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Learn by doing. I challenge you to think of a more effective teaching strategy. You can try to tell a student how to do something a thousand times, but the chances of the lesson actually sinking in are far less favorable than if the student practices the lesson herself. That’s what makes video modeling such a successful teaching technique. Video modeling is a process that involves the presentation of a desired behavior using video technology. The learner observes a video …

The Personal Skills Map®
How many other emotional intelligence (EQ) assessment instruments can say this; Over two million (2,000,000) administrations and counting? That is right, two million administrations! Why is our Personal Skills Map so popular? It’s simple – the Personal Skills Map is the most practical and cost-effective assessment for emotional intelligence in the industry. More importantly, it was specifically designed to link the assessment process to the skill-intervention process.
Assessments Drive Instruction
The Conover Company introduced our Assessments Drive …

One of the major issues with current Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) applications and devices is the disconnect between the symbols and drawings that are used in the application/device and the real world.  Many users need to not only learn the symbols and drawing used for communication, but they must also learn the real-life counterparts they represent.  What ends up happening many times is the user is forced to double their workload – they are forced to learn a life …

I am pleased to announce that The Conover Company Functional Skills System software programs are now compatible with the iPod Touch and iPad. We began this project back in April of 2010 in response to former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs’ announcement that, if publishers want their programs to be compatible with Apple’s mobile technology, they would need to reprogram their software in HTML5 format. Many publishers dragged their feet knowing full well the amount of effort and cost that would …

As the beginning of a new school year looms closer, we start to think about things like test-taking, grades, and report cards. Although these conventional methods of measuring intelligence and academic achievement are necessary for compliance with state and national standards, they shouldn’t be considered the be-all and end-all of a student’s success. Over the years, research has proven that social/emotional intelligence is just as important as academics for achieving success in the classroom and beyond.

Summer is winding down and before you know it school will be back in session. Unfortunately, you can’t expect students to retain each and every lesson over the long summer months. If you want to send your child back to class just as sharp as the day school let out, practice the basics with your child with one of our mobile apps. Brush up on vocabulary with our Nouns, Verbs or Describing Words apps or help your student get comfortable …

Online Training + Professional Development = Conover U
One of the biggest challenges we face as a software company is making sure that our customers have adequate training to effectively use our programs. We understand that trying to figure out how to use a new software system can be intimidating, and getting proper training can be both time-consuming and expensive. That’s why we’ve developed Conover U – an easy-to-use online training system that is accessible 24/7 and can be used …

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past year or so, you’ve probably noticed the proliferation of mobile application development targeted at the special needs community. There are new developers coming up with new ideas for apps every day! As a parent or teacher of special needs students, this may sound like a dream come true with endless possibilities available to you and your children. However, there is a small downside, being that with so many options available …

In Part I of this two-part series, I gave you an idea of the history and the evolution of our Functional Skills System software program. While our mobile apps have come a long way since the early days of development, one thing has remained constant; we never stop focussing on the end result. Whether it’s the Apple II computer of the 1980′s or the iPad of today, when students have technology at their fingertips they are more motivated to learn, …

We live in an exciting time. Technology is making it easier and easier for people with disabilities to function independently in their homes, workplaces, schools and communities. Things that were once thought impossible are now possible with the aid of these new innovations. Every day there are new tools available to assist in the transition toward independent living, but none have had as big of an impact as the iPod Touch or more recently, the iPad.