Introduction
In today's world, learning that a child needs additional attention when it comes to understanding and coping with the educational requirements can be addressed through various methods of teaching and with the use of advanced technologies. Gone are the days when individuals with disabilities are wholly left dependent on someone to take care of them as well as end up not having the necessary education to help them become able citizens of the country. Assistive technology helps physically challenged individuals to succeed in the mainstream world, which allows them to experience a sense of normalcy in their lives and promotes confidence and self-worth.
Defining Assistive Technology
Assistive technology is all about knowledge and equipment that may be used to aid persons with disabilities in order to gain a sense of independence in living their lives. These devices may include wheelchairs and walkers that could give support to an individual's movements or sophisticated hardware and software devices intended for people with difficulties in using computers and other advanced technological apparatus ("What Is Assistive Technology", 2013). Although much of the technology were developed with persons with disabilities in mind, now, even children suffering from learning and sensory disabilities benefit from these technologies.
These devices may be commercially available, while some may be customized depending on the individual's needs. Because assistive technology is broad, devices are classified into high-tech or low-tech devices. High-tech devices are typically electronic equipment or software such as the computer, Braille readers, and voice synthesizers. Low-tech devices are operated manually and include paper stabilizers, pencil grips, and mechanical hoists (Behrmann, 1998).
Brief History
Assistive technology was previously unknown until the enactment in 1975 of Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education for Handicapped Children Act, which "established the framework for free and appropriate public education for all children, specifically including those with disabilities" (Dalton, 2002). Now, this act has been amended and is currently known as "the Individual with Disabilities Education Act" (Dalton, 2002) or IDEA. During that time, the use of computers was still an obscure idea as much as the term assistive technology was foreign to most educators. Years passed and amendments further gave way to more definitive special education laws and federal laws. Some of these laws include the American with Disabilities Act (ADA, Public Law 101-336) that prohibits employment discrimination due to disability, thus giving way to equal opportunity in the workplace and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act which states that "all electronic and information technologies developed and used by any Federal government agency must be accessible to people with disabilities [such as] websites, video and audio tapes, electronic books, televised programs, and [others]" ("Assistive Technology Laws").
Assistive Technology in a Classroom Set Up
An important aspect of assistive technology is that qualified special education teachers handle these types of classes considering that disability is not only confined on the physical level, but may also be learning disabilities altogether. Inside the classroom, assistive technology addresses various types of learning difficulties such as listening, Mathematics, reading, writing, and organization and memory, among others (Raskind & Stanberry, 2010).
If a student's learning disability has something to do with listening skills, including remembering and organizing schedules, the devices most appropriate for that student includes the use of tape recorders (that allows playback at any given time) and FM listening systems, where "the speaker wears a microphone and the listener wears a headset" (Heatherschulte, 2012). For organizing the schedule, tracking tools help users keep track of important milestones at all times.
Students with learning disabilities in Math are given devices that aid them in computing numbers and placing the numeric values in proper alignment or columns. Electronic worksheets such as the MathPad are effective for students "that have difficulty copying down math problems with a pencil and paper, or aligning [math problems correctly]" (Heatherschulte, 2012). Another option is the talking calculator, which has "built-in speech synthesizer" (Heatherschulte, 2012) that tells the user which button was pressed. Another popular alternative to learning math are the products from Rock N Go that combines math and music to stimulate learning for kids with "attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia" (Marsh, n.d.).
Through assistive technology, students who have problems in reading are given an option on how to read text and convert it into words. Using an optical character recognition scanning device that reads the word "through computer generated speech [students hear the] text in audio format" (Heatherschulte, 2012). Other options include the use of audio books and the Braille system. Those who have problems with writing are exposed to word checking software and grammar tools, including software "that allow a student to dictate their answers rather than write them down" (Heatherschulte, 2012). Those with speech problems are able to speak through a "portable voice synthesizer" (Behrmann, 1998). Another specially useful software for reading is Compu Thera designed for the "special needs [of] kids with autism, Down syndrome, ADHD and those who are visual learners who have trouble learning just by observation" (Marsh, n.d.). This method of assistive technology combines the use of "images, symbols, words, [and] phrases, [while] music [teaches] reading in a way that complements traditional learning" (Marsh, n.d.).
Language-learning disabilities are very common, and there is a software that can be used that teaches "cause and effect, basic vocabulary, grammatical forms, and language concepts" (Marsh, n.d.) for individuals who are suffering from physical impairments, autism, developmental disabilities, and language-learning difficulties, among others. Making it more interesting for kids is how they can interactively use the touch screen and other computer paraphernalia. The computer graphics further add fun and entertainment to students, thus learning becomes enjoyable for them.
Physically disabled students can move around in their classrooms with the use of motorized wheelchairs. Those with visual impairment can "see" through an enhancement software that enlarges text and graphics in the computer. Hearing-impaired students can "hear" using amplification equipment that filters background clatter. All these assistive technology devices enhance children's confidence level, as they become active learners inside the classroom (Behrmann, 1998).
Assistive technology has other benefits that include promotion of independence to students, which helps lessen their reliance on other people when it comes to learning. It also allows increased participation in classroom discussions and activities as students become more confident, motivated, and self-assured. More importantly, assistive technology helps students accept and overcome their physical or learning impairments and focus on their strengths as an individual instead of wallowing in self-pity (Torreno, 2010). Aside from the students, teachers also benefit from using this technology. They become more creative when it comes to their teaching style as they customize their lessons according to the needs of a specific student. In addition, teachers are able to inspire even students without disabilities to do better in school (Torreno, 2012), especially in situations where physically handicapped students attend the mainstream classes.
New Concepts Relating to Assistive Technology
As technology advances in this field, new methods on the use of assistive technology arose beginning from limiting the design to disability-related technology to adopting a universal approach in the design of assistive technology devices. The more these devices are incorporated in the everyday products, the more they become the norm for everyone – leading to a balance and a perfect interweaving of assistive technology with everyday products. Examples of these include pull-down kitchen shelves, automatic door openers, ramps, curb cuts, and speech recognition applications (Accessibility NZ, 2010).
Applying the same principles in education, Mason, Orkwis, and Scott claims there are seven principles of universal design for learning (as cited in Conn-Powers, Cross, Traub, & Hutter-Pishgahi, 2006, p. 3).
Figure 1: Bottom of Form
Educational Applications of the Seven Principles of Universal Design for Learning
In short, the universal design as applied in education aims to allow all children, regardless of learning abilities or disabilities to have access to the same set of curriculum and learning opportunities instead of following the old school notion of separating those with learning and physical disabilities from mainstream class instruction (Conn-Powers et al., 2006, p. 4).
Conclusion
With the advancements in assistive technology and its continually evolving nature in terms of equipment and methods of teaching, the future only looks bright for children with disabilities. The fears as to whether they will even be able to join mainstream education are diminishing with the establishment of the universal design of learning. Assistive learning technologies make possible for children to thrive in school by supporting and improving their weak areas. It is not to say that these children will totally shun human intervention, but rather, they will become more self-assured as assistive technologies help enable them. As they become ensconced in mainstream schools, they will be more independent and will be productive members of society in the future.
References
Accessibility NZ. (2010). The evolution of assistive technology in everyday products. Accessibility NZ. Retrieved from http://accessibility.net.nz/blog/the-evolution-of-assistive-technology-into-everyday-products/
"Assistive technology laws." (n.d.). Family Center on Technology and Disability. Retrieved from http://www.fctd.info/resources/techlaws.php
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
Conn-Powers, M., Cross, A.F., Traub, E. K., & Hutter-Pishgahi, L. (2006). The universal design of early education. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200609/ConnPowersBTJ.pdf
Dalton, E.M. (2002). Assistive technology in education: A review of policies, standards, and curriculum integration from 1997 through 2000 involving assistive technology and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Issues in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.ric.edu/itl/volume_01_dalton.php
Heatherschulte. (2012). A list of assistive technology used in schoolrooms. 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
Marsh, D. (n.d.). Special education needs: Top nine assistive technology products for special needs kids. Disaboom. Retrieved from http://www.disaboom.com/k-12-for-children-with-disabilities/special-education-needs-assistive-technology-products
Raskind, M, & Stanberry, K. (2010). Assistive technology for kids with LD: An overview. Great Schools. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/702-assistive-technology-for-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gs?page=all
Torreno, S. (2012). The benefits of assistive technology in schools. Bright Hub Education. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-law/73643-the-benefits-of-assisstive-technology-in-schools/
"What is assistive technology?". (2013). AccessIT. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109
