Assistive Technology Theory

It is necessary for teachers and IEP committees to consider assistive technology for students with disabilities because AT offers many different benefits to students. AT can be used to assist students with communication deficits, assist students in completing assigned daily tasks, as well as assisting students in accessing materials and navigating the classroom. Assistive technology allows students to meet their goals academically and it allows students to access and

An assistive technology device can be an item, software system, or piece of equipment used to increase, improve, or maintain the functional capabilities of a student with disabilities. It can help a person with a disability complete tasks they need to perform on a daily basis. Assistive technology services serve to directly assist students with disabilities in the selection or use of an assistive technology device. For some students with disabilities, assistive technology is important because they would not be able to benefit form their educational program. Assistive technology is a part of the Individualized Education Plan for each student. The educational team for the student must ask if there is a device that will improve their functional capabilities. If the educational team discovers that the child could benefit from a device that fits that description, the school district is required to provide the service along with training to use the device (Lewis, 1998).

6. Some challenges with assistive technologies are : “Faculty training still does not acknowledge the fact that digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession, the emergence of new scholarly forms of authoring, publishing, and researching outpace sufficient and scalable modes of assessment, too often it is education’s own processes and practices that limit broader uptake of new technologies, the demand for personalized learning is not adequately supported by current technology or practices, new models of education are bringing unprecedented competition to the traditional models of higher education, and most academics are not using new technologies for learning and teaching, nor for organizing their own research,” (Lepi, 2013).

Name at least three items that could be considered AT and describe how those devices could support a student with a disability in the classroom.

To any prospective parent, a school needs to present all the facts about itself, so as the parent may make the choice that is best for their child. Thirty years ago, when I was in school. There was no concern about scores, diversity, etc. You just went to your local elementary, middle and high school. Today parents are much more informed and curious about where their child is going to go. To some parents, it is quite important to have their children attend a culturally diverse school. “There is a richness that comes from students working side by side with others who are not of the same cookie-cutter mold,” notes Jean Snell. (Great

Explain how using assistive technology can promote healthy emotional and social development. Discuss how you think young children and teens may be affected and how the affects may extend into adult life.

2. Am I comfortable determining students’ needs and matching the needs to the most appropriate form of assistive technology?

In this artifact, I researched for alternative technological tool(see Assistive technology.doc) for students with disabilities to represent how technology could be a great assistance for them. This assignment represents how technology could be used by all students no matter what they need. Therefore, in this assignment, I looked for tools and ways to implement access to technology resources for students who have neuromuscular difficulties, and/or difficulties of counting with her finger to show that there are varieties of technological tool for all the needs.

In the Overview of Assistive Technology and Implementation Video by Margina Busby, she gives a lecture on what assistive technology is and how it can be used in the classroom. I learned that assistive technology is “any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain, or improve capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” Some examples of assisted technology are calculators, pencil grips, pocket dictionaries, communication systems (with or without voice output), adapted textbooks, and modified utensils. It is interesting to see all of the different forms of assistive technology that can be used in the classroom. I am currently taking a class

Living and learning with assistive technologies (AT) for disabled people is allowing them to lead virtually normal lives. Assistive technology in action videos I have recently watched introduced me to 3 people who are being assisted by this cutting edge technology.

The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades, and has since has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn” (Winzer, 2002, p. 98). Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, have helped people to find useful and easier ways to become educated.

Assistive technology can be designed to increase interdependence among disabled children or prevent disabled students from achieving personal goals. Specialized technology helps disabled people to become more independent and more involved in the activities in schools and communities (Berry, 2003).Assistive technology increases a child social skills by building up psychical functioning. This helps students to build social skills and interdependence because they will not depend on their caregivers. Also, communication devices can help children increase hearing impairment .Children who have a difficulty hearing do not have hearing aid. Therefore, assistive devices can provide hearing aids for children who have hearing loss. This can help children by allowing them to be aware of their surroundings by listening .Devices that function for daily activities helps disabled children to complete daily tasks. For example, they are devices that will help enhance social skills. There are assistive devices that would help children to learn how to read and write. Also, gain study skills and gain knowledge. Special software’s allow people with cognitive impartments to use the computer to enhance their memory, and to communicate (Berry, 2003).People who are blind are able to use cognitive devices because it would enhance their speaking skills and allow them to be

My Assistive Technology Implementation Plan artifact demonstrates my ability to facilitate the use of adaptive and assistive technologies to support individual student learning needs by allowing my student to master the standard using digital resources

Assistive technology in the digital age goes beyond eyeglasses, canes and wheelchairs. The more high-tech kind includes newer technologies that made a particularly dramatic impact on education.

The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades. Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, it has become much easier for people to find useful and easier ways to become educated. Because of this, “technology has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn.” (Winzer,98)