The Trump Administration released its fiscal year 2018 budget, and it dismisses the needs of children and youth with exceptionalities. The proposed budget calls for deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Education funding. Without adequate funding for special and gifted education and early intervention programs, efforts to close the achievement gap will be hindered, overall student achievement will lag, high school graduation rates as well as college access and completion rates will decline.

A major concern to CEC is the complete elimination of funding for the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program, the only dedicated federal investment for students with gifts and talents. It is well documented that students with gifts and talents have learning needs requiring specialized educational services if they are to reach their potential.

CEC calls on Congress to reject the Administration's budget proposal, repeal the sequestration caps, and increase appropriations for key education and health programs in order to maximize opportunities for children and youth with exceptionalities.

Visit CEC's Legislative Action Center to tell your members of Congress TODAY to invest in programs for children with exceptionalities and support public education and oppose private school vouchers! We need to maintain the momentum as we advocate for needed investments in special and gifted education, early intervention and research programs.

The National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS) Equity Coalition, along with many partners including CEC, issued a statement to the Trump Administration, 115th Congress, and U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, that the academic success of all children should be a priority. The letter asked for support to uphold three principles (access, quality through accountability, and civil rights) in support of the nearly 300,000 students with disabilities attending public charter schools as well as those interested in attending a charter school.

                                          -CEC Policy Insider

The Department of Education recently issued a notice in the Federal Register inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 2017.

Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities - National Center for Improving Teacher and Leader Performance to Better Serve Children with Disabilities and National Center for the Development and Dissemination of Digital Open Educational Tools and Resources Supported by Evidence to Enhance Personnel Preparation and Professional Development for Educators for Students with Disabilities.

The purposes of this program are to
- help address state-identified needs for personnel preparation in special education, early intervention, related services, and regular education to work with children, including infants and toddlers with disabilities
- ensure that those personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful in serving those children.

The deadline for submitting an application is July 6. 

Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities - Research and Development Center on Developing Software to Adapt and Customize Instruction in Digital Learning Environments to Improve Results for Children with Disabilities and Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Children and Students with Visual Impairments and Print Disabilities.

The purposes of this program are to
- improve results for students with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration and use of technology
- support educational activities designed to be of educational value in the classroom for students with disabilities
- provide support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the classroom
- provide accessible educational materials to students with disabilities in a timely manner.

The deadline for submitting applications is July 10. 

The Assistive Technology Center

is located at

1005 Whitehead Road Extension, Suite 1

Ewing, New Jersey 08638

Toll Free: 888-322-1918

Technology Lending Center

Assistive Technology Tip

Approximately 1.5% of the world's population-through ALS, cerebral palsy, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease or others-are living with speech disabilities. This is the reality that Talkitt, an innovative new technology from Voiceitt that can translate indecipherable language into clear communication, is determined to change.

Talkitt enables those with motor, speech, and language challenges to easily communicate using their own voice. It translates unintelligible pronunciations into understandable speech. The software-based solution can run on any smartphone, tablet, or computer, allowing the user to communicate freely with anyone, anywhere. An individual with a speech disability will record a word and then that person (or a caregiver with the ability to understand them) will link the utterance to a word on the application. Language is no barrier, as any can be selected. The system draws on this voice database to facilitate communication with people the user comes into contact with on a daily basis.

"This isn't standard speech recognition," said Danny Weissberg, the cofounder and CEO of Voiceitt. "We are using pattern recognition which is personalized for the speaker. For example, a person with Cerebral Palsy might say 'sho-ko-la' when he really means to say 'chocolate.' The app will recognize that based on the user's own personalized, pre-recorded dictionary."

Picture your world where everything you say is met with the furrowed brows and quizzical expressions of people legitimately, though futilely, trying to understand you. Formerly cut-off by an inability to express themselves, people with communication challenges can enjoy greater independence, well-being, and social interactions.