What is Assistive or Adaptive Technology (AT)?

The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 refers to it as "...products, devices or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities..."

What are the Uses of Assistive Technologies?

Assistive Technology has been used in education to facilitate academic skill development and to enable students to fully access the educational program. It could be any item or piece of equipment that can be used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities in different aspects of life, which may include activities at school, at work, at home, and even in the individual’s interaction with the community.

As the term “assistive” implies, Assistive Technologies help individuals to perform functions that could have been otherwise difficult or impossible without it. These technologies can include mobility devices like walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals that assist individuals with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies. In the education sector for example, people with difficulty reading may use a text-to-speech software program. Those with low vision can make use of software that enlarges contents on the computer screen to make them readable.

What are the Different Classes of Assistive Technologies?

Assistive Technologies range from low tech to high tech devices or equipment as follows:

Low Tech AT – These are devices or equipment that don't require much training, they can be less expensive and do not have complex or mechanical features. For example:

•          handheld magnifiers

•          large print text

•          using paper and pen to communicate

•          canes or walkers

•          things that can be used to reach or grab items

•          specialized pen or pencil grips and much more

Middle Tech AT = These are devices or equipment that may have some complex features, it could electronic or battery operated, it may require some training to learn how to use it and may be more costly than the low-tech devices. Some examples include:

•          talking spell checkers

•          manual wheelchairs

•          electronic organizers

•          Closed Caption Televisions (CCTV’s)

•          amplifiers

•          books on CDs, or in Kindle readers

•          environmental control units (ECU)

•          alternate mouse or keyboard for the computer

High Tech AT – This refers to the more complex devices that have digital or electronic components, may be computerized, and will likely require training and effort to learn how to use and cost the most. Examples include:

•          power wheelchairs or scooters

•          digital hearing aids

•          computers with specialized software such as voice recognition or magnification software

•          electronic aids to daily living

•          digital hands-free headsets

•          voice activated telephones

•          communication devices with voices

•          bluetooth integration

•          digi-drive technology (operating a vehicle with a joystick)

For consultation on Practical Assistive Technology and Professional Development on Special Education for the management of individuals with LDs, visit www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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• ·      Some Facts You Need to Know About Learning Disabilities (LD)

Some Facts You Need to Know About Learning Disabilities (LD)

Here are 18 facts that will help you understand what Learning Disabilities are:

What is a Learning Disability ( LD)?

1. A learning disability is a biological “processing” problem that impairs a person’s ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell and do math calculations.
2. There are several types of LD based on the type of difficulties involved. Dyslexia, a problem with reading, is the most common.
3. Learning disabilities have a genetic component and often run in families.
4. LD is a lifelong disability. Children don’t grow out of it. They may learn to compensate for their LD, but it’s something they continue to live with as adults.
5. LD is does not include visual, hearing or motor disabilities.
6. LD is not caused by intellectual or cognitive disabilities (formerly referred to as mental retardation), emotional disturbance, or cultural, environmental, or economic disadvantage.

How and who diagnoses LD conditions?

7. Proper identification (diagnosis) of LD in K–12 students involves: parent and child interviews; classroom observation; a review of the child’s educational and medical history; a series of tests to identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses; the gathering of information from teachers and other professionals who work with the child.

8. There is no medical test (such as a blood test) for LD.

9. LD often co-exists with other neurological disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This can make diagnosis/identification of the disabilities tricky.

10. It’s estimated that 4.67 million Americans (ages six and older) have LD. That represents 1.8 percent of the U.S. population. (U.S. Survey of Income and Program Participation)

11. Almost 2.4 million school-age children in the U.S. are classified as having specific learning disabilities. That represents 4–6 percent of all public school students.

12. Almost half of public school students receiving special education services have LD.

Is LD common?

13. People with LD can succeed at school and work if they have targeted instruction, meaningful accommodations, high expectations (of themselves and from others) and a support system.

14. Once a student is identified with LD, the key to success is instruction that’s carefully targeted, well-delivered, research-based, individualized and differentiated.

15. There is no medication or medical treatment for LD, although there are many unproven, expensive and controversial “therapies” for LD on the market.

Are there treatment and help available for people with LD?

16. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides for special education services for public school students aged 3–21 with disabilities. Having LD doesn’t automatically make a student eligible for special education; he or she must also go through an eligibility evaluation.

17. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law prohibiting discriminating against people with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funding.

18. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is also a civil rights law that protects individuals with LD from discrimination in schools, the workplace and other settings.

Assistive Tools and Professional Development on Special Education for the management of individuals with LDs can be found at www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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• How to Choose an Assistive Technology?

How to Choose an Assistive Technology?

The approaches used to address the difficulties faced by students with learning disabilities fall into two general categories - remedial and compensatory. Remedial approaches seek to alleviate a specific deficit or improve an area of weakness. Compensatory approaches try to work-around or bypass a deficit. If a child is having trouble learning to read, a remedial strategy might focus on phonics to improve reading skill. In contrast, a compensatory strategy might provide a book on audiotape or an Optical Character Recognition system so the child could hear the text spoken aloud. However, the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, and providing assistive technology doesn't mean that an individual can’t also receive remedial instructions.

Assistive technology is a compensatory approach. Compensatory approaches are important for those who may not have the time to invest in remediating a specific difficulty like a college student, for example, faced with several hundred pages of text to read in a short period of time.

There are also some overlaps between these two categories, with compensatory technologies sometimes having remedial functions. There is evidence that students, who use speech recognition systems that convert spoken language to text on a computer screen, may also improve their reading comprehension and word recognition skills through use of the system.

It is imperative to make sure that an assistive tool works towards an individual's strengths. For instance, if someone has problem writing, their spelling and grammar maybe poor, however, he or she may be an articulate speaker. Instead of simply providing them a standard word processing program, they might be better off with speech-recognition software, a program that converts the spoken word to text. In another example, if a child is having trouble reading but can easily understand spoken words, then an Optical Character Recognition system with computerized speech that can read a book out loud for them could provide a great deal of benefit.

There are four components to be considered in finding the most appropriate assistive technology for someone with a learning disability. These are:

1.      The individual who needs the technology and their specific strengths, limitations, skill sets, knowledge and interests;

2.      The specific tasks or functions the assistive technology is expected to perform (such as compensation for a reading, writing or memory problem);

3.      The setting where the assistive technology will be used (school, home); and

4.      The device considerations such as ease of operation, reliability, portability and cost.

Keep in mind that assistive technologies are not a remedy for all deficiencies but are merely part of the approaches on how to deal with a learning disability issue. And if you’re a parent trying to find something to help your child, it is important to include your child in the selection process making sure that the technology really addresses their needs, that they are comfortable with it, and that they know how to use it properly.

Finally, an assistive technology should help the individual with a learning disability to function at a level that is commensurate with their intelligence. There are many tools for learning that are available; the challenge is to find one that works best for each specific individual's needs.

For consultation on Practical Assistive Technology, visit www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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• How Can Assistive Technology Help Students with Disabilities?
• What Does the Law Say About Assistive Technology?
• What Is Assistive Technology?

How Can Assistive Technology Help Students with Disabilities?

Technology can be a great tool for students who have learning disabilities. Assistive tools have been helping them leverage their strengths and work around or compensate for specific learning problems. These supports have been keys to helping users become more independent in school and accomplish tasks on various levels like:

·        Mastering grade-level content. Assistive Technology can present educational materials in audio or visual forms.

·        Improving writing and organizational skills. Assistive Technology can enable students with learning disabilities or autism do things like developing a concept map for a research paper, and write using grade-level vocabulary or words they otherwise would not be able to use without a computer because of poor spelling skills.

·        Working towards grade-level reading skills. The computer can either read texts digitally or presents it at a lower grade level for students with reading disabilities or visual impairments.

·        Improving note-taking skills. Many students with disabilities have difficulty taking notes in longhand because of poor spelling, writing, and eye-hand coordination skills.

·        Mastering educational concepts that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. Students can experience abstract concepts such as the growth of a flower through 3-D computer simulations.

What Types of Assistive Technology Can Help Students in the Classroom?

It is imperative to make sure that an assistive technology works towards an individual's strengths. For instance, if someone has problem writing, their spelling and grammar are poor. However, he or she may be an articulate speaker. Instead of simply providing them a standard word processing program, they might be better off with speech-recognition software, a program that converts the spoken word to text. In another example, if a child is having trouble reading but can easily understand spoken words, then an Optical Character Recognition system with computerized speech that can read a book out loud for them could provide a great deal of benefit.

Computer-based instruction can support other learning activities. There are Assistive Tools or software that gives immediate positive feedback and provide motivation and focus for students with learning disabilities. Some special software can enable students with developmental disabilities to compensate for motor disturbances, organize behavior, and communicate with a minimum of stress, fatigue, and misunderstanding. Talking software can help a child hear the words while at the same time seeing them on the page while reading. Word processing with word prediction helps children with limited vocabularies, as well as children whose use of a keyboard is limited by motor impairments, to express them in writing with far less frustration. Special software can also help a child with attention deficit disorder to reduce the effect of external stimuli, increasing his or her ability to focus on class work. For example, a textbook can be "rewritten" at a lower grade level or shown graphically for students who have reading disabilities.

It can easily be presented in large print, in a different color, or with different backgrounds for students who have visual impairments. It can be read aloud via computer for students who are blind or non-readers. It can even be presented in a different language to students for whom English is a second language.

For information on Assistive Technology Services visit www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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·        What Does the Law Say About Assistive Technology?

·        What Is Assistive Technology?

What Does the Law Say About Assistive Technology?

The Federal government is fully aware of the potential of assistive technology for students in the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates that assistive technology devices and services be considered for each child with a disability. The 1997 amendments manifest a shift in focus about how assistive technology is to be used. Instead of it being considered as just a rehabilitative or remedial tool, assistive technology is now reflected in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) as a method for general curriculum access. Rather than just specifying a student’s special education services, the IEP must include information about a student's current abilities and how his or her disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum. The IEP must also include the program modifications and supports the school and teachers will provide to help a student’s involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

The use of Assistive Technology is supported by other federal laws. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 0f the Rehabilitation Act requires schools to provide assistive technology for students with disabilities. This is to assure equal access, and remove barriers to programs and services.

Instructional issues are at the heart of this challenge which requires that educators should look at the curriculum, and then ask how assistive tools might assist students in achieving the outcomes. The remedial approach combined with traditional assistive technology applications is no longer the main goal in finding appropriate assistive technology for the students. This change in focus on assistive technology in the IDEA shows what school-based professionals have found after years of experience.

In any situation, when considering assistive technology for a student, the focus should be on what the device does for that person, and not on the device or the technology itself. Assistive technology is merely the support to get the job done more independently. It can reduce a student’s reliance on parents, siblings, friends and teachers, helping in the transition into adulthood, and fostering self-esteem and reducing anxiety.

What is the Legal Definition of Assistive Technology

The Technology Related Assistance Act of 1988 (P.L. 101-407) and the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-394) provide a standard definition of assistive technology as “any item, piece of equipment, or product, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

Assistive Technology Service

An assistive technology service is any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. The term includes:

• The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment
• Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities
• Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices
• Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs
• Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family
• Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of children with disabilities

Learn more about Assistive Technology Services by visiting www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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• What Is Assistive Technology?

What Is Assistive Technology?

How Do Teachers and Students Benefit from Assistive Technology?

A lot of students with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities face barriers to learning every day. Those with motor disabilities may not be able to hold a pencil to write answers on a test, or lack the adroitness to use the compass for a math lesson. And they may not also be able to decipher words in printed text.

Teachers of students with learning difficulties have been working to provide alternative ways for their students to learn in different ways. Technologies have been developed with far reaching impact on the learning capability of the students in special education. Computers have become an essential literacy and enabling tool in all levels of society. When Assistive Technology is integrated into the classroom, students are given multiple means to complete their work, and focus on achieving academic standards.

Any device and program of Assistive technology is an indispensable tool that assists students with disabilities to accomplish things more quickly, easily and independently. It can be elaborate and expensive, or it can also be simple and with low-cost. Assistive technology services are also available for support in the use of assistive technology devices, such as:

• ·         assistive technology evaluations,
• ·         equipment maintenance,
• ·         technical assistance,
• ·         demonstration or training.

In any special education schools, Assistive Technology is able to provide accommodations, modifications or adaptations made to the learning environment, curriculum, instruction, or assessment practices. With inclusive schools becoming the norm, the creative design of the curriculum may depend on the Assistive Technology in place.

The flexibility of an Assistive Tool enables a student with poor vision to use or see enlarged texts. If a student has motor difficulties, he can overcome it by allowing him to use enlarged and simplified computer keyboard. Even non-verbal students can be made “callers” for a game of “Red Light/Green Light” by using a talking switch. There may be a case when a student can comprehend history at the upper grade level, but can read only at the lower grade level, he can be made to read a textbook with the help of a computer that scans and reads texts. Assistive Technology allows teachers to address students’ strengths as well as their weaknesses by helping the teachers easily organize and build educational tools and materials.

Assistive Technology can support the students’ participation in their learning experiences in the least restrictive environment. This is especially true for students with disabilities that interfere with their communication, learning, social relationships and interactions, or active participation. Assistive Technology can therefore be considered the lifeline that increases a special education student’s opportunities for learning, social interactions, and meaningful employment.

To learn about trainings on Assistive Technology, visit www.PracticalATSolutions.com.