AT in Reading, Math, and Writing

AT in Reading

Objective 1: Describe the scope of the legislation that provides accessible educational materials to students with print disabilities

Step 1: IEP Team decides if the student qualifies as having a print disability 

Step 2: Acquire the materials 

• Examples: 

• National Instructional Materials Access Center 

• Commercial Sources

• Free Sources

• Locally Created

Objective 2: Identify the names or types of sources for accessible educational materials for students with identified print disabilities.

• Physical / Visual: Students who have difficulty physically manipulating books, paper, or electronic text may benefit from AT solutions to increase their accessibility to the text.

• Reading Comprehension: If a student has an identified language learning disability, is an ELL, has a cognitive disability, or otherwise lacks sufficient background knowledge, reading comprehension may be limited. 

• Word Attack Skills: Find what they are lacking in and then find a strategy specifically for that.  For example: phonemic awareness, sound-symbol relationship, consonants, vowels, blends,  or digraphs

Sight Vocabulary: Does the student consistently recognize familiar words in different texts/context? Does the student remember previously taught words? Can the student recognize and remember the visual pattern that words or letter combinations make(e.g., "-ing")?

Objective 3:Identify and describe the first three components of the WATI assessment process.

1. Narrowing the focus to help identify specific task(s) to select appropriate AT

2. Designing an implementation plan to assign trials, dates, responsibilities, and data collection

3. Establishing a follow-up plan for the team to reconvene and review the student's progress

Objective 4: Describe some of the questions or considerations the team needs to discuss when describing the student, environments, and tasks.

• What is the student's position and distance from the text to be read (i.e., the board, desktop computer or other surface that cannot be manipulated by the student)? 

• If the student uses or will potentially use computer-based programs for reading or reading assistance, where are the computers located and what is the computer's age, operating system, and system capabilities?

• Does the student require a human reader? Has the reader been trained in proper protocols?

• If the student requires text-to-speech features, do certain environmental modifications need to be implemented?

Objective 5: Describe the last four components of the WATI AT Decision-Making Guide, including solution generation, solution selection, implementation planning and follow-up.

1. Solution Generation: The AT assessment team brainstorms strategies and AT tools that may support the student in completing the identified tasks in the given environments.

2. Solution Selection: During the process of selecting tools and strategies, the team identifies the tools that were generated in the previous step that best match the student's abilities, environmental constraints and supports, plus the tasks the student needs to complete.

3. Implantation Plan: Formulate reading objectives to determine effectiveness of trial, training needed, date, length, person(s) responsible

Follow-Up Plan: who & when & set specific date. Be sure to identify objectives and criteria of performance to determine the effectiveness of the AT. 

Objective 6: Identify the steps and responsibilities of team members for implementing trials of AT tool(s) for reading.

• In order to determine which AT will work effectively for a student, the student must have an opportunity to try the AT over time with a variety of materials, completing different tasks and in all relevant environments.

• The  WATI AT Trial Use Guide  is a form that guides the team through a sequence of important questions that must be answered prior to implementing trial use of AT.

The final form,  WATI AT Trial Use Summary, provides a simple model for summarizing the results of the trial(s). That can be included in the student's file or even attached to the student's IEP.

Objective 7: Identify and describe some of the low- to high-tech AT tools from the continuum of considerations for AT for reading.

• The continuum begins with adaptations to printed text and books and proceeds to handheld tools, electronic text with and without supports, e-readers and importing and converting text into accessible formats.

 Continuum of Considerations for AT - Reading 

Objective 8: Identify resources for reading tools, apps and devices to match their features and functions to student needs.

• https://www.staples.com/Pilot-FriXion-Light-Erasable-Highlighters-Chisel-Point-Assorted-3-Pack-46507/product_769969 (low tech or high tech?) 

• https://www.ablenetinc.com/at-products/ (low tech or high tech?) 

• https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2631/6592/files/PFBUTTERFLY-V2-180424.pdf?v=1679586223 (low tech or high tech?) 

• https://praacticalaac.org/praactical/5-ways-to-make-page-fluffers-and-spacers/ (low tech or high tech?) 

• https://www.reallygoodstuff.com/really-good-stuff-ezc-reader-strips-30-strips/p/143538BL/ (low tech or high tech?) 

https://goboardmaker.com/pages/boardmaker-7 (low tech or high tech?) https://www.irislink.com/EN-US/c1708/IRISPen-Air-7---Portable-Digital-Highlighter.aspx (low tech or high tech?)  

AT in Math

Objective 1: Identify and define a minimum of four skill areas of mathematics.

1. Language of Mathematics: The term refers to the ability to learn, sort through, and use the vocabulary of math.

2. Number Sense:  is necessary to perform math calculations. Including the ability to (a) count and make a connection between the word for a number and the quantity it represents, (b) recognize and write numbers, and (c) sort things into groups by common characteristics. Students need to be able to manipulate quantities when they add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

3. Measurement: Students need measurement skills to figure out the size, distance, or amount of something. 

Memory: Memory skills involve being able to take in, hold on to, and recall information as needed 

Objective 2: List and describe five disabilities that affect math performance.

1. Dyscalculia: Dyscalculia is a brain-based condition that makes working with numbers and number concepts difficult.

2. Dyslexia: One skill area that requires proficiency in order to succeed in mathematics is the language of mathematics.

3. Math Anxiety: Math anxiety is an emotional issue that causes students to question their ability to be successful in math even when they are skilled in the area.

Visual Processing Disorder: In order to do this successfully, the brain must process visual information that the eyes see to make sense of things like signs, pictures, and distances.

Objective 3: Identify four math learning areas that may be affected by dyscalculia.

1. Social Skills: Failure in math class can affect a child's willingness and ability to make new friends or participate in different activities.

2. Sense of Direction: Dyscalculia can affect a child's ability to read maps or follow directions. A child may worry about getting lost when changing classes or riding a bike.

3. Physical Coordination: Dyscalculia can affect how the brain and the eyes work together and, therefore, cause a child to have difficulty judging distances or seem clumsy.

4. Money Management: Dyscalculia may make it difficult to stick to a budget, balance a checkbook, and estimate costs. It can also affect the ability to count money.

Time Management: Dyscalculia may cause trouble measuring quantities, including units of time. This makes it difficult to stick to a schedule.

Objective 4: Name the five main areas of the Problem Identification section of the WATI AT Decision-Making Guide and identify the purpose of each.

https://atinternetmodules.org/storage/ocali-ims-sites/ocali-ims-atim/documents/DMG_Math_2.pdf 

1. Student's Abilities/Difficulties: What are the student's abilities & difficulties related to the area of concern?

2. Sensory Considerations: Some students demonstrate visual, auditory, or tactile sensory challenges that negatively impact their ability to learn math. For example, these students may have difficulty handling manipulatives or  need visuals to actively participate in a math lesson

3. Environmental Considerations: Are the directions given by the teacher visual, auditory, or both? How do students respond to the directions? How long do the students have to complete the tasks they are assigned?

4. Tasks: It is important that the IEP team involved in assessing a student's need for AT examines the tasks the student must be able to perform successfully in math. 

Narrowing the Focus: This means that the team must consider all of the math tasks that have been identified for the student and determine which ones to focus on in AT trials.

Objective 5: List at least three questions an IEP team could ask regarding a student's abilities/difficulties as they complete the Problem Identification section of the WATI AT Decision-Making Guide for math.

1. What are the student's learning strengths?

2. Does the student understand math concepts and mathematical notation?

3. Does the student understand the steps to solving math problems?

4. Does the student have difficulty reading math problems?

Objective 6: Identify the four main areas of the WATI AT Decision-Making Guide that take place in an AT assessment after completion of the Problem Identification portion and describe the purpose of each area.

• Solution generation: the team brainstorms to identify the AT tools and strategies that may be useful for the student

• Solution selection: “team members use a feature-match process to discuss, evaluate, and prioritize the various solutions that they have identified during the solution generation part of their meeting.”

• Implementation plan: “implementations is the step of the decision-making process that will tell the team whether the solutions that were selected were good ones. Important considerations at this point include objectives for the trial, any training that is needed, and dates and lengths of the trial.”

• Follow-up plan: the team meets to see whether the AT trial has been successful and if implementation should continue or of a different solutions should be made and trialed.

Objective 7 Explain the purpose of the WATI Continuum of Considerations for Assistive Technology - Math and identify at least four categories of AT solutions for math from that continuum.

Purpose: “helps the team to consider possible AT solutions for students by outlining categories of AT tools ranging from the simplest, low-tech tools to more complex, high-tech alternatives. The information is arranged as a continuum so that teams consider both low- and high-tech solutions in an effort to arrive at the simplest alternative that can successfully support the student.”

• Low-tech tools

• Physical manipulatives

• Adapted calculators 

• Math modeling software

Objective 8: Identify at least five low-tech AT solutions for students who struggle with math and describe a student who would benefit from their use.

Many students who struggle with reading and writing also struggle with math so these tools are beneficial for all 3. 

1. Visuals or picture cues

2. Colored overlays

3. Highlighted text

4. Adapted print books

5. Enlarged text

Objective 9: Identify at least five high-tech AT solutions for students who struggle with math and describe a student who would benefit from their use.

• Electronic math processing software-Advanced

• 3D geometry modeling software

• Voice recognition tools

• Multimedia learning supports

• Math modeling software/graphing

Writing in AT

Objective 1: Identify 3-5 components of the AT assessment process for written composition.

• Information gathering

• Decision-making

• Trail use

Objective 2: List and describe 4 elements that are essential in the writing process.

Prewriting- occurs before students write the first draft. It includes brainstorming, note taking, collecting visuals or pictures, interviewing, developing graphic organizers/outlining, and gathering information. .

Drafting- putting ideas into complete sentences and paragraphs.

Revising- “This step involves students thinking more about what the audience needs to understand about the story as well as the goals of the writing assignment. Throughout this phase of writing, students are clarifying their word choice to increase the accuracy of their sentences.”

Editing- correct the spelling, make sure proper grammar is used, complete sentence structure, and correct punctuation.

Objective 3: Explain 2-3 barriers that are interfering with the learner's ability to be successful with written composition.

• Lack of motivation

• Lack of confidence

• Environment

Objective 4: Identify 3 factors that are of importance when beginning the selection of an AT tool for written composition. 

• For how long will the student need to access the technology at a time? 

• Will the battery life of the device be adequate or will the student have access to electricity to recharge? 

• If the student requires access to electricity, can he still be seated in the same area as his peers?

Objective 5: Identify 2-3 low-tech options for students.

• Pencil grip

• Enlarged font

• Large lined paper

Objective 6: Describe the differences between software, apps, and extensions.

“Software is a program that requires installation onto a Mac or PC. Chromebooks do not support software installations only the addition of apps and extensions obtained through the Chrome store. A Chromebook app is a web-based application that runs in an independent manner. An example of an app is Kami. Kami is a program that is very similar to a word processing program. It runs on the web and is a totally a self-contained program. In a Chrome environment, an extension is also web-based, but it runs within another program. In other words, it is an add-on to the browser and can increase the functionality of any page you visit. An example of an extension is Co:Writer. This app runs concurrently with another program or website. On the other hand, an iOS or Android app running on a mobile device has a slightly different meaning.”

Objective 7: Explain the components required for a successful implementation plan.

• Identify the tool and services or trials needed.

• Give each team member their responsibility, determine the start and end date of the trial, train staff and student, determine if any other things need to be addressed prior to the implementation of the tool. 

• Identify writing objectives and performance criteria to determine of the tool is effective or not.

Objective 8: Identify 4 potential barriers interfering with the use of the chosen technology and brainstorm potential solutions.

• Lack of motivation

• Lack of confidence

• Environment

• Not given effective training