The Evolution of "All About Assistive Technology"

All About 

Assistive Technology

Since my first blog post in August until today's post, there have been gradual changes which prompted me to title this post, "The Evolution of All About Assistive Technology."  Having never created or contributed to a blog post in the past, I have benefited personally and professionally from learning a new form of information sharing.  I do believe that I will refer to my posts in my position at the Disability Resource Center and that they will serve as a valuable resource for me.

In my first post called "All About Me" I begin by stating, "As Testing Coordinator for Cabrini University's Disability Resource Center, I see the direct and dramatic positive impact that thoughtfully selected assistive technology has on our students. Universal Design and appropriate assistive technology level the playing field for students of all ages in all settings. I hope to increase my understanding of this critical educational imperative in our EDG 519 course." In discussing my educational journey in the previous post, I referenced my belief that EDU 519 has greatly increased my understanding of learning differences, AT, and UDL. I believe that I have achieved my desired goals for the course and notice, by looking back to my first post, that my writing style and presentation has been consistent.  I do recall Dr. Ahmad's suggestion to add images which I did add on to my first few blogs and continued doing throughout the remainder of the blog. Clearly, images, links, and graphs make my blog more visually interesting and UDL friendly.

My posts throughout the blog tend to be long! In looking back to my October post about Carly called "Autistic Girl Expresses Profound Intelligence," and my post in November called, "Online Educational Resources to Teach College Level Math" I realize that I am as interested in the real, human, personal side of people with disabilities as well as the very practical issues of available resources and devices.  My interest in the whole spectrum of UDL and assistive technology is evidenced by detail and scope of my blog posts.

Generally speaking, I like the look of my newer posts more than my older posts. I think that the newer posts are more in keeping with UDL principals in terms of clear presentation and visual aids and they include more audio links which benefit auditory learners. For example, my September post called "Three Additional Teacher Friendly UDL Resources" contains helpful information but the layout is fairly spread out and I realize now that the links I used actually don't link. A more recent post that I wrote called "Strategies to Overcome Learned Helplessness" contains an image I especially like of the Superman symbol with a question mark which aligns appropriately with my topic and contains a helpful link that does link up properly to a related article.

While my writing style has been consistent throughout my blog, I believe that my presentation has evolved to a more striking and UDL friendly style.  By building on information gained from earlier blogs, I also think that my later blogs include an even greater richness of knowledge than my earlier blogs demonstrating a productive and worthwhile learning journey.

My Learning Journey in Assistive Technology Perspectives

Cabrini's Assistive Technology Perspectives course has been extremely positive and productive. In this post I intend to share my thoughts about my learning journey in EDU 519. Specifically, I will discuss what I have learned and how the information I have learned will strengthen my instruction.  

Through my work at Cabrini's Disability Resource Center, I began this course with an understanding of the importance of AT for students with learning disabilities and an awareness of the AT used by Cabrini students.  As I review the course goals and learner outcomes, I believe that my knowledge has increased significantly in relation to the stated goals.  I have certainly gained an even greater understanding of how AT can increase independence and academic and social success for students with learning needs.  Learning about the AT continuum and the range of possibilities for students facing reading, writing, communication, and other challenges will be of great practical use for me in my profession.  Prior to taking this course, I had an understanding of the IEP process which is now much broader especially regarding the process of determining AT recommendations.  I am especially interested in the principles of UDL which we studied throughout the course. Although I had never studied UDL before, I believe that I have operated  under these principals throughout my career in education in my work at Tredyffrin Public Library, Marple Newtown School District in Title 1 Reading, and now at Cabrini's DRC.  I find that I am philosophically aligned with the mission of providing all learners an equal opportunity to learn. Flexible and individualized instructional goals, methods, materials, curriculum and assessments allow acceptance of differences and encourage meaningful learning opportunities for all.

As I mentioned in a recent post, Cabrini's DRC is firmly committed to providing appropriate support and accommodations to students with disabilities.  Cabrini's strong commitment to social justice and compassionate concern for all people is evidenced by our mission of "An Education of the Heart."  I believe that the information that I have learned about the broad topics of AT and UDL, as well as the more specific knowledge I have gained about particular AT devices and learner needs, will allow me to be an even more valuable Cabrini employee. I am now better informed about the importance of UDL, AT, and AT options and can use my knowledge and expertise to further the missions of both the DRC and of Cabrini University.

Assistive Technology and Self-Advocacy Training at The Woodlynde School

In my position at Cabrini's Disability Resource Center, I have the opportunity to meet students from a variety of high schools throughout the area.  Cabrini also has dual enrollment arrangements with two local high schools for students with learning differences. One of those schools is the Woodlynde School in Strafford, PA where "great minds think differently."  Cabrini has close ties to the Woodlynde School and each year several students matriculate from Woodlynde to Cabrini.  In this post I will discuss the various assistive technology options Woodlyde offers students as well as the self-advocacy training Woodlynde provides.

To help students achieve to their greatest potential, Woodlynde uses a variety of AT. Each student receives a laptop computer which is loaded with technologies that address individual learning needs for school and home use. One of the programs available for students is "Read Live" which assists with fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, pronunciation, expression, and phrasing.  Another program provided for students is Learning Ally for audio textbooks and literature. When students follow along with audio books, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency is increased. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is also offered as a tool which turns spoken words into written words to aid with the writing process. The WYNN software provided by Woodlynde School allows students to improve their reading and writing fluency.

Woodlynde School students are taught to "learn how they learn." These metacognition skills are powerful tools that help students become self advocates. Students are helped to understand both their strengths and challenges and use their intelligence to learn individualized strategies to achieve positive learning outcomes. By understanding their differences, students can use their strengths to work through obstacles to perform to their capabilities.

Based on what I have learned both in this Assistive Technology Perspectives course and in my work at Cabrini's DRC, I believe that committed students who fully engage in Woodlynde's learning environment are well prepared to succeed in college. Students who understand the advantages of carefully selected AT and who can advocate successfully for their own learning needs are well positioned to take advantage of available resources at college to facilitate their success.

Cabrini University's Disability Resource Center Accommodations

As an employee at Cabrini University's Disability Resource Center, I have firsthand experience with the policies and procedures Cabrini follows to make our services accessible to students with disabilities.  As described on our website, Cabrini's DRC believes that "success in life should not be restrained by individual limitations" and we are "firmly committed to offering support and appropriate accommodations to qualified students with disabilities."  Students Cabrini's DRC serves are those who have "an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (e.g., walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working)."

Students with disabilities considering Cabrini often meet with the DRC to discuss how their needs will be met as part of their college search process.  Students with disabilities who have not met with the DRC during their college search are made aware of the DRC through academic advisers, professors, and our website. Students enrolled at Cabrini University must self-identify with Kathy Johnson, Director of the Disability Resource Center, and provide necessary documentation to secure a "VISA."  The student's VISA, or Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations, document outlines specific accommodations recommended for the student based upon the student's documentation and an analysis of the student's needs. 

Cabrini provides a variety of AT to make programs and services accessible to students.  For note-taking, the DRC provides Live Scribe pens, recorders, and the Sonocent software program.  For students with reading and attention disabilities, the DRC offers Read and Write Gold software. Students can use this software for text-to-speech access with textbooks we provide for them in PDF form. We also provide audio format of texts through Learning Ally and Book Share.  For assignments and testing, students can use calculators, word processing, spell checkers, and reading software. 

Differences Between IDEA for P-12 and ADA for Higher Education

The rights and requirements for students with disabilities differ in the P-12 and higher education settings. In P-12 rights and responsibilities are based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and in higher education rights and responsibilities stem from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In this post, I will outline these differences.

Under IDEA, in P-12 all students are guaranteed by law a free appropriate public education. In higher education,  ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.  While IDEA covers every child from P-12, ADA only cover students who are "otherwise qualified" meaning only students able to meet specified academic qualifications.  In P-12, school districts must identify students with disabilities, evaluate them, and cover all costs while colleges do not have any of those obligations. In college, students must self-identify and provide documentation of their disability.  Under IDEA in P-12, schools must develop IEP plans for students and modify curriculum if necessary whereas in college, under ADA, reasonable accommodations must be requested by the student. Colleges must make adjustments to equalize opportunities for participation  but they are not under obligation to modify the curriculum or lower standards. In P-12, personal devices and services are provided by the district but colleges do not have this requirement. In P-12, parents must be included in decision making while in college students over 18 are considered adults so parents are not involved. Finally, under IDEA, students have a right to due process described in the law.  In higher education, under ADA, students must follow the college grievance procedure and then file a complaint with the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:  
       MA: Pearson.

Assistive Technology as a Reasonable Accommodation in College

Based on Section 504 and ADA, colleges must provide free reasonable accommodations to make programs accessible for students with disabilities.  Providing AT is often considered a reasonable accommodation in keeping with Section 504, Title II of the ADA which states that "a public entity shall furnish appropriate aids and services where necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in a service, program, or activity." Of note, the term "equal opportunity" does not guarantee a certain level of success but rather an equal opportunity to achieve the same result as someone without a disability. Additionally, colleges are not required to provide the most sophisticated technology available. Colleges have flexibility in choosing the specific aid or service as long as it achieves the goal of equalizing opportunity for students with disabilities. Although the term "reasonable" is under debate, it is usually agreed that a "reasonable accommodation" would not cause undue financial burden for a college.  Based on most colleges' technology budgets, the cost many assistive technology devices is considered reasonable. Therefore, under Section 504 and the ADA, college students with disabilities find that AT is an important accommodation.

At Cabrini University's Disability Resource Center, we provide a variety of AT devices for students with learning disabilities. For example, we provide recorders and smart pens for students with note taking accommodations.  For students with test taking accommodations, we provide word processing applications, calculators, and text-to-speech reading software. Alternative format books, audio books, and reading software are examples of AT which Cabrini regularly provides DRC students with reading disabilities. For completing papers and assignments, our students use alternative format books, reading software, word processing, online graphic organizers, and voice recognition applications. Over the last few years, Cabrini and other colleges have found that there is a significant increase in the number of students with disabilities and that effective use of AT offers these students the opportunity for greater access to college success.

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:

      MA:  Pearson.

University of Kentucky Assistive Technology Project

The University of Kentucky's Assistive Technology (UKAT) website offers vast array of information regarding  AT including the following definitions.  I have been discussing AT on my "All About Assistive Technology" blog since September and I have included UKAT's clear, targeted definitions as a reminder of the importance of the AT for students with disabilities.  Additionally, this post will provide information about AT laws and the AT implementation process.



The UKAT website also provides an overview of the public laws which regulate the use of AT and provides specific information about each law.  I have included the overview and the specific section of the 1990 IDEA act that requires consideration and use of AT if needed for the student to perform a given task.






Similar to the tools shown on my prior OTAP post, UKAT provides a link (below) with an AT implementation worksheet which addresses critical questions such as AT device recommended, cost of device, locations to purchase device, uses of device, training, locations in which device will be used, set up and maintenance of device, device repairs, and evaluation of the usefulness of the selected device. 
http://edsrc.coe.uky.edu/www/ukatii/toolkit/AT_Implementation.pdf

Using an AT implementation plan ensures that AT implementation proceeds through a collaboratively developed process (Quality Indicator #1) in which training needs are clearly defined (Quality Indicator #2) and that a follow up procedure is in place (Quality Indicator #6).  Follow up procedures will determine if assessment data has been used successfully to identify appropriate AT devices and that any necessary AT adjustments based on performance data are made (Dell, A., Newton, D. & Petroff, J., 2012).

http://edsrc.coe.uky.edu/www/ukatii/toolkit/index.html

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:

      MA:  Pearson.

Oregon Technology Access Program for AT Implementation

The Oregon Technology Access Program (OTAP) provides resources for educators of students with disabilities from birth to age twenty-one.  When appropriate AT for students with disabilities is determined and provided, educators must have the knowledge and skills to implement AT within the students' educational programs for the AT to have a positive impact (Dell, A, Newton, D. & Petroff, J., 2012).  OTAP offers training, information, and technical assistance regarding the actual use of  assistive technology as well as information regarding AT consideration, assessment, IEP issues, and evaluation.

To gain an understanding of how OTAP seeks to help close the significant gap between the possibilities of AT in the school setting and the successful implementation of AT devices for students with disabilities, I reviewed their "AT Implementation" section.

OTAP's "Assistive Technology Data Plan" includes specific, focused questions regarding changes desired through use of AT, specific AT recommended, environments in which AT will be used, data collection, and documentation of results as seen on the following link:
http://www.douglasesd.k12.or.us/sites/douglasesd.k12.or.us/files/File/otap/at-docs/AT-Data-Worksheet.pdf

OTAP's "AT Implementation Plan" provides a format to document relevant information including student's and parent's names, assessment team names, AT devices used, AT goals, how AT will be purchased and stored, student training, technical support, repair protocols, and staff and home AT supervision as seen on the following link:
http://www.douglasesd.k12.or.us/sites/douglasesd.k12.or.us/files/File/otap/at-docs/AT-Implementation-Plan-Hillsboro.pdf

OTAP has another "Implementation Plan" posted which provides a system to address all of the necessary implementation questions outlined above in the more open-ended format as seen on the following link:
http://www.douglasesd.k12.or.us/sites/douglasesd.k12.or.us/files/File/otap/at-docs/AT-Implementation-Plan.pdf



Link:  http://www.otap-oregon.org/Pages/Default.aspx

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:

      MA:  Pearson.

Designing Augmentative Communication Systems to Meet the Demands of Home and Community

In my last post, I discussed the importance of supporting the use of augmentative communication systems in the student's home and community. In this post, I will present ways to design and personalize communication systems to meet the demands of use in the student's home and community.

Guidelines for Parents for Using Augmentative Communication Systems:
-Designated family members, trained thoroughly by the school, should be in charge of support for the student 
-Determine vocabulary and phrases necessary for in-home use
-Parents should be trained to encourage communication and wait for responses from their child rather than making assumptions about the child's needs and wants
-Parents should evaluate the effectiveness of the communication system to determine if assistance is necessary
-Parents should build on and encourage increased communication from their child
-Keep explanations simple when helping others understand the child's communication system

Guidelines for Talking to an Augmented Communicator:
-Be yourself
-Speak to the user in age appropriate language
-Talk directly to the user, not to the person with them
-Ask the user if you can read their screen or if you can guess what the user is saying
-In a regular conversation, don't praise the user, just have a regular conversation with them

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:

      MA:  Pearson.

Supporting Augmentative Communication Systems at Home and in the Community

Students using augmentative communication systems at school must also use these systems at home and in their community to reinforce the skills practiced at school. Additionally, it is important for students to generalize the skills learned at school to other places.  Teachers must make sure that the augmentative communication systems are used appropriately at home and in the students community. Families must receive training for these devices and should be instructed on how to program new vocabulary into the system to address typical communication patterns outside of school.  Family dynamics and culture should be considered when implementing the communication process in the students home.  Prior to selecting an appropriate communication system for a student, the family's familiarity with technology and willingness to learn must be taken into account. Typically, community members have less exposure to communication systems and may be less motivated to learn these systems than family members. To help community members develop a comfort level with communication systems, teachers can plan community outings for which questions can be pre-programmed to enable the student to practice interacting with unfamiliar people.  

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:

      MA:  Pearson.

Integrating Augmentative Communication into the IEP

When preparing IEP's for nonspeaking students, augmentative communication evaluations must be considered in the process (Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J., 2012). When it is determined that augmentative communication devices are necessary for a student, the components of the system must be outlined in the IEP. Additionally, the IEP should include the use of the augmentative communication system for the students' within their educational environment.  When considering students' academic goals and objectives, it should be assumed that the specified augmentative communication devices are used to achieve stated goals. The augmentative communication devices selected can not be considered as an IEP goal but rather as a means to achieve an IEP goal. When planning IEP's for nonspeaking students, consideration should be given to how their augmentative communication devices will be used both in the classroom and and during non-instructional periods. Working closely together, IEP team members must clearly state how specific features of selected devices will help students communicate within different environments. The IEP must also include a list of the augmentative communication services to be provided by service personnel and identification of the appropriate maintenance and operations staff to prevent disruption to the students' means of communication if a technical problem develops.

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:  

      MA:  Pearson.

Strategies to Overcome "Learned Helplessness"

"Learned Helplessness," as described on the Education.com site, can develop if students experience uncontrollable events which cause them to believe they have no control over their lives.  Students with learned helplessness demonstrate decreased motivation, failure to learn, sadness, anxiety, and frustration. Students with learned helplessness usually either give up trying to learn or do not even try to learn. Students working with Cabrini's DRC can exhibit learned helplessness which may be a reaction to feeling that they have no control over their disability.  Accordingly, to decrease the possibility of learned helplessness and increase the potential for independence, we strive to provide our students with appropriate accommodations without "over helping" them.  

The following strategies can also be used to address learned helplessness (Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J.):
-To build the daily expectation of communication, have students make choices regarding daily activities such as what to do at recess, book selection, and where to sit at lunch
-Prepare short daily reports for students to communicate to parents
-Allow natural consequences to occur and offer options to fix any problems that might arise
-Discuss with students ways to alter their environment that will reduce levels of support needed
-For students using augmentative communication systems, provide choice opportunities for which they can use their device to communicative their selection
-Program powerful phrases into augmentative communication systems for students to use when they choose to reject something. 

http://www.education.com/reference/article/learned-helplessness/

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. Boston:  

      MA:  Pearson.

Online Educational Resources to Teach College Level Math

By conducting an internet search for "Best Online Educational Resources to Teach College Level Math," I found a site titled "Top 10 Best Free Math Sources on the Web" for which I have provided a link below.

http://www.edudemic.com/top-10-free-math-resources-web/

I have outlined the "Top 10" sites below. All would be beneficial in my position at Cabrini's Disability Resource Center for students seeking math support at the DRC or for students who are looking for recommendations for sites they can use independently.

#1 TEDed Math Videos-Like the commonly know TED Talk videos, TEDed videos explore common educational topics including mathematical principles in the lively TED Talk Style.

#2  Yummy Math-This site answers the age-old student complaint about math, "When will I ever need to use this?" By mixing videos, images, and real world challenges students see how math fits into their daily lives.

#3  Mathsframe-Based in the UK, this site offers 200 interactive math games including a section with games focusing on common core standards.

#4  PBS Learning Media-After providing learning materials for decades, PBS now has videos and interactive resources available to view math in different contexts like "Math Magic."

#5  Absurd Math-Using familiar video game and movie scenarios, this site offers multi-level math games that send players on missions in a world where the best skill to have is math knowledge.

#6  Illuminations-Interactive activities, lesson plans, mobile games, and brainteasers are provided to teach basic, as well as more complicated, concepts.

#7  Get the Math-Provides videos and interactive experiences that show students how math is found in daily life outside the classroom. Six different professions are highlighted in which math plays an important role.

#8  Multiplication.com-Free resources to help children learn math through games, fact navigators, and quizzes.

#9  Johnnie's Math Page-Interactive math sites are included with categories that are illustrated and animated by animals.

#10  Math Dude Podcast-Auditory learners will benefits from podcasts that cover a wide range of topics in an entertaining manner designed to appeal to all students, including those who struggle with math.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Math Educational Applications

Please see attached link:  http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

As I have discussed in recent posts, manipulatives are an effective low-tech aid for teaching math concepts.  Additionally, online manipulatives can increase a students access to this important option for visual representation of conceptual mathmetical problems.

The NLVM offers five different virtual strands of manipulative options for students from Pre-K to 12th grade which include Number and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability.  In some cases, the same manipulative can be included for students in all grade levels. For example, the abacus is included in the Number and Operations strand for all age groups. The abacus dates to the middle ages and is a device made of a frame set with various rods on which beads are moved to make calculations. 

The abacus can be an effective tool for all learners of all ages, even very young children. For example, use of the abacus could support the following Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood (Pre Kindergarten):

KEY LEARNING AREA: Mathematical Thinking and Expression – Exploring, Processing, and Problem-Solving 

Standard Area 2.1: Numbers and Operations 

Standard Area 2.2: Algebraic Concepts

Standard Area 2.3: Geometry 

Standard Area 2.4: Measurement, Data, and Probability 

The abacus would be an excellent tool to use to teach counting skills to Pre-Kindergarten students. The abacus has 10 rows and 10 beads on each row. To teach number sequence, each wire could be assigned a number from 1 to 10 and the corresponding number of beads could be moved from left to right on each wire row. When completed, students will have benefited from actually moving objects tactically and also seeing the progression of 1 to 10 visually. Thus, the abacus would also support the Universal Design principle of multiple means of representation.