Rachel NachmanEDTC625 Spring 2014

Assistive Technology Case Study

Based upon this students diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder and dyslexia, the following proposal aims to outline recommendations for different hardware and software options, advice for technology integration, and ideas for possible funding sources.

Recommendation For Hardware and Software

It has been concluded that this student struggles with sustaining attention and with reading. There are various different hardware and software options that address these areas of difficulty and that can meet this students needs. These specific hardware and software options have proven helpful for students who struggle with decoding, reading comprehension, and sustaining attention.

One type of hardware that can be used is an electronic spelling checker (Becta, 2007). This hardware serves as an electronic dictionary, which can provide both the spelling and definition of an extensive amount of words.

Additionally, this student can use a note-taking pen, such as a Livescribe Smartpen or an InfoScan pen (Ryan, n.d.) . These pens have the capability of scanning written text, importing the text to an electronic word processor, and then reading the text out loud.

This student can also use a reading pen, which can scan text, enlarge the font to make it easier to read, read the text out loud, and display the syllabic breakdown of the words (Ryan, n.d.).

Furthermore, there is certain software, such as text-to-speech software, that will read text out loud to a student (Becta, 2007). Thus, when asked to read written text, this student will be able to use listening comprehension skills rather than decoding and reading comprehension skills.

Lastly, concept-mapping software, such as Inspiration or Kidspiration, can help this student organize his thoughts prior to writing (Duffy, 2012).

Advice To The Students Key Academic Faculty

In order for technology integration to be most effective, teachers must choose appropriate technology that meets the students specific needs and that can be easily used within the classroom. According to Hasselbring & Glaser (2000), teachers must be trained on a specific hardware or software in order to become familiar with its capabilities and functionalities. School faculty must become familiar with how to best integrate assistive technology into the classroom. This training can be accomplished by methods such as in-house trainings or online tutorials. By learning about the specific capabilities of the technology, school faculty can ensure that the technology aligns with the students needs as well as the academic content. Overall, school faculty must be familiar with the needs of the student, the specific capabilities of the technology, and the most effective methods of integrating the technology into instruction.

Recommendation For Funding

The specific examples of assistive technology recommended above, as well as many other types of assistive technology, can cost tens of thousands of dollars (Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000). It is not expected that Erasmus Middle School has this amount of money that can be spent on assistive technology. One possible source of funding is to contact the school systems Assistive Technology department. The assistive technology staff may have insight as to how funding can be provided. Furthermore, according to Kellker, Holt, and Sullivan (as cited in Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000), lists of public and private sources can be obtained by contacting the states Tech Act office. Again, the school is not expected to be the sole source of funding for this assistive technology.

References

Becta. (2007). Making accessible software: A guide for developers and practitioners. National Archives. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101102103654/http://publications.becta.org.uk/download.cfm?resID=32113Duffy. (2012). The write tools for ADHD students. ADDitude. Retrieved March 13, 2014 from http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/9365.html

Hasselbring, T. S. & Glaser, C. H. (2000). Use of computer technology to help students with special needs. Journal of Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 102-122.Ryan, M. (n.d.). Software and assistive technology. Dyslexia Help. Retrieved March 13, 2014 from http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/tools/software-assistive-technology