Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Watching the videos in class on Assistive Technology really made me realize the myriad of ways that I can help my future students with disabilities and unique learning needs be successful. I was inspired by the teachers and therapists who commit so fully to helping create a positive learning environment for their students. They work endlessly to figure out which assistive technologies are right for their students. And I was amazed at the perseverance and dedication shown by the young individuals in the video who have committed to following their passions and achieving their goals despite any challenge or obstacle. It was truly inspiring!

I learned that there are many inventions and adaptations that have been created to work around difficulties that disabled people encounter in school and daily life. I was especially interested in the assistive technologies used in the classroom to help students who have limited or no speech ability. With these devices, students were able to communicate and participate in class. There were multiple types shown in the videos, but most of them relied on the user either touching a screen or triggering with another body part (like eyebrows) to select an image or word on the screen and then compiling sentences or single words to be spoken aloud by the device. The name for this type of device is alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device. As Marla Runyan describes in her article ‘I Have Something to Say,’ these devices give a voice to students who otherwise would not have one, and can help students with a range of disabilities, like autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental disabilities, and apraxia of speech (Runyan, 2011).

Runyan has seen one particular app for the Ipad or Itouch work wonders in her life-skills classroom. Students can use the app to select pre-made images or teachers and parents can make their own symbols that pertain to the student. The student then creates sentences by selecting a series of symbols and images and is then able to do things like share in class, ask to eat or drink, and tell their parents about their day. This also creates opportunities for non-speaking students to bond with their peers. Runyan describes how one of her students used her device to ask a classmate if she would like to see her prized box of necklaces. Without the device, that student might not have been able to reach out to her peer and share something she enjoys.

AAC devices make class participation, communication, and inquiry possible, so I cannot think of a learning activity in which this type of device would not create a more equitable experience for a non-speaking student or a student with limited speech. The possibilities are endless, especially with the option to customize the available icons and continuously expand vocabulary. Having access to this type of assistive technology would help me meet learning goals in my future classroom if I were to have a non-speaking student in my class.

This introduction to assistive technology helps prepare me to lead my own classroom with a greater awareness of the types of resources that exist and the overall knowledge that even if I don’t know exactly what the device is yet, there is something out there that can help my student. I just need to identify the need and then tap into my available resources to find the right Assistive Technology. In her article, Assistive Technology in the Digital Age, Gayl Bowser describes a number of devices that can be used in the classroom and points out that new technology is making them applicable for students outside of the pre-conceived notion of which students need assistive technology. Rather than being used solely in Special Education classrooms, these devices can be used by any student who needs assistance in demonstrating what they know (Bowser, 2013). Bowser encourages teachers to broaden the scope of assistive technology in order to best serve their students. Knowing about a variety of assistive technology devices will help me to accommodate a variety of students in my classroom.

Runyan, Marla (2011). ‘I Have Something to Say.’ Learning & Leading with Technology, August 2011. Volume 39 (Number 1) 32-33. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading

         Bowser, Gayl (2013).Assistive Technology in the Digital Age. Learning & Leading with Technology, September/October  2013. Volume 41 (Number 2), 10-11. http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading