Assistive TechnologyCRAIG PERRIGIN

ED 505

DR. MARTHA HOCUTT

What is Assistive Technology?

According to the Center on Technology and Disability (2014), many students across the world rely on assistive technology to help them to function more independently in the school setting. The term “assistive technology” refers to those devices and services that are intended to increase the likelihood of success for a student who has a disability. The primary goal of assistive technology is “to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability” (“Building the Legacy : IDEA 2004”, n.d.).

Uses of Assistive Technology

According to the IRIS Center of Vanderbilt University and Claremont Graduate University, there are various ways in which students utilize assistive technology:

to communicate

to increase mobility

to perform academic tasks

to improve visual and/or auditory learning

to enable proper seated and/or standing positions

to actively participate in social and extracurricular activities

What does IDEA say regarding assistive technology?In 1975, Public Law 94-142 was passed. Its purpose was to

ensure a free, appropriate education for all students with a disability. Prior to the passage of PL 94-142, students with disabilities had either been largely excluded from, or ,at best, had received very limited educational services (“Thirty-Five Years of Progress”, 2010). In 1990, this law became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA led to an increase in the “partnership between schools and families” with parents becoming more actively involved in the creation of their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)(“Thirty-Five Years of Progress”, 2010). Likewise, schools increased their reporting of the progress of disabled students at a level on par with that of nondisabled students.

What does IDEA say regarding assistive technology?The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA sought to further increase the

level of access students receiving special education have to the general education curriculum and setting. One way this goal is being reached is through the provision of assistive technology. According to IDEA, “each public agency must ensure that assistive technology devices or assistive technology services, or both. . . are made available to a child with a disability if required as a part of the child’s [IEP]” (“Building the Legacy : IDEA 2004”, n.d.) A notable change made in 2004 in the wording of IDEA was the statement that every IEP should “consider whether the child needs (not requires, as previously stated) assistive technology devices and services” (Mittler, 2007). According to Mittler (2007), this rewording has the potential to widen students’ access to assistive technology since the term “needs” is perhaps less definitive than the word “requires”.

Assistive Technology Example 1

(for physical education students with a hearing impairment)Personal Frequency Modulation

System (FM system)

A personal frequency modulation system is used to address the needs of students with a hearing impairment. The speaker (in this case, the teacher) wears a transmitter microphone that directs sound to the student via a receiver. The FM system aids the student by blocking background noises that further impairs the listener’s hearing. In a P.E. setting (typically a gym or playground), the FM system can be especially helpful to the child with a hearing impairment.

Assistive Technology Example 2

(for physical education students with a visual impairment)Beep Baseball Allows students with low or

impaired vision to participate in baseball

The game of beep baseball involves a beeping ball and buzzing bases that are 4-foot tall padded cylinders.

Some of the rules are different from traditional baseball, so instruction on the rules of beep baseball would need to be provided to all students.

Example of beep baseball base

Assistive Technology Example 3

(for physical education students with a learning disability)Read & Write GOLD

Read & Write GOLD is a word prediction software program that enables students with learning disabilities, struggling readers, and English Language Learners to improve reading comprehension. Users of Read & Write GOLD are provided support tools for reading, writing, studying, and research. In a physical education setting, this software could be utilized by students participating in a group research project on a health or physical education topic. In addition to being available as a Chrome app, Read & Write GOLD is also available as a free iPad app.

Read & Write app for iPad

Word prediction feature

Assistive Technology Example 4

(for physical education students with a physical disability)

Assist-A-Roll Bowling Ramp Allows students with limited

mobility to participate in bowling

The ramp is portable and provides momentum needed for the ball to strike the pins.

The ramp is lightweight which enables players with or without limited mobility to transport the ramp.

References

AAASP Beep Baseball Set [Online image]. (2015). Retrieved March 7, 2015 from http://www.flaghouse.com/display-item-12607

AAASP Wireless Beep Base Set [Online image]. (2015). Retrieved March 7, 2015 from http://www.flaghouse.com/display-item-12611

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). FM systems. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/FM-Systems/

Assist-a-Roll Bowling Ramp [Online image]. (2015). Retrieved March 8, 2015 from http://www.gophersport.com/item/assist-a-roll-bowling-ramp

Center on Technology and Disability. (2014). AT fact sheet: Assistive technology 101. Retrieved from

http://www.ctdinstitute.org/library/2014-10-13/fact-sheet-assistive-technology-101

Dell, J. (1995). The national beep baseball association: About the game - nbba.org. Retrieved from http://www.nbba.org/about_game.htm

Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. (2015). Definition of assistive technology. Retrieved from

http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-Technology/Pages/Assistive-Technology-Definition.aspx

Listen Technologies LS05-216 Personal FM System, 216 MHz [Online image]. Retrieved March 9, 2015 from http://

www.fullcompass.com/product/249550.html?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleps&gclid=CLvjr8fWnMQCFS3l7AodL0YAEA

References

Mittler, J. (2007). Assistive technology and IDEA. In C. Warger (Ed.), Technology integration: Providing access to the curriculum for students with disabilities .

Retrieved from http://tamcec.org/pdf/AssistiveTech%20and%20IDEA%20Regs.pdf

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. (2015). Thirty-five years of progress in educating children with disabilities through IDEA.

Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/index_pg10.html

Texthelp Ltd. (2015). Read & write for windows. Retrieved from http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/our-products/readwrite/features-pc

The IRIS Center. (n.d.). IRIS | Page 1: Assistive technology. Retrieved from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/cresource/what-should-ms-adelaide-know-about-assistive-

technology-and-how-it-is-used-by-students-with-disabilities/at_01/#content

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). IDEA - Building the legacy of IDEA 2004. Retrieved from http://idea.ed.gov/

Word prediction [Online image]. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/our-products/readwrite/features-pc/writing-and-self-editing#Word Prediction