This document discusses assistive technology and its benefits for students with special needs. It defines assistive technology as any technology used to assist students with disabilities. The document outlines how assistive technology helps create solutions that enable greater independence, productivity, and inclusion for students. It also discusses individualized education plans (IEPs) which provide specific goals and support to help students achieve adaptive learning styles with parental involvement. Finally, the document addresses issues for specific disabilities like ADHD, auditory processing, and reading/writing and presents solutions like noise-cancelling headphones, hearing aids, and talking software.

1. Special
Students with
Special Needs
By: Benard Goins

2. Objectives
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Define Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology And Its Benefits
Individualized Education Plan (IEPs)
Issues & Solutions

3. Assistive Technology ???
• Assistive Technology is an umbrella term that includes
assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitates device for people with
disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting,
locating, and using.
• AT prompts greater independence by enabling people to
perform task that they were formally unable to accomplish, by
providing enhancements to, or changing methods of
interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such
task.
• My definition: Any technology used to assist students with
disabilities.

4. Assistive Technology And Its Benefits
• Assistive technologies help create solutions that
enables students with disabilities to be more
independent, productive and feel included in the
classroom and community.
• Provides increased self-motivation
• Accountability
• Expanded learning and life experiences
• New opportunities for interactions and
communication.
• Relaxed atmosphere, conducive for learning

5. Individualized Education Plan (IEPs)
• The IEP provides specific goals the team sets for
the student during the school year, as well as any
special support to help achieve these goals.
• IEPs are free of charge
• Allows parents to be involved in the adaptive learning
style.
• A child having noticeable difficulty functioning and
has been diagnosed or identified as special needs is an
ideal candidate for IEP.

6. Disability: ADHD
Issues
• Inattentive
• Hyper-activity
• Are easily distracted
Solution
• Noise cancelling head
phones, during computer
activities.
• Timers (Alarms) in
classroom to help students
transition and limit time on
certain activities.
• Setup IEP or Break down
assignments

7. Disability: Auditory
Issues
• Speech may sound distorted
• Does not seem to respond to
verbal communication
especially when not directly
looking at a persons mouth
• Inattentive during lectures.
Solutions
• Hearing Aid
• Good classroom acoustics
are essential
• FM Systems (Personal
frequency modulation
system)

8. Disability: Reading and Writing
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Issues
Dexterity problems
Squinting and limited vision
Disabilities hindering being
able to physically write
Limited to no participation
in class activities due to
disability
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Solutions
Make sure books are
provided with Large print.
Braille books and software
Talking software (handheld)
Auditory books
Magnifiers

9. References
• Wikipedia: Assistive Technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology
• Kids Health: Individualized Education Plans
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/iep.html
• CSUN Edu: Benefits of Assistive Technology
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2002/proceedings/16.htm
• Assistive Technology for ADHD
http://googleusercontent.net-offer.net/
• Hearing Assistive Technology (HATS) for children
http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/hearing-assistive-technology-for-children/
• Assistive Technology tool: Readers
http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/948reading-tools.gs