MonTECH

12/13/2025

The Olmstead Plan is Montana's proposed plan for helping older Montanans who rely on some public benefits, and Montanans with disabilities, to successfully live at home and not in facilities/institutions. Take a look and tell us where you see gaps and which pieces are 'must haves'!

Do you have feedback for us regarding our work on the Olmstead Plan? Let us know by going to the following webpage and taking the survey provided: https://www.umt.edu/rural-institute/partnership/olmstead-plan-public-feedback.php

12/13/2025

MonTECH has Guided Hands available for any Montanan to borrow for free! Mt-at.org

12/12/2025

Lots of little kids wear a spica cast for a short time, usually to treat developmental dysplasia, femur fractures, or to immobilize the hip and pelvis for healing. The casts are typically worn for 1-3 months, but during those months, nothing fits: not car seats, not clothes, not chairs... Families end up improvising (hence the red wagon in the picture) or buying expensive alternatives they'll only need for a few weeks.

Enter MonTECH! We're planning to invest in more spica-cast-friendly equipment, so Montana parents don't have to buy this stuff for short-term use. We'll keep you posted.

Photo credit: Rachel South. Read Rachel's article "My Toddler Fractured His Femur: Summer in a Hip Spica Cast" here: https://bostonmoms.com/lifestyle/my-toddler-fractured-his-femur-summer-in-a-hip-spica-cast/

12/12/2025

Some days DO beat others ♥♥♥

12/11/2025

ABLE accounts are going to be an option for a whole lot more people beginning January 1st!

ABLE accounts make it possible for people with disabilities to save up money without endangering important benefits they need. To qualify for an ABLE account, a person's disability has to begin before age 26. Starting January 1st, that age limit will raise to age 46!

ABLE accounts allow tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses. So long as you don't exceed the max, there are no negative impacts on government benefits like Medicaid.

Learn more:
https://savewithable.com/mt/home/plan-benefits.html?utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=able-ageadjustmenteligibilty-em&utm_medium=digital

12/10/2025

Madi Kelly came to MonTECH as a student worker. She graduated, but we refused to let her go and she stayed on a year to specialize in MonTECH outreach and service to Montanans in assisted living.

Then she tried to leave us for graduate school in Billings to pursue her dream of becoming an occupational therapist. Surprise, Madi! Liz, coordinator of our Billings office, desperately needed your help. (Gotcha.)

Last Friday Madi finished her coursework and went through her White Coat Ceremony. She has fieldwork ahead, but she's done with her formal education and we are proud of her. We are also actively plotting for ways to keep her ensnared in the MonTECH web. Just give us a little time. 😎

Madi. Congratulations. You're going to help so many people. 🫵💪⭐

12/09/2025

"You should also feel free to use the R-word all you want; I certainly use it as often as I want and feel you should have that same right.

The amount I like using the R-word is never. Did I use it when I was a kid? Absolutely, but I’m a middle-aged, Gen-X guy, and almost nothing about my childhood should be considered relevant anymore except perhaps as source material for streaming shows and fashion. But today, and for the last 30 or so years, I haven’t used the word because it’s hateful and using the word does not reflect what I am or want to become." David Carlson, Executive Director of Disability Rights Montana.

Read his thoughtful essay on the R-word here: https://dailymontanan.com/2025/12/06/the-unfortunate-resurrection-of-the-r-word/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

12/09/2025

What if a child wasn't allowed to speak at recess? Lunch break? During art? On the bus? Not to be flip about the hardship and tragedy of being left without a voice, but it would totally bite.

Join MonTECH online at 2:30 this Wednesday to learn ways to ensure communication is available during the school day. Everywhere. All the time.

This training is designed for Montana teachers, paras, school-affiliated therapists, and private-practice therapists who work with public-school students. Please register in advance:

Implementing AAC Everywhere - free thanks to the MT Autism Education Project
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/montech-implementing-aac-everywhere-tickets-1384249931809?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Wednesday December 10th, 2:30-4:00

(For private-practice professionals who work with some public-school students, put your practice name in the blank instead of school/district.)

Photo Credit: AssistiveWare

12/08/2025

Do you have people in your life who are caring for parents, or caring for a child with additional needs? "Offers (to help) like 'let me know if you need anything' are often met with crickets." This nice piece from the NY Times offers some tips on how to be supportive in meaningful ways that fit the caregiver's needs.

We set up meal trains when someone has a baby. What can we do for people who are taking care of adults?

12/07/2025

Do you have a helper who loves to bake and cook but rides the struggle bus every time? Color-coded Chef can ease the frustration for would-be culinary wizards who struggle with learning disabilities, ADHD, or memory challenges. The recipes are color-coded and laminated, with a pen and check boxes to help keep track of steps. Ingredient lists and every step include picture support.

Montanans can borrow Color-coded Chef from MonTECH for free, free shipping and free return shipping, for a 30-day loan. Perfect as we gear up for holiday feasting! MT-AT.org, (406) 243-5511

12/06/2025

Holiday baking with low vision or blindness can be difficult. Whether you're the cook or you're looking for gift ideas for a cook with vision impairment, consider helpful tools like these wet measuring spoons, which you can find at TheBlindKitchen.com.

The handles are marked with bumps to help the user determine which spoon to use. Handles are vertical for filling the spoon over the cup, and the funnel allows the cook to pour any overflow from the cup back into the container.

12/05/2025

Michelle quickly whipped up some AAC buttons a child could use to sing along to Jingle Bells. It's easy! (AAC = Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Find MonTECH at MT-AT.org