Assistive Technology Applications in Educational Programs of Children with Multiple Disabilities: A Case Study Report on the State of the Practice

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Hutinger ◽  
Joyce Johanson ◽  
Robert Stoneburner
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Multiple Disabilities ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
Teachers And Parents

Results are reported of a two-year case study that analyzed how assistive technology was used in educational programs for 14 children with multiple disabilities who had two to ten years experience with assistive technology. The authors employed a modified longitudinal approach to study assistive technology use, the effects of technology applications, and barriers to the achievement of the children's educational goals. Data collection procedures included direct observation, videotapes of children as they used assistive technologies, questionnaires, and interviews with teachers and parents. In spite of a number of barriers, by the end of the study the children were able to use technology tools to accomplish tasks previously not possible due to the severity of their disabilities. The greatest improvement occurred in the areas of social and emotional development. The implications for assistive technology use by children with multiple disabilities are discussed.

Beyond assistive technology: presentation at Texas library association conference

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Kate Todd
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
College And University ◽  
Service Information ◽  
Technology Applications

Purpose – The purpose of this article was to summarize the author's presentation about improving library services to people with disabilities made at the 2014 Texas Library Association annual conference. Design/methodology/approach – She uses expertise developed teaching face-to-face and online course about assistive technologies and library services for patrons with disabilities. Findings – Topics covered include early approaches to library accessibility, sample assistive technology applications for iPad, iPhone or Android and suggestions for developing a plan for improving services. Practical implications – Readers are encourages to evaluate the current level of services and develop plans for improvement. Social implications – An increasing number of patrons with disabilities are visiting public, school, college and university libraries. Librarians want to provide the best possible service. Information and recommendations from this article will provide assistance. Original/value – This conference provided a wonderful opportunity for sharing and planning with other librarians.

Assistive Technology and Literacy Learning: Reflections of Parents and Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Jeffs ◽  
Michael Behrmann ◽  
Brenda Bannan-Ritland
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
The Impact

Literacy is important not only to school success but is fundamental to skills needed to succeed in our rapidly changing technology-driven society. This article focuses on characteristics, interactions, and attitudes of parents and children related to their use of assistive technologies to build literacy skills. Interviews and observations involving parents and children using a variety of assistive technologies, along with a synthesis of research literature provide a framework for discussion. A contextual background for technology use by parents and children examines (a) specific learning characteristics of parents and children selecting and using assistive technology, (b) the impact of technology on their attitudes in the literacy process, and (c) areas of support needed by parents and students in literacy learning. Parents and children used a combination of technologies to meet specific individual learning needs. As a result, customization of the learning task through the use of technology occurred and in return provided enhanced opportunities for engagement and interaction to take place. Parents and children began to learn from each other and from the technology.

A Survey of Assistive Technology Applications in Schools and Recommendations for Practice

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine Derer ◽  
Lewis Polsgrove ◽  
Herbert Rieth
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
General Survey ◽  
Major Aspect ◽  
The Status ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
Recommendations For Practice ◽  
Severe Limit

The Analysis of Technology Assistance for Children (ATAC) project was undertaken in recognition of the severe limit in information on current practices in field applications of assistive technology. Specifically, the ATAC project focused on investigating three problem areas: (1) the status of assistive technology in educational and related settings with school-age children with disabilities; (2) the benefits and barriers associated with using assistive technology for these youngsters; and (3) the effects of assistive technology use. A major aspect of the project involved a general survey of assistive technology use in special education classrooms across three states: Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This article presents the results of this effort, and discusses the implications in regard to improving practices in the field.

Aging and assistive technology use

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Technology Use

Involving people with dementia and their informal caregivers in the development process of assistive technology: Description and evaluation of a user-centered design (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris A.G.M. Geerts ◽  
Liselore J.A.E Snaphaan ◽  
Inge M.B. Bongers
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Despite the potential value of assistive technology to support people with dementia (PWD) in everyday activities, use of these technologies is still limited. To ensure that assistive technologies better address the specific needs and daily context of PWD and their informal caregivers, it is particularly important to involve them in all different phases of assistive technology development. The literature rarely describes the involvement of PWD throughout the development process of assistive technologies, which makes it difficult to further reflect on and improve active involvement of PWD. OBJECTIVE This two-part study aimed to gather insights on the user-centered design (UCD) applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of the serious game PLAYTIME by describing the methods and procedures of the UCD as well as evaluating the UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. METHODS The first three phases of the user-driven Living Lab of Innovate Dementia 2.0 were applied to directly involve PWD and their informal caregivers through qualitative research methods, including focus groups and a context-field study, in the development of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME from exploration to design to testing. After the testing phase, a total number of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWD, their informal caregivers and the project members of PLAYTIME to evaluate the applied UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. The interviews addressed five of the principles for successful UCD and the appropriateness of the different methods used in the focus groups and context-field study. RESULTS Results of the interviews focused, amongst others, on the level of involvement of PWD and their informal caregivers in the development process, the input provided by PWD and their informal caregivers, the value of early prototyping, continuous iterations of design solutions and in-context testing, the role of dementia care professionals in the multidisciplinary project team, and the appropriateness of open- and closed-ended questions for obtaining input from PWD and their informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS The description and evaluation of the UCD applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME resulted in several insights on the relevance of UCD for all involved stakeholders as well as how PWD can be involved in the subsequent phases of usable and meaningful assistive technology development.

scholarly journals Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing the Use of Assistive Technology among Children with Disabilities in Malawi

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3062
Author(s):  
Monica Jamali-Phiri ◽  
Ikenna D. Ebuenyi ◽  
Emma M. Smith ◽  
Juba Alyce Kafumba ◽  
Malcolm MacLachlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Multiple Disabilities ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors

This paper aims to address the information gap on the influence of socio-demographic factors on access and utilization of Assistive Technology (AT) among children with disabilities in Malawi. Thus, it contributes towards the realization of the recommendations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities and the development of a framework for creating an effective national AT policy. The paper used two statistically matched datasets, namely, the 2017 survey on Living conditions among persons with disabilities in Malawi and the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health survey. Logistic regression and structural equation modeling techniques were utilized to assess the influence of socio-demographic factors on the use of AT among children with disabilities. The results indicate that there is a high level of unmet need for AT among young children aged 2 to 9 and those living in urban areas. The results further indicate that children with multiple disabilities have lower odds (OR = 0.924) of using AT for personal mobility compared to children with a single functional difficulty. These results entail that AT needs for children with multiple disabilities are not adequately addressed. Therefore, when developing policies on AT, younger children and those with multiple disabilities need to be specifically targeted.

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