There
are clearly many uses for technology. For many teens, it’s communication with
friends and being on the internet. For some people, it can help them do many
things that they normally would not be able to do because of a disability. Assistive
technology is really helping students with disabilities keep up in the
classroom. I have recently encountered a young boy who is autistic. He is
nonverbal and has a difficult time expresses his needs. Recently, his school
has been training him with a switch board communicator. With this, he can click
buttons to express needs he has. He was taught which button goes to what and he
can things like good morning or I’m hungry. IDEA defines assistive technology
as a device that can improve the functionality of a student with a disability. Assistive
technology can be small things like large print books for students who have
vision impairments to a computer with a speech output. It is amazing the things
technology can give to students who have impairments. For children with
communication skills they have text-to-voice software, which I thought was
really cool. People that have difficulty with hearing have hearing aids and
teachers can use microphones to make certain they can hear what is going on in
class. Technology can not only be used in the lesson to enhance students’
experiences, but it can also be used to enhance the learning of a student with
a disability.
http://www.alvinisd.net/cms/lib03/TX01001897/Centricity/Domain/292/AT.jpg
I agree that assistive technology is really helpful, especially for students who have a disability. This summer I worked at a camp for kids with autism, and most of them were nonverbal and we had to encourage them to use words. A kid I worked with, who was non-verbal had that switchboard that you were talking about. It was very helpful to understand him that way because it let us know what his needs were, like having to go to the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteCarly,
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a blog on assistive technology as well, specifically, the Ipad! Having an austic nephew,I know first had how useful assistive technologies can be in terms of learning and communication. I really do think that assistive technologies are truly invaluable to not only autistic children, but to any student with a disability. As you stated, assistive technology can be as simple as making text appear larger for a student with a visual impairment. Prior to the advent of technology like this, students were limited in the resources they had to help them function better in the classroom. However, assistive technology opens a whole new realm of possibilities for students with disabilities! I am definitely hoping that Ipads become a standard learning tool in the classroom. Though they are of course not without their pitfalls, I think that if utilized effectively, Ipads can really help a student.
Carly,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog on assistive technology. I know many students in my high school that require some form of assistive technology due to some cognitive impairment. Sadly, many of the students who need these form of technologies are unable to receive them due to budget deficits in the school system. Hopefully administrators can find some way to allocate money to invest in more assistive technology. Great Job!