Assistive TechnologiesBy Amanda SeveranceA 34566147

Definition of Assistive TechnologyAssistive Technology is anything that makes it

easier for a student to: Turn things on Get dressed, eat, or bathe Read Write See Get around, or move Communicate Play

Basic Technologies Access Technologies:

Provide a way for disabled students to have better access to classroom teaching materials as part of the general curriculum.

Adapt tools or activities used by the general education students.

Can compensate for limitations for students with sensory, cognitive, and/or physical disabilities .

Helps to build a classroom that is a universal design for learning classroom.

Examples of Access Tech. Alternate Keyboards:

Changes how the software is used simplifying the typing actions

Learning is more direct for the disabled student

Page Turners (pictured right): Holds a book upright for the student Turns pages for student at the press of a button or on

voice command Helps student to focus on comprehension of the story

rather than how to balance the book

New UDL architectural practices: wider door frames, table desks, and lower counter tops all

to help the student get around the classroom easier.

Basic Technologies Cont. Adaptive Technologies

Help students to move about, communicate in, and control their environments in the classroom.

They are designed specifically for a students with disabilities. The devices would rarely be used by non-disabled students.

Many times these technologies are tailored to a specific student’s academic and/or social needs.

Examples of Adaptive Tech. Teletypewriter:

Helps deaf students/adults communicate using the phone.

Conversation can be completed even if receiver does not have a TTY device, through an operator system.

Dynavox (pictured at right): Portable communication

device for students to initiate and respond to conversation through selecting a sequence of picture symbols.

After the student selects a response, the computer "speaks" the pre-programmed message.

Assistive Technology and the Law IDEA

IDEA defines assistive technology as both a device and a service.

It is formally written as: Assistive Technology Device

Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customize, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability. Assistive Technology ServiceAny service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device (Assistive Technology Training Online Project, 2005).

Assistive Technology and the Law Continued: Schools are required under federal law to provide

assistive technologies to disabled students when it supports their receiving of a free and appropriate public education or FAPE.

To support the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms, all IEP's developed for children identified as needing special education services, must indicate that assistive technology has been considered to "to provide meaningful access to the general curriculum" (IDEA, 1997).

IDEA also indicates that assistive technology devices and services must be made available to a child with a disability if required as a part of the child’s special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services (Assistive Technology Training Online Project, 2005).

BibliographyAssistive Technology Training Online Project.

“Introduction to AT”. 2000-2005. Retrieved from: http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Foundation/intro/introATidea.php.

Department of Education. “IDEA ’97 The individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997”. 1997. Retrieved From: http://www2.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/Policy/IDEA/index.html.

About Me

My name is Mandy Severance and I am senior student at Michigan State University studying Special Education. I am from Holt, Michigan, which is a town just outside of Lansing. My hobbies are walking my dog Coota on Lansing’s Riverwalk, and taking him to the dog park to meet and play with other dogs. I also own a cat named Edwerd who likes teasing my dog. My other interests include reading books, hanging out with friends, and shopping. I have also danced for eighteen years of my life, and used to teach dance classes for three years. I know a lot about every kind of dance from Ballet, Pointe, HipHop, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Tap, and Theatre.