The SLD Forum is Back Online
Posted by Claire Harrison on the 23rd September, 2020
I’ve lost count of the number of ideas, links to resources and insightful discussions which I’ve benefitted from over many years via emails from the SLD Forum. The forum is a brilliant online community of mostly UK individuals involved in the education of children and young people with S...
Using Windows Narrator as a simple but effective text reader
Posted by Craig Mill on the 16th September, 2020
Windows Narrator has been a Windows accessibility feature as far back as Windows 2000. Narrator was designed to open up accessibility as a screen reader for visually impaired users, but sadly lacked the power and features of its contemporaries such as JAWS and the now-defunct Windows Eyes. With the ...
Boardmaker Online Subscribers, action required!
Posted by Claire Harrison on the 28th August, 2020
Changes for Boardmaker Online Subscribers, action required! We know lots of schools use Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) in Boardmaker software to create learning and communication activities. Boardmaker Online will under-go a significant change in the Autumn, becoming ‘Boardmaker 7’....
Education Scotland Wee Blether
Posted by Shirley Lawson on the 12th August, 2020
As part of Education Scotland's Wee Blether series, the CALL Scotland team will be facilitating a FREE one hour session on 27th August on the use of assistive technology to support learners with additional support needs. Thursday 27th August 4:00pm - 5:00pm This is an opportunity for anyone wor...
New Online Professional Learning calendar
Posted by Shirley Lawson on the 12th August, 2020
We are using the current COVID-19 restrictions as an exciting opportunity to move our Professional Learning courses online at least until up to December 2020. These courses would normally be delivered at the University of Edinburgh. Sometimes it can be difficult for teachers to get class cover...
Predictable 6 speaks Scottish!
Posted by Paul Nisbet on the 7th August, 2020
The latest version of Predictable 6, the text-based communication app from TherapyBox, can speak with the Scottish adult and child voices Heather, Stuart, Andrew and Mairi. Let's find out how they sound and work. Predictable 6 is a text-based communication aid app for iPad, Android and Windows. ...
Using T2S for Text to Speech on an Android
Posted by Allan Wilson on the 28th July, 2020
Most Android phones and tablets have a built-in text-to-speech facility, known as Select to Speak, that can be used to help people with reading difficulties listen to text from the screen. However, Select to Speak has shortcomings so it cannot be relied on as a general purpose text-to...
Working at Home - Accessing Powerpoint
Posted by Allan Wilson on the 26th June, 2020
Teachers in some local authorities have been creating lessons and exercises combining text, images sound and video in Powerpoint for pupils to try at home. This is working well for many learners, but there can be issues depending on the device that is used to view the file, particularly for learners...
Updated AAC iPad App Wheel Available Now!
Posted by Gillian McNeill on the 24th June, 2020
The CALL Scotland 'wheel' of Apps provides a categorised guide to iPad Apps for individuals with complex communication support needs, who may need to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). First published in 2014, I'm pleased to share now that it has had it's 202...
Special Apps for Very Special Learners
Posted by Allan Wilson on the 19th June, 2020
The wonderful Flo Longhorn has been producing new updates to her 2012 book, iPads, Apps and Very Special Learners, with information on some apps that are currently available to support very special learners, typically with complex additional support needs. The latest of these updates is ...
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