Nicole Marie Sartin
Ashford University
EDU620: Meeting Individual Student Needs with Technology (MRC1340B)
Instructor: Kimberly Hall
10/7/13
Overview
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the school district is mandated by state and federal law to provide assistive technology to all students with disabilities if it is required for them to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Each Individualized Education Program (IEP) team must determine if assistive technology is needed by that student. If assistive technology is deemed necessary, it will be written into the student’s Individualized Educational Program. (2007)
The Assistive Technology Act is intended to promote people’s awareness of and access to, assistive technology (AT) devices and services. Additionally, the goal is to provide AT to persons with disabilities, so they can more fully participate in education, employment, and daily activities on a level playing field with other members of their communities. The Act covers people with disabilities of all ages, all disabilities, in all environments (early intervention, K-12, post-secondary, vocational rehabilitation, community living, aging services, etc.). This report will provide an outline of the Assistive Technology Act and its impact on education.
Definition of Assistive Technology Act
The Assistive Technology Act of 2004 defines an Assistive Technology Device as such:
“Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” (2007)
What is classified as Assistive Technology?
There are thousands of items that can be classified as assistive technology and many ways to think about assistive technology. For example, the following categories are helpful to think about assistive technology:
o Computer Access
o Learning/Studying
o Vision
o Motor Aspects of Writing
o Vocational
o Mobility
o Composing Written Material
o Math/Reading
o Communication
o Electronic Aids for Daily Living
o Recreation & Leisure
o Hearing
Specifically, assistive technology devices either “low tech,” “medium tech,” or “high tech” and may be identified as any of the following types of equipment:
o Power and manual wheelchairs, scooters, canes, walkers, and standing devices;
o Augmentative communication devices such as voice amplifiers, and speech recognition devices;
o Durable medical equipment and medical supplies, such as patient lifts and incontinence supplies;
o Orthotics and prosthetics, such as hearing aids and electric larynxes;
o Accessibility adaptations to the home, workplace, schools, group homes, nursing facilities and ICF/MRs;
o Ramps, stair glides, lifts, grab bars, flashing smoke detectors, lever doorknobs and environmental controls;
o Special equipment to help people work, study such as enlarged computer keyboards,
o Reachers, amplified telephones, magnifiers, voice recognition software, and adaptive sports equipment;
o Accessibility modifications in the community, such as audio systems on public transportation, talking.
Impact of Assistive Technology in Education
In education, assistive technology includes the use of software and is a required consideration for special education students. Assistive Technology can be useful for educators whose students have mild, moderate or severe learning disabilities. For example, if a student has trouble speaking or forming words for the teacher to interpret, there are many items and devices that can be used to help increase or “augment” the student’s ability to communicate. These include pictures, symbols, and printed words. They may simply be printed on pieces of paper or cardboard or used on a computer or special dedicated device. As a result, augmentative communication devices are categorized as an assistive technology and may include the following examples:
• Communication board/book with pictures/objects/letters/words
• Eye gaze board/frame
• Simple voice output device (e.g., BIGmack®, Cheap Talk, Voice-in-a-Box, MicroVoice)
• Voice output device with levels (e.g., Tech Speak, Macaw,)
• Voice output device with icon sequencing (e.g., Vanguard ™ II, Chatbox®)
• Voice output device with dynamic display
• Dynavox, Speaking Dynamically™ Prowith laptop computer, Portable Impact Handheld
• Device with speech synthesis for typing (Cannon Communicator, Link, Write:Out Loud laptop computer)
Currently, many teacher preparation programs do not include a component of software evaluation and its use with special education students for managing information and determining student needs. Thus, a teacher may not be aware of beneficial Assistive Technology software. As a result, many states require special education teachers to be technologically competent and knowledgeable enough to select developmentally appropriate software and to understand and delineate the related benefits of the software, and to align software skills with curriculum. Special education teachers must understand how software may provide opportunities for the student with disabilities to control environments, to stimulate imagination, to interact with others, and to use open-ended exploration to facilitate development of higher order skills.
Benefits of Assistive Technology in Education
Many educators believe that the practice of educating all or most children in the same classroom, including children with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities fosters a sense of inclusion for all students. Additionally, research indicates that 15-20% of the general population is in need of some type of “cognitive task assistance.” (1995) While a large population of “at risk” students are also in need of special learning assistance, but because they don’t easily fit into a diagnostic profile, they do not receive assistance; however if AT is available to everyone, these students could benefit since AT helps students who have disabilities learn the material in a way that they can understand it. As a result, AT can help eliminate barriers students may face that prevent them from being at the same level as their classmates. (1995)
Then, as a student’s schoolwork gets more advanced, their technology needs may change or increase. New technology may become available that will better meet the needs of the student. During a regularly scheduled evaluation, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team or another professional may decide that another piece of technology will be better for the student.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that any student with a disability from mild to severe may benefit from the use of assistive technology. There is assistive technology to help an individual with reading, writing, remembering, walking, sitting, seeing, hearing, and communicating. Assistive technology has the powerful potential of impacting significantly upon a student with disabilities by contributing to his or her learning, independence, self-esteem, and quality of life. (2007) Any student who needs help with any of these life functions may benefit significantly from the use of assistive technology and should have access these resources and services.
References:
Behrmann, M. (1995). Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities. ERIC Document ED378755,
Golden, D. (1998); Assistive Technology in Special Education: Policy and Practice; Council of Administrators of Special Education, 615 16th St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104.
Higgins, Kyle & Boone, Randall, (2007) Journal of Special Education Technology, JSET Editors, Dept. of Spec. Ed., UNLV, 4505 Maryland Pkwy. Box 453014, Las Vegas, NV 89154-3014
Hopkins, J. (2006). Assistive technology: Ten things to know. Library Media Connection, 25(1), 12-14.
Netherton, D., & Deal, W. (2006). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Technology Teacher, 66(1), 10-15.
Reed, P. (2007) Assistive Technology Resource Guide for Teachers and Administrators; Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative; AT Video Series, Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative, WATI, Polk Library, 800
WATI, (2000). Showcasing Assistive Technology in Wisconsin Schools, Oshkosh, WI: Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative, (WATI, Polk Library, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI 54901. www.wati.org.
