This document provides an overview of assistive technology and resources that can help enhance education. It discusses that students who have disabilities may have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that require accommodations and modifications. Assistive technology is defined as devices that help people with disabilities access curriculum. Several websites are listed that provide information on assistive technology laws, how to choose assistive technology, and documenting needs in IEPs. Recommendations are made for using assistive technologies to help students with specific disabilities like ADHD, auditory impairments, and learning disabilities.

1. Resources That Can Help Enhance Education through
Assistive Technology
Presentation by Bryan Getty

2. An Overview
 Diversity of disabilities requires diversity of instruction
as well as access to many resources
 Accommodations and modifications are mandated by
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
 Effective teachers must be aware of the contents of the
IEPs for their students and they must work to ensure
that all their students have access to curriculum
 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA
2004) is the legislation that special education in public
schools follow

3. IEPs – Who Has One?
 Any student who has been diagnosed as having a
disability or other health impairment qualifies for
special services and may have an IEP:
 Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
 Cognitive Disabilities
 Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders
 Autism or Developmental Delays
 Hearing or Vision Impairments
 Speech or Language Impairments

4. Assistive Technology – What is it?
 Assistive Technology is any assistive, adaptive, and
rehabilitative device for people with
disabilities and also includes the process used in
selecting, locating, and using them (from Wikipedia)
 Adaptive Technology is not the same as Assistive
Technology
 Adaptive is created specifically for someone with a
disability, while assistive was not created specifically for
persons with disabilities, but it is being used to help
them in a particular instance

5. Resources for Assistive Technology
 An overview of Assistive Technology, or Assistive
Technology:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~wilbur/access/assistive.html
 Assistive Technology law (IDEA 2004):
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cstatute%2
CI%2CA%2C602%2C1%2C
 How to choose Assistive Technology?
http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088
 Documenting the need for Assistive Technology:
http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-
Technology/Pages/Documenting-Need-for-Assistive-
Technology.aspx

6. Resources & Instructional Practices
 Supporting Participation in Classroom Activities
 Developing a Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan
 Assistive Technology Intervention Plan (Blank Copy)
 Best Practices in Assistive Technology
 Ideas for using Assistive Technology

7. Recommendations for Students
with ADHD
 Visual timers or invisible clocks can help with time
management
 A digital pen can help students who struggle to take
notes by playing back the audio that was being
recorded while they were writing
 Locate students’ desks as near to the teacher as
possible, while maintaining inclusion in the entire
class
 Minimize distractions
 For more information, click here

8. Recommendations for Students
with Auditory Disabilities
 Hearing Assistive Technology Systems, or HATS:
 FM Systems
 Infrared Systems
 Induction Loop Systems
 One-to-One Communicators
 Other Solutions
 For more information on HATS, click here

9. Recommendations for Students
with Learning Disabilities
 Apps for students with Dysgraphia and writing
difficulties
 Apps for students with Dyslexia and reading
difficulties
 Repeat directions
 Maintain routine
 Use graphic organizers
 For other ideas of instructional practices for students
with learning disabilities, click here