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Individual Needs: Resources

Chase DavisITEC 7530

Georgia Southern University

Misconceptions

“I won’t be teaching students with special needs.” Many classrooms still have students at various levels of learning

capabilities

“Students with special needs will be in a different class.” No Child Left Behind act calls for these students to be assessed

alongside others.

“Assistive technologies are high-tech and abnormal items.”

Many typically technologies or items can be classified as assistive to various students.

Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J. D., & Ertmer, P. A. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA.

Assistive Technology

By definition: any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

Individual Educational Plans

A plan that is developed by a group of people, typically including professionals, the teacher, and parents that aims to focus on the specific educational needs of a student.

Important for students with special needs so the proper technologies and teaching approaches can be used.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html

Common Needs

Physical Needs – These needs may include stability to stand, sit, or walk. It could also include positioning of various items, technologies, or books.

Learning Needs – A learning need could include challenges like ADD, ADHD, Autism, etc.

Auditory/Visual Needs – Some students may be hard of hearing or seeing, complete deafness or vision, or normal need to see or hear based on normal situations.

Resources: ADHD

IEP – An IEP may be one of the best ways to provide for students who have ADHD. They may need special attention and various activities to supplement their learning.

Setting classroom rules, routines, and supervision can improve a student’s learning ability with ADHD.

Allowing students to move and play can also help students with ADHD to stay focused.

Offering students a supportive group will help their battle with ADHD.

Resources: Auditory

FM system – This is essentially a personal radio frequency. The speaker uses a microphone and the listener has a receiver.

Text subtitles and captioning – Televisions that have closed captioning would aid the hearing impaired. Subtitles for videos would help.

Projection Screens/SMARTboards – The ability to write on a board or use a SMART board will aid those who are hearing impaired.

Note takers – Having note takers for the hearing impaired will allow them to focus on listening to the speaker. http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/

assist_tech.htm

Resources: Visual

• Braille – Any use of braille will aid the visually impaired if they are familiar with it.

• Screen Magnifiers – The ability to magnify a projection screen or a computer screen.

• Text-to-speech – Any text-to-speech technologies will assist a visually impaired student.

• Eyeglasses/Contact – Some may need this simple technology to aid them.

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/education/at.html

Resources: Reading

Audio books - A resource for reading, but more for a visually impaired student.

Variable Speed Tape Recorders - This allows a reader or listener to speed up or slow down the speaker or words.

Computer based programs – Computer programs that enhance literacy, phonetics, or understanding.

Reading Pens – A pen that a student can use to scan words that will then be read allowed for the student to hear.

http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/948-reading-tools.gs

Resources: Writing

Computers/Keyboards – Can be used for students who are unable to write but can type. Various keyboards exist to aid students depending on situation.

Word processors – Used with computers can make writing more efficient for disabled students.

Speech Recognition – Recognition may allow students so speak words and commands to paper or type.

Word Prediction – Predicts words based on first few letters or sentence development, etc.

http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/960-writing-tools.gs

Key Phrases

Inclusion – a model used that emphasizes the need to accept a child and his or her disabilities. It does not utilize special classrooms or separate classrooms. Essentially, all students learn together.

Least Restrictive Environment – By law, a student who has a disability has the right to be educated with non-disabled students as highly appropriate as possible.

Inclusion

Inclusion may be a model that affects students with learning disabilities without technology.

By allowing students the same rights to learn with those without the disability, it may benefit them.

Students with ADD or ADHD may find inclusion to be beneficial, while being mandated.

Websites

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/education/at.html

http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/948-reading-tools.gs

http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~wilbur/access/assistive.html

http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm

http://www.synapseadaptive.com/edmark/prod/tw/default.htm

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm

http://www.gpat.org/resources.aspx?PageReq=GPATImp

Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J. D., & Ertmer, P. A. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA.