This review is courtesy of Wynsum Arts' Every App Has a Story, the stories behind Wynsum Arts' distinguished apps. Therapy Box – Predictable Several years ago, Rebecca Bright was looking for an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to help her grandmother, who had motor neurone disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). Bright wanted a device that was affordable, easy to use and socially acceptable. She wasn't able to find a perfect solution. In 2010, Bright — who is a speech and language pathologist — envisioned a solution that did not yet exist. She chose to utilize the iOS platform and create her own AAC device. She developed the structure of an app called Predictable and worked with a team of skilled programmers and designers to code the app — which she knew would help many people with special needs, like her grandmother. Predictable is a text-to-speech app that is switch accessible, so it can be used by people that have limited physical movement. It features word prediction: the app learns users' frequent patterns of input and suggests words as users begin to type. This reduces the number of required keystrokes, which is especially beneficial to people using a switch. The app also corrects high frequency spelling errors. Other features include: Use the whole screen as a Switch during "scanning" mode ("Touch Anywhere" mode) Input via handwriting Update...

Review of Predictable, an AAC iOS app aiding communication for ALS patients, with text-to-speech and custom features.

App of the Day: Every App Has A Story: Predictable

  This review is courtesy of Wynsum Arts' Every App Has a Story, the stories behind Wynsum Arts' distinguished apps.              Therapy Box – Predictable  Several years ago, Rebecca Bright was looking for an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to help her grandmother, who had motor neurone disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). Bright wanted a device that was affordable, easy to use and socially acceptable. She wasn't able to find a perfect solution. In 2010, Bright — who is a speech and language pathologist — envisioned a solution that did not yet exist. She chose to utilize the iOS platform and create her own AAC device. She developed the structure of an app called Predictable and worked with a team of skilled programmers and designers to code the app — which she knew would help many people with special needs, like her grandmother. Predictable is a text-to-speech app that is switch accessible, so it can be used by people that have limited physical movement. It features word prediction: the app learns users' frequent patterns of input and suggests words as users begin to type. This reduces the number of required keystrokes, which is especially beneficial to people using a switch. The app also corrects high frequency spelling errors. Other features include:  Use the whole screen as a Switch during "scanning" mode ("Touch Anywhere" mode) Input via handwriting Update...

Many families encounter switch access at a point in their journey when they have already tried a lot. A parent of a child who cannot reliably press a keyboard key, control a mouse, or operate a touchscreen consistently has often heard several suggestions that didn't pan out before anyone mentions a switch. A switch is a device that sends a signal when activated. That signal can trigger an AAC device, advance a scanning cursor on a screen, activate a smart home device, or control any number of systems designed to receive switch input. One reliable movement, connected to whatever the person needs to access. How Scanning Works. Most switch access systems use a method called scanning, where software cycles through options on the screen at a set speed. The user watches the cursor move and activates the switch to select when it reaches the desired option. It feels slow to anyone watching from the outside. For the user, it is access: the ability to navigate a menu, express a thought, or turn off a light, using whatever movement they have. With practice and a properly calibrated scanning speed, that access becomes surprisingly fluent. Single-switch scanning is the entry point for most users. The switch advances the scan; a second press or hold selects. Two-switch scanning is faster: one switch advances, one selects. For many users, two-switch scanning significantly increases the speed of communication. The right setup depends on what movements the user can make most reliably over time, not just...

Switch access explained: what it is, types of devices, who benefits, and how switch access connects to AAC and environmental control.

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

Many families encounter switch access at a point in their journey when they have already tried a lot. A parent of a child who cannot reliably press a keyboard key, control a mouse, or operate a touchscreen consistently has often heard several suggestions that didn't pan out before anyone mentions a switch. A switch is a device that sends a signal when activated. That signal can trigger an AAC device, advance a scanning cursor on a screen, activate a smart home device, or control any number of systems designed to receive switch input. One reliable movement, connected to whatever the person needs to access. How Scanning Works. Most switch access systems use a method called scanning, where software cycles through options on the screen at a set speed. The user watches the cursor move and activates the switch to select when it reaches the desired option. It feels slow to anyone watching from the outside. For the user, it is access: the ability to navigate a menu, express a thought, or turn off a light, using whatever movement they have. With practice and a properly calibrated scanning speed, that access becomes surprisingly fluent. Single-switch scanning is the entry point for most users. The switch advances the scan; a second press or hold selects. Two-switch scanning is faster: one switch advances, one selects. For many users, two-switch scanning significantly increases the speed of communication. The right setup depends on what movements the user can make most reliably over time, not just...

Laurie Stephens crossed the finish line in the women's standing giant slalom at Cortina and didn't win a medal. Forster had taken gold, Monschein silver. Twenty years earlier, Stephens had won two golds at her first Paralympic Games in Italy. On Friday, she competed in Italy again, at 44, in her sixth and final Games. What the Results Demonstrated. The 2026 Winter Paralympics closed March 15 with a performance record that's hard to put in context without naming the specifics. Jake Adicoff won four individual golds, sweeping biathlon and cross-country across nine days. Oksana Masters won her 22nd Paralympic medal in a field that included Ukrainian skiers who swept a biathlon podium entirely. Team USA ice hockey won its fifth consecutive Paralympic gold, a dynasty now spanning 20 years. Kate Delson, 20 years old, competed in her first Paralympics and finished with two silver medals. None of this came in a soft field. Norway, France, and Ukraine fielded elite Nordic programs throughout. The alpine draw was deep across all three functional categories. Adicoff's four golds required execution across events with genuinely different physical demands: biathlon combines endurance skiing with precision rifle shooting under physical stress; cross-country strips the shooting out and turns entirely on power output and pace. Winning all four is the Nordic equivalent of sweeping both the sprint and the marathon in track, except each event is also technically specific in ways that don't transfer automatically between them. For decades, the disability community has had to push back...

Record performances, a historic boycott, and nine days of Paralympic sport that earned its mainstream audience.

What the 2026 Winter Paralympics Meant for the Disability Community

Laurie Stephens crossed the finish line in the women's standing giant slalom at Cortina and didn't win a medal. Forster had taken gold, Monschein silver. Twenty years earlier, Stephens had won two golds at her first Paralympic Games in Italy. On Friday, she competed in Italy again, at 44, in her sixth and final Games. What the Results Demonstrated. The 2026 Winter Paralympics closed March 15 with a performance record that's hard to put in context without naming the specifics. Jake Adicoff won four individual golds, sweeping biathlon and cross-country across nine days. Oksana Masters won her 22nd Paralympic medal in a field that included Ukrainian skiers who swept a biathlon podium entirely. Team USA ice hockey won its fifth consecutive Paralympic gold, a dynasty now spanning 20 years. Kate Delson, 20 years old, competed in her first Paralympics and finished with two silver medals. None of this came in a soft field. Norway, France, and Ukraine fielded elite Nordic programs throughout. The alpine draw was deep across all three functional categories. Adicoff's four golds required execution across events with genuinely different physical demands: biathlon combines endurance skiing with precision rifle shooting under physical stress; cross-country strips the shooting out and turns entirely on power output and pace. Winning all four is the Nordic equivalent of sweeping both the sprint and the marathon in track, except each event is also technically specific in ways that don't transfer automatically between them. For decades, the disability community has had to push back...

Lesli Rotenberg, General Manager of Children's Programming at PBS, recently spoke about the network and its commitment to helping nurture young viewers. "At PBS KIDS, our mission is to foster a love of learning in every child," she said. "We want to empower kids to actively pursue a passion or an interest long after the screen is turned off." It's hard to believe, but in September Sesame Street will begin its 44th season. Yes, it has been 44 years since we were introduced to the wonderful and memorable characters on Sesame Street. As the show progresses through the years, new characters have been added. I remember when Abby Cadabby was introduced and the love young kids had and still have for the bumbling fairy-in-training. During the new season, Cookie Monster will star in a new segment called "Cookies' Crumby Pictures." This adorable cookie-eating blue fellow has a popular fan base spanning generations. "Give me cookie!" Also during this new season, a new Latino member of the show will be introduced. His name is Armando and he will interact a lot with the other Hispanic actors, Maria and Luis, and also the delightful Rosita, the Latina Muppet and Ovejita, the other Spanish speaking Muppet. I spoke with Lesli at the recent Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, where she was eager and excited about their newest program, Peg + Cat, which premiers in September 2013. "Last year we introduced Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." That show was "based on the philosophy of...

PBS KIDS remains dedicated to educational content for kids, with popular shows like 'Sesame Street', set to enter its 44th season.

PBS KIDS is Still Going Strong

Lesli Rotenberg, General Manager of Children's Programming at PBS, recently spoke about the network and its commitment to helping nurture young viewers. "At PBS KIDS, our mission is to foster a love of learning in every child," she said. "We want to empower kids to actively pursue a passion or an interest long after the screen is turned off." It's hard to believe, but in September Sesame Street will begin its 44th season. Yes, it has been 44 years since we were introduced to the wonderful and memorable characters on Sesame Street. As the show progresses through the years, new characters have been added. I remember when Abby Cadabby was introduced and the love young kids had and still have for the bumbling fairy-in-training.  During the new season, Cookie Monster will star in a new segment called "Cookies' Crumby Pictures." This adorable cookie-eating blue fellow has a popular fan base spanning generations. "Give me cookie!" Also during this new season, a new Latino member of the show will be introduced. His name is Armando and he will interact a lot with the other Hispanic actors, Maria and Luis, and also the delightful Rosita, the Latina Muppet and Ovejita, the other Spanish speaking Muppet. I spoke with Lesli at the recent Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, where she was eager and excited about their newest program, Peg + Cat, which premiers in September 2013. "Last year we introduced Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." That show was "based on the philosophy of...

Every parent has heard the same pitch before signing a kid up for something new: this will help, trust the process. After a few rounds of that, you've learned to ask a different question: where's the evidence? Adaptive sports have some of the best evidence in the room. The research on physical, mental, and social outcomes for kids who participate is peer-reviewed, quantified, and consistent across studies spanning decades. Here's what it shows, and why it's worth getting excited about. What the Research Has Found. A 2022 meta-analysis in the NIH database tracked hundreds of children with disabilities through adaptive sports programs and returned numbers that are hard to dismiss. Physical quality-of-life improvements measured at a standardized mean difference of 1.03 (p = 0.007). Mental quality-of-life gains came in at SMD = 0.71 (p < 0.001). For parents who want to know whether this helps: the data says yes, measurably and consistently across hundreds of kids. Research from the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Move United's longitudinal studies, and qualitative findings from PMC all land in the same place. Multiple independent teams, different populations, different sports, same outcomes. Consistency like that isn't coincidence. Physical Health: More Than Just Getting Active. Wheelchair basketball is essentially a full-contact speed sport that builds explosive upper-body strength and core stability through the act of playing it. Adaptive swimming develops cardiovascular endurance and joint mobility in ways that land-based training can't replicate, without the impact stress that causes problems for many kids...

Research-backed evidence on physical, mental, and social benefits of adaptive sports for children with disabilities.

Why Adaptive Sports Matter: The Proven Physical and Mental Health Benefits for Kids with Disabilities

Every parent has heard the same pitch before signing a kid up for something new: this will help, trust the process. After a few rounds of that, you've learned to ask a different question: where's the evidence? Adaptive sports have some of the best evidence in the room. The research on physical, mental, and social outcomes for kids who participate is peer-reviewed, quantified, and consistent across studies spanning decades. Here's what it shows, and why it's worth getting excited about. What the Research Has Found. A 2022 meta-analysis in the NIH database tracked hundreds of children with disabilities through adaptive sports programs and returned numbers that are hard to dismiss. Physical quality-of-life improvements measured at a standardized mean difference of 1.03 (p = 0.007). Mental quality-of-life gains came in at SMD = 0.71 (p < 0.001). For parents who want to know whether this helps: the data says yes, measurably and consistently across hundreds of kids. Research from the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Move United's longitudinal studies, and qualitative findings from PMC all land in the same place. Multiple independent teams, different populations, different sports, same outcomes. Consistency like that isn't coincidence. Physical Health: More Than Just Getting Active. Wheelchair basketball is essentially a full-contact speed sport that builds explosive upper-body strength and core stability through the act of playing it. Adaptive swimming develops cardiovascular endurance and joint mobility in ways that land-based training can't replicate, without the impact stress that causes problems for many kids...

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Special Needs
Articles

App of the Day: Every App Has A Story: Predictable

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

What the 2026 Winter Paralympics Meant for the Disability Community

PBS KIDS is Still Going Strong

Why Adaptive Sports Matter: The Proven Physical and Mental Health Benefits for Kids with Disabilities

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

App of the Day: Every App Has A Story: Predictable

Switch Access Devices: What They Are and Who Needs Them

What the 2026 Winter Paralympics Meant for the Disability Community

PBS KIDS is Still Going Strong

Why Adaptive Sports Matter: The Proven Physical and Mental Health Benefits for Kids with Disabilities

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles