National Cap on Foreign Hire is Maxed Out essays

National Cap on Foreign Hire is Maxed Out essays With unemployment at its lowest and the demand for skilled and unskilled workers at a high where do business owners turn to fill the empty positions. A large percentage of them hire foreigners; most of which have a H-1B visa. But to the surprise of some high-tech business owners the National cap on foreign hires is maxed out. 115,000 H-1B visas are accepted each year and that number has already been reached. 74,300 have been approved and 45,000 are still pending approval. Stephen Dahms, an SDSU professor and chairman of a work force committee for Biocom, said, if the companies havent had their requests in from the first part of the fiscal year (beginning October 1), theyre out of the running. Many high-tech companies such as Qualcomm depend on the employment of foreigners. Many of the high-tech companies have created thousands of jobs in the past years by using foreign hires, in turn creating much success for them by the increased production. There are many business owners that are saying that the cap should be raised. Thom Stohler, director of work force policy for the American Electronics Association said, the fact the visa cap has been reached earlier in the year is proof the cap needs to be raised. While many businesses are using foreign hires to accommodate the need for employees, some are using the visa program to their advantage by paying low wages. Since you dont have to pay foreigners the same wages as U.S. citizens these employees are being used as cheep labor. Jerry Butkiewiez, secretary-treasurer for the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council said, The biggest reason companies are using the visa program is to control wages for its current and future staffers. It is even thought that some companies are bypassing qualified U.S. workers the keep their labor costs down. This whole scenario is displaying supply and demand...

Augmentative or Alternative Communication for Disabled Students

Augmentative or Alternative Communication for Disabled Students Augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) refers to all forms of communication outside of oral speech. It may range from facial expressions and gestures to forms of assistive technology. In the field of special education, AAC comprises all communication methods for teaching students with severe language or speech disabilities. Who Uses AAC? Broadly, AAC is used by people from all walks of life at different times. A baby uses non-spoken communication to express herself, as might parents coming home to sleeping children after a night out. In particular, AAC is the method of communication used by individuals with severe speech and language disabilities, who may suffer from cerebral palsy,  autism, ALS, or who may be recovering from a stroke. These individuals are unable to use verbal speech or whose speech is extremely difficult to understand (a famous example: theoretical physicist and ALS sufferer Stephen Hawking). AAC Tools Gestures, communications boards, pictures, symbols, and drawings are common AAC tools. They may be low-tech (a simple laminated page of pictures) or sophisticated (a digitized speech output device). They are divided into two groups: aided communication systems and unaided systems. Unaided communications are delivered by the individuals body, without speech. This is akin to the baby above or the gesturing parents. Individuals who are compromised in their ability to gesture, and those for whom communication needs are richer and more subtle, will rely on aided communication systems. Communications boards and pictures use symbols to help relay the individuals needs. For example, a picture of a person eating would be used to convey hunger. Depending on the mental acuity of the individual, communications boards and picture books may range from very simple communications- yes, no, more- to very sophisticated compendia of very particular desires. Individuals with physical impairments in addition to communications challenges may be unable to point with their hands to a board or book. For them, a head pointer may be worn to facilitate the use of a communication board. All in all, the tools for AAC are many and varied and are personalized to meet the needs of the individual. Components of AAC When devising an AAC system for a student, there are three aspects to consider. The individual will need a method for representing the communications. This is the book or board of drawings, symbols, or written words. There must then be a way for the individual to select the desired symbol: either through a pointer, a scanner, or a computer cursor. Finally, the message has to be transmitted to caregivers and others around the individual. If the student is unable to share her communications board or book directly with the teacher, then there must be an auditory output- for example, a digitized or synthesized speech system. Considerations for Developing an AAC System for a Student A students doctors, therapists, and caregivers may work with a speech-language pathologist or computer expert to devise a suitable AAC for students. Systems that work in the home may need to be augmented for use in an inclusive classroom. Some considerations in devising a system are: 1. What are the individuals cognitive abilities?2. What are the individuals physical abilities?3. What is the most important vocabulary relevant to the individual?4. Consider the individuals motivation to use AAC and select the AAC system that will match. AAC organizations such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the AAC Institute may offer further resources for selecting and implementing AAC systems.