Successful Implementation of Assistive Technology

Successful Implementation of Assistive Technology

Heather Sanderson

Eastern Connecticut State University

August 3, 2018

In order to have successful implementation of assistive technology there needs to be a solid understanding of the types of devices available as well as the disabled child’s needs. After reading the Information Briefs from the IRIS website, I will focus on what assistive technology is, some examples of assistive technology, identification of a child’s assistive technology needs, the parent/family responsibilities, and the professional responsibilities of the IEP Team in conjunction with the school. I will also discuss some of the assistive technologies available in the science classroom, which is the subject I teach.

Assistive technology is any technology which helps a person who has a disability (Center on Technology and Disability, N.D.). There are many types of assistive technologies from low tech to high tech and I will briefly review some of the most widely used technologies. There is text to speech which is a feature on many websites and downloadable programs which reads digital text out loud (LD online, 2018-a, p. 1). There is speech recognition software which takes spoken language and converts it to digital text (LD Online, 2018-a, p.1). There are computer based graphic organizers which help students brainstorm, map concepts, and outline (LD online, 2018-a, p. 2). There are computer screens with letters and pictures that speak for a student when they point to the screen (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, N.D.). There is also closed captioning which puts the text on screen to accompany videos (Brann, 2018).

It is important to understand how to identify a child who may need assistive technology. The younger the child is identified the better. Alliance Action Information Sheets state “the earlier a child is taught to use an AT device, the more easily the child will learn to accept and use it” (Pacer Center, 2016, p. 1). There are early intervention programs that are matching infants and toddlers to assistive technology to aid in their development. Switches are use on baby toys so children with severe disabilities can still play with interactive toys (Pacer Center, 2016, p.1). In order for a child with a disability to become eligible for assistive technology they must meet certain criteria for early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Pacer Center, 2016, p.2). An assistive technology evaluation should be part of a disabled child’s early intervention evaluation (Pacer Center, 2016, p.2). When identifying a school aged child who may need assistive technology, an assessment process should include gathering of school records, diagnostic assessments, observations of the student, and interviews with parents, teachers, counselors, and therapists (GreatSchools Staff, 2015). The faster the proper identification of child who needs assistive technology is completed the more successful the child will be.

There are many responsibilities for the parents, as well as the school staff around a disabled student who is in need of assistive technology. Parents know their child better than anyone else and need to be an informed advocate to ensure their child’s success. Parents can often begin to learn about assistive technologies by speaking to a speech and language pathologist (CTD, N.D.). Some other resources for parents are training and information centers, state assistive technology programs, and The Family Center on Technology and Disability (CTD, N.D.). The school staff under law is required to document the student’s need for assistive technology in their IEP (Georgia Project for Assistive Technology, N.D.). The IEP team has to conduct an assistive technology assessment, recommend specific devices or services based on the assessment, and track the students’ progress to determine if any changes need to be made to the assistive technology recommendations (CTD, N.D.). The school also has the responsibility of providing the student with any assistive technology devices that are recommended and also has to pay for the devices (American Physical Therapy Association, N.D.).

Data shows that there has been an increase in the number of disabled students enrolled in undergraduate STEM fields, unfortunately there has been a drop in disabled students receiving a doctorate in STEM fields (LD online, N.D.-b). As a science teacher, I feel it is necessary for me to take a special interest in the assistive technology that is available in my subject. STEM related terms and phrases can be quite difficult for a disabled student, so texts to speech, as well as the dictionary and thesaurus features are an important assistive technology for science students to use (LD online, N.D.-b). Calculators, talking calculators, and Microsoft Excel are an important assistive technology for the many calculations science students need to make in class (LD online, N.D.-b). Audible lab equipment such as thermometers and scales assist students in taking measurements in the lab (LD online, N.D.-b). There are also virtual labs and field trips to connect the student with hands on science experiences (LD online, N.D.-b). When using the appropriate assistive technologies in science ALL of my students can be successful.

References

American Physical Therapy Association. (N.D.). Retrieved from http://www.pediatricapta.org/consumer-patient- information/pdfs/AssistiveTechnology.pdf

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (N.D.). Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/AAC.htm

Brann, Alise. (2018). Captioning to Support Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/35793

Center on Technology and Disability (CTD). (N.D.) Assistive Technology 101. Retrieved from http://live- td.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/file_attachments/Assistive%20Technology%20101_ 0.pdf

Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. (N.D.). Documenting Assistive Technology in the IEP. Retrieved from https://douglasesd.k12.or.us/sites/douglasesd.k12.or.us/files/File/at- resources/at-documents/at-in-iep/documenting-at-in-iep.pdf

GreatSchools Staff. (2015,May 20). Matching assistive technology tools to individual needs. Retrieved from https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/matching-assistive-technology- tools-to-individual-needs/

IRIS Center. (2018). IRIS Resource Locator. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources/iris-resource-locator/

LD online. (2018-a). New Electronics: Turn Them On for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/10933

LD online. (2018-b). Technology Supported Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Instruction for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/Technology_Supported_Science%2C_Technology%2C_ Engineering%2C_and_Math_%28STEM%29_Instruction_for_Students_with_Disabilitie s

Pacer Center. (2006). Assistive Technology for Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.pacer.org/publications/pdfs/ALL7.pdf