A great idea! A single message speech output device that links to a digital clock. Record a message then set the clock to play it back at just the right time. Remind users that “gym class begins in five minutes,” or “it’s 3 o’clock, time to go.” You can also add a picture cue for additional information.

When author Karen Altpeter was in school, she constantly felt like she was missing something—the big picture. The studying she did seemed so narrow, like examining the veins on a leaf without ever imagining a tree, much less the forest. Her intention in writing this book was to help kids like her—kids who learn much better when connections are made to a bigger picture.

The lives of young people with behavioral problems tend to be among the least satisfying. Their families are likely to suffer, their teachers are often disappointed, and their peers constantly wonder what’s the matter with them. James Kauffman, professor emeritus of education at the University of Virginia, says it doesn’t have to be that way.

Bob Segalman tells his story—all 60 years plus. Like Bob himself, it’s funny, truthful, poignant, insightful, and sometimes exasperating. Bob was born with significant cerebral palsy at a time when inclusion, mainstreaming, and even special education didn’t exist. With the help of plucky parents and an unsinkable attitude, Bob not only stayed out of an institution, but attended public school and eventually graduated with a PhD in Social Welfare/Sociology! His magnum opus was the founding of Speech to Speech, a federally mandated telephone service for people with speech disabilities.

The book covers five concepts, relating to everyday situations.

• Includes objectives, teaching suggestions and follow-up activities.
• Requires students to read stories, solve problems or analyze events the characters encounter.
• Covers risky behaviors, personal hygiene, mental health and first aid.
• By former special educator Ellen McPeek Glisan.
• The book includes a Win/Mac CD with PDFs to print worksheets. 

Four Illustrated Placemats make setting the table easy! Simply match plastic tableware (plate, bowl, tumbler, knife, fork and spoon) to the outlines. Placemats are laminated and two-sided, one with mealtime picture communication cues.

Students read about and analyze community-based social situations using an illustrated, short story format. Includes a student reader titled Do the Right Thing. Authored by June Stride and illustrated by Anthony Zammit.

Teach transition skills and reading comprehension with short stories that focus on self-determination issues.

Student Reader and Teacher's Guide:
The Student Reader presents 16 engaging, full-color stories, written at a third grade reading level and illustrated in a graphic novel style. Each six-to eight-page story is ideal for one classroom session. Stories include: Acting Right Makes Cents and How Rude!

The Teacher’s Guide features multiple student activity pages for each story. The activity pages vary in difficulty and content so you can select just the right one for each student. Use the PDF on CD for easy printouts of activity pages and full-color stories.

Covered spiralbound Teacher's Guide, black and white, 172 pgs., plus Win/Mac CD with printable PDF. Student Reader, covered spiralbound book, full color, 132 pgs., 2007.

Buy the Student Reader or Teacher's Guide separately, or save with the Self-Determination Package which includes 5 Student Readers and the Teacher's Guide with PDF CD

Students today are being encouraged by IDEA updates to get involved in their own IEPs. Helping students understand and participate in their own IEPs gives them self-determination skills that prepare them for successful futures. Here’s a simple way to teach them how to make their own electronic portfolios so they can achieve that goal in impressive fashion. 

Ten chapters of scripted role plays and corresponding worksheets prepare transition students for the world of work. Carefully crafted role plays provide an effective and relevant means of teaching work-related social skills. 

Some kids bounce back from adversity. They survive and thrive despite unthinkable hardships. But how do they do it? and how can they learn to rise above difficult circumstances? True Stories documents three such stories as presented by Dr. Steven Wolin, author and clinical therapist, who developed an interview technique that brings resiliencies to the surface.

Easy to follow text with full-color photos and illustrations help you understand what your brain does every day. A must have for waiting room areas in your building!

Look 'n Cook is great for beginners! This colorful cookbook features 62 step-by-step basic recipes that create a great foundation for cooking independence. Illustrations are clear, concise and easy to "read." Each picture step has accompanying text. A color coding system makes it easy to follow measurement and temperature requirements—user simply matches utensil colors to colors used in the recipes.

A hands-on, how-to manual helps you create and maintain community-based vocational experiences for students with significant disabilities. The book’s ten chapters follow a sequence of successful job placement—from getting started to on-site job training. Stresses functional assessments, transition planning and supportive employment options. By using the reproducible forms, letters and assessments, you can spend more time with students and potential employers. By Dr. Jill Wheeler.

Multi-function timer beeps or silently vibrates to discreetly signal a set time. Ideal to cue repetitive tasks or multiple personal reminders. Set up to 12 different alarms per day. Adjustable vibration intensity and beep volume, number of beeps, illuminated display and auto button lock to prevent timer cancellations. 

Presents 68 easy-to-make microwave recipes that combine packaged and from-scratch foods. Step-by-step recipes are illustrated with clear black and white images, so even nonreaders can become successful cooks. 

A highly structured, comprehensive curriculum that allows students to work toward independence by learning functional life and academic skills. Following this program, students build a portfolio they take with them through the grades as they approach graduation. 

The curriculum features teacher scripts in Spanish to help students understand the lessons. Lessons focus on verbs and are illustrated with clear, realistic photos showing the actions in context. Students see, hear, read and write English in each lesson.

A basic size and material task using familiar everyday items. User sorts five types of spoons, from two types of large plastic spoons to three types of metal spoons. Can also be used as a very basic two-item sort using only large plastic and small metal spoons. 

New task of shape matching along with inserting and turning skills. Large, colorful pieces are easy to handle and fun to use. 

Increase communication with friends, classmates and family, care helpers, and medical personnel with this assortment of easy-to-use voice output devices.

Match and package plastic pipe using a quality-control jig. Three lengths (with 1/8-inch tolerance) are acceptable—other sizes are rejects. 

A basic sorting task with clear tactile variation between the brushes and combs. Items also vary in color, providing the option of color matching with assembly. 

A variable task that allows sorting of 2 to 36 types of pieces. Users learn to watch for relevant factors (size, color, shape) while ignoring irrelevant dimensions. Begin with a simple 2 item sort, blue squares and yellow circles, for example; then add all blue pieces and all yellow pieces and sort by color, then all three colors. Eventually the task can be a 36 item sort of pieces by color (3 colors), shape (3 shapes) and size (2 sizes). 

This two DVD set is a must have companion to the Look ‘n Cook Cookbook and Lesson Plans.

Provide basic conversation skills to students with developmental disabilities and show them how to initiate social interactions.

This curriculum features the JobWeb CD and Job Ads & Career Paths book.

Students use JobWeb to get valuable vocational information by exploring 30 simulated websites. Students search for job vocabulary, investigate company background, submit interest in a job via email and print job applications. 

A simple match and insert task using familiar products. User takes a tube bottom, finds a matching tube top, inserts to assemble and stores the assembled unit in the bin. 

Users learn color matching, sequencing and inserting while following changing patterns. Workers insert a pattern card into a plastic envelope, then insert colored sheet to match the pattern. 

This moderately complex task involves simultaneous turning and assembly of a durable, familiar product. A jig is provided for one-handed assembly. 

An assembly, inserting and packaging task. Three pencils and erasers are assembled, then packaged in a tube. 

A two-part press and push assembly. The standard task requires holding the base piece and pulling back the collar to open it, while taking the pin piece and inserting it. Attachment of the rings can be added to increase the complexity of the task. 

A workbook with accompanying multimedia software for Spanish speaking students of any age who need to learn functional vocabulary. The workbook features 150 colorful exercises (in both English and Spanish), organized by nouns, verbs adjectives, community words and phrases. All 603 words are paired with fabulous illustrations.

Three riveting DVDs target the gateway drugs: tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. This is where kids start and this is where prevention and intervention specialists should start.

A simple two, three or five piece assembly task that requires little strength. Assembly involves inserting a PVC tube into a PVC coupling. A jig is provided to hold one of the pieces so the assembly can be done using only one hand if necessary. 

Students read about and analyze community-based social situations using an illustrated, short story format. Includes a student reader titled Do the Right Thing and a Teacher's Guide. Authored by June Stride and illustrated by Anthony Zammit.

This mid-range sorting task introduces inspection and quality control. Includes metal plates of two types—aluminum and brass, in two shapes—square and hexagon, with the aluminum pieces with and without holes. 

A mid-range packaging task using counting skills. User checks the number on the bottom of each snapbox (1-5), inserts a matching number of plastic pieces, then snaps the box closed and stores it in the bin. If needed, use the unique counting jig for simple number matching. 

Requires five piece assembly of containers prior to packaging. Users learn inserting, snapping and packaging. The procedure starts with dropping an insert piece into the small container, snapping the cap on the container, inserting the small container into the large container, snapping the cap on the large container, then packaging the completed unit in a plastic box. 

Features color-coded 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 sections. Three levels of difficulty progress from assembling single color layers to more complex patterns. 

A basic four-item inserting and packaging task. The task requires following a color-coded pattern to package highlighters in a display box. 

Look ‘n Cook is great for beginners! It features Look ‘n Cook Cookbook with 62 step-by-step recipes and Look ‘n Cook Lesson Plans, along with the two DVD Look 'n Cook DVD Set.

Job Coaching Strategies is a concise, goal-oriented staff development program. The manual and DVD follow the chronology of a successful job placement—from getting to know your client to maintaining employer relations. The manual features real-life examples to illustrate techniques and strategies, and provides useful forms like functional assessments and work site analysis.