Randall E. Jackson
Technology in Education/ Dr. Ray
Assistive Technology Paper
The goal for most children with disabilities is to get them to the point where they can function
independently in the regular classroom. Assistive technology can work wonders in helping to achieve
this goal. Within this assignment, I will discuss some of the many ways that assistive technology can be
of great benefit to children with disabilities. I will also offer some suggestions as to how it would be an
advantage to children with disabilities in the regular classroom to have the use of assistive technology.
Mild Disabilities
For students with mild disabilities, assistive technology can be used to help them with reading,
writing, or mathematics. There are various types of software that are available that can help them learn
reading skills. Some of these software programs will even read the material to them out loud. In this
case, headphones would be a great asset so that the concentration of other students would not be
hindered. They can also use software programs that will allow the student to speak the information and
the program will type the information for them. This will allow them to get their ideas on their paper
without becoming frustrated because they have difficulty typing, reading, or spelling correctly. In the
case of math, they can use software programs that will assist them with graphing, practice assignments,
or built in tutorials. I would use any device or software that would be of assistance to help children with
disabilities to become independent in the regular classroom. The WizCom Quicktionary Reading Pen is a
great tool for students with disabilities to use who have a disability in the area of reading. This would be
a great addition to the reading instruction that I would be giving to help the students to read
independently. The goal of this would be to have the students working independently on grade level
material.
Moderate and Severe Disabilities
Just as where assistive technology can be a wonderful tool for working with children with mild
disabilities, it can be an even greater tool for working with children who have moderate to severe
disabilities. At this point, the needs of the students are focused on daily living skills. The use of assistive
technology can not only teach them skills in reading in math, but also teach them skills that they can
carry over into the community for use in their everyday lives. The goal for the use of assistive
technology, at this point, would be to assist them with daily living skills as well as reaching community
goals. The Grocery Store Computer Software from eSpecialNeeds.com would be an excellent tool for
students to use to teach them how to count money and buy groceries for themselves. It can also help
them formulate grocery lists and compare prices so that they can get the best buys for their money.
Physical Disabilities
Not only can assistive technology be used for students with mild, moderate, and severe
disabilities, but it can also be used to assist students with physical disabilities. These students generally
need assistance in areas that apply to everyday tasks such as using a computer. If a student has normal
brain function, but also has a physical disability, they may need help with typing a research paper. As
mentioned before, there are software devices available that will allow the student to speak and the
software will do the typing for them. This would be called text-to-type software. An example of this
software would be Don Johnston’sCo: Writer and Write: Out Loud.
Sensory Disabilities
Students who are blind, visually impaired, or hearing impaired would fall under the category of
having a sensory disability. Not only would the type of disability be of importance in this situation, but
the severity of the disability would be equally important. For a child with a hearing impairment, I would
use FM amplification systems in an effort to assist them in hearing what the teacher is saying. If a
student is visually impaired, I would use computer screen magnification control panels in an effort to
assist them in actually seeing their computer screen in class. Again, the use of these assistive
technology devices is to promote a sense of independence for the child with a disability in the regular
education classroom.
At-risk Behaviors/Situations
It is crucial to find ways to engage at-risk students in the learning process and to motivate them
to improve and move forward. Not only would I be trying to engage them in learning and motivate
them, but I would also look for software that would provide them with immediate feedback. Hopefully,
immediate feedback would cut down on some of the frustration that the students with disabilities are
experiencing. This software will allow the students to track their own progress and also allow the
teachers to see where the student is functioning and be able to focus on areas of weakness. Programs
such as BrainPop and SuccessMaker would be great tools to use for children with at-risk behaviors.
These programs are based on the individual needs of the students. The programs also provide
instruction and practice in addition to engaging the students.
Gifts and Talents
Students who are identified as being gifted or talented need to be challenged and engaged on a
regular basis. Self-pacing is a concept widely used in the gifted curriculum. This concept allows the
students to work at their own pace while doing self-directed research projects and electro-media
formats for presenting their work and engaging in the learning process. Software tools such as Glogster
or Prezi would be wonderful to use with gifted students. This would allow them to use their
independence and creativity to engage in the learning process. The students could, in turn, present
their projects to the class, therefore enhancing their presentation skills. SuccessMaker would work well
with this group of students, also. The program is individualized; they can work at their own pace,
explore their knowledge areas, and master their computer skills in the process.