At Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology in Special Education recent trend in the fields of special education, rehabilitation, and technology is the development and implementation of assistive technology (AT) devices to assist individuals in compensating for disabilities and/or utilizing functional capabilities to meet environmental demands. AT devices have major implications for individuals with learning disabilities (LD) For students with minor disabilities, the AT device may simply permit them to pick up objects, or understand verbal instruction.

For severely disabled students, AT can be the lifeline between getting lost in an educational environment or becoming an active and enthusiastic student who pursues a lifetime of learning. Studies have shown that the learning patterns a student develops during his or her early elementary career are likely to shape the student's attitudes toward scholastic achievement for a lifetime. AT can create a positive learning experience, and therefore positively affect the student for the rest of their lives.

Regardless of the legislative victories won in favor of disabled people, the world can still be biased against them, and once a student graduates and enters the job market, the existence of an LD is a confounding variable in the quest for job satisfaction. In studies by Vogel and Adelman (2000), 80%-90% of the respondents indicated that their LD impacts their work. However, in the study, large percentages (from 41% to 95%) of respondents did not self-disclose their LD to employers or coworkers.

Common reasons for nondisclosure included concerns about job security and fear of negatively impacting relationships with coworkers and supervisors (Vogel & Adelman, 2000). Therefore, the use of assistive technology to promote curricular and environmental access for students with learning disabilities early in their learning career holds great promise. Research is emerging that demonstrates the effectiveness of various AT devices in helping individuals to compensate for specific learning disabilities and thus promote more curricular and instructional access for these youngsters (Higgins & Raskind, 1995).

Federal Mandates The impetus for the assistive technology training trend stems from the passage of federal legislation such as the 1992 Amendments of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 1994 (known as the Tech Act), which mandate accessibility and accommodations for individuals with disabilities to promote integration and full participation in society. Assistive technology offers a wide range of alternatives.

It includes both "low" technologies and "high"-tech devices and it incorporates technologies designed specifically for people with disabilities as well as generic technologies developed for use by the general public. It is a mistake to think too narrowly about assistive technology; the entire technology spectrum holds promise for individuals with learning disabilities (LD). Although computers are the technology most often associated with this population, there are many other potentially valuable tools available.

For example, before the arrival of computers in classrooms, teachers used rulers to help students with learning disabilities keep their place while reading. These low tech aids are included in the federal definition of AT devices. Off-the-shelf technologies designed for general audiences also merit consideration. For example, an audiotape recorder becomes an assistive technology when it is used by a person with learning disabilities to compensate for memory problems. Assistive technology has a long history -- perhaps even as long as that of humankind.

(Resta, 1998) The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act amendments of 1994 (known as the Tech Act) defines assistive technology device as "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 functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities," "Devices" encompass low technology (e.g., reachers, pencil grips, zipper pulls) and high technology (e.g., alternate computer keyboards, speech synthesizers, scanners).

(Lewis, 1998) For individuals with learning disabilities (LD), who exhibit a variety and range (i.e., mild to severe) of learning and behavioral characteristics across the lifespan, of assistive technologies look promising. Assistive technology devices and services have major implications regarding lifespan issues and environmental and curricular accessibility. AT devices could be used to facilitate acquisition of academic, vocational, and daily living skills, and instruction in computer technology and written communication, to help students compensate for specific learning disabilities (Church & Glennen, 1992; Raskind, 1993).

For example, many students with learning disabilities exhibit some type of reading problem. In some cases, scanning the text and using a voice synthesizer to read material may be quite appropriate so students can access the reading material more easily and thus focus more on comprehending rather than decoding the material. Other students with LD may exhibit problems with fine-motor skills and thus have difficulties using standard keyboards to access word processing programs on the classroom computer.

For these youngsters, a variety of alternative keyboard options exist that offer different ways to create their stories. Beyond the Classroom Successful educational models are now identifying that if the student is immersed in a learning environment, his or her success rate is much higher. The patterns of learning which are initialized in the classroom can, and should be translated to the home, especially with the LD child, in order for the student to build a pattern for learning.

Without 360 degree influence on learning, the student who struggles in school will likely develop the perspective that the difficult environment of the school is something to be endured, and left in the school building. AT can help the student make the learning fun, and take the learning environment out of the school into their home. Training individuals with LD and their families in assistive technology devices and services has positive ramifications for the student, family, and society. It also has ramifications for the teacher.

As more students with LD in general and special education settings are identified as needing assistive technology devices and services, teacher preparation programs will have to address training issues and identify ways to infuse their curriculum with assistive technologies. Some would argue that AT is an unfair advantage for the LD student. The non-LD student does not have the advantages of the assistance, therefore the programs for LD student are a not an effective use of educational dollars.

To those who object, the question "what is fair" should be strongly considered. Are their any two students with the same abilities? For decades, teachers have spent extra time with student who did not 'catch' the learning materials as quickly as others.

If there is one student in the class room who had diminished hearing, and therefore uses AT, would every student be willing to put in ear plugs, in order to diminish his hearing so that he too could qualify for the AT? The question of fair has been often.