Matthew+Spector

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGYtoc By: Matthew Spector

=I: __Introduction__= Transition planning can begin during a students’ freshman and/or sophomore year of high school. During these years students can determine the path of their academics whether it is to receive a diploma or a certificate of completion. An important component to this type of discussion is the path in which the student obtains his/her desired academic goal. This is typically done once a student is in eighth grade or above. In addition, transition services can be introduced. Once the student reaches his/her senior year, their academic goal that was created in the beginning of high school should be evaluated for accurateness in obtaining that goal. In addition vocational and lifestyle skills are introduced and taught to the student. This can be done through job training at a site location with a job coach. As the student completes his/her four years of high school they then have multiple options of what to do next. One option would be to attend a post secondary institution such as a university or a community college, obtain a full time employment opportunity, or attend a transition program. Because students can receive special education services up until the age of twenty-one, services do not have to stop upon graduating from high school. Transition programs work with students to develop the transitional goals discussed during the student’s PPT meeting in high school.

It is important during discussing these goals that an emphasis is made on assistive technology. Assistive technology, by law, must be created in relation to the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). The federal definition of assistive technology according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is “any item, piece of equipment, or product, or system, whether acquired commercially off the self, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.” When students enter a transition program they are still under the regulations of IDEA but as they exit a program at the age of twenty-one, IDEA no longer affects them and they fall under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act: Section 504. The ADA prevents people with disabilities from being discriminated against in employment, public services and accommodations, transportation, and communication. ADA outlines an extensive list of auxiliary aids and services: -interpreters -note takers -transcription services -written materials -assistive listening devices -TDDs -videotext displays

For a student to become eligible to receive assistive technology prior to exiting special education a student’s Individualized Education Plan Team meets to discuss ways in which assistive technology could be applied to the students academics. The team is responsible for incorporating the use of assistive technology, if needed, into that student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). In some cases an assistive technology evaluation is conducted. According to the North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology, an assessment for determining assistive technology must follow the following steps: 1) Identify the Individual’s Tasks to be Accomplished 2) Gather Background Information 3) Match the Individual with Equipment Features 4) Equipment Considerations 5) Establish Trial Use of Equipment 6) Reconsider Options 7) Develop Training Plans 8) Identify Funding Sources 9) Define Follow-up Activities

=II: __Historical Perspective__=

In 1973 the Rehabilitation Act was signed into law. This law prohibits any agency or program that is funded by the federal government from discriminating against people with disabilities. This law is broken down to a series of sections that range from 501 to 508. In relation to assistive technology, both section 503 and 504 required students and people with disabilities to receive appropriate accommodations in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Section 503 requires "affirmative action" and nondiscrimination when going through the firing process. Affirmative action is associated with factors such as: "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin." Section 504 requires people with disabilities to receive appropriate accommodations to be able to complete work related tasks. It is important to understand that a person does not have to be receiving special education to receive accommodations through section 504. For example, a high school football player may break an arm during a game which limits his ability to write. Due to his injuries he can receive accommodations through section 504 such as a note taker or extended time. Because of these laws the physical layout of building on college campuses and work sites made changes such as installing elevators, curbs, and braille labeled rooms.

In 1975 the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed into law. The significance of this law required all students receiving special education to have an Individual Education Program (IEP). Page 9 of an IEP is related to Program Accommodations and Modifications. This page of the IEP requires the student's academic team to provide a list of accommodations and modifications that "enable the child to: -advance appropriately toward attaining his/her annual goals -be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum -participate in extracurricular and other non-academic activities -be educated and participate with other children with and without disabilities"

In the 1980's several laws were signed and put into affect that raised awareness of Assistive Technology. In1985 the website //Able Data// was created (abledata.com). This was the first website, to date, that collected data on assistive technology. Currently, this website has a tab titled "Products" When clicking on this tab you are immediately brought to a list of assistive technologies that users can use for a variety of situations. For example, when clicking on "Aids for Daily Living"' you can then see and click on specific assistive technologies that correlate with daily living. In 1986 two amendments where signed into law. The first amendment was for the Education of the Handicapped Act. This amendment extended the years of services to infants and children in the age range of 3 to 5. In relation to assistive technology, funds were being created to research and implement assistive technology in the classrooms. In 1988 the first official definition of assistive technology was created by the Technology-Related Assistance Act for Individuals with Disabilities. Since then, many amendments were made to the Rehabilitation Act and the American with Disabilities Act that promoted the use of assistive technology in both the general education setting along with vocational instruction.

=III: The view of Assistive Technology amongst Minority Groups and Parents=

America, by many, is considered the melting pot of all cultures. People from all over the world come to the United States to work towards obtaining the American dream. The NECTACT Clearinghouse on Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education looked at the views of assistive technology across several populations. Susan Goode states that "professionals need to take into account and understand how a family's cultural, ethnic and/or socioeconomic background may impact decisions about the use of assistive technology with young children." On a constant everyday to day basis technology is being used by a high percentage of people. These kinds of technology may range from using a cell phone to make a call or typing a report on a computer. But what you may not see on an everyday basis is the use of assistive technology. Goode suggest that Asian and Native American families do not value assistive technology because they value the idea of dependence on the family. Through the use of assistive technology users become more independent and less dependent on others which moves away from these population's values. Another population that Goode talks about is African Americans. She suggests that this population strives to "fit into their communities, rather than appear different." This suggests that assistive technology brings attention to the user in ways that some populations do not want, despite the assistance that these technologies offer.

A study was done by the Family Center on Technology and Disability that looked into the ways that family centered planning, cultural, and linguistics issues may impact a families decision to use assistive technology. Whenever creating an action plan for a student it is always necessary to include the members of that student's family. Each family is different in their own unique and individual way. What may work for one family may not work for another family even if the two students are similar. For assistive technology to become successfully used it needs to be appropriately implemented amongst the various environments that the student functions in such as: school, community, and home. Janet Peters suggests that families from these populations may not be inclined to using assistive technology because they may in fact not even have a computer at home. A study performed by Seagate in 2005 found that 76% of American households own a computer, 67% own a mobile phone. These two products are something that is generally used on an everyday to day basis in which we sometimes take for granted. For the remaining 24% of families that do not have computers or the remaining 33% that do not have cell phones, using advanced assistive technology can become an overwhelming task. Janet Peters is concerned with the amount of technological support that the student would receive at home in these types of setting. It is one thing to learn about and use assistive technology in a school setting, but it is just as important to have that level of reinforcement at home.

When a child is being assessed for assistive technology professionals are always ready to jump in and tell the student and his or her family what they should be doing. Often times these suggestions do not reflect what the parents actually want for their children. //Great Schools// developed a learning guide that directly incorporates the parents into the decision process of using assistive technology.

http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/Assistive_Technology_Parents_Guide.pdf

This guidebook provides parents with a wide variety of information regarding the use and implementation of assistive technology. Throughout this guidebook parents can find information on several types of assistive technologies, how to match them to individual children, and how to determine the effectiveness of each tool. This will promote the use of assistive technology amongst the views of populations whom are unsure of whether or not to use them. = =

=IV: Assistive Technology used by College Students= Looking away from the low usage of Assistive Technology used by Minority Groups, Assistive Technology is widely used across college campuses in the United States. At the Center for Students with Disabilities located at the University of Connecticut, Assistive Technology is being widely promoted and used throughout all Beyond Access programs. Beyond Access is a series of programs that provides students with individualized instruction and strategies that go "beyond" the general accommodations that a student could receive. This may include having: a note taker, extended time, alternative test setting. Below is a video created by a student worker on the technology team at the Center for Students with Disabilities. This video uses technology to explain each program in more detail along with the daily functions of the center.

media type="youtube" key="iOGpM5MlbSA" height="315" width="420" "Individualized training in Learning and __Assistive Technologies__ that supports studying smarter not harder, including information and training in low-cost/no-cost technologies for writing papers, reading, note-taking, exam preparation, and research." || [] || || "Review and reinforce the __Key Technologies__ used as a college student" || [] || || "Improve coordination of Accommodations & Services." || [] || || "FAST is customized to individual student needs and will introduce you to a variety of learning strategies and __technologies__ to help you to read, write, problem-solve, manage time, and present college-level work." || [] || || As you can see from the goals of each program, assistive technology is used to a great extent to enhance the students ability to become successful in a college/university setting. With the use of smart boards in almost every college level classroom, technology is not hard to find on campus. With computer labs located in almost every academic building and a wide variety of technology, student need to become familiar on how to access these technologies in order to complete academic related tasks. The programs offered at the Center for Students with Disabilities does just that. With a focus on assistive technology, students receive support in accessing a battery of assistive technologies.
 * BOLD: Building Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities
 * Husky GPS: Getting Prepared for School
 * SEAD: Strategic Education for Students with Austism Spectrum Disorder
 * Tutoring PLUS || [] || [[image:http://www.csd.uconn.edu/images/tutoring_plus_small.jpg caption="Tutoring Plus Logo"]] ||
 * FAST: Focused Academic Skills Training

=V: The Future Age of Technology=



Technology is becoming more and even more advanced as each day progresses. As one new piece of technology is introduced another one shortly follows often times making it difficult to keep up with the new and the greatest. With this in mind research is being done to create better and more efficient forms of assistive technology. Randy Collins at the Arizona Technology Access Program believes that new forms of assistive technology will become available that will enhance people with disabilities lives far greater than they do today but will come with a cost. Collins says, "as you might imaging, it ain't cheap." Collins then goes on about technology that is either already being used and technology that will become available soon. Some examples are:

-"A controller woven into the fabric of clothes, or worn as a pin, that will turn our lights on and off as we enter and leave a room in our home, or will open doors automatically, and control the thermostat."

-"Household appliances that will read the bar code on most frozen meals and will cook them according to the directions on the package."

-Computers that will function through voice recognition using natural language. It will not be necessary to use specific programs as it is now. By simply saying, “Make an appointment with the eye doctor for Wednesday at 3.00 PM”, an appointment will be entered into your computer calendar."

This form of technology is currently used in Apple's Iphone 4S. This phone has a program called Siri that enables users to speak a command and the phone does the rest. You can ask Siri to: make a phone call, create a text message, search for the nearest restaurant, and even set reminders. media type="custom" key="15459430"

As you can see, these types of assistive technology can be very useful for people with disabilities. But the main concern that Collins has is the price that people will have to pay in order to afford these technologies. Because the price of an item is dependent on the demand, there is no way of exactly pricing the cost of future technology but it is expected to be high. For example, Apple's Siri phone starts off at $200 a phone.

Teaching works the same way as technology. As the consumer notices something that their technology is not able to do, researchers then try to make it happen. As researchers notice areas of weakness in modern day education systems, new curricula is developed and implemented in school systems. In Connecticut, many school systems are adapting to the Response to Intervention program. This program uses researched based instruction and interventions to address the individual needs of each student. This allows the student to receive an appropriate amount of support in order to gain access to the general education curriculum. In the article //The Future is in the Margins: The Role of Technology and Disability in Educational Reform// authors David Rose and Anne Meyer discuss the future implications that assistive technology will have on the role of the teacher and delivery of instruction. Rose and Meyer state that current day assistive technology simply provides users with a new way to do an "old" task by stating "These tools provide improvements in efficiency but they do not fundamentally change the nature of the educational enterprise." As more advanced technology becomes available the tasks that these technologies will be able to do will extend far beyond performing the "old" task.

The amount of teaching and learning that is happening within a classroom is typically measured through the use of assessments. Assessments range from progress monitoring tools such as DIBELS to more extensive assessments like the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) or the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CMT). With new research being done, researchers are able to gain an understanding of the student, as a learner, by looking at the physical brain. Tools are becoming available to map out an individual's brain as they are participating in various types of learning. By being able to see the brain as it learns, research can then be created that will enhance instruction for the individual's preferred way of learning through data collected from the brain.

=VI: Assistive Technology in School=

As mentioned above, assistive technology is starting to be used more frequently within the academic world. Just as new curricula are being introduced and becoming available within the classroom, new assistive technology is becoming a demand. With constant research being done on developing new and innovational types of assistive technology. It is not only important for teachers to implement these types of assistive technologies in the classroom but it is also important to have a strong basis of understanding of each type. To gain that type of knowledge teachers must participate in professional development workshops that help introduce teachers to these types of technologies. The following companies provide suport in developing profesional development regarding assistive technology:

EastConn: http://www.eastconn.org

Area Cooperative Educational Services: http://www.aces.org

Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative: http://www.wati.org/

=VII: Sample Types of Assistive Technology=

LiveScribe Pen: The LiveScribe Pen is a writing utensil that uses technology to help students from elementary through post secondary grades comprehend and understand written and oral language. This tool can be used specifically by students who have a challenge in transcribing oral language into written language. It replays the content back to the student as many times as necessary for successful comprehension. When writing in a notebook this pen is able to organize a persons written language into a computer file and format it into a word document. While a student is writing, the pen can play back any audio that was being said while the student was writing. This happens when clicking the links at the bottom of the page of the notebook. This enables the pen to connect written language to oral language. __Features of the LiveScribe Pen:__ Micro-USB Connector - Transfer notes between the pen and a computer Microphone – Record audio within the classroom Built-in Speaker – Play back recently recorded files Audio Jack – Allows users to listen to recorded files on a headset Memory Storage – Can hold between 400 to 800 hours of audio Dragon Naturally: Dragon Naturally Speaking is voice recognition software that is capable of recognizing the user’s voice, and thereby allowing control of computer commands and typing of documents via speech.

Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Adobe Acrobat 9.0 is a type of software that allows users to convert a wide variety of documents into a Portable Document Format (PDF). A PDF can be used for multiple reasons such as creating a report, transferring data amongst group members, or sharing papers with professors for editing and revising.

Balabolka: Balabolka is a computer based program that enables users to hear written text on a compter screen. It reads with clarity and accuracy by using any previously installed voices on a computer. In addition, Balbolka can convert the voice file into an MP3 than can be listened to on any MP3 player such as an IPod on the road.

Google Calendar:

Google Calendar is a free program offered through the google services that provides users with a tool to organize dates and events. This program allows members to create an individualized calendar in which you can inport specific dates of importance. When creating an event you also have the option to create reminder in which google calendar will contact you prior to the event happening. Google calendar can be used in a variety ways especially within a school setting to help keep track of assignments and exams. This can be used for students who need guidane in time management.

=VIII: References=

1) //Assistive Technology and the Transition Process from High School// Indiana Assistive Technology Act. 4/3/12

2) //E-ssential Guide Assistive Technology A Parent's Guide// Great Schools Schwab Learning. 4/3/12

3) //A Guide to Disability Rights Laws// U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights Section. 4/10/12

4) //Historical Foundations of Assistive Technology// Rehabilitation Research Design and Disability at the University of Wisconsin. 4/3/12

5) //The Future is in the margins: The Role of Technology and Disability in Educational Reform,// David Rose and Anne Meyer. 4/7/12

6) //Guiding Document for Assistive Technology Transition// Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services. 4/7/12

7) //Assistive Technology Assessment Process// Judie Lee. 4/1/12

8) //Assistive Technology for Children with Learning Difficulties// Schwab Foundation for Learning. 4/2/12

9) //Assistive Technology A Special Education Guide to Assistive Technology// Montana Office of Public Instruction. 4/2/12

10) //Assistive Technology and Diversity Issues// NECTAC Clearinghouse on Early Intervention Early Childhood Special Education. 4/2/12

11) //Special Education Transition Planning// Minnesota Disability Law Center 4/5/12

12) //Assistive Technology and Transition// Canfield, T and Reed, P. Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative. 4/7/12

13 )University of Connecticut Center for Students with Disabilities http://www.csd.uconn.edu/. 4/1/12

14)North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology http://www.ndipat.org/. 4/7/12

15) //Student's Guide to the IEP// Marcy McGahee-Kovac The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. 4/7/12

16) AbleData abledata.com 4/7/12

17) //Assistive Technology Plain and Simple// Arizona Technology Access Program. 4/1/12

18) EastConn http://www.eastconn.org 4/14/12

19) //A Resource Guide For Teachers and Administrators About Assistive Technology// Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative. 4/14/12

=IX: Discussion= include component="comments" page="Matthew Spector" limit="10"