Such is to say that many linguistic, mathematic or otherwise basic educational programs may be designed to help facilitate the special needs learner through audio assistance, special contextualization and personal customization. Additionally, the learning disabled individual, by virtue of his interaction with the educational properties offered by an effective software program, will achieve a level of learning autonomy not otherwise afforded to him in the traditional inclusion classroom setting. This is something of an alleviation of learning obstacles for primary educational advocates as well as a boost to the student's potential for autonomy at any level, let alone in mathematics. Assistive technology software programs may also have the added benefit of helping to improve hand-eye coordination, with the use of a mixed-media approach combining physical interaction with knowledge retention and helping the learner make new operational connections between these functions. For the educator, this technology mediation may lead to empirical ways to diagnose individual learning deficiencies for isolation and improvement.

In addition to software-based solutions, the above-mentioned University of Texas site includes some basic handheld technology solutions such as Big Calc, which is described as "an enlarged talking calculator, with a range of calculator "faces." Teachers and users can change the font, size, background and key colors at any time. Students of all ages can elect to speak buttons, numbers, function buttons, results, or the entire equation. It has been designed to accommodate the different needs of users who have special needs." (University of Texas at Austin, p. 1)

For those learning disabled students who are a little older, handheld devices may be those which are already integrated into our everyday...

Hatton & Hatton (2013) describe Assistive applications which may be accessed on one's iPhone, iPad or other smart device to be used in promoting better organizational skills or to serve as study support. Particularly interesting for the purposes of mathematical improvement is the InClass application described by Hatton & Hatton. According to their findings, "this app helps students keep track of their courses through more efficient note-taking: video notes, audio notes, and photo notes." (Hatton & Hatton, p. 1)
For many young learning disabled students, the smart device may represent a comforting and familiar medium through which to engage challenging new learning concepts.

Conclusion:

What is both exciting and challenging about the use of Assistive Technologies is that these remain in a state of evolution. As innovations continue to emerge in software engineering and web use, so too will novel ideas emerge in the at market. It is incumbent upon educators to determine what works and what doesn't. Just as every student's range of learning needs and strengths are different, so too will be each student's response to the variance of Assistive Technologies available. As with any other dimension of teaching, this one requires intuition, adaptability and compassion to succeed.

Works Cited:

Hatton, D. & Hatton, K. (2013). Apps for Students with LD: Organization & Study. National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Smith, M. (2009). Assistive Technology for Use With Mathematics. SlideShare.net.

Stanberry, K. & Raskind, M.H. (2012). Assistive Technology for Kids With Learning Disabilities: An Overview. Reading Rockets.

University of Texas at Austin. (2008). Classroom Assistive Technology Devices. Utexas.edu.