Who Do You Need to Serve?Parents, educators, therapists, and employers all share the necessary task of addressing accessibility challenges for individuals with cognitive, physical, communicative, or learning disabilities. They know that assistive technology tools and interventions can rectify impediments in learning and work environments, empowering individuals to become lifelong learners and productive employees.
The greater challenge for them is how to select the appropriate assistive technology tools to address specific needs: finding the right software programs to aide those with learning disabilities in reading and math; determining which adaptive devices will compensate for a physical challenge at work or in school; and how structured computer-based activities can address attention, behavioral, or motor planning needs.
Obtaining the Training You Need: Unlike trainings offered by colleges or at conferences, we are able to address the actual needs of attendees in a more personal (and affordable) way. We offer three different training solutions for your convenience:
1. Comprehensive Seminars: Extensive overview of all products in a particular domain. Parents or individuals with disabilities, not representing an organization, pay on a sliding scale.
2. Specialty Seminars: Intensive, hands-on workshops utilizing sophisticated products such as those in our links above and many more. We will basically train on any assistive technology product you may have already purchased.
3. Custom Seminars: Customer tailored training suited specifically to the needs you express. Costs dependent upon requests.
Assistive Technology Evaluations & Consultations: Receive one-on-one client solutions determined by an assistive technology provider utilizing our wealth of resources. Costs based upon type of request and time required. We specialize in accessibility solutions, software modifications for school and work (as well as leisure), peripheral and hardware integration, and direct client training with the tools selected by us (or even other providers).
Ongoing Support: Individuals may receive ongoing support weekly at our center for any technological device that is utilized for school, work, or leisure needs; this includes computers and software, adaptive peripherals, augmentative communication devices, or even reorganization and reprogramming of their tools as they progress and their needs change over time.
Sample of Potential Trainers:
Mark Surabian, MA, ATP has utilized assistive technologies to serve the educational and vocational needs of individuals with disabilities for over 22 years, across five states, in both private and public school systems, residential facilities, and within individual homes. He currently offers free assistive technology support at the JCC of Manhattan (see "Free AT Support" above); serves as an assistive technology provider to the NYC Department of Education, VESID, and to numerous school districts across the state; and as an adjunct instructor on assistive technologies in both the Brooklyn College Speech Department and Pace University Special Education Department, and as a lecturer across New York State. Yuichi Tamano, MS, ATP has served the greater New York area as an assistive technology consultant, rehabilitation engineer and software designer for the past 13 years. His broad experience encompasses wheelchair seating and positioning, environmental control systems, augmentative communication, and educational software design. He currently serves as a related service provider to the NYC Department of Education and a software designer for Mayer Johmson. He also offers bilingual assistance to our Spanish-speaking clientele when needed. Mary Jean Dyczko Wood, MA, CCC/SLP, TSHH, ATP (Consultant) contributes an augmentative communication expertise to The CogniTech Cafe team. As a NYS licensed Speech-Language Pathologist for over 14 years, Teacher of Speech and Hearing Handicapped, and Assistive Technology Practitioner, she has worked with individuals who have congenital, developmental and acquired disabilities, whose ages range from 2 to 98 years old. She currently serves as an ACC/AT provider to UCP Nassau, Standing Tall, and as a related service provider to the NYC Department of Education, and recently published a chapter on augmentative and alternative communication in an aural rehabilitation textbook.
Our Assistive Technology Providers have a broad
understanding of disabilities, assistive & adaptive
technologies, psychology, occupational and speech
therapy, and educational interventions. With this
generalized background as a base they are better able
to fully address the unique needs of each and every
individual they serve.
A Sample CogniTech Cafe Presentation: Mark Surabian speaks At NYU's ITP on his experience with "Users of Assistive Technology" www.itp.nyu.edu/itplive/AssistiveTech/AssistiveTechPresentation_1.mov