Up to this point, I have been discussing the importance of implementing AT into classrooms, examples of AT devices, and how they are used. An important part of truly understanding AT is understanding how to incorporate it into a student's IEP. Throughout this course, I have learned a ton of information on IEP considerations and AT. I am going to use this post to share the information that I found most helpful.
Where Do I Put AT Considerations in an IEP?
AT can be incorporated into a student's IEP in three ways:
1. As part of special education in the annual goals section
2. As a related service
3. As a supplemental aid or service needed to support the student in the least restrictive environment
I found this information to be extremely useful because it is crucial to understand the correct place to put AT considerations when writing an IEP, especially for a perspective special education teacher such as myself!
What if I Make a Mistake?
Since IEPs are legal documents, it is extremely important that they are error-free, which can make the process extremely nerve-racking. In my experience, the best way to get good at something is to learn what not to do. Therefore, I found it helpful to read about common errors that are made when incorporating AT into IEPs. To name a few:
1. Procedures
for conducting assistive technology assessment are not defined, or are not
customized to meet the student's needs
2. A team approach to assessment is not utilized
3. The student is not involved in the assessment process
What About Goals?
I found it interesting to learn that the goal should never be to learn technology, but rather if a student is using AT to meet an IEP goal, the technology should be explicitly written into that goal.
Overall, IEPs are a team effort that involve many different pieces and perspectives. Even though I have some background knowledge on the IEP process and procedures, there is still a lot that I need to learn. Therefore, I found my research on IEP considerations and AT to be very informative, and I hope you did too!
This section focuses on the how and when to consider AT devices and services for students. AT consideration can result in three decisions: 1) "AT consideration results in no need for AT" 2) "AT consideration results in the need for AT. The teams knows the types of AT that will be used and how they will be implemented" 3) "AT consideration results in need for AT but the team needs more information about the student's abilities and needs, as well as possible AT options." I found this module to be helpful because it provided a lot of information on how to go about deciding whether or not AT is beneficial for a particular student.
AT Consideration in the IEP Process
This section provided information on what steps to take in considering AT throughout the IEP process. I found this to be helpful because I have very little experience creating IEPs, especially in terms of AT. I now will be able to bring what I learned from this module into my practice when I am responsible for creating IEPs.
AT Supports and Services in the IEP
This section provided information on where to include AT support and services in the IEP. This was very interesting and informative for me because, again, I have very experience writing IEPs and the process can be very overwhelming, which made this section extremely helpful to me. I now know where and what type of information to include in the IEP.
Automatic Speech Recognition
This section focused on ASR, which is a computer software used to assist students with writing. This section discussed the optimal environments for students to use ASR software as a quiet and semi-private environment. I also learned there are specific questions IEP teams need to consider when implementing ASR. Such as: "Will the child need to leave the classroom to use the ASR? " "Will the child miss important information leaving the learning environment?" "Can the child use the software independently?" "Is there a place to plug and charge the device?" This information will benefit me in the future if/when I have a student who uses ASR in my classroom. I found this section to be very interesting because it addressed questions I would not have thought of on my own.
My previous post discussed various iPad apps used to teach students with Autism. IPads are a great AT tool to use when working with students with Autism. However, they are not the only choice when it comes to using AT to reach children with Autism.
This video introduces us to Carly, a young woman with severe Autism. Up until age 11, Carly's family, teachers, and friends thought that Carly was unable to communicate. At age 11, Carly began learning to communicate through typing and the results were incredible.
Carly's story demonstrates how AT can be used to reach students who were once thought to be unreachable. I thought that this video was amazing and it made me very excited about AT, especially in terms of working with students with Autism.
The above video outlines a variety of iPad Apps that can be used with children with special needs, specifically Autism Spectrum Disorders. IPads can be used to facilitate and support communication, reading, writing, mathematics, music, etc.
Here are a few examples of specific apps mentioned in the video:
Yes/No Answers
For many children on the Autism Spectrum, answering seemingly simple "yes" or "no" questions is extremely difficult. The Yes/No Answers iPad app is a great way to see if students understand concepts such as yes/no and can also be used as a means of expression. As students progress, there are also concepts such as stop/go dad/mom, etc. Basically, it is an app that gives nonverbal children a means of expressing their choices.
Furry Friends
This app features Leonard, a furry friend that responds to touch and voice just like a real pet. This is a great app for students who have difficulty with social interaction because it is a way for them to interact in a less threatening environment.
SentenceBuilder
This app is designed to help elementary school students build grammatically correct sentences. It is a great tool for students with Autism and other visual learners.
As someone who hopes to be an Autistic Support teacher, I feel very comfortable incorporating these iPad apps into the classroom. I currently work with children with Autism, and I use a variety of iPad apps in my sessions. I find that these apps make it easier to connect with my clients because it makes social interactions less threatening by making activities game-like and visual.
How can I implement assistive technology devices into my classroom?
Up to this point I have discussed the importance and benefits of incorporating AT into the classroom. In this post, I will discuss examples of various types of AT devices that I look forward to incorporating into my future classroom.
Word Prediction Software
Word prediction software can help students during word processing by "predicting" a word that the student intends to write based upon spelling, syntax, and frequent/recent use. This AT tool can benefit students who struggle with writing, especially word recognition, word retrieval, and spelling. Common brands of this product include: Aurora Suite and Co:Writer Solo.
The above tutorial demonstrates how to use ClaroWord for Mac word predicting software. The tutorial is extremely user-friendly and straight forward, which makes me believe that the software is also easy to use. I have personally seen this type of software used in the classroom and it was extremely beneficial to the student that was using it.
Talking Word Processing Software
This type of AT tool can benefit students with communicative disorders, or students who struggle with reading and writing. A popular brand of this product is ReadingMadeEasy.
The above video provides a tutorial of how to use the Premier Talking Word Processor software. I have also seen students benefit greatly from this type of technology and I am very excited to use it in my future classroom!
Naturally Speaking Word Recognition Software
With this type of software, the student talks and the software types. Therefore, it would be beneficial for students who have difficulty typing due to physical disabilities or fine motor deficits. A commonly used form of this tool is Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
The above video shows the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software in action. After watching this video, I think that the tool would be very beneficial to many students. However, I do think that it would take a lot of training and trial and error to get students used to using the product.
Scan and Read Software
This type of tool begins with using a scanner to scan paper documents into a computer. Then, the software translates it into a digital format so it can be read and edited. This technology can benefit students who have print disabilities or students who have trouble reading paper based information due to visual impairment, dyslexia, learning disabilities, or physical disabilities. A popular brand of this product is OpenBook.
To be honest, I had never heard of this software before. Therefore, this tutorial helped me tremendously because I was having difficulty visualizing how exactly it would work when I was reading about it.
Books on CD
Being able to listen to books on CD can benefit students with visual impairments or students who have difficulty reading due to dyslexia or learning disabilities. Amazon offers many popular books in audio format.
Multisensory Educational Software
This type of technology incorporates a variety of senses into learning, which benefits all students! Earobotics is a research driven multisensory software program targeted towards reading. This tool can benefit students with a variety of disabilities, including Autism, attentional problems, etc.
The above tutorial demonstrates how to use the Earobotics program. I really like this program because it looks really fun for students, which will engage them and hopefully increase their attention and focus!
Adapted Keyboards
Adapted keyboards have been redesigned in order to suit the needs of a particular student. There are a variety of adapted keyboards available. There are "small form factor" or one handed keyboards to benefit students with physical disabilities. There are large key or "tactile feedback" keyboards to benefit students with visual impairments. Also, there are keyboards that feature an alphabetical layout instead of the standard "QWERT.." to benefit students who may have difficulty using the typical layout. EnableMart offers a wide variety of adapted keyboards.
The above video demonstrates how to use IntelliKeys software, which features a variety of overlays which I think is fantastic because one keyboard can target the needs of a variety of students.
Portable Word Processors
Portable word processors are lightweight devices that are easy to transport and can benefit students who have difficulty writing by hand and prefer writing using a keyboard. Popular brands include Neo and Quickpad.
The above video demonstrates how to use the Quickpad. I have not seen this type of technology used in the classroom, but I can see how it can benefit students who struggle with writing by hand by making them feel more successful.
Assisted Literacy Software
Assisted literacy software helps students develop their literacy skills and can benefit students with reading disabilities such as dyslexia. CALS (Computer Assisted Literacy Solution) is an excellent example of this form of technology.
After watching the above video, I am very impressed with this type of software. I think it is a great way to get students excited about literacy while building confidence.
Voice Output Communication Devices
Voice output communication devices are augmentative and alternative communication systems used to supplement or replace speech or writing for students with severe speech and language impairments. These type of devices can benefit students with severe Autism or other communicative disorders. An example of this type of technology is Dynavox.
The above video shows how a little boy uses his Dynavox to express what he would like to eat for lunch. As someone who works with students with severe Autism, I have seen these devices used several times and I think that they are amazing!
Type to Learn Software
Type to Learn is a research based method of sequential touch typing instruction. This program can benefit students with a variety of disabilities that have difficulty learning how to type. The software provides multiple means of instruction including videos, games, and multisensory approaches that benefit a variety of students.
The above video demonstrates how to use the Type to Learn 4 software. I have personally never seen this program used, but from what I have seen it looks like a great way to provide keyboarding instruction!
Electronic Touch Tablet
These devices can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom and can benefit students with a wide variety of disabilities. An example of this technology is the Arnova ChildPad.
The above video demonstrates the features of the Arnova ChildPad. This product can be used to show videos, play games, and provide supplemental instruction.
As I previously mentioned, I used the UDL Guidelines Educator Checklist provided by CAST.org to reflect upon my practice and make changes to an existing lesson in order to incorporate more UDL guidelines. Here is an example of the checklist:
UDL Guidelines
Unit/Lesson:
I. Provide multiple means of representation– Knowledge
Networks (more
info)
As an educator, it is important for me to be aware of both my strengths and weaknesses. This checklist was very helpful in pinpointing my strengths and weaknesses in terms of applying the UDL guidelines. Truthfully, since I am new to UDL I did not have many strengths. However, the majority of my strengths fell within section 1: provide multiple means of representation. This shows that I have been doing a pretty good job in terms of knowledge networks. However, I did not have any checkmarks throughout the second section, provide multiple means for action and representation, which is a definite weakness. This shows me that I have a lot of work to do in terms of incorporating physical actions, options for expressive skills and fluency, and options for executive functioning. However, now that I know what my weakness is, I will be able to take steps to make it a strength!
