Rural Special Education Quarterly, 32(2), 15-22. Stodden, R. A., Roberts, K. D., Takahishi, K., Park, H. J., & Stodden, N. J. (2005). Assistive technology (AT) is available to help individuals with many types of disabilities — from cognitive problems to physical impairment. The International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 6, 111-123. Educational Research, 2(10), 1611-1618. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Assistive technology is changing rapidly and it is no longer confined to being specialised, high-tech equipment. Using research to inform practice. Over the past decade, a number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy of AT for individuals with LD. While the use of calculators can level the playing field for students with learning disabilities, some research has shown that calculators may provide unfair advantage (Bouck & Flanagan, 2009). Bouck, E. C., Bassette, L., Taber-Doughty, T., Flanagan, S. M., & Szwed, K. (2009). For many students, laptop computers and computerized devices can be too distracting. Graphing calculators can provide additional support as they verify graph shapes and help solve algebraic equations. Behrman, Michael and Kinas, Marci. Retrieved from http://all-free-download.com/free-photos/modern_science_and_technology_picture_02_hd_pictures_168754_download.html. Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in helping struggling readers build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 42, 423-441. doi:10.2190/EC.42.4.d, Doughty, T., Bouck, E., Bassette, L., Szwed, K. & Flanagan, S. (2013). Hawking, Stephen. The benefits of assistive technology for students with learning disabilities are manifest, but implementing such tools in classrooms can cause challenges: Staff training . Word processing allows the user to edit and correct his written work more efficiently than doing so by hand. Implementation of assistive computer technology: A model for school systems. Computer-assisted instruction has been shown to be helpful for students with learning disabilities in spelling and expressive writing skills (Wanzek et al., 2006) as this software can reduce distractibility (Hecker, Burns, Elkind, Elkind, & Katz, 2002), and can help students learn to read (Lee & Vail, 2005) and achieve other academic outcomes (Chiang & Jacobs, 2009). These technologies differ somewhat from AT but are worth mentioning. Concept organizers, whether completed electronically or by hand, may contribute to better writing in students with learning disabilities. 2 Higgins, E. L. & Raskind, M. H. (2000). Programs such as Kurzweil 3000 may decrease the negative emotions students associate with reading and provide students with a more complete comprehension of the text (Young, 2012), and as a result, text-to-speech programs are recommended for use along with research-supported reading intervention practices. Pentop computers - Pentop computers, such as LiveScribe smart pens, are cheaper than high-tech devices like iPads but can provide text-to-speech, strategy feedback, and other organizational functions. Assistive Technology, equipment that helps to mitigate learning deficits, helps to make this a reality by enabling disabled students … Englert, C. S., Wu, X., & Zhao, Y. Talking dictionaries are small enough to be carried in a pencil case and are not as expensive as computers or tablets. Submitted by Constantia (not verified) on March 15, 2017 - 2:35pm. Dr. Gabrielle Young is an Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland where she teaches undergraduate courses such as the Nature and Characteristics of Learning Disabilities and Inclusive Practices for Students with Learning Disabilities, as well as graduate courses such as the Nature and Assessment of Learning Disabilities. Lewis, R. (1998). Lee, Y., & Vail, C. O. Additionally, students with LD often experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities (strengths) to work around their disabilities (challenges). In fact, research has shown that AT can improve certain skill deficits (e.g., reading and spelling).2,3. It can be helpful to kids who may have trouble writing by hand and prefer to use a keyboard. Click here to find the full list of approved software titles. Peterson-Karlan, G. R. (2011). This software can assist students with monitoring and revising their typed work, as hearing the text read aloud may assist students in catching grammatical errors that may have otherwise gone unnoticed (Raskind & Higgins, 1995; Rao, Dowrick, Yuen, & Boisvert, 2009; Zhang, 2000). Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 13, 95-108. Institute for the Advancement of Research in Education. I really like the idea of the electronic math work sheet because I know that many students can struggle with aligning the numbers and then they get frustrated when they get the wrong answer from adding the wrong numbers together. Assistive technology ranges from low- to high-tech. Find the best apps for building literacy skills. Silió, M. C., & Barbetta, P. M. (2010). Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 17, 124-129. doi:10.1111/1540-5826.00039, Tam, C., Archer, J., Mays, J., & Skidmore, G. (2005). Click here to access a list of Ministry of Education approved software titles. This is not surprizing given that only a third of special education programs surveyed by Judge and Simms (2009) addressed assistive technology, and few workshops or professional development opportunities exist to continually support teachers’ use of assistive technology during instruction (Lee & Vega, 2005; Ludlow, 2001; Michaels & McDermott, 2003). For example, a student who struggles with reading but who has good listening skills might benefit from listening to audio books. Hi, It's Cindy, The LD Educator. Word processing with speech synthesis and word prediction: Effects on the dialogue journal writing of students with learning disabilities. AT should utilize your child's abilities to help compensate for her disability. Annals of Dyslexia, 52, 243–272. Boston, MA: Pearson. Assistive Technology Products from Kurzweil. Toronto, ON: Aboriginal Office of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. Computer-assisted instruction provides immediate and dynamic feedback and students with learning disabilities can benefit from this nonjudgmental computerized drill and practice (Stetter & Hughes, 2010). MacArthur and Cavalier (2004) found that for students with learning disabilities, essays dictated using Dragon Naturally Speaking were better than handwritten essays, but essays dictated to a scribe were even better. Speaking to read: A comparison of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition in the remediation of learning disabilities. (2006). Audacity – Audacity is a free software program which allows you to record and edit sounds. Assistive Technology: Empowering Students with Learning Disabilities KAREN E. FORGRAVE ecent advances in the field of technology are not being employed as widely in schools as some experts argue they should be (Edyburn 2000). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1420524203?accountid=6180, Batorowicz, B., Missiuna, C. A., & Pollock, N. A. The added advantage of visual data can be highly motivating for students with learning disabilities (Bethell & Miller, 1998). Teachers and staff may require special training to help students set up and utilize more sophisticated assistive technology aids. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 35(1), 1-17. Nelson, B. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." Funding for the production of this publication was provided by the Ministry of Education. These authors found a differential impact on students with and without disabilities, providing evidence that this technology removes a barrier based on disability. Consider what the specific learning disability of your students might be, and then make the best decision about what will work for them. Educators can help support students with learning disabilities with the right form of assistive technology. In addition, word prediction demands a fairly high level of attention to make use of the suggested words (MacArthur, 1998); and as a result, each child must be considered on an individual basis in order to select the appropriate technology for his or her learning needs. Journal of Special Education, 21, 22-42. doi:10.1177/002246699603000103. According to a report by the United States Department of Education, approximately 11% of all undergraduates in American colleges report having a disability – up from 6 % almost two decades prior. This is also a great resource because it talks about the child's profile and what would be helpful for him or her in AT tools. However, utilizing AT does not mean that a child can't also receive remedial instruction aimed at alleviating deficits (such as software designed to improve poor phonic skills). Storyline Online – A free online streaming video program featuring books read aloud. General educators and special educators need to become familiar with assistive and instructional technology so that they can embed this technology within their instruction to meet the needs of all their students (Chmiliar, 2007; Chmiliar & Cheung, 2007; Flanagan, Bouck, & Richardson, 2013). Journal of Special Education Technology, 23, 33-44. Vaughn, S. & Bos, C. (2009). In what settings and situations will she use the AT tool? A talking calculator has a built-in speech synthesizer that reads aloud each number, symbol, or operation key a user presses; it also vocalizes the answer to the problem. Journal of Special Education Technology, 9, 167-172. Its mission is to assist students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder (LD) to enter and succeed in pursuing higher education by providing assistive technology and up-to-date information on the tools and products to assist with reading and writing. Deeply-rooted in the education industry for decades, Kurzweil Education offers assistive technology products and resources that transform struggling learners into successful, independent readers, writers, and test-takers. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help by presenting text as speech. Mull, C. A., & Sitlington, P. L. (2003). Predictions are based on spelling, syntax, and frequent/recent use. McNaughton, D., Hughes, C., & Ofiesh, N. (1997). (2014). Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 271-279. doi:10.1177/002221949602900305.