Author: Josh Maglasang

Josh Clark cries a lot. It’s something he freely admits. I open with this for two reasons. One, I’m hoping to catch your attention, because this endearing quality caught mine. I recently had the absolute honor of interviewing Josh via video call. We chatted about his personal dyslexia journey, his experience teaching “dyslexic learners,” and … Continued

For learners with dyslexia, assistive technology can make a world of difference. Take Ptahra Jeppe, Esq., for example. She may eye-read at a fourth grade level, but assistive technology tools played a key role supporting her throughout college which led to earning a law degree. Today, they make her job as a disability rights lawyer … Continued

“The technology is doing all the work.” “It’s a crutch.” “It’ll keep them from learning how to read or write on their own.” “It’s an unfair advantage.” “Every student should have to work just as hard.” Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, word prediction…. should students be able to use assistive technology in the classroom? Or is it cheating? … Continued

“When talking about Universal Design for Learning, it’s helpful to first understand that the concept of universal design came from the field of architecture,” Dr. Paula Kluth, inclusion consultant and author of Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support, & Challenge All Learners Using UDL, told us in a recent interview. She went on … Continued

Assistive technology empowers people with disabilities to live, work, and play with greater levels of independence and achievement. To give you an example, data suggests that students with high-incidence disabilities who have AT in high school graduate at a rate of 99.8%, compared to 79.6% for those without it. “My students with Cerebral Palsy wouldn’t … Continued

Assistive technology (AT) is a phrase you may or may not be familiar with, but you have probably used AT before. That’s because many tools that serve as assistive technology to people with disabilities are common features on our devices. Have you ever used speech-to-text to compose a text? To people without a disability, speech-to-text … Continued

Messy handwriting. Short, incomplete sentences. Undeveloped thoughts. Incomplete assignments. Shame and frustration. When a learner is challenged by writing, it can make everything about their educational experience a bit messy. And sometimes it’s hard to know how to help. Perhaps a specialist is called in. Perhaps there’s an IEP in place. Or perhaps a learner … Continued

When assessment season rolls around, it brings with it many challenges. Not least among them is managing the logistics of testing accommodations for students with disabilities. Staff who are responsible for implementing testing accommodations must often contend with complex processes for accessing accommodations. These processes can be stressful for students and often add to their … Continued