Home | What's New | Articles Archive | Washington Archive | Resources Archive | Positions Archive | Reviews Archive | Links | Conferences | About Us
|
|
Home | What's New | Articles Archive | Washington Archive | Resources Archive | Positions Archive | Reviews Archive | Links | Conferences | About Us |
Janet Jendron
University of South Carolina Assistive Technology Project
jjendron@usit.net
Technology has great potential in providing access for all learners. Through the use of a variety of assistive technologies, students with disabilities can have the ability to access the general curriculum. When assistive technology is appropriately integrated into the regular classroom, students are provided with multiple means to complete their work.
Appropriate assistive technology can help students with special needs to be included in regular rather than special classrooms, by providing accommodations and adaptations to support educational programs that are already in place. In connection with disability issues, the term “accommodations” refers to a change in routine, method or approach that is used so that a person with a disability can participate in spite of whatever challenges the disability might pose. For example, when a student who is unable to remember math facts is allowed to do math problems with a calculator, the use of the calculator is an accommodation that allows the student to work around his or her disability. With this accommodation, the student can still perform math problems but uses a different method. For some students with learning disabilities, learning to spell words correctly may be a skill they cannot acquire or cannot acquire with enough fluency to be able to express themselves adequately in writing. To compensate for this inability, these students may be encouraged to use alternative methods for spelling like a spell check program on the computer or a hand-held spelling device. The term “adaptations” means devices or methods designed specifically to help people with disabilities to perform everyday tasks. It is something specifically designed which is not ordinarily used by other people. An example of an adaptation is a special keyboard that enables a person with the use of only one hand to use a computer.
Technology helps students with disabilities on many different levels. It can help them accomplish tasks like:
A student with physical disabilities who is positioned correctly is better able to pay attention, focus for longer periods of time and better able to access learning materials. Examples of equipment used for positioning are sidelying frames, walkers, chair inserts, standing aids and beanbag chairs. To do class and homework, some students need devices that provide access to computers or environmental controls. Examples of access technology are special switches, expanded keyboards, head pointers and keyguards. Independent use of equipment in the classroom is a possibility for students with physical disabilities through environmental controls such as remote controls and special adaptations of on/off switches to make them accessible. Students who are nonverbal or whose speech is not fluent or understandable enough to communicate effectively may benefit from using a wide variety of communication devices.
Since listening is an important part of the classroom experience, some students need assistive devices for hearing such as hearing aids, personal FM units, or closed-captioned TV. Special listening systems can help a child with a hearing loss “tune in” to the teacher’s voice from afar. Vision is also a major learning mode. Technology can be used to help with a student’s vision problems by increasing contrast, enlarging stimuli and making use of tactile and auditory modes. Devices that help with vision include screen readers, screen enlargers, magnifiers, taped books, Braillers, light boxes, and scanners.
Students with mobility impairments need devices like wheelchairs, self-propelled walkers, or recreational vehicles like bikes or scooters. Since recreation is an important part of school life because it promotes interaction with other students, adapted recreational activities can be very helpful. Examples are drawing software, computer games, computer simulations, and adapted puzzles. Recreation aids might include balls that beep for students with visual impairments or cuffs to help grasp paddles or racquets. Self-care aids can be critical in enabling a student function without an attendant at school. Examples are electric feeders, adapted toilet seats, aids for tooth brushing, washing, dressing and grooming.
Computer-based instruction can support other learning activities. Software giving immediate positive feedback can provide motivation and focus for students with learning disabilities. Special software can enable students with developmental disabilities to compensate for motor disturbances, organize behavior, and communicate with a minimum of stress, fatigue and misunderstanding. Talking software can help a child see and hear while learning. Word processing with word prediction helps children with limited vocabularies, as well as children whose use of a keyboard is limited by motor impairments, to express themselves in writing with far less frustration. Special software can also help a child with attention deficit disorder to reduce the effect of external stimuli, increasing his or her ability to focus on class work.
For example, a digitized textbook can be "rewritten" at a lower grade level or presented graphically for students who have reading disabilities. It can easily be presented in large print, in a different color, or with different backgrounds for students who have visual impairments. It can be read aloud via computer for students who are blind or non-readers; and even presented in a different language for students for whom English is a second language.
By making a student more independent, assistive technology allows teachers to spend more time on group activities and one-to-one with students. Assistive technology can provide a teacher more options in addressing different learning styles for individual students, using visual, auditory and tactile approaches. A student who is more fully integrated into the classroom is less of a distraction to other students. A student who is fully included into the classroom can interact with and help other students, facilitating a more positive classroom atmosphere. Being in a classroom with a special needs student who is fully included and using assistive technology effectively is an educational experience in itself, for other students.
http://www.landmarkcollege.org/natlinst/assistive_technology/
The National Institute at Landmark College offers a comprehensive web page addressing the issues of what AT does and doesn’t do in the classroom, challenges to incorporating AT in the classroom, suggestions for integrating AT into the classroom, and selecting and introducing appropriate AT to the student. Geared to college students, this site provides a good summary of the kinds of AT used for reading, writing, and organization. They provide a particularly good analysis of voice-activated software as a tool for students.
The National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP) was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs from 1992-1998 to promote the effective use of technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical and social/emotional disabilities. The NCIP Library has a wealth of information about technology, disabilities, practice, and implementation. They also offer an outstanding series of video profiles that vividly illustrate how students with differing disabilities use a range of assistive and instructional technologies to improve their learning. Each video, approximately 10 minutes in length, is accompanied by supporting print materials that explore topics more fully. Their online tour of two exemplary early childhood classrooms show practical uses of AT.
http://www.wati.org/pdf/Student_Handbook.pdf
http://www.wati.org/pdf/resourceguidegeneral.pdf
Wisconsin’s Assistive Technology Initiative offers a student handbook for choosing and using AT entitled “Hey, Can I Try That?” and a Resource Guide for Teachers and Administrators about Assistive Technology. Both can be downloaded in pdf format.
http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxsource.html
“Web Toolboxes for Educators,” compiled by Dr. Cheryl Wissick at the University of South Carolina College of Education, this alphabetical listing of terrific educational resources can serve as a starting point on your search of the Web, provide interactive activities, informational resources, and lessons; and help with the integration of technology in education. One section of this web site would be of particular interest to special educators, with links for software related to web access, talking word processes, text-to-speech tools, found at
http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxvendors.html
Assistive Technology Training Online Project (ATTO) provides information on AT applications that help students with disabilities learn in elementary classrooms. Project Information; At Basics:Information on AT use for elementary students with disabilities; Resources: Links are available here to national AT organizations, projects, and listserves, Tutorials are available in PDF format. Some tutorials feature PowerPoint presentations.
The South Carolina Assistive Technology Project’s Web site is at http://www.sc.edu/scatp