Assistive Technology for the Classroom Presentation by Christina Golden

Assistive Technology for the Classroom This presentation will address assistive technology can that can aid students in reaching their desired learning outcomes for each of the following disabilities:  Hearing impaired  Visually impaired  Learning disabilities  Physically disabled

What is Assistive Technology?  Assistive Technology is defined as “any device or service that helps a student with a disability to meet his or her individualized education program (IEP) goals and to participate in the general education setting to the greatest possible extent. More simply, AT improves the functional performance of an individual with a disability. (The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements, 2010)”  Schools must provide assistive technology services and devices for each student based on the disabilities listed in their IEP.

What does the law say about Assistive Technology?  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lays out the fine details for providing assistive technology to students.  “IDEA states that school districts must consider assistive technology for any child in special education. That means that for any child receiving special education services, the educational team must ask if there is a device that will “increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities” of that child. (PBS, )”  The school’s IEP team must work with the teachers and parents to arrange for assistive technologies.  More details and resources on IDEA can be found at

Assistive Technology for Students who are Hearing Impaired  FM systems are the most commonly used device for students with hearing loss. Source:

Additional Assistive Technology Resources for Hearing Impaired Students  Two other important assistive technology resources for hearing impaired students are live closed captioning and closed captioning.  Live closed captioning: This involves using a device that allows the teacher to speak into the microphone and the text is inputted onto the screen for the student.  Closed captioning: Most audio and video resources provide closed captioning. If not, they may provide a transcript.

Assistive Technology for Students who are Visually Impaired  Many resources for visually impaired students include magnifying glass, enlarged font, books on tape, talking calculators, screen readers, a slate and stylus, and a braille writer.  For a visually impaired student wanting to take notes in class, they may find it practical to use a braille writer. This is a portable device that the student can use to type as the teacher talks.

Additional Assistive Technology Resources for Visually Impaired Students  A few great programs and devices for visually impaired students are:  JAWS Screen Reader – Translates the text on the screen into audio  ZoomText – Magnifies the text on a screen  Sapphire – A handheld magnifier  Digital Book Readers – Kindle, iPad, etc.

Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities  There are various types of learning disabilities. This could range from trouble with reading to communication to math skills.  A useful software tool for students with writing disabilities may be word prediction software programs such as SpeakQ, WordQ, and TextHelp. Source:

Additional Assistive Technology Resources for Students with Learning Disabilities Researchers Marshall Raskind, Ph.D. and Kristin Stanberry suggest asking the following questions when determining which Assistive Technology resources would most benefit your child:  “What are her specific needs and challenges? In what academic skill areas does she struggle?  What are her strengths? AT should utilize your child's abilities to help compensate for her disability.  What is her interest, skill and experience in using technology? In what settings and situations will she use the AT tool? AT can help a child with LD function better at school as well as in other settings such as home, work, social gatherings and recreational events. (Raskind, Ph.D & Stanberry, 2010)”

Assistive Technology for Students with Physical Disabilities  Assistive technologies for students with physical disabilities will vary depending on their particular disability.  “For students with physical mobility, stability, motor coordination, and range of motion challenges, several technologies are available to assist them in completing their schoolwork, including audio books for students who cannot physically handle books; keyboard adapters such as key guards to prevent mistyping from tremors or loss of control; voice recognition software for students who cannot type. (Pinantoan, 2012) ”

Assistive Technology Tools for Students with Physical Disabilities Source: keyboard/keyboard_easy/solutions/alt- keyboard.shtml: keyboard/keyboard_easy/solutions/alt- keyboard.shtml Key Guard Speech-to-Text Devices Source: Page Turners Source:

References  AtArizona. (2014). Hands-free Navigation and Speech Recognition. Retrieved from Assistive Technology in Arizona:  BBC. (2014). Alternative Keyboards. Retrieved from BBC: oard_easy/solutions/alt-keyboard.shtml  Freedom Scientific. (n.d.). Low Vision Solutions. Retrieved from Freedom Scientific:  GoQ Software. (n.d.). Resources. Retrieved from GoQ Software:  Hearing Institute Atlantic. (n.d.). FM Systems. Retrieved from Hearing Institute Atlantic: systems-part-3/  North Coast Medical and Rehabilitation Products. (2014). Assistive Devices: Reading and Writing. Retrieved from

References  PBS. ( ). Education - Assistive Technology. Retrieved from PBS Parents: disabilities/strategies-for-learning-disabilities/assistive- technology/  Pinantoan, A. (2012, December 18). The Role Of Assistive Technology In Supporting Disabled Learners. Retrieved from assitive-technology-in-supporting-disabled-learners/  Raskind, Ph.D, M., & Stanberry, K. (2010, February). Assistive technology for kids with LD: An overview. Retrieved from Great!Schools: education/assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-for- kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gshttp://  The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2010). Assistive Technology: An Overview. Retrieved from The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements: