Children with physical or learning disabilities now have access to various devices and technologies that help address their educational needs. Unlike in the past when these children depended too much on other individuals for their everyday needs, through advances in technology, they end up becoming able citizens of the nation. Assistive technology helps individuals with physical and learning disabilities to succeed in the mainstream world, increasing their self-confidence and self-esteem, which gives them the opportunity to experience a sense of normalcy in their lives.
Assistive technology pertains to devices and knowledge used to help persons with disabilities perform their regular activities, such as walkers, wheelchairs, voice synthesizers, pencil grips, screen magnifiers, Math sheets, and more. These tools and applications were initially developed with persons with physical disabilities in mind, but now, even those suffering from sensory and learning problems benefit from using the technologies (Behrmann).
Marcia Guard works in a private school as a special education teacher and handles children with disabilities ages 6-10 years old. In her role as special education teacher, she works directly with hearing-impaired children and coordinates heavily with school officials in providing feedback about the effectivity of technologies used, as well as the children’s parents to inform them about the child’s progress. The school believes that a student with disabilities has a right to the same quality education as other children, thus, the school finds ways to teach and provide the necessary and appropriate equipment for special education children. In some instances, equipments are donated by civic organizations and the school’s PTA. They also get some funding from the government itself.
For the hearing-impaired students, the possibility of delayed speech is high, which result to low self-esteem, disinterest in learning, and indifference to communication and interaction with peers. Thus, to address this situation, the school uses FM listening systems that allow a student to “hear” what the teacher is saying. For instance, the teacher wears a device with a microphone, while the student wears a headset to facilitate communication (heatherschulte).
Source: Lightspeed Personal FM System, http://www.lightspeed-tek.com/370.aspx
This allows the student to hear the teacher enunciate letters and words. Although the defect is focused on the sense of hearing, the use of this technology benefits children with speech problems as well.
Source: Assistive Technology in Education/Life Skills http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Life_Skills
Based on the interview, my assessment is that the school is indeed supportive of students with learning disabilities considering that if upon evaluation of the student the school finds that the student needs a specific gadget, then the school buys the equipment. This is also in line with the assistive technology laws enacted in the United States that protect the rights to education of persons with disabilities. In terms of funding, I find it positive that the school takes it upon itself to purchase equipment such equipments because it only enhances and cements their thrust in moving their programs forward. It is also encouraging that parents are open to the idea of doing the same for students with disabilities because the more they become aware about the students’ plight and thus can offer more help in improving the education experience of students with disabilities. It shows their compassion and sense of responsibility towards other people.
During the interview, it was revealed that training teachers in the use of a software or device takes about five hours of continued interaction with the software because one becomes fully accustomed with the features. In such cases, the school must take into account that it would have to be longer for the students considering their physical or learning limitations. The teacher also shares that some level of sign language is also necessary to fully understand the use of In terms of software and device maintenance, typically, it does not present any major problems because everything are loaded into a computer system and because teachers are knowledgeable about simple troubleshooting techniques, minor issues are easily resolved.
For my recommendation for the school, I would suggest that they continue to evaluate the effectiveness of their software and gadgets on a quarterly basis. This is to ensure that the gadgets are in perfect condition and do not pose any health hazards to the user. In addition, it is also highly necessary that they continue to do student assessments in terms of whether the student is actually improving his listening and speech skills. If the student is indeed showing signs of great improvement, then it is probably time to move the student to another device that would further enhance his skills. In time, the student may begin to use hearing aids instead of always being connected with other listening gadgets.
A good technique for assessment is to evaluate whether the student is able to use the device and the software independently, is able to spell words, form words into sentences, and displays a higher level of self-confidence after being in the program. It would also be helpful if the school interviews the child and gathers the student’s feedback on his or her use of the gadget. If the student is not improving, the other interventions might be necessary for the child.
In terms of my interview practice, I can say that I have improved a lot since I do not only rely on existing questions provided for the interview, but instead, build on the interviewee’s answers and ask questions based on them. In addition, I come better prepared with a list of other questions that may be pertinent for the session. Based on the interview and readings I did prior to the interview, I think a very important trait I must develop is patience because working with students with disabilities is quite difficult considering that the children often feel frustrated when they don’t understand their lessons right away or are finding it difficult to express their thoughts. In addition, I must ensure that I am technologically well-versed because prior to students’ using the device, I am the first person to test and evaluate the experience. As such, I must be able to prepare a good evaluation of the device itself, including the students using the device or software. Because I also recognize the importance of assistive technology in helping students’ with disabilities live a normal and independent life, I can also help in sourcing for funds to help them and the school purchase equipment that can further enhance their learning capacities.
References
Behrmann, M. (1998). Assistive technology for young children in special education: It makes a difference. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-young-children-special-education
Heatherschulte. A list of assistive technology used in the classroom. Bright Hub Education. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-inclusion-strategies/76087-a-checklist-for-assistive-technology-for-special-needs-students-at-school-and-home/?cid=parsely_rec
