Assistive Technology JESSICA COLON MAY 12, 2014 EDU 620 MEETING INDIVIDUAL STUDENT NEEDS WITH TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTOR: MICHAEL HOM

Assistive Technology In the eyes of a professional… Assistive Technology is a service that is offered to children with special needs or disabilities. Assistive technology does not cure the illness but serves as an aide to provide the student with the least restrictive and most inclusive environment. It can be in the form of a piece of equipment or a simple service they may need such as Therapy. Students use therapy for many different reasons and it can begin as early as the early childhood years. Therapy comes in the form of speech, play, behavioral etc. There is no saying if therapy works better than assistive technology, it depends on the disability and how severe the disability is. The most common disability found in the Chicago Public Schools are learning disabilities.

More about Learning Disabilities  Learning disabilities are a disorder that affects the brain. When a person has a learning disability it affects how the brain works and receives or responds to information. This is common because there are different groups of learning disabilities.  Some learning disabilities include  Dyslexia  Dyscalculia  Dysgraphia  Visual Processing Disorder  Auditory Processing Disorder  According to IDEA and ADA people with learning disabilities have the right to receive assistance.

AT for Learning Disabilities  When using assistive technology for learning disabilities it helps the students use their strengths to bypass areas that may be difficult for them.  There are different AT devices that can be used for the different learning disabilities;  Audio Book  Abbreviation Expanders  Alternative Keyboards  Graphic Organizers  FM systems  Word Processors (portable)  Speech-recognition programs  Talking calculators  Through this list and many others the one most seen by my interviewee was Audio Books.

More about Audio Readers..  Audio readers help students with Dyslexia (which is quite common) because they have trouble understanding the words they read.  They can use this to engage in three different ways  They can just listen to what is being read.  They can read along with what is being read.  They can read and listen at the same time.  Audio books can also benefit the whole classroom. It can be an engaging activity to listen to a story and would be great for students who are auditory readers but do not have a learning disability.

Learning Ally Audio Plus is the brand of the device used by the schools in the neighborhood I work for. This product has a website that has extensive videos and information for parents, teachers and students on how to use the product. Learning Ally also has an app that can be used on phones and tablets for the student’s use at home. This link is for a video of people talking about how this program has helped them.

Illinois Assistive Technology Program  The Chicago public Schools receive funding for assistive technology through different programs, one being the Ilinois Assistive Technology Program.  This program is funded under the Assistive Technology Act of  It was created to provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity environment in school, work and community living.  This program provides:  At Demonstrations  AT State Funding  AT Reutilization  Training & Technical Assistance

Other Programs That Help Fund AT  ABLEDATA   The Alliance for Technology Access   Computer Banc   Family Center on Technology and Disability   These are just a few of the programs that will help funding with Assistive Technology.

How are Technology Devices Maintained?  Technology devices are kept in the classroom locked in a cabinet. They are used when needed. For example the audio reader is taken out during reading activities or any activity that it is required for.  There is a person in each school who is in charge of the AT devices and if they malfunction they will take care of the problem to get it fixed.  In case of instances such as these the schools try to have an extra device stored away so the child will not be missing out, some devices may be too costly for that but it has not been a problem yet.

My Findings…  I was unable to visit the school and completed my interview over the phone during my lunch break so it felt rushed. I would have gained more information had I been able to visit the school.  I would have liked to observe the class using the audio reader, or even any other AT devices that are used in the school.  I would recommend that the school find other AT devices that can also help students with learning disabilities since it was stated that there are quite a few students in the school with specific learning disabilities, and I don’t think an audio reader can help with all learning disabilities.  The good part of the information I received was that I was able to research the actual program (Learning Ally) and learn a bit more about it. I learned that there is also a Learning Ally app that can be used on phone and tablets. I would recommend that the school refers this program to parents so the child can have the same benefits at home as they do at school.

Using what I have learned…  I have learned that there are numerous types of learning disabilities and not just one category. If I hear a child has a learning disability I will be able to ask which one.  When asking people about assistive technology it was hard because everybody I asked did not know what Assistive technology was. I would like to make more early childhood educators aware of assistive technology and the benefits it has on students. I could not believe that anyone I asked from my job did not know what it was.  I have also learned that research is key when it comes to AT. You can be recommended to a product but you have to research because there are different brands of products, with different prices just like anything you may buy. I realized this when researching Learning Ally and seeing all the other brands of Audio Readers that are available.

References  Learning Ally Website.  Illinois Assistive Technology Program.