Assistive Technology and Self-Advocacy Training at The Woodlynde School

In my position at Cabrini's Disability Resource Center, I have the opportunity to meet students from a variety of high schools throughout the area.  Cabrini also has dual enrollment arrangements with two local high schools for students with learning differences. One of those schools is the Woodlynde School in Strafford, PA where "great minds think differently."  Cabrini has close ties to the Woodlynde School and each year several students matriculate from Woodlynde to Cabrini.  In this post I will discuss the various assistive technology options Woodlyde offers students as well as the self-advocacy training Woodlynde provides.

To help students achieve to their greatest potential, Woodlynde uses a variety of AT. Each student receives a laptop computer which is loaded with technologies that address individual learning needs for school and home use. One of the programs available for students is "Read Live" which assists with fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, pronunciation, expression, and phrasing.  Another program provided for students is Learning Ally for audio textbooks and literature. When students follow along with audio books, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency is increased. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is also offered as a tool which turns spoken words into written words to aid with the writing process. The WYNN software provided by Woodlynde School allows students to improve their reading and writing fluency.

Woodlynde School students are taught to "learn how they learn." These metacognition skills are powerful tools that help students become self advocates. Students are helped to understand both their strengths and challenges and use their intelligence to learn individualized strategies to achieve positive learning outcomes. By understanding their differences, students can use their strengths to work through obstacles to perform to their capabilities.

Based on what I have learned both in this Assistive Technology Perspectives course and in my work at Cabrini's DRC, I believe that committed students who fully engage in Woodlynde's learning environment are well prepared to succeed in college. Students who understand the advantages of carefully selected AT and who can advocate successfully for their own learning needs are well positioned to take advantage of available resources at college to facilitate their success.