Charlotte, North Carolina Estate Planning Attorney » Misc.

Apple iPad Apps Designed To Assist Children With Special Needs

Sabrina Winters — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:00:47 +0000

With the introduction of the iPad, applications (also known as “Apps”) some extraordinary Apps have been developed, in particular Apps that can improve the daily lives of children with special needs. Many of these can be found in a Special Education Section of their official on-line store. The iPad itself is now being widely recognized as a valuable tool for assistive communication. Several websites are devoted to this topic, with recommendations for specific Apps.

Some popular websites to visit include:

1. About.com: which has a special needs Apps section and reviews.

2. momswithapps.com: This is another unique site, formed by family-friendly mobile app developers. Many members of this site have developed programs for Apple and the iTunes store.

3. babieswithipads.com: This site is geared primarily toward babies and toddlers in an effort to improve communication and cognitive skills.

4. lilliespad.com: Is a resource for the special needs community and has up-to-date information on special needs Apps for the iPad.

In regard to specific Apps, I found the apps listed below particularly interesting and useful enough to share with you.

1. Proloquo2go: This is a well-respected assistive communication App for the iPad. This app has been specifically designed for autistic children, and is reportedly easy to install and navigate.

2. iCommunicate For iPad: This utilizes pictures and visuals to augment communication skills. This App comes with a pre-loaded library of pictures, which can be enhanced with Google images.

3. A free App called iComm is also available for the iPad and iPhone. A user can upload their own video and audio with this App, which is reportedly ideal for children with autism, cerebral palsy, and Down’s syndrome.

4. ArtikPix includes child-friendly language and is an App designed for children with speech sound delays. It can also be used independently, with a specialist, or with parents.

5. Grace App is designed for non-verbal people and can be customized by the user. This App allows a person to communicate by using visual imagery to construct sentences.

6. Model Me Going Places: Teaches the child to learn to navigate various community locations that may be challenging to special needs children. You have the ability to use photo slideshows that mimic the expected behavior.

These Apps and websites work to augment and assist communication for people with special needs. Children and non-verbal individuals may benefit immensely from this technology, while forming important social connections with their surroundings. Many of these Apps may in effect, if used the way they were designed to be used, can have some significant positive affects on the daily lives of special needs children.

North Carolina Legacy Planning Blog Has Been Nominated for LexisNexis Top 25 Estate, Probate, and Elder Law Blogs of 2011!!

Sabrina Winters — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:23:12 +0000

Each year, LexisNexis honors a select group of blogs that set the online standard for a given industry. We are excited to announce that North Carolina Legacy Planning Blog has been nominated as a candidate for the LexisNexis Top 25 Estate, Probate, and Elder Law Blogs of 2011!!!

PLEASE VOTE FOR US!

We would love to have your support. Once you click registration page you will be taken to a page to register. After registering you can vote for our blog…North Carolina Legacy Planning Blog by Sabrina Winters. You need to scroll to the bottom of the page to put a comment into the comment section. Your comment is the actual nomination for our Blog. If you have any questions or issues call our Firm at 704-843-1446 or Lisa McManus at LexisNexis 814-781-1319.

Nominations will be taken until March 31, 2011. We welcome you to share it with your friends and family as well.

Your support of our Firm and for visiting our website is so greatly appreciated!

What The North Carolina Bar Thinks About Legal Zoom – It’s Not Good!!

Sabrina Winters — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:51:53 +0000

It is so tempting to take the easy less expensive way out; we have all done it at one time or another. However, when having legal documents drawn for use in North Carolina, you will want to think very carefully about doing so with LegalZoom and instead seek the guidance of a well educated, skilled and licensed North Carolina attorney. You get what you pay for and now you may be getting a document that will not even be worth the little money you paid for.

Below is an excerpt from a letter the Bar of North Carolina sent to LegalZoom in 2008. After reading this, I think you will agree that it is a risky option.

“Legalzoom’s conduct…is illegal in North Carolina and must end immediately; Specifically, Legalzoom may not prepare or offer to prepare legal documents to North Carolina residents or for use in North Carolina, including but not limited to articles of incorporation or organization, deeds, wills, trusts, or court pleadings, including divorce complaints. Legalzoom may not offer to provide any legal services in North Carolina or represent that its services have been reviewed by an attorney or are legally sufficient for the customer’s legal needs. If you continue your activities, the State Bar may seek a court order to
perpetually enjoin your unlawful conduct, as the Bar is authorized to do pursuant to North
Carolina General Statute Section 84-37 and Chapter 1, Subchapter D, Section .0200 through
.0207 of the Rules and Regulations of the North Carolina State Bar. Please also be aware that the unauthorized practice of law can be prosecuted as a criminal misdemeanor offense pursuant to North Carolina General Statute Sections 84-7 and 84-8 (copies enclosed).”

Surprise…a tax increase!

Sabrina Winters — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:00:53 +0000

Some surprises are great, like a surprise birthday party. Some surprises are not so great, like a tax increase. It would seem to me that in this economy, that the North Carolina Democrats would perhaps rethink if not postpone any increase in taxes. In all honesty, are any of us really surprised?

On June 22, 2009 North Carolina has:

1. increased the income tax by 2%

2. Increased sales tax by 1% (some counties will be almost at 8%!)

3. increased the beer, wine and liquor tax

Apparently, the increase for 1 and 2 above are only for 2 years. It sounds really great in writing, but when was the last time any of us saw a decrease in our taxes?