AT Expo!

Hello!

It's that time of year again! The AT Expo is just around the corner, with the pre-conference on April 27th, and the Expo on April 28th. We are still looking for more vendors. Our presentation spots have all been filled up for the morning of the expo and you can check out the schedule here. Our pre-conference presentations are all set up as well! We have Diana Straube presenting on AT Funding Through the Ages. Sign up to be part of the pre-conference here! Along with the AT Expo, there will be the Metro Area Mayors Committee Luncheon and a Self-Advocacy workshop. The vendor hall is free and open to the public from 11am-6pm on April 28th. I would love to see you stop by the West Fargo Public Schools booth to say hello! Check out the website for all the information you need! www.atexpo.org

-Amy

Photos from the AT Expo

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AT Expo Recap

I had a fabulous time at the AT Expo! It was great to see so many faces. I met many new people - vendors, people with disabilities, parents, the aging population, and even a librarian! It is amazing how AT, once considered a very specialized field, really impacts everyone. One older couple I talked to said that they are determined to stay in their home as long as possible, and they were hoping to find some assistive technology to help them do just that. I also met a parent who thanked me for sending out the fliers to students because otherwise she would not have known about the Expo.

I also was part of helping Mark Coppin with his presentations on the iPod touch/iPad for special education. These sessions couldn't have come at a better time with the release of the iPad. The Wednesday session completely filled up, so Mark added a Friday session, which was also full! There are some wonderful resources to check out at this Ning site: http://ipods4specialneeds.ning.com/

At the West Fargo Schools booth, I was handing out flexible pencils. They were a HUGE hit! People kept coming up to my booth and saying, "Oh, THIS is where the cool pencils are coming from!" To me, it just made sense to give pencils - but I, of course, couldn't just give regular pencils. They had to be ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY pencils!

One thing I really wanted to discuss is the label maker I had on my table. People at first glance thought it was a communication device. When they looked closer - they noticed it was a label maker. They wondered why a label maker was on my table as AT. I explained that it helps students to organize their things, and for students with fine motor issues - they can use the label maker to print their answers and stick on fill-in-the blank worksheets and tests. People were really excited about those ideas! Something as ordinary as a label maker can be assistive technology, who knew? I presented a class a few weeks ago on AT, and I brought random household items (pizza cutter, lazy susan, magnetic chip clips, picture frame, kitchen drawer liner, etc) and had the attendees brainstorm how these items could be assistive technology. The responses were fantastic! This just shows that AT can be anything. It doesn't have to be fancy, sophisticated, and cost thousands of dollars, it just needs to be functional for the student.

In closing, the AT Expo was truly a success. My tweets ended up getting the news crew there - which was very exciting exposure for the event! I hope that you will share the great news of the Expo to your friends and family, and I hope to see you all there next year! www.atexpo.org

-Amy

AT Expo -It's here!!

After months of anticipation and planning, the AT Expo pre-conference is tomorrow! Mark Coppin from the Anne Carlsen Center will bet talking about iPod Touches and iPads in special education. I will play the role of Vanna White and help Mark out. This session filled up so fast, that he added a second full day session on the same topic for Friday. This, too, has already been filled up! The timing of this event is perfect with the release of the iPad and people are interested in bringing this tool into the classroom. With all the Apps available, the iPod touch can be so useful for our students. It also has the 'cool' factor, making everyone interested. As well as the great things Mark is presenting on, there are several educational sessions Thursday, the day of the conference. There is also the Metro Area Mayor's Council on Disabilities luncheon, as well as vendor booths. The exhibit hall is open from 11am-6pm Thursday and is free to the public. I encourage you to invite anyone you know who would benefit from assistive technology. From ages birth-120, there is a tool out there to meet everyone's needs.

For more information, please visit www.atexpo.org

I hope to see you there!

-Amy

AT Expo

I have had the wonderful experience of being able to be involved with the planning of the 7th annual Assistive Technology Expo in Fargo, ND. The Expo was started by a group of people who wanted to get the word out to North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota residents that there is, in fact, Assistive Technology available in our area. They have experienced great success with over 500 people attending last year.

There will be approximately 60 vendors, all showing assistive technology that is available in our area. There will educational sessions in the morning, a luncheon with the Metro Area Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities Awards Banquet, vendor booths, and support groups meeting in the afternoon. There will also be a concurrent self advocacy workshop.

The exhibit booths are free and open to the public. They will be open from 11am-6pm. The morning educational sessions qualify for Continuing Education Units. There is also a free orthopedic screening from the Shriner's.

I must also mention that there is a pre-conference workshop. This workshop however, has filled up! Mark Coppin of the Anne Carlsen Center is presenting on the iPod Touch as an Assistive Technology Tool. You can see why this is in popular demand!

The expo is held on April 15th, 2010 at the Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo, ND. You can find out more information at: www.atexpo.org. I look forward to seeing you there!

-Amy