Core Curriculum in Assistive Technology: In-Service for Special Educators and Therapists

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frankie K. Dissinger
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Computer Access ◽  
Team Process ◽  
Communication Devices

This article describes the development of a course sequence in assistive technology (AT) that was offered over a four year period for special educators, speech/language therapists, and occupational therapists. The course participants learned how to assess student needs for AT, what AT devices were available, and how to make good decisions within the IEP team process for students with disabilities. The major sections of the course were data-gathering frameworks, legal issues, augmentative communication devices, and computer access adaptations and software. Follow-up consumer satisfaction of the course by the participants is also summarized. One of the most beneficial residuals from the course was a short-term AT equipment loan program.

scholarly journals Consumer Satisfaction with Telerehabilitation Service Provision of Alternative Computer Access and Augmentative and Alternative Communication

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund F. LoPresti ◽  
Andrew Jinks ◽  
Richard C. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Computer Access ◽  
Technology Evaluation ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
And Training

Telerehabilitation (TR) services for assistive technology evaluation and training have the potential to reduce travel demands for consumers and assistive technology professionals while allowing evaluation in more familiar, salient environments for the consumer. Sixty-five consumers received TR services for augmentative and alternative communication or alternative computer access, and consumer satisfaction was compared with twenty-eight consumers who received exclusively in-person services. TR recipients rated their TR services at a median of 6 on a 6-point Likert scale TR satisfaction questionnaire, although individual responses did indicate room for improvement in the technology. Overall satisfaction with AT services was rated highly by both in-person (100% satisfaction) and TR (99% satisfaction) service recipients.

Assistive Technology for Cognition: Perspectives on Funding

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-89
Author(s):  
Kathy de Domingo
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Personal Digital Assistants ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Prosthetic Devices ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthoses ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Communication Challenges

Physical and occupational therapists commonly provide services that incorporate prosthetic and orthotic devices such as crutches, canes, reachers, and ankle–foot orthoses to support mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs). Likewise, speech-language pathologists provide services incorporating prosthetic devices to support communication such as an electrolarynx, microcomputers, and mobile devices and apps with voice output capability. Assistive technology for cognition (ATC) includes the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and smart phones — cognitive prostheses — to compensate for cognitive challenges following acquired brain injury (ABI). Whereas funding sources for devices and services that support/compensate for mobility, ADLs, and communication challenges are generally well established, funding for ATC devices and services is relatively new to the field of speech-language pathology. This article explores the funding aspect of ATC devices and services.

Thinking Vertically: Facilitating Transition for Students With Disabilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 104837132110344
Author(s):  
Ellary A. Draper
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Special Education ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Special Education Transition

Within special education, transition is a required part of a student’s Individualized Education Program, specifically the transition from school to postsecondary life. Recently, special educators have begun to investigate best practices of transition at all levels—early intervention into school, elementary to middle school, and middle to high school. Yet in music education transition is not widely discussed for students with and without disabilities. This article includes an overview of best practices of transition in special education and provides ideas on how to implement these practices in music education to better facilitate transition between schools to postsecondary life for students with disabilities.

Computer access for students with disabilities

1997 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 292-295
Author(s):  
Frances S. Grodzinsky
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Computer Access

Challenges of Urban Educators in Implementing State Standards for Students with Disabilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 001312452110045
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D. Cramer ◽  
Rosalia F. Gallo ◽  
Catherine Salum ◽  
Lorena R. Munoz ◽  
Cynthia Pellegrini Lafont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Struggling Learners ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Information Research ◽  
Urban Educators

A lack of information, research, and teacher training exists on the effective implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or other state standards for struggling learners. The pace and standardization of the curriculum are often at odds with the unique learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds. Researchers in one large urban school district conducted a series of focus groups with special educators to identify their perceptions of these standards and the training needs associated with effective implementation of the standards. The results revealed a pressing need for professional development to facilitate effective implementation of the standards for struggling learners in urban settings. Implications for teacher preparation and urban education are discussed.

Educator Knowledge and Implementation of Assistive Technology to Support Challenging Behaviors: An Exploratory Inquiry

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-174
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Emerling ◽  
Sarah Wilkinson ◽  
Daniel M. Maggin
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Challenging Behaviors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Dynamic Learning ◽  
Behavioral Challenges ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
K 12

Emerging trends and advancements in technology allow educators to develop dynamic learning environments to support their students’ academic and behavioral needs. The study documented the lived experience of special educators using assistive technology (AT) to support behavioral challenges in students with disabilities and the environmental factors that support educator’s use of AT. Fifteen educators who worked in K–12 schools participated in semi-structured interviews and completed a researcher-developed Assistive Technology Treatment Integrity Checklist (ATTIC). This exploratory study indicated that participants had limited experiences using AT to target challenging behaviors. However, participants used technology to support evidence-based interventions or customized instructional technologies to manage students’ needs. Our findings also indicated that school structures impacted AT-related attitudes and eventual use. The findings from this study add to the literature on technology supports for students with challenging behaviors. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.

Technology at Home: Implications for Children with Disabilities

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Bouck ◽  
Cynthia M. Okolo ◽  
Carrie Anna Courtad
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Home Environments ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Communication Devices ◽  
And Function ◽  
At Home

Given the prominence technology holds in today's schools and society, it seems crucial to explore its use and function in home environments for students with disabilities, particularly when considering everyday technology such as “smart” toys, computers, and communication devices. Unfortunately, little research or literature has been devoted to this issue. This paper reviews the literature on smart toys for children in general, and extrapolates what we have learned from smart toys and computer use in the home to children with disabilities. It suggests future directions for research, and proposes that the field of technology in the home for children with disabilities is wide open and clearly in need of study.

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