A Brief Look into Assistive Technology

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A Brief Look intoAssistive Technology

• AT Tools for Reading, Writing and Math

Hosted by
Created by South River AT Center
Facilitators Sharon Edwards Kristie Stapler
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Louisiana Assistive Technology Initiative (LATI)

• Louisiana Assistive Technology Initiative
  Regional Centers provide the following FREE
  services.
• Professional Development - LATI provides in-depth
  training on specific areas of AT are designed for
  newcomers as well as experienced professionals
  looking to expand their perspective of AT. 
• AT Assessment Assistance - LATI assists the
  school systems staff in conducting AT
  assessments through job-embedded coaching and
  training.
• Consultations - LATI provides consultative
  services to address AT issues on individual
  students or address general classroom AT needs.
• Technical Assistance - LATI provides technical
  assistance to school systems to address
  difficulties with AT devices, hardware, and
  software. 
• Short-Term Equipment Loans - LATI provides a FREE
  short-term loan program to assist school systems
  in conducting AT assessments and/or recommending
  assistive technology for students.

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Assistive Technology Device

• An assistive technology device is any item, piece
  of equipment, or product system, acquired
  commercially off the shelf, modified, or
  customized, that is used to increase, maintain or
  improve functional capabilities of individuals
  with disabilities.
• Assistive Technology encompasses a broad range of
  devices from very simple (low tech) to very
  sophisticated (high tech).
• (IDEA, 20 U.S.C. Chapter 33, Sect. 1401)

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Consideration

• The IEP team shall.
• Consider whether the child requires assistive
  technology devices and services.. IDEA 97
  300.346 (a)(2)(v)
• Consideration should be given for every student
  with a disability who is eligible for an IEP..
  Bulletin 1508

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AT Fosters Inclusion

• AT helps students who have disabilities learn the
  material in a way that they can understand it
• AT helps eliminate barriers students may face
  that prevent them from being at the same level as
  their classmates
• AT must be used everyday so the student can
  become a proficient user

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AT Needs May Change

• As a students schoolwork gets more advanced,
  their technology needs may change or increase
• New technology may become available that will
  better meet the needs of the student
• As a students disability may change so must the
  technology to meet their needs

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Why Do We Use AT?
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Compensatory vs Remedial Approaches

• A compensatory approach might be when a student
  listens to a digital version of the book for
  English class to answer questions about it, with
  the goal of bypassing a reading problem, not of
  learning how to read.
• A remedial approach would be if the student
  listens to the book or has a computer reading a
  scanned or digital version of the book while
  following along with the text and trying to learn
  unfamiliar words designed to improve areas of
  deficiency.

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Compensatory vs Remedial Approaches

• Using only the remedial approach can lead to
  burnout.
• Discouraged students benefit more from immediate
  solutions to particular problems.
• For example, it may be best to give up the goal
  of learning to spell, in favor of using a spell
  check, so that a student can focus on getting
  thoughts on paper and not mechanical details that
  can become overwhelming barriers to
  self-expression.

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What to do BEFORE choosing a Tool?
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SETT Framework

• The SETT Framework is an organizational tool to
  help teams create systems that foster the
  educational success of students with
  disabilities.
• In order to develop an appropriate system of
  assistive technology devices and services, teams
  must first gather information about the STUDENT,
  the customary ENVIRONMENT, and TASKS that are
  required for the students to be successful active
  participants.

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SETT Framework

• Student
• What is the functional area(s) of concern? What
  does the student need to be able to do that is
  difficult or impossible to do independently at
  this time?
• Special needs
• Current abilities
• Environment
• Arrangement, Support, Materials and Equipment,
  Access Issues, Attitudes and Expectations.
• Tasks
• What SPECIFIC tasks occur in the students
  natural environments that enables progress toward
  mastery of IEP goals and objectives?
• What SPECIFIC tasks are required for active
  involvement in identified environments? (related
  to communication, instruction, participation,
  productivity,
  environmental control)

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Types of Reading Difficulties

• Struggling readers often have difficulty in one
  or more of the following areas
• Phonemic awareness - ability to focus on and
  manipulate phonemes in spoken words.
• Phonics - ability to associate sounds with
  letters and use these sounds to form words.
• Vocabulary - identifying the meanings of words
  and using those words appropriately within
  context.
• Comprehension - complex cognitive process
  involving the intentional interaction between
  reader and text to convey meaning.
• Fluency - Fluency is the effortless, automatic
  ability to read words in connected text.

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Types of Writing Difficulties

• Struggling writers often have difficulty in one
  or more of the following areas
• Handwriting
• Writing process
• Conventions of writing
• To provide appropriate supports, we must
  determine the types of difficulties the student
  is experiencing

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Success in Math

• Students need to be able to
• Read
• Write
• Draw
• Compute
• Compare
• Measure
• Problem solve
• Understand time

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Types of Math Difficulties

• Persons experiencing difficulty with math may
  have problems in one or more of the following
  areas
• Calculation
• Visual-spatial skills
• Organization
• Problem Solving
• To provide appropriate supports, we must
  determine the types of difficulties the student
  is experiencing.

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Now We Can Look at the Tools

• Tools include devices, services, and strategies
• Analyze the information gathered on the Student,
  Environment, and the Tasks
• Is it expected that the student will not be able
  to make reasonable progress towards educational
  goals with out AT devices and services?
• If yes, describe what a useful system of AT
  devices and services for the student would be
  like.
• Brainstorm Tools that could be included in a
  system that addresses student needs.
• Select the most promising Tools for trials in the
  natural environments.
• Plan the specifics of the trial (expected
  changes, when/how tools will be used, cues, etc.)
• Collect data on effectiveness.

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AT Tools for Reading

• Page Up
• Page Fluffers
• Reading Filters
• Word Identification Aids
• Bookshare - www.bookshare.org
• Word Talk - www.wordtalk.org.uk
• PowerTalk - www.oatsoft.org
• SymWriter - www.widgit.com
• Kurzweil

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AT Tools for Writing

• Slant Board with Dry Erase
• Letter Tiles
• Specialized Pens / Pencils
• Special Paper
• Voice Recorder
• Live Scribe
• CoWriter
• Speech Recognition

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AT Tools for Math

• Manipulatives
• Reference/Study Guides
• Step Pad
• Calculators
• Adapted Rulers
• Math Processing Software
• National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
  http//nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/

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Apps

• Communication
• SymbolSupport
• Sounding Board
• Reading
• ClaroPDF
• ClaroSpeak
• Writing
• CoWriter
• Dragon Dictation
• Math
• MyScript Calculator
• Baseball Math

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Determining The Optimal Tool(s)

• Student abilities and needs
• Required tasks / job
• Available supports

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Benefits of AT

• Productivity
• Independence
• Achievement

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Things to Remember

• Technology is no substitute for good instruction
• Technology should be used in conjunction with
  other available supports
• Technology used should be monitored and changes
  made as needed

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South River AT Center
Sharon Edwards
sharon.edwards_at_apsb.org Kristie
Stapler kristie.stapler_at_apsb.org

• 611 North Burnside Avenue
• Gonzales, LA 70737
• [phone] or 7279
• www.lati3.com
• Hours of Operation 730 300 M-F

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Questions Answers