2. Assistive Technology – What is
it?
Assistive Technology is often abbreviated as
AT
Helps individuals with disabilities (cognitive
problems to physical impairment)
Finds their strengths that will help them work
around or compensate their disability
Helps individuals to become more
independent
3. Law on Assistive Technology
“The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) requires public
schools to make available to all eligible
children with disabilities a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) in
the least restrictive environment
appropriate to their individual needs.”
(FCTD, 2014)
4. Law on Assistive Technology
Every child that receives assistive technology (AT)
must have an Individualized Education Program
(IEP)
The IEP must describe in detail the AT that will be
used and how it will be used in school or
classroom
The IEP team preforms an assessment process to
determine what AT services are needed
As long as a child has an IEP their AT services
need to be checked continually
It is the schools responsibility to buy, rent or lease
the AT equipment
Everyone using or assisting with the AT should be
trained
6. Hearing Impaired
The personal frequency modulation (FM)
systems are similar to a small radio working off
of special frequencies. The speaker (classroom
teacher) has a transmitter microphone and the
listener (student) has a receiver (headset or a
hearing aid) which transmits the sound to their
ear. If the student is in a lecture hall the
transmitter can go through the rooms’ sound
system.
8. Seeing Impaired
The PAC Mate Omni is a specialized keyboard
that allows student to type their classroom notes.
The Omni has a mobile version of Microsoft
Windows to help meet the needs of all students.
There is a speech function that reads the text
they have typed aloud to ensure they have type
the correct material. There is also a Braille
display for the students to check what they have
typed. The Omni can be connected to a PC to
print on a standard printer, or onto an embosser
to print out the content in Braille.
10. Learning Disabled
The Livescribe allows students to capture
everything that they hear in class and everything
they write in their notes. It will capture the words
they write and even the diagrams they draw.
Once they are done taking notes they can
download everything to an iPad, phone, or
laptop through an app. This device lets student
hear the lecture as many times as they need and
pairs the diagram with the lecture. Once the
lecture is download they can slow down the
lecture to ensure they got everything they
needed.
12. Physically Disabled
The PageFlip has been used with musicians but
it is also used for students with physically
disabilities. The content of a textbook or novel
can be digitally downloaded to the students iPad
or laptop. The PageFlip is controlled by the
students foot. They must have the mobility of
their feet and with just a tap they can change
pages and keep up with their peers.
13. References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2014). FM
Systems. Retrieved from
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/FM-Systems
Blazie. (2011). PAC Mate. Retrieved from
http://www.blazie.co.uk/products/pacmate
Family Center on Technology and Disability. (2014). Assistive
Technology and the IEP. Retrieved from
http://www.fctd.info/resources/AT_IEP.php
Livescribe, Inc. (2014). How Smartpens Help Students with
Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
solutions/learningdisabilities
14. References
National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2014).
Assistive Technology. Retrieved from
http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-
education
PageFlip, Inc. (2014). PageFlip FireFly. Retrieved from
http://www.pageflip.com
Raskind, Ph.D, M.; Stanberry, K. (1999). Assistive
Technology for Kids with LD: An Overview. Retrieved
from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/
assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-
for-kids-with-learning-disbailities-an-overview.
gs
