MMGuardian - review of an Android parental control and usage monitoring application
One of the last pieces of my book project, and a part of my upcoming local presentation on May 25th, is a discussion of smartphone restrictions and controls. I’m familiar with iPhone on-device restrictions, but Google didn’t build anything like that into Android for phones. Android users need to find a 3rd party solution.Finding that solution isn’t easy. This isn’t the 1990s; most of the journalists that used to write about these things are out of business. I used geek-power to narrow my options to two products - Screen Time and MMGuardian. This post has my initial impression of MMGuardian, I’ll do another one o...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - May 18, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: smartphone smartphone4all support technology Source Type: blogs
How might Individual Retirement Account savings impact future disability related income support?
Unexpectedly, #1 is working 20hrs a week in an unsupported employment situation. Not enough to live on, but it makes qualifying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as disabled more difficult. Not to mention health insurance. Or financial planning beyond my grave, such as supplemental needs trusts and 529 Able plans.Life with a cognitive disability is much trickier than it was just a few years ago.So now he’s paying social security taxes and he could put money in a personal IRA. But how would that impact any future SSI payments? The maximal bank balance on SSI is $2000, but does that include IRA assets?The best explana...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - May 15, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: disability law money Source Type: blogs
Passport for adults with guardians -- similar to procedure for passport for minor
We’re redoing #1’s passport renewal — because we followed the adult procedure, not the children’s procedure I wrote about in 2007. We were told since we are #1’s legal guardians we have to repeat the procedure with both of us present. (I’m not sure if we pay again, I wouldn’t be surprised.)Even knowing about this requirement I’m unable to find anything online about it. I wonder if it’s a recent change. (Source: Be the Best You can Be)
Source: Be the Best You can Be - April 21, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: legal Source Type: blogs
Google - Accessibility isn't only about vision and touch, cognitive disabilities are neglected.
< p > Google got some < a href= " http://www.pcmag.com/news/343693/google-org-awards-20m-to-those-working-on-accessibility-tec " > good press recently for a $20 million dollar accessibility project developer grant < /a > . It ’s a good initiative, but Google’s < a href= " https://www.google.com/accessibility/ " > Accessibility site < /a > doesn ’t consider cognitive issues. < /p > < p > That ’s a shame, because there’s a lot Google could do. They could, for example, < a href= " https://www.facebook.com/sphone4all/ " > read my book < /a > (not published yet, but I’ll provide preprints). Of course Google isn...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - April 18, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: neurodiversity smartphone4all support technology Source Type: blogs
Google - Accessibility isn't only about vision and touch, cognitive disabilities are neglected.
Google got some good press recently for a $20 million dollar accessibility project developer grant. It’s a good initiative, but Google’s Accessibility site doesn’t consider cognitive issues.That’s a shame, because there’s a lot Google could do. They could, for example, read my book (not published yet, but I’ll provide preprints). Of course Google isn’t alone, neither Apple nor Microsoft nor Facebook have built in support for teens and adults with cognitive disabilities. Depending on how one defines cognitive disability this is a much larger population than adults with visual and mother disorders.There’s a ...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - April 18, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: neurodiversity smartphone4all support technology Source Type: blogs
Hockey as a guide to behavioral interventions
#1 and I made our first trip to the yearly USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Festival, special hockey division.Watching two of his hockey issues I realized they mapped well onto behavioral issues.He’s a strong player, but very weak at passing. He also over-responds to aggression or even accidents, rapidly escalating. (Sometimes, to his credit, the emotional response is so strong he removes himself from play. Which isn’t a great response, but not the worst. Fortunately this is special hockey, a more forgiving place.)I think both of these match onto more global issues.Passing is cognitively hard and, unless one has skilled team...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - April 11, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: ADHD adult athletics autism behavioral therapy Explosive Child Source Type: blogs
Employment - an unexpected direction for #1
Our #1 has always straddled the borderline between (legal) disability and non-college employment. Much as he has been on the borderline between participating in conventional sports (rec hockey, adult hockey) and assisted sports (special hockey). That trend continues. During a work rotation through the first year of his ‘transition program’ he was offered part-time (50%) conventional employment doing warehouse work. Not enough to live on, but perhaps a problem for qualifying for disability, supplemental needs trusts, 529 ABLE plans, housing support, medicaid and more.He is, of course, quite excited. We have, of course,...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - April 1, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: ADHD adult autism employment Source Type: blogs
Smartphone for All: Facebook risks - predators and porn
The Facebook chapter of Smartphone for All keeps growing. I think I’m over the worst of it. I’m hopeful it will be particularly helpful, it’s going to feature in a May presentation I’m doing in the Twin Cities. One of the tricky sections was figuring out what to say about Facebook pornography. Here’s my current draft, I may move the “why Facebook anyway” part to a different section …Social media is risky for everyone. Many professionals either abstain from Facebook, use a pseudonym, or read but never interact. So why am I writing a chapter about Facebook use?I’m writing about Facebook because many teens...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 24, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: computer smartphone smartphone4all Source Type: blogs
Managing Explorer credentials with iOS 9.3 Notes.app and Android alternatives
An updated chapter from my smartphone book, revised with yesterday’s release of iOS 9.3 Notes.app:An Explorer starts out with a smartphone unlock password (or PIN) and at least one username and password for their Apple iCloud account or their Google account. We call these usernames, passwords and other account information. “credentials”. Over time an Explorer will need credentials for everything from bank accounts to utility bills to social networks. Even if a Guide is conservative about adding new Explorer services it’s not hard to end up with 50 or more sets of credentials to manage.For each Explorer credential a...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 22, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: smartphone smartphone4all technology Source Type: blogs
Dating and relationships on the spectrum: AUSM presentation and reading list
#2 and I attended the first of a planned series of Autism Society of Minnesota (AUSM) presentations: Dating and Relationships: How Does This Work?It was awesome.There were two parallel tracks. A track for spectrum teens 12-19 was led by Jeannie Uhlenkamp, author of The Guide to Dating for Teenagers with Asperger Syndrome. A session for professionals and parents was led by Sara Pahl and Dawn Brasch. The teen track would have been challenging given the variety of interests and learning features. My track is best summarized as “so we’re not the only ones”; between #1 and #2 I could have spoken to every topic. (And...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 12, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: adolescence adult Asperger ' autism reading Source Type: blogs
Managed identity for the special needs Explorer: iCloud makes aliasing easy
From Smartphone for all …When you first begin supporting your Explorer a single address for them to send and receive email is fine. You may find, however, that you want another, secret, address for your Explorer. You might not want to expose their private email address when signing up for Facebook for example. You may not want them to be able to reset their bank account password. With experience you’ll find many occasions where want to use an email address for an Explorer that sends email to a Guide.There are three ways to create this kind of email address for an Explorer, depending on what the Guide is familiar with.I...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 4, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: adolescence adult computer smartphone smartphone4all support Source Type: blogs
Why " Smartphone for all " needs to be written (and read) - special needs adults need a pocket AI too.
< p > After reading < a href= " http://notes.kateva.org/2016/03/everyone-needs-ai-in-their-pocket.html " > Everyone needs an AI in their pocket < /a > I updated the “why you should read this” introduction to “Smartphones for all” < /p > < blockquote > < p style= " margin: 0px; text-indent: 18px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Cochin; " > You ’re reading this because your Explorer is seeking independence in a world of ubiquitous technology, technology that’s currently packaged in an Android (Google) or iOS (Apple) smartphone. We’re growing accustomed to smartphones as our companion computers, but if you ...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 4, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: smartphone smartphone4all technology Source Type: blogs
Why "Smartphone for all" needs to be written (and read) - special needs adults need a pocket AI too.
After reading Everyone needs an AI in their pocket I updated the “why you should read this” introduction to “Smartphones for all”You’re reading this because your Explorer is seeking independence in a world of ubiquitous technology, technology that’s currently packaged in an Android (Google) or iOS (Apple) smartphone. We’re growing accustomed to smartphones as our companion computers, but if you step back a bit they should inspire genuine awe, as well as some concern. The personal computer and the internet both had large impacts on society, but the smartphone, an ever present emerging artificial intelligen...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - March 4, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: smartphone smartphone4all technology Source Type: blogs
Smartphone for all: Promoting independence with home video monitoring
I’ve rewritten my chapter on Nest Cam use: Special needs smartphone: draft sample sub-chapter on Google Nest Cam use. In the new version I go into more detail on how video monitoring can be used to support independence. Use may be transient…For Explorers with life-threatening medical disorders home video monitoring may be a longterm aide. For this use the Nest Cam (or other) video-active light would be active. That is, the Explorer knows when they are on video. The Nest Cam may be setup in a kitchen or living room. This kind of use is very similar to using video monitoring for elderly parents.For many other Explorers,...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - February 23, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: smartphone smartphone4all support technology Source Type: blogs
Smartphone for All: Working with a budget
I’m still working on a Smartphone for all chapter about how to manage smartphone costs within the typical $92/month SSI disability managed residence personal spending budgets and the rules around external support, but I do have first drafts for introduction and carrier selection…In the United States the least expensive useable and reliable smartphone mobile plans cost about $30 a month. A reliable low cost smartphone, with typical tax and shipping, costs between $120 for Android and $285 for an iPhone. That means a cost of about $840 over the typical two year lifespan of a low end Android device, or $1,000 for a refurb...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - February 17, 2016 Category: Disability Tags: adult smartphone smartphone4all support Source Type: blogs
