Re: Looking for system for special needs person

[warnken@nospam@mother.com]

Our user group sent three boxes of educational software (donated to us by
teachers upgrading) to a teacher who uses the Apple IIs to teach special
ed classes. He said that the Apple II software created for special ed needs
is extensive. As I understood him the newer computers don't have the variety
and schools can't afford to buy new software to replace what the IIs offer.  
Stephen Buggie also wrote that the Apple IIe was the choice of computer for
mental institutions because is withstood abusive use better.  And one teacher
also wrote an editorial in our newsletter about a young student who was abusive
and learned with a computer that if he didn't abide by the computers rules
it wouldn't work for him.  When he could make it work without beating on it
he was thrilled at what he could do.  

I never thought of the computer as a biofeedback machine.  But I think all
of us are trained by the computers we use.  I'm currently working on a Trojan
worm or some such thing on my husband's pc.  All I know about Windows I learned
on the GS.  It's meant a lot of trial and error and asking questions. but
slowly the problem is getting resolved.  I guess I'm saying that when I 
started working with the GS and didn't have tech support it was a trial and
error process to figure out how to make it work when the hard drive went down
because I upgraded with the wrong version of some software.  All those lessons
about sticking to it when I failed ot succeed get transferred to other areas
of life.  Being emotionally challenged I suspect means someone might need 
structure where emotions tend to run riot.  The computer enforces structure
on us.  If we follow the steps it wont go.  

Sandy