Assistive technology products for students with special needs

Providing New Learning Options Definitions and Discussion K-12 educators in Canada are working with greater numbers of special needs students in specialized and general education classrooms. These students have unique learning needs that pose challenges for themselves, their families, schools, and teachers. Making the school curriculum accessible to all students is a priority for educational jurisdictions around the world.

One strategy being adopted with increasing success is the implementation of assistive technologies to support students with special needs. Assistive technology (AT) is also known as adaptive technology. However, assistive technology has become the more widely used term for the broad range of supports available to assist people with various cognitive, sensory, physical, communication, learning, and other challenges that limit participation and learning opportunities.

Assistive technology info

Assistive technology is a system or support that allows a person with a disability to work around his/her area of challenge. Assistive technology does not provide a “cure” for a condition or disability; it helps the user to accomplish a task more independently. Well-matched assistive technologies provide solutions for people who experience barriers to learning (or other pursuits) as a result of disabling conditions.

The following definitions from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal law in the United States, are widely quoted in resources discussing AT as it relates to the field of education: Section §300.5 Assistive technology device …"assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability".

Section §300.6 Assistive technology service …"assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device". The term includes

• a) The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment;
• b) Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities;
• c) Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;
• d) Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;
• e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family; and
• f) Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child.

Rationale for Implementing AT in Schools

Advances in technology provide new options for individuals with disabilities to participate in and accomplish tasks. It is important for Canadian educators to deploy enabling technologies that allow all students to reach their potential. Assistive technology helps many students to access information, connect with others, and participate in ways that would not be possible without the use of AT. Continued advancements in the field of computer technology are driving the successful deployment of AT in education.

Computer-based assistive technologies provide a strong rationale for AT implementation in Canada’s schools and complement the “low tech” tools and strategies already familiar to many educators.