Integrated office software packages, such as AppleWorks, can be used to develop templates for organizing notetaking or minimizing formatting for daily work completion. Some applications have shortcuts which provide speech feedback for text highlighted in a document. Some educational software is designed with options to adjust the difficulty level, control the amount of interaction available to the student, or adjust the access method for physical differences. Use of keyboard commands can minimize mouse use for students who have difficulty using a mouse. Accessibility options are frequently built into computer operating systems.
Software demos are available from many vendors or can be downloaded from the internet.
These exploration tools may contain a portion of the program or provide the complete program for a limited time. Voice output communication devices. Districts may have a voice output communication device which is not in use or has been designated for building use. Even a tape recorder with a 15 -second loop tape can be used to explore simple voice output for a student with limited expressive communication. The internet has a wealth of resources for exploring assistive technology, e.g. lesson plans, picture enhanced recipe sequences, custon-designed multimedia programs such as IntelliPics setups, curriculum integration ideas, etc.