Helping StudentsASSISTIVE LEARNING TOOLS & OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS

BY ROBERT BOYCE

Special Needs Students

In our school system today there are a multitude of students with different needs, desires, and tasks that they will need help with.

As instructors it is our job to find ways in which we can nurture each and every student to help them better themselves.

This also happens to be the case with special needs students.

The following slides include skills and technology that will help with identifying and working with students with special needs.

Learning to Help

1. Beware of simple solutions.

Because children learn in a number of different ways, there is no single method for helping all children with learning disabilities. Good teaching is intentional, systematic, and takes time.

2. Ask questions.

It is important to know whether the strategy you are considering has been effective with other children. Some of the questions you may want to ask are:

3. Trust your instincts.

Many people may offer suggestions for helping your child, including teachers, therapists, and other parents. Listen to what others suggest but remember that you know your child best. Gather information, ask questions, and then use those strategies that seem to be most appropriate for your child.

Teaching Strategies, (2013)

Remediation and

Compensation• To better assist a student the faculty

members should know more about remediation and compensation.

• Remediation involves teaching the subject another way.

• Compensation uses assistive technologies to help the student move forward, most specifically when remediation is not an option.

• Finding a balance is important for not only you but the student. Some start with 30% remediation and 70% compensation.

Edyburn D.L., (2006)

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is any object or system that increases or maintains the capabilities of people with disabilities," while adaptive technology is "any object or system that is specifically designed for the purpose of increasing or maintaining the capabilities of people with disabilities.“

Wikipedia, (2015)

Livescribe

Useful for students with ADHD

Allows freedom to take notes not only by writing but by listening.

Saves audio recording to the pen and allows the student to playback the information at a speed comfortable to him/her.

Also able to record video to playback class information.

Retrieved from: http://www8.pcmag.com/media/images/406495-livescribe-3-smartpen.jpg?thumb=y

Livescribe, (2015)

Hearing Loop

Circles around classroom

Used to help hearing impaired students

Instructor speaks through a microphone

Uses electronic signals to boost hearing

Retrieved from: http://32degreeaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/LoopImage.jpg

Hearing loop, (2015)

Reading Guides

Reading guides allows the student to slide down the page and guide their own learning at their own pace. This also helps them to keep track of where they are at, especially if they have a shorter attention span.

Retrieved from: http://www.ashleyusa.com/store/media/AshleyProducts/ss_size3/10840SlideReaderInUse.jpg Morin A., (2014)

Web Math

A simple program that allows students to use calculators and solve math problems online.

Works from grade school up and through college level math.

Easy to use interface for the students.

Discovery education, (2013)

References

Assistive Technology, (2015). Assistive Technology. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

Discovery education. (2013). Webmath. Retrieved from: http://www.webmath.com/

Edyburn, D.L. (2006). Assistive technology and mild disabilities. Special Education Technology Practice, 8(4), 18-28 Retrieved from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.457.2720&rep=rep1&type=p df

Hearing loop, (2015). Hearing loop. Retrieved from: http://www.hearingloop.org/

Livescribe, Inc., (2015). Livescribe. Retrieved from: http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/solutions/enterprise/

Morin, A. (2014). 8 Examples of Assistive Technology and Adaptive Tools. Retrieved from: http://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/assistive- technologies- basics/8-examples-of-assistive-technology-and-adaptive-tools#slide-3

Teaching strategies. (2015). PBS Parents. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/learning-disabilities/strategies-for-learning- disabilities/teaching-strategies/