This presentation provides information on assistive technology and how it is implemented in a school based setting.

1. What is Assistive Technology?
“Any item, piece of equipment, or product
system, whether acquired commercially off the
shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to
increase , maintain, or improve functional
capabilities of a child with a disability”
(IDEA,2004)
Picture of 4 colored switches
Picture of colored pencil grips

2. Assistive Technology can be:
Low technology: products that are low cost,
usually off the shelf, simple to use, and can be
“homemade”
Picture of large button calculator
Picture of colored key cover for keyboard
Picture of colored overlays for reading

3. Examples of Low Tech
• Pencil grips
• Slant boards
• Graph paper for math
• Large button calculator
• Colored overlays for reading
• Key covers for keyboards
• Key guards for keyboards
• Foot stool

4. Assistive Technology can be:
• High technology- products that are moderately
to high in price that assist in gaining access
Picture of computer, smart phone, and tablet
Picture of AAC device
Picture of a motorized wheelchair

5. Examples of High Tech
• Computer systems
• AAC augmentative and alternative
communication devices
• Electric wheelchairs
• Alternative switch access
• Text to speech and speech to text
• Screen readers and screen magnifiers
• Portable keyboards

6. How is AT used in Education?
• Provides students with access to curriculum
• Provides students with an opportunity to
participate
• Provides students with communication
• Provides with independence
• Provides students with experiences and
exposure
• Provides students with a level playing field

7. Who uses AT in education?
• Blind and visually impaired
• Physically disabled
• Students with communication disorders
• Developmentally disabled
• Deaf and hearing impaired
• Learning disabled
Picture of tree with AT devices on braches

8. Blind and Visually Impaired
Examples of technology:
•Screen readers
•Screen magnifiers
•Talking calculators
•Braille displays
•Braille printers
•Electric braille note takers
Picture of a Braille note taker
Picture of Braille printer

9. Physically Disabled
Examples of technology:
•Computer access
•Motorized wheelchair
•Aides/devices used during Activities of Daily
Living
•Communication tools
Picture of dressing stick
Picture of student using mouth stick

10. Developmentally Disabled
Examples of technology:
•Computer and tablet computers
•Word prediction
•Text to speech
•Computer access devices
•AAC device
•Daily living aids
Picture of ipad with apps flying out
Picture of modified shoe laces

11. Communication Disorders
Examples of technology:
•Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC)
•Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS)
•Communication boards
Picture of PECS symbols
Picture of an AAC device

12. Deaf and hearing impaired
Examples:
•Hearing aides
•FM systems
•Captioning
Picture of hearing aids
Picture of notes written on white board

13. Learning Disabled
Examples:
•Colored overlays
•Portable keyboards
•Spell checkers
•Text to speech
•Speech to text
•Word prediction
Picture of spell checker
Picture of portable keyboard

14. How Assistive Technology Works
• 18 year old Lifeskills student
• Requires assistance with many ADL skills,
including tying shoes
• Many years of instruction/student struggled
for independence
• Low tech solution: colored tape on shoe
laces

15. Colored tape on shoe laces
Picture of student tying shoes with colored tape

16. Success
Student is independent with ADL skills
with use of low tech assistive
technology

17. High Tech Solution
Student profile:
•18 year old developmentally disabled female
•Limited sight word vocabulary
•Attending culinary program
•Unable to keep us with classmates
•High tech solution-iPod touch with flashcard
app

18. Audio Flashcards
• Audio flashcards allowed the student to be
able to hear and see vocabulary associated
with recipes
Picture of peas

19. Assistive Technology at Work in School
• 9 year old visually impaired student
• Unable to read traditional books from library
for independent reading within class
• Student rejected large print books
• High tech solution- iPad with Read2Go app
• Student has access to over 150,000 books and
periodical

20. Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology provides access for
students to a full and active learning
experience, it serves to level the playing
field.
Student reading on an Ipad

21. Resources:
• http://idea.ed.gov