Assistive Technologies within the schooling system
Article Nine of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (United Nations, 2006) should be applied within the Australian educational system to provide students with special needs access to information, along with communication technologies, and systems on an equal basis with others (Forlin, Chambers, Loreman, Deppeler & Sharma, 2013). Furthermore, the employment of AT is a practical means to meet the regulations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC] (United Nations, 1989). In addition to these United Nations statutes, The New South Wales Department of Education provide supplementary funding for students with additional needs (Forlin et al, 2013). Forlin et al (2013) go on to explain that this funding is controlled using a needs-based structure, which assesses the level of need across several domains, including curriculum, receptive and expressive language, social competence, health care procedures, and mobility. Teachers need to understand the rules, regulations, and procedures to access funding for students with special needs, as well as the various student support services around them to ensure that students with special needs are given equal opportunities in education.
The use of AT within the classroom will support each student, as required, for everyday activities according to their individual needs. Communicative assisting technology and sensory aids, such as speech generating devices, braille textbooks, and voice amplification software will encourage interaction between the student, their peers, and teacher, as well as provide a level of confidence within the child to take part in classroom activities (World Health Organisation, 2015). Computer access aids, such as modified or alternate keyboards, touch screens, IPads, and personal computer devices within the classroom will strengthen understanding of classroom discussions and provide an alternate method of communication (Foreman, 2008). Moreover, during physical activity sessions, students with physical impairments can still be involved through the use of recreational AT, including adaptive controls such as cuffs for grasping sporting equipment (LifeTec, 2013). Educational reforms are more willing to support the use of AT to assist classroom learning, as they are regarded to offer both a routine and individualised approach to the general curriculum for students with special needs.
Although identifying and assessing suitable AT is seen as a complex and laborious task, it is also rewarding to see students with disabilities work correspondingly beside their classroom peers, as equals; transcending barriers through enhanced access and participation in learning environments. There is a wide range of AT options available in today’s markets that address the needs of many students. However, given that each student is unique, it is vital that several key considerations are carefully assessed prior to selecting an appropriate AT. The students existing and expected additional needs, wants and abilities should be the fundamental consideration (Foreman, 2008). This should then be followed by the wants and needs of the student’s family, and whether any cultural issues are to be considered, given that the success of the AT for students with additional needs is commonly contingent on family assistance and commitment (Foreman, 2008). Forlin et al (2013) also promote community collaboration between students with special needs and researchers, with training and follow-up to ensure the AT is working effectively.
Another key consideration hinges on the features and service systems that are involved with the AT such as accessibility, start-up and management costs, training and maintenance support, ergonomics, safety, and funding (Foreman, 2008). Additionally, the productivity in the choice of technology should not be regulated by the cost or ease of use; rather, by the optimal application of the AT. This can be ensured if the technology is chosen based on the user’s lifestyle, culture and environment, enabling students with special needs to achieve their learning objectives. Above all, students need to be guided and supported to assume increased independence and responsibility in their learning through the use of the AT provided.
Individualised Student Strategies
Timothy is a Year 4 student performing at grade level in all aspects of the curriculum, he also receives assistance from a Teacher of the Visually Impaired [TVI]. Timothy has a visual impairment that makes it challenging for him to read standard print materials, access information presented at a distance, including the blackboard and smartboard, as well as view and read material on computers. The following are recommendations to assist Timothy in accessing tools and services that are appropriate for his learning experiences.
- Timothy should have access to an illuminated stand magnifier for short reading tasks (Jutai, Strong, Russell-Minda, 2009), such as a few lines of text in a paragraph or reviewing a map or diagram.
- A mobile video magnification system (Vision Australia, n.d) that connects to a laptop and provides both short and long distance visual components should be provided to allow Timothy access to textbooks, worksheets, and information presented at a further distance. It will change the information presented to image files that can be saved to a USB stick; these files can then be reviewed during or after school on any computer with a USB conduit. The USB will enable Timothy to transport the information without having to transport the entire system between school and home each day. Both Timothy and his TVI will require extensive training to operate the system with books or information that is appealing to Timothy.
Katelin is a Year 1 student who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the end of kindergarten. This was picked up by her classroom teacher, who realised that Katelin was reading words from right to left, was at falling behind the class even though she was a good listener, and was also still struggling with phonological awareness (O’Donnell et al, 2016). The parents, classroom teacher, principal, and the dyslexia therapist from the local Dyslexia NSW support service (Dyslexia NSW, 2010) had a meeting to discuss the options for Katelin to support her learning experiences and prevent her from falling behind. The following are recommendations that will assist Katelin in utilising AT to help her read.
- A personal IPad should be provided to Katelin with a set of head phones; allowing her to listen without outside noise affecting the application. The IPad should include several useful applications that can assist her with reading, including an optical character recognition program [OCR], which will allow her teacher to take a photo of an activity-sheet and then convert the text into speech (Draffan, Evans & Blenkhorn, 2007). The IPad should have a number of eBooks that are of interest to Katelin so she can read along with them and see the words at the same time (O’Donnell et al, 2016).
Blank Graphic organiser worksheets such as diagrams and mind maps, of ideas and concepts will be beneficial for Katelin to take notes during discussion or lessons, which can help with comprehension.