Slide show on adaptive and assistive

1. Assistive
Technologies
"For most of us, technology makes things easier.
For a person with a disability, it makes things possible."
Judy Heumann - Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education

2. Terms
• Impairment: an abnormality or loss of function in a physical, anatomical or
psychological structure.
• Disability: When a individual is limited in from performing an activity in a
normally expected manner.
• Handicap: When a person is unable to perform a role due to an
impairment or a disability. This is not a characteristic of the individual, but
the impact or the consequence of the disability or impairment.
• Assistive technology: extending the abilities of an individual in ways that
provide physical access (wheelchairs, braces, etc…) and sensory access
(Braille, closed captioning, etc…)
• Instructional technology: addresses special teaching and learning needs

3. Students with Cognitive Difficulties
A variety of disabilities can fall under the cognitive umbrella. They range from mild to severe and
are referred to as cognitive disabilities, developmental disabilities, or mental retardation. Mild
Cognitive Disabilities include learning disabilities, serious emotional disabilities, and mental
retardation.
Reading:
• Interactive storybooks will help students who are not reading at grade level. It allows the
student to be exposed to the information at their grade level without having to physically
read the text. http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/onlinestory.htm
• Reading Pens are tools specifically designed to improve reading skills. The pens scan text and
provide definitions and/or read the text aloud. This allows the reader the ability to read and
comprehend information. http://www.wizcomtech.com
Writing:
• Vlingo is a mobile application that allows you to speak and access a wide variety of content.
This is a great tool for students who are unable to write or find writing extremely difficult
would benefit from this application.
http://www.dragonmobileapps.com/?gclid=CNqnyai8grQCFSWoPAodoCQAzQ
• Neo Writer allows the student to type in a few letters and it offers word choices. This is great
for students who have a difficult time typing. http://www.neo-direct.com

4. Students with Physical Difficulties
Physical disabilities typically affect the student’s mobility and agility. This
could be fine and/or gross motor skills. It is also common to find a student
with physical disabilities have other disabilities as well.
Assistive Technologies:
• Joysticks are handles that move in all directions. They can serve as a
mouse and direct the movement of the cursor.
• Switches can be operated by the mouth, hands, head, or muscle
contraction. This allows a student who is unable to use particular parts of
the body access to a variety of things they would not otherwise be able to
operate.
• Environmental Control Units (ECU) are used to control TV, lights,
telephone, and bed. They can be mounted on a wheelchair, bed or a desk
and are activated by a scanning a person’s voice or using an external
switch. http://www.ablenetinc.com/Assistive-Technology

5. Students with Sensory Difficulties
Sensory difficulties are impairments typically involving hearing or vision loss.
Vision loss is categorized by those who are blind and those who are partially
sighted . Hearing loss is categorized by those who are deaf and those who have
some hearing.
Visually impaired:
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is soft ware that scans and translates
print into a word processed file, and speech synthesis.
http://www.irislink.com/c2-211-189/Readiris-14--OCR-Software--Scan--
Convert---Manage-your-Documents-.aspx?adwp=GGS-RI-
US&gclid=CJKPvdHIgrQCFcaiPAod5SEAXg
• 5Screen readers read the text on the screen.
http://www.enablemart.com/Microsoft/SuperNova-Screen-Reader
Hearing Impaired:
• FM amplification systems are listening devices that involve the teacher
wearing a wireless microphone and the student wearing receivers. The tool
amplifies the teachers voice for the student.
http://www.audioenhancement.com/

6. At-Risk Students
At-Risk Students are not considered disabled students. However their academic
performance mirrors those of students with disabilities. Many assistive
technologies have aided in helping these students.
• BrainPop games are an excellent resource to reach many learning modalities.
It can make learning much easier, fun and engaging for students. This is
meaningful learning for students and it encourages participation, fosters
creativity and interactive problem solving, strengthens critical and systems
thinking, poses adaptive challenges, sparks inquiry, and requires very little
prep for the teachers.
http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/games/
• AAC Software is a product developed by a bunch of people who believe good
teachers and assistive technology can help every student with a disability.
They service a wide variety of disabilities by providing text readers, word
predictions, accessible phonics, accessible libraries, talking word processors,
spelling and phonics activities, and screenshot readers.
http://www.donjohnston.com/

7. Gifted and Talented Students
“Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in
areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific
academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by
the school in order to fully develop those capabilities “(No Child Left Behind Act of
2001, Title IX, Part A, Section 9101(22); U.S. Department of Education, 2004).
• Geothentic “encourages learners to harness the powerful data-driven
affordances of the technology to make and justify decisions on contemporary
issues.” It provides learning in authentic settings and addresses technological,
pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) to domains of each module.
(http://lt.umn.edu/geothentic/)
• Alien Rescue is an online 3D problem-based immersive learning environment.
It provides and engaging and innovative learning experience. It is fun,
researched based, easy to deploy, and content rich. This will stretch and
challenge the gifted and talented students. http://alienrescue.edb.utexas.edu/

8. iPod Apps or Assistive Technology
iDevice Apps
• SoundingBoard 3.1 transforms your iPhone , iPod touch or iPad into the latest
in communication. You can create custom boards using symbols, and photos.
This is great for children in Special Education programs, autistic children,
and/or adults with disabilities.
• E-i-e-i-o! And Peanut Butter are books in a series of interactive play books for
children with disabilities. These interactive activities increase attention, they
are fun and engaging, they motivate and help with an alternative form of
communication. This is great for cognitive and physical disabilities, autism,
visually impaired students and other disabilities too.
• Train Tracker works with iPad switch interfaces. Set your train on its track. Use
this device to track layouts.
• New Age Kurling is a game for 2 players. You use your screen to choose your
direction and speed of your kurl by touching the screen and pressing switches.
This is great for developing switch skills, hand eye coordination and strategy
skills.