1. Working with Students with Special Needs
Assistive Technology and Instructional Practices for Special Needs
Students
Presented By: E. Goode

2. Students with special needs
A student with special needs is a student who has a hard time learning and/or
functioning in the classroom environment due to some type of disability or disorder
such as:
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learning disabilities
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
emotional disorders
cognitive challenges
autism
hearing impairment
visual impairment
speech or language impairment
developmental delay
Source:
KidsHealth from Nemours
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html

3. Who I work with?
 In my math classes, I have three students that have been diagnosed with
ADHD, one with an auditory disability who requires a special device in
order to hear. I also have a few students that have mild learning
disabilities that impact all of their academic areas but especially in
reading and writing.

4. How can the students be helped?
 There are several different assistive technologies (“any item, piece of
equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (Cennamo, Ross,
Ertmer, 2010) and instructional practices that are helpful for these
students. I will discuss some of the different resources available for the
students.

5. Students with ADHD
Assistive Technology for Mathematics
 Electronic math worksheet software
 Talking calculators
These software packages allow students to
organize their work and complete their
problems on a computer. The information on
the screen can be read aloud for the students.
These calculators actually speak the
numbers, operation, and/or symbol that
the student presses and the answer.
Resource: MathTalk.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded
&v=_Y4nydxCVyw
Source: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/6585.html

6. Students with ADHD
Instructional Practices for Mathematics
 “Magic minute” drills
Students perform fast (One minute) drill
every day to practice their basic math
facts. It is also important that the students
track their performance from day to day.
 Real-life examples of word problems
Students can create their own word problems
that will provide practice on specific math
skills. Students may be link the problems
to their real life.
• Guiding questions for word
problems
Students with ADHD need to be
asked guiding questions when
solving some word problems.
Some of those questions are:
 What is the question asked in the
problem?
 What information do you need to
figure out the answer?
 What operation should you use to
compute the answer?
Source: http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/adhd/adhd-teaching-2006.pdf

7. Students with Auditory Disabilities
Assistive Technology for Mathematics
 Sign language for the classroom
 Speech to Text Software
Some students need information to be signed to
them. There are special signs that are needed
for mathematics for students and technologies
that help educators with that accommodation.
There is technology that allows teacher
speech to be translated into text for
students with auditory disabilities.
Resource: http://www.needsoutreach.org/
Resource:
http://icommunicator.com/productinfo
/index.html
Source: http://thejournal.com/Articles/2008/06/26/Students-with-Disabilities-Software-and-Learning-Support-for-MathPart-2.aspx?Page=4

8. Students with Auditory Disabilities
Instructional Practices for Mathematics
 Use Hands-on Materials to Improve
• Provide Step-by-Step Models of
The use of manipulatives that the students are
familiar with allows them to practice basic
skills. Students can use flash cards or online
software to practice concepts repetitively.
Students with auditory disabilities can
benefit from having problems broken
down with clear and precise step-bystep models that allow students to
understand the methods.
Students Math Comprehension
Problem Solving
Source: http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/instructionalmaterials/tp/langprocessing.htm

9. Students with Mild Learning Disabilities
Weakness of Reading and Writing
Assistive Technology and Instructional Practices
 Graphic Organizers &
Outlining Programs
Example: Inspiration Software
http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration
In order to help students with their
writing skills, graphic organizers
and outlining helps students to
organize and outline their
information. Students are able to
place their information and the
program helps them to organize
and structure the information.
Source: http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-for-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gs

10. Students with Mild Learning Disabilities
Weakness of Reading and Writing
Assistive Technology and Instructional Practices
 Audible Text
For help with reading, audible text (printed text
in an auditory form) allows students to read
along with the auditory form.
Source: http://www.daddcec.org/Portals/0/CEC/Autism_Disabilities/Research/Publications/Education_Training_Development_Disabilities/2005v40_Journals/ETDD_200509v40n3p320331_Assistive_Technology_Students_With_Mild_Disabilities_Whats_Cool.pdf

11. Students with Mild Learning Disabilities
Weakness of Reading and Writing
Assistive Technology and Instructional Practices
 Note taking
Example
Students that have difficulties with reading
comprehension and writing would probably
benefit from a note taking guide in which
students fill in some of the information.
Teachers create the guides, print, and give
them to the students prior to the lesson
being taught.
Source: https://www.teachervision.com/assistive-technology/teaching-methods/3791.html

12. Conclusion
 This brief overview only scratches the surface of all of the assistive
technology and instructional practices that are available for students
with special needs. It is important that supports are chosen for each
student based on their individual needs.

13. Thank you for your attention.
Good luck in your quest to serve your students by selecting instructional practices and assistive
technology that suits their individual needs.