This document discusses assistive technology that can help students with various learning disabilities and challenges. It outlines different types of assistive technology including adapted books, amplification devices, computer software, and magnifiers. The document also notes that the school already has some assistive tools such as recorders, handicap accessible areas, and graphic organizers. It recommends collecting student data, having conferences to determine needed devices, and presenting to the school board to get approval and funding to order new assistive technologies over the summer.

1. Assistive Technology
for our
Unique Students
Ambernecia Warren
June 11, 2015

2. Who are our unique students?
Those that have:
O Learning disabilities
O Cognitive challenges
O Speech impairment
O Developmental delay
O ADHD
O Autism
O These students are have difficulties learning subjects during regular
teaching methods and achieving in the educational curriculum.

3. How can we help our students?
O Assistive Technology – devices that are used to help
people with disabilities.
O A.T. enables people to perform tasks that were
previously difficult to accomplish.

4. Types of Assistive Technology
O Many forms of A.T. that our unique students can benefit from:
- Adapted books
- Amplification devices
- Environmental Alert Systems
- Computer-based software applications
- Magnifiers
- Talking calculators
- Braille writers

5. O “Low” Technology: Visual support strategies that do not
involve electronic or battery operated device.
O “Mid” Technology: Devices that are battery operated or
may be “simple” devices.
O “High” Technology: Complex support strategies, usually
high cost equipment.
O These “strategies” are mostly gear towards students with
Autism, however, our other unique students can greatly benefit
from any type of device of either group.
Strategies

6. Do we have A.T. tools and devices already?
Yes!
O Recorders for students who can’t be in the classroom or need
more audio for personal use in order to learn.
O Handicap accessible areas.
O Magnifying tools.
O Ability to group like unique students together to better focus
and help each group appropriately.
O Graphic organizers.
O Incorporate these tools into teaching methods in addition to
the new devices.

7. When is A.T. used?
O When disability limits interaction with the environment and
interferes with experiential learning.
O When an individual’s performance falls behind that of his or her
peers.
O When a disability is impeding the independence of an individual.
O When a physical disability is impeding the educational/vocational
potential of an individual.

8. Where do we start?
O Collect data about our unique students.
O Have parent and student conferences to determine exactly the
type of devices are needed.
O Present this data to the BOE and encourage the members that
these tools are significant for our students.
O If approved, these devices/software will have to be ordered and
tested during summer months.

9. Sources