Students who struggle with learning may be eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to receive specialized support. An IEP is developed to meet the unique needs of each student, and may involve accommodations, assistive technologies, and specialized instructional practices. Examples of assistive technologies include audio recording devices, text-to-speech software, and adaptive computers or apps. Teachers implement strategies like graphic organizers, instructional aids, reduced distractions, and positive reinforcement to help students with challenges like auditory processing difficulties, ADHD, or mild learning disabilities. The goal is to support each student's full participation and success in school.

2. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLANS
Students who are having difficulty or delays in learning could be eligible for an
Individualized Education Program (IEP), in which the student will receive special
services to accommodate their individual needs. According to KidsHealth (2014),
students may need an IEP due to:
• learning disabilities
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• emotional disorders
• cognitive challenges
• autism
• hearing impairment
• visual impairment
• speech or language impairment
• developmental delay

3. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLANS
• Students who need mild intervention may benefit from a plan made implemented by
the general teacher, and students with more severe cases may need to go to a
special resource room in the school or a different school that specializes in students
with disabilities.
• Once a student has been referred and evaluated as needing an IEP, the teacher can
work with the parents and specialist to develop an individualized plan for the student.
• In the IEP plan, there will be short and long term goals, support services in and
outside of the classroom such as therapy or counseling, assistive technologies such
as hearing aids or speech generating devices, and other accommodations deemed
necessary for the student.
• The IEP cases I will focus on for this presentation include ADHD, mild learning
disabilities and auditory disabilities.

4. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
• “Assistive technology (AT) refers to any item, piece of equipment, or
product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf,
modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (Cennamo, Ross,
and Ertmer, 2013).
• According to the National Center for Technology Innovation and Center
for Implementing Technology in Education, there are six steps to
choosing the appropriate AT for a student.

5. SIX STEPS TO CHOOSING APPROPRIATE AT
Step 1: Collect child and family information. Begin the discussion about the
child’s strengths, abilities, preferences and needs. What strategies have
been found to work best?
Step 2: Identify activities for participation. What is preventing him/her from
participating more?
Step 3: What behaviors, expressions, responses, reactions etc. can be
observed that indicates the intervention is successful?

6. SIX STEPS TO CHOOSING APPROPRIATE AT (CNTD.)
Step 4: Brainstorm AT solutions. Do the child’s needs include supports for
movement, communication and/or use of materials?
*The TAM Technology Fan, a new resource focused on identifying AT items
for young children with disabilities, helps to facilitate this step.
Step 5: Try it out. Observe and record the child’s participation with the AT
support.
Step 6: Identify what worked, reflect, make modifications as needed and
try again.
*Adapted from the National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in
Education.

7. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD DISABILITIES
• Organizational computer software and apps
• Videotaping class sessions for later viewing for visual learners
• Using web-cam or skype for live viewing for students unable to attend class
• Making notes and presentations available on the web or class website
• Text to Speech software
• Ebooks to enhance engagement
• Iphone and Ipad apps for educational/literacy support
• Computers and word processing keyboards to help with notetaking
• Live scribe pens to help with notetaking
• Electronic grammar and spell-checkers, dictionaries and thesaurus
• Word prediction software of apps
• Motivation for writing through software that allows student to express themselves
with fonts, decorations, etc. such as online storybook makers or presentation
software
• Access to online databases for research
• Calculators

8. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD DISABILITIES
• Organizational tools such as concept maps, flow charts and graphic
organizers
• Give students a buddy to assist with notetaking, proofreading, etc.
• Cooperative grouping with higher level learners for support
• Accommodate different types of learners i.e. Visual aids for visual learners,
hands-on activities for kinesthetic learners, verbal descriptions to
supplement notes on the board or directions on an assignment for auditory
learners
• Highlight or use Bold for key words or vocabulary on charts, tests, or
anything read
• Teach key vocabulary explicitly at the beginning of a lesson in order for
students to better comprehend lectures or read texts
• Repetition of key statements and directions
• Extra tutoring and one-on-one teacher support
• Give both oral and written feedback on assignments
• Minimize anxiety through encouragement and positive feedback

9. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WITH AUDITORY
DISABILITIES
• Personal frequency modulation (FM) systems-the speaker uses a
microphone that transmits sound to the student’s hearing aid or headset
• Infrared systems-transmits sound from a TV set to a personal receiver
through sound waves
• Induction loop systems-creates an electromagnetic field by transmitting
sound from a microphone to a wire in the room. When on the proper
setting, a hearing aid will pick up the electromagnetic signal
• One-to-one communicators-used for conversations with just one person-another
person can speak quietly into the microphone and the noise is not
projected loudly, but only transmitted to the listener’s hearing aid or
headset.
• Amplified computers
• Speech to text translation on personal computer

10. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUDITORY
DISABILITIES
• Move the student closer to the front of the room, or wherever
the sound source is coming from.
• The teacher should project his or her voice as much as
possible
• Try to prevent/decrease background noise that competes with
the teacher’s voice or other sound source
• Use closed captioning when watching educational movies or
shows
• Use visual aids such as charts, posters, vocabulary lists,
schedules, etc.
• Give the student a buddy to help with notes, clarification of
directions, etc.

11. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WITH ADHD
• Livescribe/smartpen-records lectures so students can refer to them later
if they had trouble paying attention
• Smartboard activities-engages the student and is something tactile to do
with their hands
• Noise canceling earphones
• Talking books/ebooks-to engage students who get bored or distracted
during reading
• Talking keyboards
• Engaging educational computer games
• Computer timers
• Ipad apps with graphic organizers to organize information, timers,
ebooks, reminder messages, etc.

12. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH ADHD
• Highlighters-to highlight main ideas and important points
• Graphic organizers and charts-to organize information learned
• Porcupine pens-pens with a porcupine feeling to give restless
students something to do with their hands rather than tearing
paper or tapping a pencil
• Timers-to help students maintain focus for a period of time
• Stressballs-to give students something tactile to do with their
hands
• Sticky notes-to keep students from blurting out random
thoughts-instead they can write them down and tell the teacher
later

13. References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Hearing Assistive Technology. Retrieved from
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assist_tech.htm
Anderson, K. (2012). Supporting Success for Children with hearing loss. Retrieved from
http://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/relationship-hl-listen-learn/accommodations
Assistive Technology for Education, LLC. AT Examples. Retrieved from
http://assistivetechnologyforeducation.com/examples-of-assistive-technology/
Behrmann, M., & Jerome, M. K. (2002). Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities: Update 2002.
ERIC Digest. Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm
Cennamo, K. S., Ross, J. D., & Ertmer, P. A. (2013). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A
Standards-Based Approach. (2 ed.) Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA.
KidsHealth., 2014. Individualized education programs (IEPs). Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html#
National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in Education. (2010).
Help for Young Learners: How To Choose AT? Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088
Opening All Options. Teaching & Assessment Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from
http://www.adcet.edu.au/Oao/view.aspx?id=4023
Shelton, K., Procailo, M., & Miller, A. Assistive Technology and Educational Best Practices for Students with
ADHD. Retrieved from http://kerryshelton.weebly.com/technology-for-adhd-students.html