Beginnings of Assistive Technology

Onto the next. I have spent much time looking into the many aspects of Universal Design for Learning and now am ready to move onto the next topic for my Assistive Technology class, which happens to be assistive technology. Assistive Technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. We will look further into assistive technology in this blog.

A great website to browse to get a better understanding of assistive technology (AT) is Assistive Technology Internet Modules. You must sign up for the site but once you do, it is filled with an immense amount of information regarding assistive technology with in depth examples through different modules. The three modules I perused were AT Assessment process in the School Environment, AT Consideration in the IEP Process, and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).
In the AT Assessment process in the school environment section, I found a framework I believe would serve very beneficial for educators. The SETT framework stands for student, environment, tasks, and tools. These are all the aspects the AT team must consider before they begin to identify specific technologies that can help the student accomplish the desired task. The framework is built on the premise that the team must first determine what the student needs to be able to do that is difficult or impossible for the student at this time before thinking about what technology could possibly be a tool that would be of assistance. Please view the video below for a deeper explanation.

 I found the SETT framework the most important subset of the first module as it explains how to begin to use AT appropriately for each student. It was developed to help educators use AT effectively for each student and to not begin to use AT just for the purpose of saying it was used but to truly help students succeed in a given task. I found this beneficial to utilize with some students that have issues with certain subject areas but do not have an IEP. Being able to  understand how to help them by encompassing the different parts of SETT will make me a better educator.

The AT Consideration in the IEP Process module was even more beneficial to browse than the previous. The IEP team, according to the IDEA Act, is required to consider the needs of every student who is receiving special education services. Even if the team does not feel qualified to make decisions regarding AT because they are not aware of all the different types available, they know the student the most and can be a great help in making the decision on considering the correct AT. The image below is an example of  an IEP team using the SETT framework to consider different AT. The chart is a great example of how the SETT framework sets the team up to make informed decision in the consideration step of finding the best option of assistive technology for students before, during, and after the IEP process has begun. I am looking forward to using the SETT framework in considering the best AT for my students as it is seems like a simple and easy framework to use but very beneficial in the long run.

The last and final module was Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). Voice recognition is a computer application that lets people control a computer by using speech. Students may use voice recognition along with most word processing systems. The words spoken will appear on the screen. The software has proved very beneficial for students struggling with spelling or students with challenges in the mechanical aspects of writing as their able to focus more on the content of their writing. For students with physical access difficulties, the software can replace a traditional keyboard and mouse allowing students to use the computer freely. I was unaware of all the different ASR programs out there that are easily accessible. Windows 7 has a high quality ASR built into the operating systems. I thought that was amazing and went to set it up on my own computer with Windows 8. Please (click here) to see how to set up ASR on your own computer and watch the video to see the program in use.

Although I have the software on my computer now, it was quite hard to use without training. This is the most important aspect of students using ASR in the classroom. The teachers, students, and parents need the necessary training to use the program effectively.  Once this occurs, ASR would prove extremely helpful for students that it is necessary. I had a student previously that was so self conscious about spelling words correctly, he never was able to get his thought down on the paper. Over the period of a week, he would have written one sentence. This software would have worked for him especially in the early writing stages so he could get his thoughts down. I hope to use ASR in the classroom as a whole for different students that have and do not have disabilities. I believe it could be used as a motivator in the classroom for students especially those student in which the teacher dictates what they write.