Assistive Technology

ByMeagan James

What is Assistive Technology

Children with disabilities face many barrier to their being successful in the classroom. Assistive technology allows children to focus on their strengths to succeed in their classrooms. The focus is not on what they can not do but on how they can utilize the skills they have to be successful.

Assistive Technology(AT) is anything that can be helpful and useful in our daily life. These tools can be an alternative to perform an task. These tools can be devices or service oriented.

Assistive Technology and the Law

• The laws that govern Assistive technology ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed by removing barriers that may interfere with their education.

• When the IEP team meets to plan for a child with special needs, assistive technology should be an important part of the discussion.

• Assistive Technology laws are specific and define devices and services that may be used to ensure equality for children.

• Each state receives funds to assist with providing need technology for children.

Assistive Technology and the LawAssistive Technology is addressed by many laws to protect the rights of children. Some of these laws are• Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act• Assistive Technology Act of 1998 • Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education

Act Amendments of 1998

More Laws that govern Assistive Technology• Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988

• The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988

• The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990, Section 3

• Telecommunications Act of 1996

• Title I - Public Law 104-104 [47 USC 255]

• Title III - Public Law 104-104 [47 USC 613]

Assistive Technology for Hearing Impaired:

• This technology allows the students to be able to hear what’s being taught in the classroom. It can be divided into two categories. These two categories are: Assistive Listening Device (ALD) or personal amplification.

• ALD: Provides the listener with a direct connection to the sound source.

• Personal Amplification: based on their level of hearing.

Assistive Learning Devices & Personal Amplification:

• Assistive listening Devices:

1. FM2. Infrared3. Induction Loop4. One to one

communication

• Personal Amplifications:

1. Hearing Aids2. Cochlear Implant3. BAHATM – Bone

Anchored Hearing Aid:

Infrared and Hearing Aid:

• Hearing Aid: These are usually worn behind the ear to amplify sound.

• Infrared Systems: This is a new technology that uses a transmitter to send the sound invisibly to hearing impaired listeners

Assistive Technology for Seeing Impaired:

• Technology is available for the various stages of vision impairment.

• Students who are seeing impaired must deal with access to information, independent travel, and a lack of meaningful experiences

Screen magnifiers:

A screen magnifier is software that interacts with a computer to present enlarged screen content.

Other Assistive technology devices for vision impaired

• Speech recognition software• Text-to-speech (TTS) software• Optical character recognition (OCR) software• Large monitors• Closed circuit television (CCTV)• Hand held electronic magnifiers• Dictation devices and transcription

Assistive Technology for Learning Disabled:

• Assistive technology for learning disabled students capitalizes on the strengths of the students and try to minimize the focus on the weakness.

• Learning disabled students, once asset can move forward with the correct device.

Assistive technology can help with

• Reading • Listening • Spelling• Math• Organization • Writing• Comprehension

Graphic Organizer and Learning Disabilities

• Graphic organizers and outlining programs help users who have trouble organizing and outlining information as they begin a writing project. Students plays information in a document and then organize into appropriate categories. It can also be helpful in mathematics.

Other Technology available for Learning disabled

• Abbreviation expander• Alternative Keyboards• Audio books and publications• Electronic math worksheets• Freeform Database Software• Information /data managers• Optical character recognition • Personal FM listening systems• Portable word processors

Assistive Technology for Physically Disabled:

• Physical disabilities sometimes limit students ability to performing basic functions.

• Simply gripping objects or having full range of motion can cause difficult in the classroom.

SmartNav 4:

This AT device allows a student to move the mouse by moving his head slightly. A virtual keyboard is on the screen that allows the student to enter text or navigate on the Internet. This device is ideal for students with spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, and other special needs

Other Assistive Technology for Physically Disabled:

• Mouth stick • Head wand • Single-switch access • Oversized trackball mouse • Adaptive keyboard • Eye tracking • Voice recognition software• "Sticky Keys" • "Slow Keys"

ReferencesAssistive technology act. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/ata/

Assistive technology devices and services. (06/30/2010). Retrieved from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/atech.index.htm

Assistive technology for kids with ld: An overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-for-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gs?page=all

Assistive technologies for people with physical impairments. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gmc-uk.org/accessibility/assistive_technologies/physical_impairments.asp

Assistive technology for students with hearing impairments. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sped.wikidot.com/assistive-technology-for-students-with-hearing-impairments

Assistive technology in education/physically handicapped. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped

Assistive technology: visual impairments. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/resources/practical-advice/assistive-technology-resources/types-of-assistive-technology/assistive-technology-visual-impairments/

Chapter 13 – assistive technology for students who are deaf or hard of hearing . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wati.org/content/supports/free/pdf/Ch13-Hearing.pdf

Stanberry, K. (n.d.). Assistive technology for kids with learning disabilities: An overview. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-technology-kids-learning-disabilities-overview

The family center on technology and disability. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fctd.info/resources/techlaws.php