Unit 4
Using ICT to support SEN
Special Needs and ICT
ICT has been recognised as a valuable
tool in the area of SEN for a long time.
In addition to the support it provides it
can minimise the differences between
an SEN child and one without learning
difficulties. The approaches to the use
of ICT must however be tailored to the
individual and be regularly reviewed.
Types of SEN
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Specific Learning Difficulty (SPLD)
Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD)
Severe Learning Difficulty (SLD)
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (PMLD)
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulty (EBD)
Speech, Language and Communication Need (SLCN)
Hearing Impairment (HI)
Visual Impairment (VI)
Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI)
Physical Difficulty (PD)
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Other (OTH)
Activity 1:
What are the main categories of SEN that impact upon your role?
Learning Difficulties:
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Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
ASD including Asperger’s Syndrome
Hyperlexia
Down’s Syndrome
Gifted and Talented
Physical Impairment:
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Visually Impaired
Hearing Impaired
Cerebral Palsy
Dyspraxia
Epilepsy
Emotional Behavioural Difficulties:
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ADD
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Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
What types of ICT can help?
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Adventure games
Information handling programs
Multimedia
Logo
Overlay keyboards
Speech recognition systems
Spellcheckers, glossaries and thesauri
Touch screens
Word processors, including predictive word
processors and those with voice output
Integrated Learning Systems
Why ICT?
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Access technology – it liberates the student by
allowing physical access to the curriculum that
would otherwise be denied the the student
A differentiation tool catering for all needs
allowing for progression
Allows access to a wider audience
Stimulates and motivates
Allows for high quality materials to be produced
Information accessed from the Internet
Good record keeping tool
Encourages independent work
Why ICT?
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Enables inclusion in classroom activities
Pupils are active participants
Offers different learning styles
Keeps pupils on task
Develops independence
Allows learning at pupils own pace and is private
Can demonstrate pupils potential
Can allow for social interaction and access to wider
community (Internet)
Great presentation tool
Teaching and Learning in
Special Educational Needs
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Physical and Sensory disabilities
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ICT can be used to:
Switch access to classroom activities,
matching, sorting, word processing.
Translate text into speech and speech
into text.
Prepare work which is specially adapted
with large fonts, symbols and particular
colours.
Teaching and Learning cont…
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Learning Difficulties
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Enhance the development of activities
which are clear, focused and attractive to
pupils.
Enable pupils to practise skills in a
different context, numerous repetitions in
order to aid learning
Support language development activities
Multi sensory ways
Tips
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Keep things on one page to avoid
scrolling
Have plenty of white space
Include summaries to text
Use simple, clear, large fonts (comic
sans)
Images are very useful to people with
cognitive difficulties
Use a recording and reporting program
like IEP Writer
Speech and language
difficulties
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Talking word processors
Talking books
Word banks
Predictive software
Drill and skill software, Starspell, Word
Shark, phonic CD’s
EBD children
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ICT can help level out feelings of
defeat and low esteem.
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Adventure games and control activities
empower the child.
MLD children – most common
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Word processors (talking),
spellcheckers, thesauri, predictive word
processors
Drill and skill software (including Maths)
Adventure games
Problem solving (including Roamer and
Logo)
Paint or draw programs to mix text and
images
SLD children
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As with the previous slide
Touch screens
Speech recognition word processors
Programs like ‘Clicker’ (overlays)
PMLD children
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As with previous slides but with
specialist equipment like switch
technology
Specialist equipment designed for the
individual child, eg software controlled
by blowing or speaking into a
microphone
Dyslexia and ICT
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Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty
that hinders learning of literacy skills.
This problem with managing verbal
codes in memory is neurologically
based and tends to run in families.
Other symbolic systems such as
mathematics and musical notation can
be affected.
Dyslexia type difficulties
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Many SEN children exhibit these difficulties but
are they dyslexic?
Auditory discrimination
Left and right
Maths computation
Memory
Organisation
Pronunciation
Reading
Sequencing
Spelling visual discrimination
Children with exceptional
abilities
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Give them research tasks related to
the topic studied
Present findings to the class
Ask the children to describe how they
research a topic
Push the children to higher limits, eg
create multimedia or a website
Give challenges of a secondary nature