Time Orientation Device for Special Education

Author(s):  
José M. Falcó ◽  
Álvaro Marco ◽  
Ángel Asensio ◽  
Rubén Blasco ◽  
Roberto Casas ◽  
...  
Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Guillomía ◽  
Jorge Luis Falcó ◽  
José Ignacio Artigas ◽  
Mercedes García-Camino

A device to train children in time orientation has been designed, developed and evaluated. It is framed within a long-term cooperation action between university and special education school. It uses a specific cognitive accessible time display: Time left in the day is represented by a row of luminous elements initially on. Time passing is represented by turning off sequentially and gradually each luminous element every 15 min. Agenda is displayed relating time to tasks with standard pictograms for further accessibility. Notifications of tasks-to-come both for management support and anticipation to changes uses visual and auditory information. Agenda can be described in an Alternative and Augmentative Communication pictogram language already used by children, supporting individual and class activities on agenda. Validation has been performed with 16 children in 12 classrooms of four special education schools. Methodology for evaluation compares both prior and posterior assessments which are based in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) from the World Health Organization (WHO), together with observation registers. Results show consistent improvement in performances related with time orientation.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4871
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Guillomía ◽  
José Ignacio Artigas ◽  
Jorge L. Falcó

This work describes an assistive technology development for cognitive support and training to be used by children of special education schools in Spain. Design is based on and guided by cognitive support findings coming from a long-term collaboration of a team of engineers (University of Zaragoza) and special education teachers (Alborada Special Education School, Zaragoza). The description starts by providing a structure of such findings in five cognitive-social areas (interface usability, virtual representations understanding, time orientation, self-awareness, and social interaction). Design requirements are extracted by applying those findings to four support services (home control, time orientation, behavior contention, and context anticipation). Technological system description follows, together with the degree of implementation and testing for each service. A major result is the benefit of using a services interface with the same structure and appearance as the alternative and augmentative communication system that children are already acquainted with. Based on regulatory conditions, the needed flexibility, and reduced available budgets, this support platform is built on mainstream technology and low-cost single-board computers with standard databases and free software packages. Results show evidence of benefit in children’s cognitive and social performance, in addition to offering a technological tool for deeper educational research.


Author(s):  
Melissa A. Pierce

In countries other than the United States, the study and practice of speech-language pathology is little known or nonexistent. Recognition of professionals in the field is minimal. Speech-language pathologists in countries where speech-language pathology is a widely recognized and respected profession often seek to share their expertise in places where little support is available for individuals with communication disorders. The Peace Corps offers a unique, long-term volunteer opportunity to people with a variety of backgrounds, including speech-language pathologists. Though Peace Corps programs do not specifically focus on speech-language pathology, many are easily adapted to the profession because they support populations of people with disabilities. This article describes how the needs of local children with communication disorders are readily addressed by a Special Education Peace Corps volunteer.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Breit-Smith ◽  
Jamie Busch ◽  
Ying Guo

Although a general limited availability of expository texts currently exists in preschool special education classrooms, expository texts offer speech-language pathologists (SLPs) a rich context for addressing the language goals of preschool children with language impairment on their caseloads. Thus, this article highlights the differences between expository and narrative texts and describes how SLPs might use expository texts for targeting preschool children's goals related to listening comprehension, vocabulary, and syntactic relationships.


2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lissa Power-deFur

Abstract School speech-language pathologists and districts frequently need guidance regarding how the legal provisions of special education affect the needs of children with dysphagia. This article reviews key principles of special education that guide eligibility determination and provision of services to all children. In the eligibility process, the school team would determine if the child's disability has an adverse effect on his/her education program and if the child needed special education (specially designed instruction) and related services. Dysphagia services would be considered a related service, a health service needed for the child to benefit from specially designed instruction. The article concludes with recommendations for practice that stem from a review of due process hearings and court cases for children with disabilities that include swallowing.


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