AgrAbility eNote banner
April 2012

Other News

CDC: Autism is More Common than Previously Thought

"New research showing one in 88 U.S. children have autism spectrum disorders is focusing national attention on the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment, especially in rural and minority communities. Figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 23% increase in autism spectrum cases from 2006 to 2008, and 78% increase since 2002." Read story

Research on Sound, Neural Processing Could Help Deaf People Hear Amidst the Noise

"Research led by Michael G. Heinz, an associate professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences who specializes in auditory neuroscience, shows how the inner ear processes the temporal structure of sound. These findings could someday improve how prosthetic hearing devices are designed to help people with profound hearing loss hear better in noisy places. The findings were published last month in The Journal of Neuroscience." Read story

Purdue Students Develop App to Help Children with Severe Autism

"Students in a Purdue University service-learning program have developed an application for Apple's iPad that helps children with severe autism learn how to communicate. The app, called SPEAKall!, allows the children to construct sentences by choosing photos and graphic symbols. The app speaks the sentence, which allows a child to communicate a thought and also helps the child learn to talk." Read story

iPad Accessibility: Blue2 Bluetooth Switch by AbleNet

A new iPad accessory allows a wireless connection with switch compatible apps. Included in this list of apps are the TapSpeak series, which, with this new device, allow the user to compose messages with the hands or feet using two simple switches. Read story