Assistive Technologies PresentationChristina Dyson

ITEC 7530

Assistive Technology

• Any item, piece of equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disability.

• An AT device can include a wide range of tools, such as an item, a piece of equipment, or product system.

Assistive Technology

• Low tech – inexpensive tools often lacking in moving parts and having limited functionality.

• Mid tech – use some form of power source, are moderately priced and may require initial training for use.

• High tech – more complex and expensive, often customized to meet individual needs and require extensive training.

ADHD

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a condition that can make it hard for a person to sit still, control behavior, and pay attention.

• Doctors do not know just what causes AD/HD. They believe that some people with AD/HD do not have enough of certain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) in their brain. These chemicals help the brain control behavior.

• Parents and teachers do not cause AD/HD. There are many things that both parents and teachers can do to help a child with AD/HD.

Types of ADHD

• inattentive type, where the person can't seem to get focused or stay focused on a task or activity;

• hyperactive-impulsive type, where the person is very active and often acts without thinking; and

• combined type, where the person is inattentive, impulsive, and too active.

Assistive Technology for ADHD

• Allow the student to use learning aides, computers, calculators (perhaps for different parts of the task).

• Use a clock to remind the impatient student that the next activity must wait until a certain time.

• Use a variety of audiovisual materials to present academic lessons.

• All students, and those with ADHD in particular, can benefit from the use of technology (such as computers and projector screens), which makes instruction more visual and allows students to participate actively.

Assistive Technology for ADHD

• Computer games for reading comprehension.• Recorded books. These materials, available

from many libraries, can stimulate interest in traditional reading and can be used to reinforce and complement reading lessons.

• Calculators to check basic computation.

Auditory Disability

Hearing assistive technology systems (HATS) are devices that can help you function better in your day-to-day communication situations. HATS can be used with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants to make hearing easier—and thereby reduce stress and fatigue.

Types of Hearing Assistive Technologies• FM Systems: miniature radio stations operating

on special frequencies. The personal FM system consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker (such as the teacher in the classroom, or the speaker at a lecture) and a receiver used by the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to the student’s ears or directly to the hearing aid.

• Infrared Systems: With an infrared system, sound from the TV is transmitted using infrared light waves. This sound is transmitted to a student’s receiver, which they can adjust to your desired volume.

Types of Hearing Assistive Technologies• Induction Loop Systems: An induction loop

wire is permanently installed (typically under a carpet or in the ceiling) and connects to a microphone used by a speaker. The person talking into the microphone generates a current in the wire, which creates an electromagnetic field in the room.

• One-to-one Communicators: When using the one-to-one communicator, the speaker does not have to shout, private conversations can remain private.

Types of Hearing Assistive Technologies• There are many other HATS available,

such as:– Telephone amplifying devices for cordless,

cell, digital, and wired phones– Amplified answering machines– Amplified telephones with different

frequency responses– Loud doorbells– Computers– Wake-up alarms (loud bell or vibrating

clock)

Mild Learning Disabilities

• Students with mild general learning disabilities have significantly below-average general intellectual functioning.

• Some students may display poor adaptive behavior, inappropriate or immature personal behavior, low self-esteem, emotional disturbance, general clumsiness and lack of co-ordination of fine- and gross-motor skills.

Mild Learning Disabilities Technology

• Software: A range of software is now available for a variety of different settings, needs and subject areas. This can be either content-rich or content-free software. While some is specifically categorized as ‘Special Needs’ Software, many of the regular software packages are also suitable for use by students with mild learning disabilities, including office applications such as Word Processing, Spreadsheets and Desktop Publishing packages.

• Hardware: Most students with mild general learning disabilities will not need high-tech assistive technology, such as touch monitors, switches, screen readers, etc. However, they may benefit from adaptations such as lower-case keyboards or keyboard overlays, optical mice, rollerballs, etc. Peripheral hardware items, in particular digital cameras and scanners, have proven to be of huge benefit in the classroom. Use of the digital camera allows the student to relate their work directly to their own experience, whether it is photos of family members or of a field trip in the local environment.

Assistive Technology for Mild Learning Disabilities

• A simple, no-tech approach to note taking is for the teacher to provide copies of structured outlines in which students fill in information.

• Word processing may be the most important application of assistive technology for students with mild disabilities.

• Many students with mild disabilities have difficulty gathering and synthesizing information for their academic work. In this arena, Internet communications, multimedia, and universal design are providing new learning tools.

• Multimedia use of text, speech, graphics, pictures, audio, and video in reference- based software is especially effective in meeting the heterogeneous learning needs of students with mild disabilities.

Resources• http://

www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-Technology/Pages/Considering-Assistive-Technology-for-Students-with-Disabilities.aspx

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology• http://

www.ldonline.org/article/Teaching_Children_with_Attention_Deficit_Hyperactivity_Disorder%3A_Instructional_Strategies_and_Practices

• http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Other-Hearing-Assistive-Technology-Systems-Solutions/

• http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm• http://

www.sess.ie/categories/general-learning-disabilities/mild-general-learning-disabilities

• http://www.sess.ie/sites/all/modules/wysiwyg/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/filemanager/files/Categories/ASD/8MGLD.pdf

• http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=45&articleid=204&sectionid=1329