Module 4 assignment for ITEC 7530, Spring 2014 @ Georgia Southern University

1. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY:
EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS
Elizabeth Harris
ITEC 7530 – Spring 2014

2. Overview
• This presentation will present:
• an overview of the procedures and policies in place for students
who have special needs and their legal basis
• information concerning the history and make-up of
accommodation systems
• resources that can enhance students' educational experience
• how assistive technology can benefit the entire class
• suggestions for educators to include in their planning

3. Purpose
• Due to existing conditions, which may be temporary or permanent,
some students may need varying accommodations to allow them to fully
participate in the process of education - due to impairments or
disabilities that affect/limit their abilities to:
•
•
•
•
walk, breathe, eat, or sleep
communicate, see, hear, or speak
read, concentrate, think, or learn
stand, bend, lift, or work
• Most important thing to remember?
• Above all else, a student is a student
• A student is not the tools of which they make use

4. Legal developments
• U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
(1)
• First ensured that students with “limitations” would be entitled to
various accommodations to allow them to participate in public
schools
• Still exists in “504 Plans”
• Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1975
(2)
• Ensured access to special education and supportive services
• Amended in 1998, renamed the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) (3)
• IDEA was further amended in 2004
• Establishment of the Individual Education Program (IEP)

5. 504 Plans
• Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 allowed for the
development of specialized plans to assist students with impairments
while participating in public schools (4)
• 504 plans provide assistance to overcome limitations in both
physical and mental processes in order to ensure fair treatment at
school
• Not the formalized process that surrounds the current procedures
for IEP development, but still should involve the student and
parents as well as school personnel
• Plans should be reviewed annually to determine current needs of
the student

6. 504 plan options
•
•
Examples of accommodations in 504 plans include:
• preferential seating
• extended time on tests and assignments
• reduced homework or classwork
• verbal, visual, or technology aids
• modified textbooks or audio-video materials
• behavior management support
• adjusted class schedules or grading
• verbal testing
• excused lateness, absence, or missed classwork
• pre-approved nurse's office visits and accompaniment to visits
• occupational or physical therapy
Many of these are involved in IEPs as well – and are examples of non-tech
assistive devices/methods

7. IDEA & IEPs
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) established the
formal system of Individual Education Program (IEP) development to
ensure the most supportive services are available to students in public
schools (5)
• Development of IEP includes
• assessment of the student’s skills and limitations by various
professionals, presentation of needed accommodations
• Involvement of educational professionals to accurately apply the
assistance to the curriculum
• Parents and the student are important members of the team
• SMART goals are established (specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, timely) for the student’s school year.
• Reviewed annually

8. From plans to programs
• No longer just a case of different seating and / or testing arrangements
• IEPs include a variety of educational adjustments
• Students may receive therapy during the school day
• Therapists may work with the classroom teacher on inclusionary
techniques for use in the general classroom
• Student may attend some classes in a separate room, but many will
be in a general classroom – with accommodations as needed
• Goal is to support the student, not have them stand out
• Older students should be allowed flexibility in accommodation
methods to help support high levels of self-esteem and awareness

9. Assistive Technologies
•
Assistive technologies (AT) are now included – not just non-tech methods
• Definition: “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether
acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to
increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals
with disabilities” (6)
•
Levels of technology:
(7)
• Non-tech: pencil grips, page turn tabs, picture directions rather than
written, computer carrels for isolation/removal of distractions
• Low-tech: computer for writing (rather than by hand), adjustments to
software for easier visibility, tactile demonstration models,
communication boards, variations on input devices (keyboards, mice,
touch screen options)
• High-tech: OCR / text reader programs, speech-to-text software, note
taking systems (some with audio or video recording capability), ebooks, educational applications running on in-class tablet devices

10. AT applied to instruction
•
Lahm and Morrissette (1994)(8) outlined seven areas of instruction where
AT can be useful:
• Organization – developing concept maps and outlines can help with recall
• Note-taking – students are not limited to just what they can get written down –
even video or audio recording can help with review
• Writing Assistance – computers remove the limitations of pen & paper – voice
recognition software takes the ease even further
• Productivity – from calculators to computers, tools can assist with task
completion
• Access to reference materials – multimedia methods of research allow for
research to be completed with a minimum of movement
• Cognitive Assistance – programs to help student through tutorials, drill and
practice, problem-solving and simulations
• Materials Modification – not just from the instruction side – students
themselves can create materials through a variety of methods

11. Not just for IEP students
• It is not only those students with IEPs that can benefit from the
application of AT to the classroom
• Tools to help develop organization and provide cognitive assistance
can benefit all students in their educational pursuits
• The completion of multi-media research and the development of
alternative materials can help students to become aware of not only
their own level of knowledge, but how to present their findings
• The help of productivity software and word processing programs
can make more students comfortable with writing and expressing
themselves
• Students with varied learning styles will benefit from the options
• Working together as a team can help all students in the room (and help
the IEP student not “be different”)

12. Useful planning tools
• Developing lesson plans that include the use of instructional or assistive
technology can produce a classroom that supports all of its students
• Tools are available to provide information about what is available and
how it can be applied to lesson development – one suggestion:
• Various publications from the Technology and Media Division of
the Council for Exceptional Children (9)
• Technology Fans – assistive technology suggestions
• TAM Series – “Practical Ideas for Practitioners”
• Planning Tools – “designed to be used by practitioners as they consider
and implement assistive technology, instructional technology, and
Universal Design for Learning”

13. References (Cited)
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_504_of_the_Rehabilitation_Act
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_for_All_Handicapped_Children_Act
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individuals_with_Disabilities_Education_Act
4) http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/504-plans.html
5) http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html
6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology
7) http://assistivetechnologyforeducation.com/examples-of-assistive-technology/
8) https://www.teachervision.com/assistive-technology/teaching-methods/3791.html
9) http://www.tamcec.org/publications/

14. Additional References
•
Creating SMART goals: http://topachievement.com/smart.html
•
US Department of Education IDEA site: http://idea.ed.gov/
•
Georgia Project for Assistive Technology: http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-AssistiveTechnology/Pages/default.aspx
•
Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children: http://www.tamcec.org/
•
Assistive Technology for students with Mild Disabilities-Update 2002:
http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm