Technology Integration in Special Education: Tools & Impact

Introduction: Technology in Special Education

As advances are made in technology, an increasing number of new tools, uses, and changes are being introduced to integrate technology into special education in order to benefit learners with disabilities. Research has made tremendous contributions in developing new technologies, and policymakers have enabled the faster adoption of these technologies in special education to help learners facing a variety of behavioral and academic challenges.

For instance, as early as 1994, James Kulik utilized meta-analysis to collect and analyze the results of over 500 different studies on computer-based learning. Technology-based learning — particularly through the use of computers — individualizes the learning process to accommodate the inclinations, knowledge systems, learning styles, interests, and needs of learners. Different forms of computer-based education software have been developed for such purposes, including Integrated Learning Systems.

Kulik made several conclusions upon completing the meta-analysis: that learners who utilized computer-based learning scored at 64% on achievement assessments relative to the control group (learners not using computers), whose average score was 50%; that students could learn more in shorter periods of time using computers; and that students tended to enjoy their classes more and were more likely to have a positive attitude toward education when using computers. However, it was also revealed that not all aspects of computer-based learning yielded positive results (Schacter, 1999).

Importance of Instructional Technology for Students with Special Needs

According to Peterson-Karlan and Parette (2005), technology offers a channel through which students can develop communication and social skills that are frequently lacking in students with disabilities who entered school after the year 2000. Today, learners have access to technological devices that their counterparts in the 1990s did not have. Technologies such as smartphones have also dropped in price, enabling many students to own them.

For instance, a 2013 survey by Grunwald Associates LLC revealed that 60% of high school students and 43% of pre-K–12 students had used a smartphone, and that the majority had used one at least once on a daily basis. The researchers noted that 51% of high school students surveyed brought their phones to school every day. Smartphones can offer students access to Instructional Technology (IT) and Assistive Technology (AT) applications such as dictionaries, reminders, voice recognition software, planners, and thousands of other programs (Israel, Marino, Delisio, & Serianni, 2014). However, 72% of parents in the same 2013 survey noted that their children's schools had policies prohibiting the use of family-owned smartphones on school grounds. This is counterproductive, as a growing body of research shows that learners with disabilities often gain more from computer-based instructional tools than their counterparts in mainstream educational settings (Marino, 2009).

The built-in adaptability of technological devices also means they can be tailored to suit the special learning needs of students with disabilities. In an eight-month study, researcher Parr utilized text-to-speech technology (TTST) to enhance comprehension, reading fluency, and decoding of material. In her study involving twenty-eight students, Parr demonstrated the importance of matching technology to the individual needs of learners. Despite the positive results recorded in outcome measures, Parr argues that text-to-speech technology is generally an alternative and not a substitute for skilled reading instruction. Other researchers have noted that preschoolers who are deaf or have impaired hearing can increase their literacy skills when shown educational videos presented in American Sign Language (ASL). The researchers further noted that literacy skills could be improved even more by increasing viewing times and incorporating follow-up measures (Butler-Kisber, 2013).

Statistics on Technology Use in Schools

According to David Nagel, a researcher writing for THE Journal, in his report titled "Students Use Smart Phones and Tablets for School, Want More," the use of technology in schools is growing exponentially. Nagel reports on a study that surveyed more than 2,300 students between grades 4 and 12. The report reveals that among elementary school students, 68% used PCs or laptops, 30% used smartphones, and 20 to 30% used tablets. Of the 2,300 students surveyed, 92% believed that tablets would soon change the way students learn, 90% reported that tablets made learning more fun, and 82% reported that tablets already help students achieve more in the classroom (Clercq, 2015).

According to another study by Kristin Javorsky and Guy Trainin, titled "Teaching Young Readers to Navigate a Digital Story When Rules Keep Changing," there is a significant increase in the adoption of new digital reading technologies. The authors note that approximately 50% of children in the United States aged 8 or younger have at least one digital reading device at home (p. 606). The report further specifies that 32% of the adults surveyed had an e-reader, 42% had a tablet or iPad, and 55% had a smartphone. The researchers also recommend the adoption of technology-based instructional methods that students could use to their advantage (Clercq, 2015).

Spelling and Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities

While spelling-assistive instructional technologies can help learners with disabilities, some students still require additional tools to gain spelling proficiency and access learning materials (Sitko et al., 2005; Strangman & Dalton, 2005; Wehmeyer et al., 2004). Several studies have shown that students with physical disabilities can learn more when they have access to spelling instruction (Browder et al., 2006). The approach that yields the greatest benefit from assistive technology is the use of individualized or specialized Education Programs to match the right devices to the right learners. Guiding teachers and parents through familiarization programs to learn about assistive technologies can further improve learning outcomes (Heller, Mezei, & Avant, 2008). Students with physical disabilities who cannot attend school can be helped using technology to continue learning at home — for instance, through the use of web cameras and laptops — though such students may still experience writing fluency difficulties (Simmons & Carpenter, 2010).

Additional challenges to writing fluency were highlighted by Best, Heller, and Bigge (2005), who argued that students with physical disabilities may face a range of obstacles: chronic absenteeism from classroom instruction, difficulties in reading and writing, limited experience and participation in activities, and restricted motor ability. Simmons and Carpenter (2010) argue that students with physical disabilities who also have speech impairments could use their writing ability as an alternative mode of communication, both in academic and social contexts. The fact that significant advances have been made in technology means that education policymakers should also adapt their modes of delivery to take advantage of new opportunities (Clercq, 2015).