1. Assistive Technology
Created by Lisa Holloway
ED505

2. What is Assistive
Technology?

3. What types of learning problems does
assistive technology address?
AT can address many types of learning difficulties. A student
who has difficulty writing can compose a school report by
dictating it and having it converted to text by special software. A
child who struggles with math can use a hand-held calculator to
keep score while playing a game with a friend. And a teenager
with dyslexia may benefit from AT that will read aloud his
employer's online training manual. There are AT tools to help
students who struggle with:
• Hearing impairments
• Seeing impairments
• Learning disabilities
• Physical disabilities
As you can imagine, there is a large amount of AT to choose from. Let’s
take a peek at just a few products available.

4. Hearing impaired AT
FM Systems
Hearing Assistive Technology: FM Systems | Infrared
Systems | Induction Loop Systems | One-to-One
Communicators | Other Hearing Assistive Technology
Systems Solutions
Personal frequency modulation (FM) systems are like
miniature radio stations operating on special frequencies.
The personal FM system consists of a transmitter
microphone used by the speaker (such as the teacher in the
classroom, or the speaker at a lecture) and a receiver used
by you, the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to
your ears or, if you wear a hearing aid, directly to the
hearing aid.
Personal FM systems are useful in a variety of situations,
such as in a classroom lecture, in a restaurant, in a sales
meeting, or in a nursing home or senior center.
FM systems are also used in theaters, places of worship,
museums, public meeting places, corporate conference
rooms, convention centers, and other large areas for
gathering. In these situations, the microphone/transmitter is
built into the overall sound system. You are provided with an
FM receiver that can connect to your hearing aid or cochlear
implant. The receiver can also connect to a headset if you
don’t wear a hearing aid

5. Seeing impaired AT
The DAISY Consortium develops and promotes standards
that make digital audiobooks accessible to persons with
print disabilities. DAISY Consortium
Question: DAISY Books Are Free, Downloadable Digital
Audio Books
DAISY, which stands for Digital Accessible Information
System, is a set of standards developed to make written
materials such as books more accessible to persons with
print disabilities.
A DAISY book is basically a set of electronic files that include
audio narration, text marked with special navigation tags,
and other files that synchronize the text with the audio.
Who Are DAISY Books Designed For?
The DAISY format was developed for persons who have
limitations that make it difficult or impossible to read
standard print. This group generally includes persons who
are blind or visually impaired, persons with cognitive
dysfunctions such as dyslexia, and persons with limited
motor skills who might not be able to hold a book or turn
pages.

6. Assistive technology
service
• Training and Technical Assistance for
professionals
• Training and Technical Assistance for
families
• Evaluation
• Coordinating AT with other providers’
services

7. Learning disabled AT
Electronic math work sheets
Electronic math worksheets are software programs that can
help a user organize, align, and work through math
problems on a computer screen. Numbers that appear
onscreen can also be read aloud via a speech synthesizer.
This may be helpful to people who have trouble aligning
math problems with pencil and paper.
Freeform database software
Used in conjunction with word processing or other software,
this tool allows the user to create and store electronic notes
by "jotting down" relevant information of any length and on
any subject. He can later retrieve the information by typing
any fragment of the original note.
Graphic organizers and outlining
Graphic organizers and outlining programs help users who
have trouble organizing and outlining information as they
begin a writing project. This type of program lets a user
"dump" information in an unstructured manner and later
helps him organize the information into appropriate
categories and order.

8. Physically disabled AT
Advanced assistive communication technology from
Control Bionics
If you are paralyzed, suffer from loss of speech, and loss of
motor control, the Neuro Switch provides the easiest, most
effective way to communicate and control your
environment. The Neuro Switch is made for people with
conditions such as acute spinal cord injury (SCI), ALS (Lou
Gehrig’s Disease), MND (motor neuron disease), or cerebral
palsy.
The Neuro Switch’s small sensors sit on the surface of your
skin, located on the muscle chosen to be your switch.
You tense that muscle. The Neuro Switch detects your EMG
signal, even if you can’t see or feel your muscle move.
The Neuro Switch amplifies and interprets your signal, then
sends it to a MacBook Air laptop, included with the device.
On your MacBook, your signal reaches Assistive Ware‘s
virtual keyboard and mouse controls. You get word
prediction, text-to-speech capability, and full control over
your computer.

9. Assistive Technology can help students with disabilities meet their IEP goals and enhance their
academic experiences in the general education classroom. Although IDEA requires IEP teams to
consider AT devices, there is currently no federal designated process for them to follow.
What can we do?
It is the responsibility of the administrators, teachers,
parents, and IEP teams to add Assistive Technology to
IEP’s to ensure each student with a disability has every
tool needed to ensure educational success.
For more information on Assistive Technology visit http://iris.peadbody.Vanderbilt.edu/at/chalcycle.htm

10. References
Assistive Technology for kids with Learning Disabilities: an Overview. (2014). Retrieved from Reading Rocket: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-
technology-kids-learning-disabilities-overview
Assistive Technology for hearing impaired. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/FM-Systems
Leibs, A. (2009, May 5). Daisy Books Are Free, Downloadable Digital Audio Books. Retrieved from
http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/AudiobookPlayerOptions/f/What -Are-Daisy-Books.htm
Ed.gov. (n .d.). Retrieved from Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004: http://idea.ed.gov/