2. Overview The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted in 1975, mandates that children and youth ages 3–21 with disabilities be provided a free and appropriate public school education. Inclusion in the classroom is on the rise. In fall 2007, some 95 percent of 6- to 21-year-old students with disabilities were served in regular schools in the U.S. Students are placed in least restrictive environment when they have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled to the greatest extent appropriatedespite their disability.
14. Learning Disabilities NOTE TAKING A no technological approach would be for educators to provide outlines in which students fill in information. In turn the students won’t be so engulfed writing words, rather comprehending information being given. Technological approaches could include: Videotaping class sessions for visual learners or those who are unable to attend class for extended periods of time due to medical treatment sessions. * Translating print-based notes to voice by using optical character recognition (OCR) software with a voice synthesizer. * Using notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or portable word processing keyboards to help students with the mechanics of note taking.
15. Developmental and Physical Disabilities The TouchWindow is an interactive computer screen that uses a child’s natural instinct of wanting to reach out and touch what they see. Students can make selections, move objects, pull down menus and draw graphics, all with the touch of a finger. The TouchWindow is ideal for students who have trouble manipulating the mouse. It is recommended for students with developmental or physical disabilities.
22. References Access and Productivity Tools http://www.synapseadaptive.com/edmark/prod/tw/default.htm American Speech-Language-Hearing Association <http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm> Kids Health. Individualized Education Programs. http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=59 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2010). Digest of Education Statistics, 2009 (NCES 2010-013), Chapter 2. Wikipedia. Least Restrictive Environment. >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_Restrictive_Environment> Access and Productivity Tools http://www.synapseadaptive.com/edmark/prod/tw/default.htm