1. ATHS 621 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND OUTCOME MEASURES May 17, 2011
Susan Cullen
Program Manager
Universal Design Center
Campus Assistive Technology Coordinator
Part-Time Faculty
Department of Special Education
Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services

2. Course Overview
This course emphasizes the assistive technology assessment process with a focus on the end user. The course further focuses on the processes of assessing the strengths and needs of each individual, their environment, assistive technology options, training needs, affordability, and determining obstacles that might prevent adoption or lead to user abandonment. Lastly, the course emphasizes establishing and assessing outcomes.

3. General Types of High Tech Assistive Technology
Input
Voice Activated Control (Speech to Text)
Physical Input Devices: trackballs, mouth sticks, head wands, Keyboards
Scanning Software
Output
Text to Speech
Screen Reader Software
Screen Enlargers
Captioning for the spoken word
Descriptive Audio
Assistive Technology Resource: Ability Hub
Organizational Software Tools
– Flow charts
– Brainstorming
– Story boards

4. Low Tech Types of Assistive Technology
Low Tech Solutions
Pencil Grips
Color Overlays
Tape text read out loud
Paper cut outs

5. What are some of the Challenges?
1. To understanding an individual’s different abilities and the functional impact of their strengths and weaknesses.
2. To understand the individual learning style.
3. Evaluation of the whole person, including how they relate to technology, people, and the world around them.
4. Avoid the temptation to apply familiar or popular technology solutions in a classroom setting without analysis of the impact on the individual.

6. Hierarchy of Experience
Conceptualization
5) Abstraction of ideas, generalization, abstract problem solving categorical reasoning
Symbolization
4) Ability to represent experience through language either verbally or nonverbally
3) Comprehensive frame of reference for information and the sequence and storing of it
Imagery/memory
2) Ability to differentiate between stimuli via the sensory channels and for the brain to give stimuli meaning
Perception
Sensation
1) Activation of sensorineural structures
Johnson, D.J. & Myklebust, H.R. Learning Disabilities, Grune & Stratton, New York, 1967

7. A Simple Example I understand it comes from the fruit family
I can ask for an apple verbally or with symbols.
I know and remember I have seen it before.
I know it is different from other things.
I see the apple. I can touch it.

8. Hierarchy of Experience
Conceptualization
I understand it comes from the fruit family
Symbolization
I can ask for an apple verbally or with symbols.
Imagery/memory
I know and remember I have seen it before.
Perception
I know it is different from other things.
Sensation
I see the apple. I can touch it.

9. Finding your way through the maze of technology.
Outcomes
Finding your way through the maze of technology.
Colorful balls travel through a maze. One ball makes it through with no problems. The second ball gets stuck along the way, the last ball crosses over the established pathways - thus finding their own creative solution.
Individual

10. Understanding Differences
How may one perceive
sounds if auditory processing is a weakness?
the written word if visual processing is a weakness?
the visual world if vision is limited?
visual instructions if he or she processes their visual world differently when compared to the average person?

11. Sensation Definition: Activation of sensorineural structures
Difficulties with:
smell
touch
hearing
vision
fine motor function
gross motor function
eye hand coordination

12. A.T. at the level of Sensation
Hearing: Assistive Listening Devices, Hearing Aids, Text rather than auditory information, Sign Language, Visual Signaling Devices
Vision: Magnification of text (a good starting size is 18 font) Screen Readers, Braille, Auditory Signaling Devices, Auditory rather than visual information, Verbal description of visuals
Motor Deficits: Large buttons, Track Ball, Pen Grips, Voice Activated Computing

13. Perception
Definition: Ability to differentiate between stimuli via the sensory channels and for the brain to give stimuli meaning
Difficulties may be in any of the following areas:
Visual
Auditory
Tactile
Directionality/Kinetic Perception/Haptic Processing

14. Visual Perception Deficits (understanding what you see)
distinguishing differences between things
distinguish visual details
filling in missing parts in pictures
distinguish general characteristics
visual-motor perception (i.e. click on right side)
What might signal trouble in this area?

15. A.T. at the level of Visual Perception
Text to Speech
High contrast Color
Magnification of Text
Speech to Text
Tactical References
Touch Screens
Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome and Dyslexia Ta

16. Difficulties: Auditory Perception
distinguish differences between sounds/voices
distinguishing specific words or numbers
distinguish general sound patterns
blending parts of words together

17. A.T. at the level of Auditory Perception
Text to Speech
Assistive Listening Devices for attention deficits
Software that helps one learn the parts of speech
Software that helps one practice pronunciation
Captioning of spoken words
Visual signals for auditory signals Ta

18. Difficulties: knowing how to process what one touches or where ones body is in time and space (Directionality, Kinetic Perception, Haptic Processing)
Note Haptic Processing involves learning through touch, feel, and movement
Definitions of Haptic on the Web:
Pertaining to the sense of touch, from the Greek word haptein, to grasp. There are four types of sensory neurons (mechanoreceptors) involved in
or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch; "haptic data"; "a tactile reflex"
Haptic, from the Greek αφή (Haphe), means pertaining to the sense of touch. It is the earliest sense to develop in the fetus, and the development of infants' haptic senses, and how that relates to the development of the other senses such as vision, has been the target of much research. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic

19. Haptics refers to the sense of touch (from Greek ἅπτω = "I fasten onto, I touch").
It may refer to:
Haptic technology, technology that interfaces with the user through the sense of touch
Haptic communication, the means by which people and other animals communicate via touching
Haptic perception, the process of recognizing objects through touch