Assistive technology overview and applications

Assistive Technology |

Importance of assistive technology

Assistive technology makes it possible for individuals with disabilities or cognitive impairments to redefine their lives and work towards an independent lifestyle. Assistive technology is also vital for encouraging learning and achievement in the classroom. On August 16, 2006, the federal government approved PL 100-407, otherwise known as the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act. The definition included in that regulation was slightly modified to be included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1992), which states that assistive technology is "any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities."

Different conditions and capabilities require, of course, various methods of facilitation. It is important to remember that assistive technology is not limited to computer software, which would be classified as "high technology." The spectrum of impairments is wide, and one of must consider the focus of the technology as well as the specific ailments present in the condition which is to be aided. One issue of interest is the use of assistive technology in individuals with spina bifida. "Spina bifida and anencephaly are two of the most common neural tube defects. Spina bifida and anencephaly are the most commonly occurring neural tube defects and affect approximately 2500 births per year in the United States, though rates have been steadily declining for decades." (Johnson et al., 2007). As children with spina bifida age, they tend to lose mobility; therefore, the transition to wheelchair limits their upper-body movement, and motor skills are affected. Limitations in hand functioning affect both the individual's independence and fine motor skills needed for handwriting. Because individuals need to assess and adapt in order to function within the community, individuals also to be considered within the context of impaired cognitive functioning. Cognitive defects present in spina bifida are characterized by: short attention span, learning disability, intellectual delay, distractibility, and overall delay of adaptive skill development. "Recent studies have confirmed a 50% prevalence rate of specific or general cognitive deficits among individuals with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and associated enrollment in special education" (Johnson et al., 2007). As a result, assistive technology for individuals with cognitive defects associated with spina bifida should focus on "word prediction software to improve the rate and accuracy of text entry on computers, and hand-held electronic predictive spelling aids," among other technologies (Johnson et al., 2007). Dysgraphia, a childhood writing disorder, is usually described in conjunction with dyslexia, motor clumsiness, or spatial difficulty (Deuel, 1994). "Students with dysgraphia write slowly, they form letters incorrectly, and their final product is messy and often illegible" (Lewis, Graves, Ashton, & Kieley, 1998). A body of research suggests that using word processing technology in the classroom increases the student's awareness of grammatical errors and enhanced their ability to read their own product (Hetzroni & Schreiber, 2004). Word prediction software was originally created for individuals with physical incapacities which hindered their writing skills. The software predicts the user-intended word based on the first letters typed. Word detection programs such as My Words make predictions from an alphabetical list present on the screen. As the user types the first letters of the word, the scroller automatically presents various words which start with the typed-in letters. Afterwards, the user could select the appropriate word and place it into the written text. The user was also able to hear the word pronounced by a speech synthesizer. "Speech synthesis and word prediction complemented the teachers' attempts to model appropriate written language" (MacArthur, 1998).