Virtually Back to School: Parents and IEPs
Does your child have an IEP? This week we’re helping parents navigate remote learning this semester! Read on to find out how Present Pal can help #UDL #IEP #Accessibility #RemoteLearning
Image: Remote Learning
This week, we’re here to support all parents with the transition to online/hybrid learning.
The uncharted territory of learning completely online can leave a lot of parents in the dark. Teachers are busy preparing for a fall semester that, in some cases, might be completely online and school districts are understandably preoccupied with the rapidly changing situation. For you as parents, there’s a lot to contend with, so our aim is to help you navigate the new school year with some helpful tips and resources to help your children get the most out of online learning.
There are, of course, benefits and drawbacks to learning remotely.
For example, children with anxiety may feel more comfortable learning in their home environment. However, interacting online can cause other anxieties to come to the surface too, particularly when presenting or reading social cues. We know that face-to-face learning is really important for developing recognition of social cues as well as engaging students in physical tasks.
With completely online curricula, some parents are still considering how to teach their children, particularly children with special needs. Even tutors who are well versed in teaching online have said helping students with additional needs online ‘is not easy, we’re seeing a big learning curve.’ There’s lots of uncertainty surrounding what’s happening with IEPs this year, whether there’s any legislation regarding their implementation, and what parents can do to help their child.
Image: Scales and IEP logo on laptop screen
Read on to find out what’s going on with IEPs, and how you can advocate for your child.
4.6% of all American children K-12 have IEPs, one of the big questions that has stemmed from the pandemic is how students’ accommodations will be provided remotely. The answer is, it varies from state to state, and even district to district.
It can be really difficult to know where to look for help or support on this, luckily there are loads of online groups such as the IEP/504 Parent Resource Platform which can help guide you in the right direction. It’s a space for parents to share as much or as little of their experience as they’d like. It also includes bespoke resources, such as data sheets, to track your child’s progress in online learning. To explore this space and access your own data sheet, join here.
Tips from the experts
Image: Selene Almazan quote
Selene Almazan from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) said: ‘We are encouraging families to document where their child is as far as skill level, either through video or through data sheets, that kind of stuff so that when the pandemic closures are over they can see whether or not there's been any regression in skills for students.’
However, this still leaves a lot of the onus on families to figure out their child’s accommodations; something that would usually be handled by support tutors, Speech Language Pathologists or other special educators in a face to face learning environment.
Experts are advising that parents should pursue their child’s IEP arrangements as they normally would. This can put extra pressure on parents. However, in terms of the legality of this, Denise Marshall, also from COPAA, advises: “I think that’s where people get lost, they think that COVID changes things and under the law, it does not”.
If your child has an IEP, how can you help them progress their skills?
Many schools are setting remote tasks that’ll have to be handled slightly differently in an online setting. Like we mentioned earlier, online learning can bring up a whole host of other anxieties, and perhaps your child might be expected to submit quizzes assigned by the teacher or send in videos of themselves practicing their spelling or a speech.
If you’re at a loss for how to help your child with this, at Present Pal we’ve created a presentation support software that acts as a reasonable accommodation for students with IEPs. It can be used remotely, from any location, and we want to level the playing field for this new way of learning. If your child has an IEP for dyslexia or other specific learning differences, features of the app such as line-by-line magnification can help them master the art of breaking down information during these practice tasks before having to do the real thing! Take a look at our video below to find out more.
Have you thought about accommodations for presentations?
As you can see, with Present Pal as an accommodation on your child’s IEP, they can craft presentation notes in the form of interactive flashcards, creating bullet points using key trigger words instead of writing out lengthy scripts on paper! By adding a ‘safety net’ prompt to the bullet point your child can access images and additional text which helps them to elaborate on their point if they need to.
If presentations are on your child’s syllabus, Present Pal can help provide a solution at home.
We care about helping students deliver their best when presenting, and more importantly, feel confident about doing so. Students can also use Present Pal to present in smaller zoom rooms or Google Meets with their peers, giving them that personal connection that’s really important for mental health. A key part of successful remote learning is social contact and confidence too!
Image: GIF, using Present Pal remotely
We hope the rest of the semester goes smoothly and that this post has sparked some inspiration for learning online. Continuing to support each other during this time is essential; the world of IEPs/504s is complicated anyway, on top of experts’ advice, joining some of the Facebook and parent advocacy groups provides a fantastic source of informal support. Equity and wellbeing are really important to us, so if you want to find out how your child can get Present Pal, then feel free to drop us a line on info@presentpal.co.uk or contact us via our Facebook page.
Remote learning series
Wondering how to navigate presentations in a remote setting? 🤨 Check out our new remote learning blog series! This week our tips are for #Educators navigating the remote classroom! #UDL #RemoteLearning
Image: Remote Learning
Welcome to the first blog of our remote learning blog series!
In this blog we are focusing on tackling presentations in a remote environment. This year, learning has been completely transformed. Both teachers and students have shown a huge amount of resilience in adapting to online teaching, and the choice of additional tools needed to level the playing field is huge. Looking towards the fall semester, US schools from K-12 are still considering how teaching and learning will take place in a virtual setting, and for many presentations are still on the curriculum.
So, how do we make sure we can use tech for good and level the playing field while teaching remotely?
Now that educators are getting more familiar with remote teaching, we wanted to share some cool ideas for getting the most out of your online time with students, while making lessons accessible for everyone. At Present Pal, we want to show you how the app can be a fantastic tool for your students while encompassing UDL principles.
UDL is the key to equity in education, both in the classroom and online.
83% of school superintendents said that providing special education services was difficult to provide equitably during remote learning
Adapting to technology has been a huge change for many educators since the beginning of the pandemic. One parent, whose son Joseph has ADHD and Aspergers, reported that he would not be able to complete the work on his own and he would never log back on to the remote service the school used as: “It required executive functioning skills that Joe doesn’t quite have.”
Image: A teenager using a laptop sitting at a desk
Apps can support online learning
This is a situation familiar to many teachers and parents since remote learning became the norm, how do we ensure all students, including those with disabilities, can engage with online learning?
By being more flexible with the delivery of the material this can make life a lot easier for students with learning differences. Technology like Present Pal, gives students the ability to personalise the app and to create your flashcard notes and the ability to practice your presentation helps immensely with this.
A major dilemma for some teachers is how to balance synchronous learning with asynchronous learning.
For students with information processing or reading difficulties, uploading class recordings online gives students the opportunity to revisit and fill in any gaps from previous lessons. Present Pal can help you support this equity too, through features like audio recording and note creation, the app can be used in real time to present as well as a way to personally review rehearsals of presentations. Using the app’s rehearsal audio recording feature, teachers can encourage students to practice presentations online without the anxiety of a face-to-face run through. You can see more of Present Pal’s features here.
There’s a lot to consider when picking the ideal video conferencing tool.
Curbing this new form of online anxiety can be done with the use of Present Pal in Zoom rooms, or smaller Google Meet, where students can present to each other using their accessible notes on Present Pal in small groups to nail their presentations. There’s a lot to consider when picking the ideal video conferencing tool, but for accessibility, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams proves popular due to the ability to turn on captions. For Present Pal too, our PowerPoint add-in can integrate seamlessly for schools that use MS365, making presentations online that bit easier and more accessible.
Image: Question marks above Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet logos
We’d love to hear more about your experience moving to remote learning and teaching. If you want to learn more about how we can support you and your students with presentations then get in touch via email here.
Stay tuned for more remote learning content on the blog next week, see you soon!
Note Creation: Everything You Need to Know
Present Pal has come a long way from Chris’ original creation to combat presentation anxiety. Developed due to a real-life challenge he experienced at university for which there was no support available, the app is continuing to help individuals create, rehearse and present. Our team has grown and so has the app! The Present Pal team are delighted to offer you ‘Present Pal 3.0’ which is now available on the App Store and Google Play.
Present Pal has come a long way from Chris’ original creation to combat presentation anxiety. Developed due to a real-life challenge he experienced at university for which there was no support available, the app is continuing to help individuals create, rehearse and present with confidence.
We’re delighted to share the latest version of the app with you, which is now available on the App Store and Google Play.
On top of this, we are beyond excited to debut Present Pal’s latest feature...note creation! You’re probably already familiar with our PowerPoint add-in, where you can access notes and control the slides on your laptop from the Present Pal app itself. The new update goes one step further:
No need for any additional software or link and with the new Present Pal PowerPoint add-in.
You can create and edit your notes from any device, anywhere.
The cloud enables the safe transfer of notes from hand-held devices to desktop devices, and vice-versa, through the add-in.
Works in tandem with other assistive technology.
We’re always looking to evolve and have several exciting projects which we can’t wait to share with you. We want to continue to help you master your presentations and do it with confidence! The new PowerPoint add-in couldn’t be easier to set-up, simply update your existing Present Pal app, and install the new add-in from the Microsoft Office store, which you can access here.
For additional support, you can always visit our Present Pal PowerPoint Add-in support page. You can also find our super helpful tutorial videos here.
Don’t forget to update your existing version of Present Pal and leave us a rating or review if you are enjoying using the app! We’d love to hear what you think of Present Pal’s update and your ideas for future versions.
If you’d like to personally get in touch with feature suggestions or to make a comment on an existing feature - we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch via email at info@presentpal.co.uk or reach us through our contact form.
Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Think of your workplace and your colleagues that surround you. Are there different gender identities, different ethnicities, different backgrounds, ages, nationalities? Do you have any colleagues who are neurodiverse? Are any of your colleagues disabled? If the answers to these questions are predominantly ‘no’, then you may be questioning your organisation’s culture of inclusion.
A Culture of Inclusion, Diversity and Equality
Think of your workplace and your colleagues that surround you. Are there different gender identities, different ethnicities, different backgrounds, ages, nationalities? Do you have any colleagues who are neurodiverse? Are any of your colleagues disabled? If the answers to these questions are predominantly ‘no’, then you may be questioning your organisation’s culture of inclusion.
IMAGE: Green jigsaw puzzle and purple jigsaw puzzle fitting together.
It’s no secret that a large portion of businesses suffer from a lack of diversity, in turn failing to create an inclusive workplace. Yet, bringing unique perspectives, experience and capabilities into the workplace brings about invaluable advantages for innovation and growth. For example, “neurodiverse people are wired differently from “neurotypical” people” and so they are likely to contribute unique, ‘outside of the box’ ideas.
To enable diversity and inclusion in the workplace, employers need to consider expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities and Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs). However, this problem lies deeper than simply recruiting diverse people, as recent statistics have shown that retention rates and job progression are significantly lower for individuals with disabilities and/or SpLDs.
The Problem
Despite the apparent advantages of diversity and inclusion for employers, major problems still exist in regard to disabled people’s unemployment and retention rate. Generally speaking, disabled people struggle to get into work and once they are successful, they find it difficult to progress or even remain in a job. But why is this the case?
CHART: 42.8% disabled people in employment and 80.2% of non-disabled people in employment.
The Scottish Government published the ‘Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’ which revealed some frightful statistics surrounding the lack of inclusive practices from Scottish employers. For example, only 42.8% of disabled people are employed, compared to 80.2% of non-disabled people. These statistics uncover a 37.4% rate change between disabled and non-disabled individuals, clearly exemplifying a large inequality between the two groups. Furthermore, the report stated that ‘disabled people with a degree are less likely to be employed than non-disabled people without a degree’.
With 1 in 5 working age people in Scotland being disabled, accessibility must be at the forefront for employers. Whether it’s with regards to recruitment processes or providing adequate support during employment to reduce dropout rates, workplace inclusivity should be considered during every decision making process. As it stands right now, disabled people are clearly not receiving this level of attention and support, as many find it hard to progress in work and are ‘almost twice as likely to fall out of work as non-disabled people’.
It’s dreadful to think that everyday tasks in the workplace such as distributing a recruitment ad can inadvertently exclude people. Although a discrimination is not always intended, without considering accessibility requirements and neurodiversity, inequalities in the workplace will continue to exist.
How can we make a change?
Alongside making colleagues aware of funded support available (such as Access to Work), let’s think about changing up the recruitment processes that are widely used by employers (because they can inherently exclude neurodiverse people and people with disabilities). For example, individuals with autism tend to under-perform in an interview setting because of their lack of social communication skills. Avoiding eye contact and misinterpreting tone of voice are to name but a few. With around 700,000 autistic people in the UK, it is evident that when designing recruitment processes, situations like this have to be taken into consideration. In the UK, only 16% of autistic adults are in full-time paid employment. So how can we do something about this?
Microsoft and Accessibility
Chris speaking alongside Hector Minto at a Microsoft Partners event on Accessibility
Let’s look to Microsoft as a case study. Microsoft believes accessibility and inclusion are essential to delivering their mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. They have their own ‘CAO’ Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Accessibility Evangelists such as Hector Minto, they’ve released exceptional inclusive tools including the Xbox adaptive controller and the Code Jumper to assist blind children with coding and they have specific programmes in place to provoke other businesses to think about accessibility - including the AI for Accessibility programme which Present Pal is delighted to be a part of.
Microsoft also have a unique hiring programme for individuals with autism, as it has been found that despite social awkwardness, some “possess exceptional skills in areas such as science, mathematics or technology.” This programme has allowed people like Kyle Schwaneke to pursue a career in technology due to the unique hiring process “It’s not a do-or-die phone screen or a several-hour, in-person interview, but rather an academy of sorts – a combination workshop and interview to help put job candidates at ease (and therefore let them more fully demonstrate their skills).” For those who are successful, Microsoft also deliver an ‘Autism in the workplace’ training programme and provide multiple mentors to support the employee as they build their career at Microsoft.
Here at Estendio, we aspire to adopt these accessible practices as our company grows. We’ve signed the Disability Confident employer pledge so that when we do come to make our first hire, we can do it with inclusivity in mind. Sign the pledge now.
Fairer Work Scotland
The Scottish Government have put plans into place to reduce these inequalities and work towards ensuring that inclusivity and accessibility are paramount responsibilities for employers. For example, fighting for the devolution of ‘Access to Work’ - a UK government initiative which provides reasonable adjustments for workers with physical or mental health conditions. This programme has been deemed ‘the government’s best kept secret’ as only 27,000 people are claiming out of an eligible 3.9 million. There are also plans in place for an ambassador scheme which showcases successful applicants by allowing them to demonstrate the benefits and transfer their knowledge of the process to eligible colleagues. This is incredibly important to ensure that people recognise and are aware of the potential support available to them, whether it’s travel requirements, physical assistance or special aids and equipment (including accessible technologies like Present Pal!)
These positive strategic plans are extremely reassuring, but we have to keep in mind that we as individuals can take small steps towards diversity and inclusion. Whether it’s having a one-to-one chat with a colleague about their need for support, or if it’s lobbying the government to support parents with dyslexia, we can all contribute.
Present Pal assists people to ensure that they feel more confident and prepared when communicating to their peers and is especially useful for individuals with dyslexia. If you want to get in touch to find out how you can make your workplace more accessible, contact us.
If you want to find out whether your eligible for AtW or how to apply, check out this great resource from DnA.
Present Pal receives AI for Accessibility Grant from Microsoft
To celebrate the UN’s International Day of Disabled Persons 2018, we’re excited to announce that we’ve been selected to be a part of Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility Programme!
Present Pal has been awarded an AI for Accessibility grant from Microsoft to help further our efforts in ensuring that everyone, despite their individual abilities, has the equal opportunity to communicate effectively in education and the workplace.
Present Pal receives Microsoft AI4A Grant
The Present Pal team are so excited to officially announce that we have been selected as one of the first grantees in the Microsoft AI for Accessibility programme!
We received the news at the end of October and are delighted that we can finally share the details of our upcoming partnership with Microsoft.
Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility
Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility programme is a $25 million 5-year programme aimed at harnessing the power of AI to amplify human capability for the more than one billion people around the world with disabilities. The programme is focusing specifically on AI solutions in 3 areas; Employment, Daily Life and Communication & Connection.
IMAGE: ‘Amplifying human capability: technology, knowledge and partnership.’
Present Pal and AI4A
Present Pal has been offered funding due to our commitment to improving the speed, accuracy, and convenience of communication for people with disabilities.
GIF: Entering Present Pal notes via keyboard and speech-to-text
Being part of the AI4A programme will allow Present Pal to access Microsoft’s AI tools and Azure services, enabling us to build an exciting data-driven feature which instinctively prompts presenters in times of distress. Alongside our existing dyslexia friendly features, Present Pal will not only help to enhance the communication skills of people with learning differences, but also those with visual impairments.
Using the AI4A funding, Present Pal will integrate Microsoft’s Speech APIs into the existing App. This will compare practice recordings of presentations against real-time speech, enabling the software to recognise when a presenter is struggling to recall information. For example, AI-powered audio prompts will be sent to the presenter and visual pop ups will be enabled if the speaker is stuttering or hesitating when attempting to communicate.
VIDEO: ‘Present Pal by Estendio (Audio Description)’
IMAGE: CEO Chris holding tablet with Present Pal
“Technology has such an important role to play in ensuring that people with disabilities are empowered to communicate effortlessly. The usage of AI/machine learning within Present Pal will allow us to really understand the needs and behaviour of presenters, providing the data to assist and enhance communication skills in the terrifying moments of presenting to your peers. ”
We are extremely looking forward to beginning this year long project with Microsoft and can’t wait to help enhance the lives of people with disabilities!
To find out more about the AI4A programme’s goals and how to apply, visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai-for-accessibility
The Problem With Presentations - Are You Prepared?
Whether you’re a student or professional, presentations are pretty unavoidable. Read on as we discuss how presentations are a particular struggle for people with dyslexia, and the importance of providing opportunities for equal access in education and work.
Image: “Over 75% of the population feel anxious when presenting their work to others”
The Dreaded Presentation
At every stage of your life, you will have to complete some form of an assessment. Whether that’s an exam on molecular biology, or a group project report, or even a performance evaluation – we are always being assessed on our ability or knowledge of what we have been taught!
However the form of assessment that creates the most overwhelming amount of anxiety is of course the dreaded oral presentations. Over 75% of the population feel anxious when presenting their work to others, with 86% of individuals with dyslexia feeling the same.
It will then come as a surprise to know that despite having creative learning techniques designed to boost literacy skills, there is little support for the specific skill set required to deliver a successful presentation.
Presentations are notoriously difficult because of the diverse range of skills required all at the one time. Try to picture the last time you had to present a PowerPoint presentation in front of an audience.
Whilst you wait to present, you’ll be running through the presentation in your head, perhaps reminding yourself of the key points you have to cover...
Some may feel an adrenaline rush, fumbling with your hands as your heartbeat spikes...
You may have notes with you, or spent the entire night memorising your script by heart...
You remember to engage with your audience during the presentation, keeping your eyes from travelling to the ground or the back wall, whilst hitting the keyboard to advance your PowerPoint slides on and managing the amount of time you have left...
Suddenly, your mind goes blank and you realise you’ve missed a key point, or you lose your place on your presentation notes and become flustered as you try to keep your mind on track but feel the pressure from that momentary slip...
What a nightmare, am I right?
Now, imagine all of the above, except this time you are facing the audience in the mind of an individual with dyslexia.
With a challenged short-term memory, you might struggle to memorise the entire script the night before, and so would often rely on presentation notes...
During the presentation, perhaps with weakened literacy skills it becomes even more challenging to read from a sheet of text especially under pressure which results in an overloaded working memory and increased anxiety...
Maybe by utilising a creative learning technique, an image could replace the text and ease the pressure, but now the lack of safety net of having the text right in front you increases your anxiety even more! Since the presentation is timed, you could even run the risk of talking for longer than you anticipated...
And so on…
You can tell from the two scenarios that in a situation that is already pretty stressful for the majority of the population, oral presentations seem to particularly accentuate the skills and areas that individuals with dyslexia already struggle with the most.
Why are Presentations Such an Important Problem?
The importance of presentations is apparent in university where they can count towards a student’s final grade or performance. But if a student with a learning difference is expected to present their work, what accommodations can be made for them to allow for a fair assessment? Some faculties may suggest the student to submit a recorded video of the presentation to present to their peers in class, but surely the solution should lie in creating equal access to education and opportunities rather than highlighting the fact that the student has a learning difference to begin with.
This applies beyond university, where most students will intend to enter the world of work. Developed skills in public speaking and the ability to present your work to others effectively can be crucial, and so it is important for these skills to be enhanced during the student’s time at university whilst they learn every other aspect of their career area.
Whilst huge leaps are being made to equal the access to education for people of all abilities in the form of funding, resources, assistive technology and tools – there still seems to be a prevailing gap in the support of important skills that can define how an individual communicates with the people around them, enhancing their presentation delivery and ultimately equipping them for the rest of their life.
Dyslexia - Let's Talk About It!
Find out more about what dyslexia actually is as we look beyond the definition to discover how people with dyslexia learn and process information in different ways.
What is dyslexia?
Whilst many know dyslexia as the most common learning difference experienced by the population, there is still some confusion as to what dyslexia actually is. Beyond the ability to read and write, dyslexia is more specifically defined as the effect on how information is both processed and retrieved by the individual. So although weakness in literacy skills is often the most obvious sign of dyslexia, it’s important to know that there can be a wider range of challenges experienced by one person.
Learning with dyslexia
Dyslexia does not affect intelligence but instead how the brain processes information that is spoken or written as well as affecting short-term memory – so you can imagine how challenging it can be to both retain and regurgitate information during an exam or presentation.
So what helps? How do you have a chance at succeeding in your studies if it’s difficult to understand what your teacher is actually telling you. The answer is simple, find a solution that works for YOU!
Many students with dyslexia find creative and often artistic ways to study and absorb information. Instead of the traditional linear learning style where the logic applies step-by-step, students with dyslexia will find that it’s often easier to learn with images and visual cues than with words.
Let’s see an example of this in action! Whilst it’s (relatively) simple for some to learn about the Pythagoras Theorem by following the steps (left), others may find that the visual illustration of the theorem (right) has more of an impact on their understanding and retention. How cool?!
Image: Visual Learning Techniques for Pythagoras Theorem
Since every person with dyslexia is unique, it’d be difficult to devise a ‘one size fits all’ solution – so it takes a certain amount of effort from their side to experiment and find out what works best.