See Me,Feel Me,

Touch Me, Hear Me:

Adapting Books for Divergent Learners

Judith Schoonover, MEd, OTR/L, ATPSally Norton-Darr, MS, CCC-SLPLoudoun County Public Schools

The Right to “Read”

All individuals, regardless of their abilities, have the right to access print materials in order to learn, increase leisure time activities, vocational success, and overall quality of life.

Objectives

Participants will…• Identify alternatives to traditional

text to support divergent learners• Name at least three software

applications that can be used to create access to print

• List options for expanding literacy

Adapted Books for Divergent Learners

• Emergent readers• People with a print disability who

cannot access information from printed text due to: – Visual disabilities– Physical disabilities– Cognitive/sensory disabilities– Language barriers

UDL

Provide print access to all learners that follows the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework:

• Multiple means of representation• Multiple means of expression• Multiple means of engagement

Adapted Books=Access

• Reading• Writing• Listening• Talking• Thinking• Interacting• Language

• Matching• Comparing• Selecting• Organizing

information• Remembering• Comprehending

Adapted Books Can…

Increase student participation by:• Modifying text language • Presenting visual representations• Providing alternative page layouts • Increasing ease of

use

Choose Books With…

• Format that provides a variety of input:– Visual, Cognitive, Content, Language

• Props potential• Clear, simple graphics• Easily adjusted text• Repetitive or predictable lines• Rhyme or rhythm• Familiar, meaningful context

Technology Can Help

• Variety of presentation types• Add, delete, and rearrange content • Insert Web art, photos, scanned images, or

create drawings • Incorporate sound and videos• PhotoAlbum• PowerTalk• AutoSummarize (non-fiction)• Readability Scores• Text-to-Speech

Copyright

Copyright allows the creation and use of books in an alternate format solely for the purpose of making this book accessible to persons with disabilities. When adapting a book, one should also have a copy of the original book.

See Me

• Visual interest or rebus enhanced text

• Size of book• Font type/size• Font and background color• VISUAL contrast• S p a c i n g and layout

background color

Feel Me

• Add textures• Props• Removable icons/story illustrations• Miniatures• Vary construction materials• Flexible structure and display

Touch Me

• Create spaces between pages of a book to increase physical access – Page fluffers– Weather stripping– Clothes pins

• Add tactile “interest”• Braille• Stabilize

– Book holders– Velcro book open to mat

Hear Me

• Repetitive lines in text• Manually or digitally insert sounds• Noisy props• Talking photo album• Voice output devices• Text to speech • Convert text to portable audiofiles

Expansion ActivitiesScaffold and color code!

• Role playing• Stick props• 3-D props

– masks, costumes, miniatures • Songs• Graphic organizers• Sequencing• Puzzles

Extending Books

• Print hard copy of electronic books• Expand book to an interactive format• Create individual activities/worksheets to

address specific concepts & IEP skills• Share PowerPoint books with home

Book Club

• An activity to support teachers in creating adapted books

• Provided “raw materials” such as digital and print versions of scanned books, easel, talking photo album, etc.

• Included examples of supplemental activities across the domains

• Met to share and exchange ideas

Use Adapted Books With…

Adapted books can be used by themselves, or with assistive technology ranging from:

• low-tech homemade devices• switches• voice output communication aides• Braille and large print materials• sign language• environmental control units• adapted props, and much more

You are limited only by your imagination

We acknowledge and appreciate the inspiration provided to us by the Assistive Technology Team of Jessamine County, Kentucky and their “Buckets of Literacy” (TM)