Assistive Technology (AT) is technology that an individual with a disability uses to help them to perform functions that may be challenging for him/herself to complete. Assistive technology may be any item, equipment, software, or t system that is used to improve, maintain, or advance the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Assistive Technology is changing the way special education classrooms work and has provided many new opportunities to persons with disabilities. It provides people with the tools they need to communicate, learn, and be more independent.
School districts are required under law to provide assistive technology to students with disabilities as long as the AT “provides meaningful access to the general curriculum”
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It is important not to generalize assistive technology and determine the most effective option available for each student. An IEP is an Individualized Education Program that is required by the federal law for every child receiving special education services. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services states that the student’s IEP must reflect the nature of the AT and amount of supportive AT services required. This program is created specifically to address an individual child’s unique learning issues and include specific educational goals based off of his/her …show more content…
For example, many of the students in my classroom use an iPad, a high tech device that helps them communicate and work throughout the day. A specific program on the iPad called Proloquo2Go is a program that all of the students in my classroom use. This program is personalized for each student and acts as a voice for those who cannot express their feelings or request their needs and wants. With this program, they are able to click on the pictures that represent their wants and the device will act as their
The Department of Education states that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an academic opportunity for parents, teachers, administrators and human services personnel to provide assistance to students with disabilities. Individualized Education Programs are written plans that state specific learning goals and designate educational services that are designed to meet a student’s individual needs.
“The purpose of the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) is to provide a comprehensive and thorough assistive technology assessment process” (Barbara, n.d., para. 14). WATI consists of an Assistive Technology Consideration Guide that is made like a table. Horizontally the table entails tasks that the student might be expected to complete in the classroom. Vertically the table asks if the student completes the tasks with special accommodations or AT devices. It also asks what new assistive technology the student will try (Marino, 2006). The ultimate goal of the WATI is to consider different types of AT, and to ensure that the student receives the best services and accommodations. Which will allow the student to learn the curriculum to his/ her full potential and meet the IEP and IFSP objectives (Barbara,
An IEP, Individualized Education Plan, is the entire plan for an individual student that is going to have any special education services. The plan includes details like short-term and long-term goals, levels of achievement, transition services, assessments, and steps in order to achieve the specific goals that have been determined. The importance of an IEP for a student with a disability is that they are individualized based upon the student’s needs, based upon the work and meeting between parents, educators, skills trainers and more. It is crucial and federally required that that an IEP be reviewed in a metting annually i...
IEP Development. In developing the IEP, the team should determine the child’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance and project whether any additions or modifications to the instruction or services are necessary to enable the child to meet measurable annual goals and to participate, as appropriate, in the general education curriculum. IDEA requires that the team considers the student’s strengths; parents’ concerns; evaluation results; and academic, functional, and developmental needs of the student. The IEP team must also consider individual circumstances. One special consideration is whether the student’s behavior impedes that student’s learning or the learning of other students. If so, the IEP team must consider the use of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), and other strategies, to address the behavior.
By law, public school systems are responsible for providing each and every student with a disability with a free and appropriate public education. When IDEA was passed, increased emphasis was placed on where and when students with disabilities were educated. Because of this, the focus became access to classrooms and assistive technology was emphasized. AT has a very important role in the educational world. It is used constantly in special education and throughout the IEP process to assist and benefit students with disabilities
Choosing an assistive technology can be prove to be an expensive and time consuming task for all parties, therefore it is important that the technology will be provided to those students that will require them and to those that will actually use them. (Hemmingsson, Lidstrom & Nygard, 2009). Therefore teachers must be provided with support for factors such as evaluations, selecting and purchasing and designing and customising the technology. (Sharpe, 2010). Schools can fund the assistive technologies but they must consider funding the human factor by providing ongoing training and technical assistance to the teacher, staff, student and their families. (Lahm, Bausch, Sarpe & Hasselbring as cited in Sharpe 2010). According to Sharpe (2010), deciding on an assistive technology should be based on data collection of students abilities, breakdown of learning activities, learning style, the environment in which the assistive technology will be used, Individualised Education Plan (IEP) goals and objectives and the level of technology acceptance. This involves having the support and consultation with not only the school, staff and parents but also outside agencies like occupational therapists, who need to co-operate with schools to ensure that the choice of assistive technology is integrated into the classroom to increase
There are many “tools” that could be considered for a student who has trouble listening and understanding instructions. Sometimes, just an adjustment of where the child sits fixes the problem or eliminates the barrier. Other times, assistive technology is needed. Today, the options for assistive technology are endless. In Samanthas case there were many options of assistive technology I could provide her with to help her be successful in the classroom.
In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability “have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program” (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and modifications in place for the student.
For a special education student to be successful and reach their true potential, it takes a collaborative effort between both the special education and general education teacher. Both teachers need to have an understanding of each student’s disability and unique academic needs. Both teachers play vital roles in participating as part of the IEP team, providing professional input, and best practices to develop the student’s IEP, which will provide all stakeholders in the child’s education the accommodations and modifications for the special needs child to be successful in the
Individual Education Plans drive each child’s educational and behavioral services on a daily basis. The demands of this paperwork can become quite time consuming and the special education teacher is the leader of the education team. The IEP looks at a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and present levels of performance. From this ...
...l, and motor.” (Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center, 2009). Academic goals include learning new skills like adding or subtracting. An IEP is planned to help improve learning social goals like appropriate play skills, like interacting with classmates during group activities. Behavioral skills developed with an IEP include attaining advanced coping mechanisms like asking for help and replacing problem behaviors. Lastly, motor goals that an IEP helps achieve can include working on handwriting skills to further academic progression. Children with special needs that are in the school system are considered “mainstreamed”. The process of mainstreaming is putting children with Autism or other disorders in regular school around “normal” kids. This technique is used so children with Autism can learn to adapt to certain situations and use these skills later in life.
Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires states to provide free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for every child regardless of disability. This federal law was the first to clearly define the rights of disabled children to receive special education services if their disability affects their educational performance. A parent of a special education student also has basic rights under IDEA including the right to have their child evaluated by the school district and to be included when the school district meets about the child or makes decisions about his or her education. If a child is identified as in need of special education services, the school district must devise a written individual education program (IEP) for the child, which includes related services. An IEP is a statement of a student’s special education and related services including speech services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling and assistive technology and transportation. In addition, this legally binding, individualized plan outlines reasonable educational goals for the student and is reviewed and updated yearly.
Abstract: Assistive technology is one way that individuals with learning disabilities have been able to overcome the difficulties with comprehension that they possess. This form of technology comes in many forms, ranging from low to high technology devices.
Assistive Technology or “AT” is a term used in this context to describe an item or technique used to make the navigation of a home, school or play environment more accessible for a child with special needs (Lowenthal & Egan, 2003). This paper is written to explore some of the assistive technology (AT) options available to serve two children with special needs in separate circumstances. Low, mid and high tech options will be addressed with regards to the specific needs and intentions of the parents and teachers in each child’s life. Attached is a table offering options for assistive technology in the classroom to support the educational goals of each child.The first case study addressed in this paper is Savannah, a three-year old student who is wheelchair bound. She has a seizure disorder and has been diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy. She has limited vision but seems to be able to recognize items presented to her such as shapes and colors. Savannah participates in “social” language. She loves music and cause/effect activities. She knows all of her colors and shapes, is able to recite the alphabet by rote. In written word, Savannah recognizes both her name and those of her classmates. Savannah’s parents have expressed a desire to have her placed in a more restrictive classroom, and her teacher is interested in working more to support Savannah in the areas of writing and organizational skills. Some assistive technology suggestions for use in supporting Savannah are discussed below. Because Savannah’s teacher is working on encouraging Savannah in the area of writing, assistive technology options to support this area of development will be discussed herein. A low-tech ...
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. An IEP is a written document required for each child who is eligible to receive special education services. It is provided to a student who has been determined first to have a disability, and second, to need special education services because of that disability. An IEP is very important and should never be overlooked by anyone. The purpose of an IEP is to make sure that only students whose educational performance is affected by a disability receive special services. An individual program plan is designed to make sure that students get the kind of educational experience that they deserve; an experience that results in success. The end goals for students who are on an IEP are to be involved in