Kristi P. Kirkland Georgia Southern University ITEC 7530

The National Center for Learning Disabilities had identified general steps in the special education process. They include:  Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.  Child is evaluated.  Eligibility is decided.  Child is found eligible for services.  IEP meeting is scheduled.  IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.  Services are provided.  Progress is measured and reported to parents.  IEP is reviewed.  Child is reevaluated.

For students identified with needing special education and related services, assistive technologies can “open doors and break down barriers … by increasing, maintaining, or improving the capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (LD Online, 2014).

The passage of the updated Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) allows for parents to work with educators to develop a plan called an Individualized Education Program (IEP) designed to meet the child’s unique needs. (Concord SEPAC, 2014)

 The student's disability (ies),  A statement vision statement of the student's long term goal (1 - 5 years in future).  Describe how the student's disability (ies) effects their progress in the classroom.  Short term goals, based upon the child's own learning strengths and weaknesses, ◦ How the child's progress towards these goals will be measure and how will the goals be evaluated  Accommodations and modifications  For students with behavior or emotional issues that interfere with their learning, the IEP should contain a program designed to teach the student behavior and social skills.  Summer services  Transports needs  Last, type of placement.

Kids struggling in school may qualify for support services, allowing them to be taught in a special way, for reasons such as:  learning disabilities  attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)  emotional disorders  cognitive challenges  autism  hearing impairment  visual impairment  speech or language impairment  developmental delay Source:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) defines an assistive technology as “any item, piece of equipment or product system… that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” Assistive Technology Services are defined as “any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition or use of an assistive technology device.”

 Computer  Laptop  Ipad  AAC Devices  Adjustable Furniture  Adaptive Keyboards  Walking Assistance ◦ Grab Bars ◦ Ramps  Environmental controls  Communication boards  Software ◦ Text to Speech ◦ Voice Recognition ◦ Magnification ◦ Screen reading

Students with hearing impairments have special difficulty in situations where –  There is distance between the sound source and the student  There is competing noise in the environment  There is poor room acoustics/reverberations Hearing Assistive Technology devices (HATS) can help students overcome these listening difficulties.

 Personal Frequency Modulation Systems - Personal FM system consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker (such as the teacher in the classroom, or the speaker at a lecture) and a receiver used by the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to the listeners ears or, if they wear a hearing aid, directly to the hearing aid.  Infrared Systems – Used in the home with TV sets, sound from the TV is transmitted using infrared light waves. This sound is transmitted to your receiver, which you can adjust to your desired volume.  One-to-One Communicators – A person with whom you want to speak is given a microphone which amplifies the sound and is delivered directly to the hearing aid.

 Pictures, photographs, objects  Communication boards  Phonic ear  Headphones (to keep the listener focused, adjust sound, etc.)  TDD/TTY for phone service  Closed-captioning television  Real-time captioning  CD-based (text)books, electronic books  Audio-voice amplification device for teachers

 Low-Tech Solutions  Flow-charting  Webbing  Task Analysis  Outlining  High-Tech Solutions  Graphic Software  Computers and PDAs  LCD Projection Systems

Assistive devices that do not require technology are called “no-tech” devices. Examples of no-tech devices can include:  Written schedule  Post-it notes  Social Stories  Copies of structured outlines in which students fill in information

Assistive technologies can be used for students with ADHD to perform tasks that have been difficult to initiate, complete, or even remember to get do. Examples include:  PDA's - calendars, timers, reminder messages  Invisible Clock - Reminder Timers  Noise Cancelling Ear Phones/Ear Plugs  Talking Computer Keyboards  Alarm Talking Watches  Digital Talking Calculators  Children's talking calculators

 General Comprehensive Resource Lists –  Assistive Technology Consideration Resource Guide F6D3B6B31946FD0F5CB73AF AD79C7D16213A3A250&Type=D F6D3B6B31946FD0F5CB73AF AD79C7D16213A3A250&Type=D  IEPs and Beyond -  Special Needs: Teacher Resources - resources/6640.htmlhttps:// resources/6640.html  Journals  Journal of Research in Special Education Needs -  Journal of Special Education Technology -  The Journal: Transforming Education through Technology -  Organizations/Associations  Center for Applied Special Technology -  The Family Center on Technology and Disability -  The National Assistive Technology Research Institute -  National Association of Special Education Teachers -  National Center for Learning Disabilities -  SERGE - Special Education Resources for General Educators -  Websites  Georgia Project for Assistive Technology - Technology/Pages/default.aspx

ADHD Brain. (2012). Assistive Technology for ADHD. Retrieved from technology-for-adhd.htmlhttp:// technology-for-adhd.html American Speech Language Hearing Association. (2014). Hearing Assistive Technology. Retrieved from Assistive Technology for Education, LLC. (n.d.) Examples of Assistive Technology. Retrieved from Behrmann, M. & Jerome, M.K. (2008). Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from Concord SEPAC (2014). What is an IEP? Retrieved from Kid’s Health. (2014). Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Retrieved from Georgia Department of Education. (n.d.). Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. Retrieved from LD Online. (2010). Technology. Retrieved from National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2014) What is an IEP? Retrieved from disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iephttp:// disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d.). Assistive Technology to Meet K–12 Student Needs. Retrieved from