December 2021
Holiday Closure 
ABLE Tech offices will be closed from December 24, 2021, through January 2, 2022. We will not ship devices out for loan after December 20th. Requests will resume in January 2022.
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!National Special Education Day is December 2nd
This day commemorates the anniversary of our nation’s first federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, signed by President Ford on December 2, 1975.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) made public education available to all eligible children with disabilities across the nation and ensured special education and related services were provided for those children. This law was a critical and necessary step on the path to making education and resources equitable for all children – a goal we are still working toward today. This day honors the milestones that have been achieved for special education so far and reminds us of the continued progress to come.
Learn more on the IDEA Public Schools website.
To Promote National Special Education Day, View AT Available in ABLE Tech’s Demonstration and Short-Term Loan Inventory.
Visit the ABLE Tech homepage to learn more about the featured Assistive Technology.
Learn more about Assistive Technology (AT) for people of all ages on the ABLE Tech AT Discovery webpages.
Spotlight on Success: Pathways Therapy Center
Pathways Therapy Center provides occupational and speech therapy services to help children reach their full potential. It is an independently owned clinic with over 20 years of experience offering Occupational, Speech, Feeding, and Group Therapies. The staff is unique in their ability to form strong relationships with both the patients and their families. The owners of Pathways are both occupational therapists. The staff currently consists of 3 occupational therapists, 3 occupational therapy assistants, 3 speech-language pathologists, 1 therapy tech, and 2 front office staff.
Occupational Therapists at Pathways Therapy Center focus on a child's self-care skills, sensory-motor, postural and emotional development with the objective of helping to improve the child's functioning in the home, school, and community. Speech-Language Pathologists at the center help children with receptive and expressive language, articulation, social skills, AAC, (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), and other areas of language. Pathways Therapy Center also has therapists knowledgeable in feeding evaluations and treatment for feeding difficulties, picky eaters, oral motor skills, oral defensiveness, and other feeding disorders. A variety of group therapy is offered for children to learn and practice their social skills with peers, to improve self-esteem, taking turns, social interaction, conversation skills, and friendships. The center’s therapists develop an individualized treatment plan for each child along with home program recommendations.
Pathways Therapy Center is a proud partner of Oklahoma ABLE Tech. The partnership allows the therapists to provide families with device demonstrations during the therapy session and offer short-term loans to trial using the devices at home, or in the educational and community settings. This opportunity helps the family with decision-making before purchasing assistive technology, both high and low tech.
Pathways also provides bilingual services in Spanish and English and is conveniently located in Midtown Tulsa, which is easily accessible to the surrounding communities to best meet the needs of those we serve and their families.
Assistive Technology (AT) can be a Great Holiday Gift
Buying the right holiday gift for a loved one can be a real challenge, even in years with fewer environmental challenges. If you are still struggling to find the perfect last-minute gift, let “Where It’s AT” give you a helping hand for the holidays.
Join Us for ABLE Tech's AT Funding Workshop
Join educators and related service providers who support students with disabilities to learn the who, what, where, when, and how of writing successful grants to fund the AT needs in your educational settings in a virtual webinar on Thursday, December 9th, 2021 from 8 am to 10 am.
Free CEUs are offered for Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists!
Spring 2022 AT Assessment Workshop Dates Announced
The 2022 virtual training dates are now set. Training materials will be mailed to participants prior to Session 1 and include low-tech AT Make ‘n Take activities.
- Session 1: Consideration of Assistive Technology (AT) - January 13, 2022
- Session 2: AT Assessment and AT in the IEP - February 10, 2022
- Session 3: AT Implementation - March 10, 2022
Free CEUs are offered for Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists!
Registration links are posted to the ABLE Tech AT Support Team Workshop webpage.
CONTACT: Shelby Sanders, shelby.sanders@okstate.edu