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Assistive Technology for Education is a self-paced online course that teaches SNAs and teachers to use technology to better support students with additional learning needs such as dyslexia, dyspraxia/DCD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or ADHD.
This online course can be done from your home computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Work at your own pace and on your own schedule!
Assistive Technology for Education is for you if:
You’re a teacher, SNA, or educator for students in primary or secondary school
Your students use Apple iPads or Windows laptops
You’re supporting students who have dyslexia, dyspraxia/DCD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or ADHD.
Your students struggle with reading, writing, maths, and organisational skills
Technology feels scary or overwhelming to you. There’s just too much to learn!
You’d love to feel informed and confident about using the technology available to your students!
Assistive Technology for Education includes:
A library of instructional video tutorials on how to navigate your devices, built-in accessibility features, and helpful apps and software.
Printable resources and reference sheets for navigating the various features of your devices and for keeping students safe online.
Our recommendations for the best apps and software to help with reading, writing, maths, and organisational skills (we've done the research for you!)
An official Certificate of Completion from the CPD Standards Office to show that you've successfully completed this 20-hour training.
The course was excellent and very easy to engage with. The fact that you could see James and read what he was saying was a big help as some of us are visual learners and others are auditory learners. I feel more confident using g technology now and it's great that I could bookmark the course and come back to it again if I need to.
– Caroline Redmond
I didn't know what assistive tech apps were available or where to find them. Now I know the apps to choose for each student, and I won't be afraid to search and try new apps out. The material was easy to follow and at a good pace. I loved that we could ask James anything and he was willing to help.
– Patricia Whitty
I didn't know where to start with so many apps out there, but this course was clear, easy to follow, and it was great having the video demonstrations to watch and the ability to stop and go back over them numerous times. I feel comfortable with assistive tech now. The course was so much more than I expected. I can't praise it enough.
– Chris Mackey
What Principals and SNAs say about Assistive Technology for Education
Emmanuel Bourke, Principal at St. John Bosco’s Senior Boys’ School
“it’s allowing all staff to upskill and get involved in something that’s very exciting and very important in the life and culture of schools.”
Mairead O’Halloron, Deputy Principal, Castleknock Community College
“It's good continuous professional development for our staff and also enhances the experience of the students who use assistive technology.”
“It's essential to know the skills to help my students with learning difficulties in the future.”
“I'm not an expert on technology so this course has given me a real confidence boost!”
“I decided to do this course because I wanted to upgrade my skills.“
“I didn’t realise how many different built-in accessibilities there were and I found that very beneficial for helping children.”
“We weren’t very up on technology, but after doing the course we felt we had more skills to bring to the children.”
I had no experience with using technology other than my phone. The experience was great and the material was easy to understand and engage with. I'm much more confident in using technology now and I'm so happy to be able to help the students and also keep up with the times myself.
– Mary Douglas
It was very easy for me to engage with the material because I am a very visual learner and I also learn best by doing, so being able to do the laptop work was great for me. I'm a lot more confident using technology after doing the course, and I've already started using apps and programs to help some of the students.
– Antonia O'Callaghan, Scoil Bhride Crosshaven GNS
I think the fact that I was engaged with the course all the way through shows how informative it was. It will definitely be a resource to be delved into based on the changing needs of the children and as I engage with new children in class in the future.
– Eric Hurley, Beaumont Girls National School
Inside Assistive Technology for Education
Here’s an overview of the topics we cover inside the course:
Getting to know your Devices
You’ll learn your way around your Windows laptop or iPad and explore the life-changing accessibility features that come built right into those devices.
Technology for Reading
We’ll cover software and apps to help children with reading challenges, plus scanning pens, and how to get digital textbooks for your students.
Technology for Writing
We’ll cover software and apps to help children who struggle with writing, including touch-typing and talk-to-type options.
Technology for Maths
We’ll cover software and apps to help children who struggle with maths and numeracy.
Technology for Organisation and Collaboration
You’ll learn how to help students keep their files organised, as well as additional techniques that can help students organise their ideas and be productive in school.
Plus 4 Bonus Workshops
You’ll also get these additional on-demand video workshops included for free!
BONUS
Internet Safety Workshop
Learn the many ways in which you can help your students to safely navigate and use the internet while at school.
BONUS
Online Teaching Workshop
Learn to configure your lighting, sound, video, and use Zoom and MS Teams to teach your students remotely as needed.
BONUS
Ireland-Specific Accessibility Workshop
The AT Grant, accessing digital reading material from publishers, state exams, and the Disability Access Route to Education.
BONUS
Transitioning to Secondary Workshop
Note-taking, study skills, wellbeing tips for teenagers, and helping your students prepare for state exams with expert Trish McGrath.
Before the course, I didn't know what assistive tech was available and how to access and use it. The videos made the material a lot easier and were very reassuring and supportive. Now I don't feel as afraid of technology, and I see that everyone with or without learning difficulties could benefit from it.
– Dee Linehan
This course has given me confidence around assistive technology that I previously would not have had. Now I will always ask myself if there is some technology out there that will enhance a student's learning experience. UrAbility keeps the students' needs at the center of things and I like that.
– Aileen Barry
Get started with Assistive Tech now!
Enrol in Assistive Technology for Education
• Complete Assistive Technology online course
• 20-hour Certificate of Completion
• 4 bonus video workshops
• On-demand and done on your own schedule
With your continued membership, you’ll get access to all future updates and new technology that we add to the course!
Your membership in the course will automatically renew in 12 months at 50% OFF today’s price (€55 per year). Cancel at any time to avoid automatic renewal for next year—you can continue using the course for 12-months from your date of enrollment.
It was the best course I’ve done in a very long time. I have used the information and resources to help both me and the children I work with and we are all benefiting from it. I would recommend UrAbility to everyone!
– Brenda Kerins
I feel I got so much out of this course. The training is delivered in plain English. I’m looking forward to implementing some ideas in September with students.
– Fiona Sinnott
I wasn’t very aware of what was available to assist children before the course. I found it easy to engage with the material, and the variety of different things covered was great. I liked the fact that I could log on when it was convenient for me, and I'm delighted that I can revisit any section when necessary. Since taking the course, I'm confident in speaking to teachers about apps that could help the children I am working with.
– Deborah Blaney
UrAbility has taught this training LIVE to SNAs and teachers across Ireland and the UK.
Now this same training is available remotely as an online course that you can take from anywhere, so you can learn everything you need to help your students get started with assistive technology!
I’m James Northridge, the Founder of UrAbility.
James Northridge, Founder of UrAbility
At UrAbility, we use technology to help kids learn and thrive, whatever their challenges may be. And we want teachers and SNAs to have all the information they need to help students succeed.
I have Dyslexia and ADHD, so I understand the challenges that face children at school because I’ve faced them myself. I struggled throughout my education—even going so far as to hide in the bathroom as a child to avoid having to read aloud in class!
But I was able to turn it around with the help of technology. I earned a first-class honours degree from University College Cork and a Masters in Disabilities Studies from University College Dublin.
I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without technology.
I’ve gone on to complete a Marie Curie Fellowship at UMass Medical School in Boston, was awarded Young Researcher of the Year at the International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP) in Austria, and recently won the United Nations Zero Project Award, where UrAbility was named one of the top 75 innovative practices that support people with disabilities in education worldwide.
I’ve trained hundreds of families and educators across Europe and the United States to use technology to help kids learn more effectively. I hope you’ll join me for this course!
I really enjoyed the simple language, slow pace, and very practical advice and ideas in this course. I am looking forward to being more confident in knowing what to use and how to access appropriate apps. This is so useful and important for teachers.
– Alison Pollard, Special Class Teacher
The technology and all the different apps can feel very overwhelming. I liked the videos in the course and they made it much easier for me than having to wade through lots of text. Now I feel that I could tackle the iPad with more knowledge and ideas.
– Sabrina Rabbette, Learning Support Teacher
James appears to have an endless supply of knowledge and experience in the AT area. He has a natural ability and willingness to share this information with everyone!
– Lorraine Dineen
Frequently Asked Questions
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The course starts as soon as you sign up! You’ll have immediate access to the course and all materials, and the course is self-paced so you can do it at home on your own schedule.
There are NO dates to remember and no live or in-person workshops you have to attend.
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For as long as the course exists, as long as you keep your membership!
The €110 you pay when you sign up covers the first year, so if you cancel your payments after that, you'll lose access to the course after 12 months.
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This course totals 20 hours of learning, including watching all of the video lessons and reading the written materials.
Most people complete the course in about 6 weeks, which means 3-4 hours of learning per week.
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Your membership in the course is €110 for the first year, and then it automatically renews each year for €55 (50% off!)
You can cancel your membership at any time if you don't want to keep the course for another year, and you won't be billed the renewal amount.
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Once you've completed the course, you will automatically receive your Certificate of Completion via email.
This course and your certificate are accredited by the CPD Standards Office for 20 hours of learning. This course is a great option for Croke Park hours!
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Nope! The free bonus workshops are just that: bonuses. They are not part of the main course and you are not required to complete them in order to get your certificate.
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All you need to access this course is a device with internet access. You can use your laptop or desktop computer, a tablet, or even your smartphone.
This course teaches technology for Apple iPads and Windows laptops, but you don't need to use one of those devices just to watch the course. For instance, you could watch the course on your iPhone while learning to use your student's Windows laptop that they use for schoolwork.
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That's fine! We start with the very basics: learning your way around your device, using some of the built-in features, and then we work our way up to downloading apps and using them. Because this course is self-paced, you can spend as long on each lesson as you need to get comfortable with it.
You do not need to be "tech-savvy" in any way to do this course. We'll help you get there!
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That's great! You might be able to skip over a few of the beginner lessons about getting to know your device.
After that, we dive into specific apps and tech for reading, writing, and maths, and most of that will probably be new to you.
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The course covers a wide range of apps and software for reading, writing, and maths on both Apple iPads and Windows laptops.
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This course is designed for those supporting children who have difficulties with reading, writing, maths, and organisational skills. This includes things like dyslexia, dyspraxia/DCD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, or any other disability that makes learning these skills difficult.
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This course only covers the Apple iPad and Windows Laptops, as these are most commonly used in schools. We don’t cover other brands of devices.
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That's okay! You're not required to be actively working with students to take this course. Many folks have told us they enrolled because the certificate that this course offers is nice to have on their CVs when they go out looking for roles.
Still have questions? Get in touch at courses@urability.com!