Families, teachers, and therapists who are searching for an update about how to use the latest technologies to help individuals who struggle with communication, literacy, and learning will benefit from the wealth of practical, well-organized information in Assistive Technology in Special Education. The indexed update presents an overview of the uses of technologies to help readers zero in on specific, powerful, cutting-edge resources they can use to enhance success. The book features new tools to improve and compensate for challenges relating to speaking, understanding, reading, writing, thinking and remembering, as well as strategies to help students become more organized and efficient. The use of tablets such as the iPad and smartphones, as well as cloud-based products, are highlighted. Online resources and social networking tools are presented to empower readers to learn about new products as they become available.

I was very pleased to be asked to contribute a chapter in this book about how to help people with dementia. I often see individuals who are lost in their own world with little interaction with those around them. New technologies now provide a way that family members as well as professionals can more easily engage people with dementia. Touch tablets can be used to both improve as well as compensate for cognitive challenges. Music, family photos, simple games, visually based calendars and videos are some of the ways that cutting-edge affordable technologies can help people who have no computer experience or had been resistant to computer use in the past.

I hope that this book will help the many families and caregivers who try so hard to enhance the quality of life of their loved ones with dementia.

It was my pleasure to contribute to a chapter titled, “Technology to Support Literacy in Autism”.

Technology holds great promise for helping students with autism learn, communicate, and function effectively in the modern world. Start leveraging that power today with this forward-thinking book, your in-depth guided tour of technologies that support learners with autism and help them fully participate in their classroom and community. You’ll learn about readily available technologies you can use right now—from apps to video modeling—and explore next-wave innovations that will help shape the future of autism intervention, such as therapeutic robots and advanced virtual reality technologies. You’ll also get critical guidance on how to select the appropriate technology for your needs, weave technology into a universal design for learning framework, and conduct effective professional development so teachers make the most of new tools and strategies.​