Special Education Assistive Technology Applications
Assistive Technology is a vital tool available to special education teachers which greatly increases the opportunity for positive learning outcomes for students with disabilities. Assistive technology affords the opportunity to allow students to explore regular education curriculum through adaptation of core content materials and the use of targeted learning programs. Individual Education Plan (IEP), a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), goals and benchmarks can be taught and reinforced with the use of assistive technology, while streamlining data collection to document student progress as required by the Individual Education Plan. Increased communication between peers and educators can result through the effective use of assistive technology. Assistive technology is an option when considering the mobility needs of a student with disabilities, in the classroom as well as in the community.
I have had various opportunities to employ assistive technology in the classroom. As a moderate and severe educator in a resource room, I was able to explore the use of various types of assistive technology. I employed various different types and sizes of single and dual switches. I have employed switches to allow students to access computer based learning programs that addressed Individual Education Plan goals and objectives. I have used communication boards of various sizes and shapes. I have engaged joystick/switch combinations for use to replace the mouse interface on laptops and desktop computers. Low tech assistive technology has been used to assist students in daily living activities, such as eating, writing, and grasping objects.
In my experience assistive technology has a key role to play in meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the classroom and beyond. I have found that taking the time to correctly assess the student’s individual needs, in terms of assistive technology, can greatly increase learning outcomes. Assistive technology in the P-12 setting is vital to ensure that students with disabilities are afforded every opportunity to participate in the learning process, while at school and in the community. Not only does assistive technology allow students greater access to educational curriculum, it also, and just as importantly, provides students with skill sets that allow them to interact with their environment. Skills learned in operating a joystick to move a cursor on a computer monitor are readily transferable to other actions that the student may encounter in life.
The responsibility of the special education teacher is to correctly identify the assistive technology needs of the student through assessment. The special education teacher should determine if the required assistive technology is available and to procure such technology if possible. The special education teacher should continue to look for other ways/methods to meet the assistive technology needs of the student, through end product creation of the required assistive technology need, if the assistive technology item in question is not available or prohibitively expensive.
The intent of this site is to share information on various aspects of special education assistive technology. Input is welcome and encouraged!!!
Assistive Technology is a vital tool available to special education teachers which greatly increases the opportunity for positive learning outcomes for students with disabilities. Assistive technology affords the opportunity to allow students to explore regular education curriculum through adaptation of core content materials and the use of targeted learning programs. Individual Education Plan (IEP), a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), goals and benchmarks can be taught and reinforced with the use of assistive technology, while streamlining data collection to document student progress as required by the Individual Education Plan. Increased communication between peers and educators can result through the effective use of assistive technology. Assistive technology is an option when considering the mobility needs of a student with disabilities, in the classroom as well as in the community.
I have had various opportunities to employ assistive technology in the classroom. As a moderate and severe educator in a resource room, I was able to explore the use of various types of assistive technology. I employed various different types and sizes of single and dual switches. I have employed switches to allow students to access computer based learning programs that addressed Individual Education Plan goals and objectives. I have used communication boards of various sizes and shapes. I have engaged joystick/switch combinations for use to replace the mouse interface on laptops and desktop computers. Low tech assistive technology has been used to assist students in daily living activities, such as eating, writing, and grasping objects.
In my experience assistive technology has a key role to play in meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the classroom and beyond. I have found that taking the time to correctly assess the student’s individual needs, in terms of assistive technology, can greatly increase learning outcomes. Assistive technology in the P-12 setting is vital to ensure that students with disabilities are afforded every opportunity to participate in the learning process, while at school and in the community. Not only does assistive technology allow students greater access to educational curriculum, it also, and just as importantly, provides students with skill sets that allow them to interact with their environment. Skills learned in operating a joystick to move a cursor on a computer monitor are readily transferable to other actions that the student may encounter in life.
The responsibility of the special education teacher is to correctly identify the assistive technology needs of the student through assessment. The special education teacher should determine if the required assistive technology is available and to procure such technology if possible. The special education teacher should continue to look for other ways/methods to meet the assistive technology needs of the student, through end product creation of the required assistive technology need, if the assistive technology item in question is not available or prohibitively expensive.
The intent of this site is to share information on various aspects of special education assistive technology. Input is welcome and encouraged!!!
Let’s begin… Cursor Manipulation Options.
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