The result of a continuing study of software related to children with special needs, this guide is intended to assist in the selection of software appropriate for children with mental, physical, behavioral, sensory, and learning impairments. Suggestions for gifted children are also included. The guide is updated yearly and includes more than 190…

Forty special education teachers rated usefulness and preferences concerning software evaluation information. Highest usefulness ratings were given to information on hardware compatibility, appropriateness for students, and software operation and use. The most preferred information source was software tryout, followed by software…

This annotated directory of existing databases, both online and print, is designed to assist in identifying available technology products for use in special education. The first section describes eight commercial software products with a special education focus, such as the "Closing the Gap Resource Directory" and "Software To…

Provides a list, organized by company, of access software appropriate for special education users, and general software such as productivity tools and educational and recreational software. Sidebars include: software accessibility features to consider; the Alliance for Technology and Access; and contacts for publishers and special education…

This article discusses studies supporting the use of computer-managed Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and potential deterrents using such software, and summarizes software evaluation criteria. A checklist/rating scale is presented and applied to two software programs: the "Talley Goals and Objectives Writer" and "IEPs…

The Connecticut Special Education Network for Software Evaluation is intended to help special educators learn about effective software. The network has developed a software evaluation model and instrument which solicits both descriptive and evaluative information on special education courseware. A needs assessment performed in the state in 1983…

This review explains how agent-based software technology works, discusses features of agent-based software that make it appropriate for students with disabilities, and describes a few current applications. It highlights the benefits of allowing students to interact with a friendly animated character but still be exposed to realistic images.…

This guide summarizes and evaluates 48 educational software packages for special educators working on the specific skill areas of keyboarding, language arts, math, personal/social skills, problem solving, readiness, and reading. Each review is written by a teacher and covers strengths and weaknesses of the software, suggested activities for its…

The directory provides reviews of 50 software programs approved for educational use in Alberta (Canada) schools. Each program was reviewed by two teachers with the purpose of determining the specific populations of special needs students (including the gifted) that the programs would be suitable for and the approximate grade level with which the…

This paper reviews computer software designed for the development, management, and updating of Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for disabled students. Selection criteria required that the software perform multiple tasks related to the writing of IEPs, be appropriate for use in a medium-sized school district, and be appropriate for a severely…