Bookshare,” she says. “The online accessible library is a game changer in special education, especially for students with learning, vision, and physical disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy.” Gabby, a high school student…

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Published September 9, 2015

Some of the Most Anticipated Digital Books for Back to School

Note: This blog first appeared on The Inside Track – a blog for the Understood community. Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit, is one of fifteen founding nonprofit organizations in partnership with Understood, a resource for parents of children with learning and attention issues. More than 275,000 free text-to-speech digital books. That’s how many are downloaded the first two months of school every fall from our online Bookshare library. This year, we expect an even higher number of downloads. What are some of the hottest digital books for back to school going to be? Our librarians at Bookshare decided to investigate. We looked at data from…

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Published March 13, 2015

Navigate Dyslexia with These Recommended Books for Parents!

Are you a parent of a child with a print disability, like dyslexia? As part of our efforts to support parents in navigating their child’s learning differences, here are two helpful books that were written specifically for parents by people with dyslexia. Ben Foss, dyslexia advocate and well-known author, wrote The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning to help families build a pathway to independence for children with dyslexia. Here is Ben’s three-step process: Identify your child’s strengths. Share those strengths with school administrators and educators. Explore technologies that will help your…

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Published February 7, 2015

Bookshare and Benetech Take Center Stage at LDA 2015!

We are very excited about the upcoming Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) 2015 Conference in Chicago. Why? Because we get to meet you, our members and supporters! Make sure that you attend these must-see events: Hear Betsy Beaumon, President of Benetech, Bookshare’s parent nonprofit, deliver the opening keynote titled Will the Current Tech Revolution Usher in a Golden Age for All Learners? on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 AM. Learn how to increase collaboration by attending the Bookshare session, Parents and Schools Working Together for Accessible Content, on Wednesday, February 18, 4:45–5:45 PM, Room W39. Learn how you can help…

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Published October 9, 2014

Sharing Timely Resources and Student Successes for National Dyslexia Awareness Month

Bookshare serves many members who have a severe reading disability, like dyslexia, that makes it difficult to comprehend what they read in standard print. Persons with dyslexia cannot easily recognize words and letter sounds. They may be slow readers and poor spellers because signals to their brain mix up the ability to accurately decode print. The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) reports that 1 in 10 people have symptoms of dyslexia, and half of all students who qualify for special education in U.S. schools are classified with a learning disability. Thankfully, there are many people who have benefited from digital accessible…

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Published October 31, 2013

Journey with Dyslexia – Guest Blog by Robbi Cooper, a Bookshare Parent Member

Special thanks to Robbi, Andrew and Ben Cooper for their story and to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) for showcasing the Cooper Family. Our October blog recognizes National Learning Disabilities Month. ************************************ My husband and my son are dyslexic. My husband, Andrew, did not understand that he was dyslexic until adulthood, long after reading difficulties in school left him frustrated – a fate that we did not want for our son. My son, Ben came into the world a bright and vibrant child, but when he entered kindergarten we were told that he was not learning the way…

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Tag: Learning Disabilities