Special Education: Is A New Future Possible?
In my last post, I tried to make the case that now is the time to disrupt special education because it has become rigid, compliance-driven, bureaucratic, and politically corrupted. In other words, the mission of special education as it was originally envisioned when it began in the 1970’s has been gradually parasitized by the interests of…
Read MoreCreative Adaptations Spark Innovation
“Necessity is the mother of invention” an English-language proverb, is certainly true when it comes to technological innovation. People who have disabilities are often the spark as they have the necessity or need to be able to do something and this has led to innovative solutions. Many of these innovative solutions have become technology that…
Read MoreGoogle Calendar for Students!
By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff One of my first professional roles after I graduated from Eastern Michigan University (EMU) was supporting young adults who had disabilities and were transitioning out of high school to whatever comes next. At the time, I was only a few years older than the people I met with and…
Read MoreDitto – A Bluetooth Vibrating Cell Phone Signaler and Alarm Clip
Guest Blogger: Liz Kobylak, Hearing Technology Resource Specialist The exhibit hall at the 2016 national convention of Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) convention was filled with interesting displays of products that can benefit people who have hearing loss. One nifty de-vice that caught my eye was the “ditto”, a battery operated Bluetooth vibrating cell…
Read MoreBook Scents and E-Reader Sense (Part 2)
By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Have you ever tried to read something (book, flyer, art print, etc.), but found the font or script was difficult to make out? Sometimes efforts to market in unique and eye-catching ways can obscure the original message. After a recent update on my Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, I noticed something…
Read MoreLooking Back
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff Our son, Theodore, was baptized Sunday. Standing in front of the congregation, I was brought to tears remembering the journey we’ve been on with this wonderfully supportive group of people holding us up and getting us through. We’ve been through so much loss and grief and I’ve been through…
Read MoreGo Green!
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW I’m behind this year… way behind. With a new baby (5 months is still new right?) and going back to work after leave, I have been short on time for anything at all and have neglected my garden. My colleague Laura had a great blog about getting out and working in…
Read MoreThe Need for Transformation in Special Education
I became directly involved in special education advocacy in 1981 when I went to work for Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service. The national special education requirements (The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) were still relatively new then. But, over the years, the large-scale vision of educational support customized to each individual student…
Read MoreAdventures in Lawn Work
Spring is finally here! It’s my first spring in my first home and I’ve been anxiously awaiting the time when I could finally get out in the sunshine and work in my very own yard! I knew it was going to be quite the job. Our home had not been lived in for two years…
Read MoreBook Scents and E-Reader Sense (Part 1)
By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff I am a person who loves the smell of new books and bookstores. I am not, however, one who loves reading from paper books. They can be cumbersome, sometimes older books can be smelly in an unpleasant way, and physically distracting to hold and use. And there isn’t really…
Read More