Technology To Provide Visual Supports

In my last blog post, I talked about the process that a student in college with disabilities would go about getting their assistive technology (AT) device to be considered a reasonable accommodation at their school. In this blog post I am going to talk about how to implement technology into a child's home and school to provide them with visual supports.

"Students who have cognitive disabilities, autism, and/or multiple disabilities often have difficulty with self-management and personal organization. Their lack of these skills has been successfully addressed through the use of visual supports..." (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). That being said, the purpose of this blog post is to alert educators and parents of the various technology out there to provide visual supports to the children in their life who need it!

Technology To Provide Visual Supports:

1. iPromps (HandHold Adaptive): A iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad app.  iPrompt "presents picture-based prompts that been configured by teachers and parents to help students stay on task and transition between activities. The app provides hundreds of stock photos and allows users to add digital pictures from their iPhone's build-in camera" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

   

   The iPrompts app.

2. First-Then (Good Karma Applications): In addition to using picture to create a schedule for the child, the First-Then app provides "the option to record messages linked to each picture. he messages can be an audio version of the visual prompt or it can provide audio reinforcement" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

   

   The First-Then app.

3. Picture Planner (Cognitopia): This app was created especially for students with cognitive disabilities. Using this app, the students can make their own personalized picture schedules on the computer. These schedule can either be printed or viewed on a cell phone! "The program provides line drawing symbols (student can also import photos of familiar people and objects) and text-to-speech feedback. Activity sequences can also be made using video clips on the iPod Touch" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

   

   Picture Planner.

4. iCommunicate, Boradmaker, Pogo Board and PowerPoint: All of these computer programs can be used to make social stories. Social stories are "teacher-(or parent-) authored short stories that are written to help a student who has autism learn the "social information he may be lacking"(). This app addresses skills such as "reading body language, looking at situations from another person's perspective, and responding in socially acceptable ways" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

   

   The iCommunicate app.

5. Video Modeling: Video-based social stories. "The topics of the videos were crossing the street, shopping in a grocery store, and going to a restaurant" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 

   

   Video Modeling.

Social skills are life-long important skills. It is very important to be able to be in a social situation and understand how you are supposed to act. It is also important for safety reasons, such as understanding how to cross the street and knowing how to act there is ever a fire-drill. As educators, we want to do everything possible to make sure that the students in our classroom are provided with these visual supports to help teach them the social cues that they may be lacking!

Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Boston. PEARSON.

Reasonable Accommodations For College

In my last blog post I talked about how an IEP team can create a successful assistive technology (AT) implementation plan! In this blog post I am going be talking about how a student in college who has a disability can go about getting AT implemented into his or her classroom in college!

The purpose of this blog post is to let teachers and educators know the protocol for implementing AT into a college classroom!

What Makes AT Reasonable For College Students?:

1)   What Does The Law Say?:

1)"Under Section 504 and the ADA, colleges must provide- at no cost to the student- reasonable accommodations to make their programs accessible to students with disabilities" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

2) "The term reasonable in the phrase "reasonable accommodation" is not defined in the law and is still being debated in the courts. It is generally understood to mean that providing the accommodation will not cause "undue burden" to the institution" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 

2) What Do The Colleges Say?:

All accommodations must be directly linked to tasks that are required in college coursework.

Some Reasonable AT Accommodations For College Students:

1) "Use of a portable note taker (e.g., Neo) Smart pen to record lectures and sync to notes" (). For students who cannot take notes.

2) C-print captioning device for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

3)Text-to-speech, audio books or video magnifiers for students who struggle with reading.

4) Word processing application for essay exams, use of spell-check feature, use of calculator or text-to speech software for students who struggle with test taking.

                 (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

The Neo.

As a student in college with a disability, it was very eye opening for me to see the process I would have to go through to be able to use assistive technology in my classes. It is also important for professors to be aware that as long as the AT in question is needed to help the student complete a task required by the class (ex: reading, writing, listening, taking tests, ext), than the AT is considered a reasonable accommodation and they should not give their student a hard time about using it!!!!

Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Boston. PEARSON.

Develop An Implementation Plan

In my last blog post I talked about the process the IEP team goes through when considering to integrate assistive technology (AT) into a child's IEP. If an IEP goes through the AT consideration process and they decide that AT IS necessary for the child to be able to participate in the classroom and master his or her IEP goals and objectives, than the next step for the IEP team is to develop an implementation plan. It is important to develop an implementation plan so that the everyone knows the steps that need to be taken to not only smoothly integrate the AT device into the classroom, but to have the AT device smoothly used by the child. That being said, the purpose of this blog post is to help educators and parents know how to develop an implementation plan so that the AT device makes a smooth transition into a child's life and classroom!

Successful Implementation Plans Include:

• Equipment Support Tasks:
• Proper equipment setup



Charge AT device!

• Arrange where AT device will be in the classroom.
• Put security measures into place (ex: where the device will be stored).
• Install and register any software that comes with the AT.
• Install any scanners or printers.
• Establish network connection (ex: set up account, e-mail and internet access).
• Charge device.
• Test the equipment. 
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
• Proper Equipment Maintenance:
• Daily maintenance (ex: charge batteries, clean screens and replace ink cartridges).
• Minor equipment repairs (ex: printing problems or reinstallation of software).
• Major equipment repairs (ex: failures, screen damages or lost parts).
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
• Staff and Student Training:
  
• Decide/Consider the following:
• What training is required? 
• Who will provide the training?
• Who will attend the training?
• Will the student be trained to use the AT device in or outside of the classroom?
• What activities will be used to train the student?
• How will the student's performance be evaluated during AT training?
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).

• Methods for Integrating Technology Into The Student's Program:
  
  
  
  • Consider what activities challenge the student the most.
  
  
  
  • "As the technology is integrated into the student’s program, the implementation plan is adjusted to help move the student along the continuum to full integration" (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
    
    
    
• Techniques for Assessing The Effectiveness of the AT Implementation:
  
• "Meet regularly to discuss a student’s IEP and these meetings provide an opportunity to review AT implementation" (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
  
  
  
  
  As educators, it is so important that if we decide to integrate AT into a child's routine, that the implementation is SMOOTH! Teachers and other staff need to work together as a team to decide what steps they need to take to enable the AT implementation goes smoothly and that both the staff and the child are able to use the device properly! The IEP team also needs to be collaborative in deciding how effective the AT has been in helping the student succeed. SUCCESS is what we're all aiming for!!!!
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Special Education Technology British Columbia. (2007). Section Five: Develop Assistive Technology Implementation Plan. Retrieved from: http://www.setbc.org/download/LearningCentre/Topics/MakingItWork_Section5.pdf.

Consideration Of Assistive Technology

In my last blog post, I talked about how to help integrate augmentative communication into a child's home and community. In this blog post, I'd like to take us a few steps back and propose the following question, how does the IEP team decide that a child needs to use augmentative communication?

The purpose of this blog is to help educators and parents understand the process that the IEP team goes through to consider whether or not the child needs to use assistive technology (AT), like augmentative communication.

The following process was put together by The Texas Assistive Technology Network!

The Consideration of AT Process (Texas 4-Step Model):

The IEP team will...

1. Review the child's present level of performance without AT and takes evaluation data.
2. Develop goals and objectives for the child.
3. "Determine if any goals or tasks are difficult or impossible for the student" (Texas Assistive Technology Network).
4. Decide whether or not AT devices and services are required and document decisions" (Texas Assistive Technology Network).  

Some Questions The IEP Team Should Think About During The Consideration Process:

• "If the student is currently using AT, is the AT adequate to address the new goals and objectives?" 

• "Does the student need AT to access the curriculum?" 

• "Does the student need AT to access instructional materials?"

• "Does the student need AT to access the technology used by other students?" 

• "Could AT help the student work more independently?"

• (Texas Assistive Technology Network).

Possible Results of Consideration Process:

1) AT is NOT required:

• AT may not be needed now, but should be reconsidered for the future.
• In the IEP it will state that the committee "anticipates that the student will be able to: participate in the educational program, accomplish expected tasks, and make reasonable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives with typically available supports and services" (Texas Assistive Technology Network). 

2) AT IS Required:

• The IEP team "anticipates that the student will NOT be able to participate in the educational program or make reasonable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives WITHOUT assistive technology devices and services (Texas Assistive Technology Network).
• The IEP team would then specify the devices and services in the IEP that the child would need to use to succeed in and out of the classroom.

3) More Information Is Needed:

• The IEP decides that additional information is needed to decide whether AT is needed for the child to participate in the classroom and master IEP goals and objectives or "determine the nature and extent of AT devices and services needed" (Texas Assistive Technology Network).
• The IEP team would document in the IEP, as an AT service, the specific type of assistance needed.

Since AT is so useful in helping break barriers between students and their education, it is REALLY important for educators to understand the AT consideration process. The IEP team needs to think very hard about whether assistive technology is necessary for a child to be able to participate in the classroom and master his or her IEP goals and objectives. If so, it is important that the IEP team document this need and make sure the child gets the AT assistance that they deserve. If not, this also needs to be documented and should be revisited at a later time! If there is not enough information available to make an executive decision about whether the child needs AT or not, this is also important and needs to be documented!!!!!

Texas Assistive Technology Network. (2009, Oct.). Considering Assistive Technology in the IEP Process. Retrieved from: http://www.texasat.net/users/0011/Consider%20rev_%2010_12_%2009%20Presentation.pdf. 

Augmentative Communication, Home and Community

In my last blog post I talked about the numerous ways that an IEP team could integrate augmentative communication into a child's IEP. Since augmentative communication is the voice for many students with disabilities who cannot speak, it is really important for the IEP team to work together to figure out how the student is going to be using the augmentative communication at school. However, the integration of  augmentative communication does not end once the student leaves school! That being said, the purpose of this blog post is to help you understand why it is important to integrate the use of augmentative communication at home and in the community!

Why Is It Important For The Child To Use Augmentative Communication At Home And In The Community?:

• It reinforces the communication skills the child learned at school!

How To Support Integration Of Device At Home:

• The family of the child should be provided with training in how to use augmentative communication systems. "This may include strategies for expanded use of the system and providing new vocabulary for the unique communication demands of home and community" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• Include "siblings, grandparents, and extended family" in the "evaluation and implementation processes" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 
• "School personnel must provide direct instruction to the parents, who in turn can teach other family and community members to interact with their child" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• Consider "patterns of family functioning and cultural diversity" through stages of development and implementation process (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

Importance Of Supporting Integration Of Device In The Community:

• Communicating with people who are unfamiliar with augmentative communication can be challenging for the child.

How To Support The Integration Of Device In The Community:

• The child should practice interacting with people who are unfamiliar with augmentative communication at school, with a friend.
• The device should be programmed to "ask specific questions and guests can be directed toward the augmentative communication user to answer a question. This will enable the student to practice interacting with unfamiliar partners" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 

If you are like me and have never met anyone who used augmentative communication, click HERE to see how the device is used to help a child communicate!!!!!!

As you can see from reading the above information, teachers play a HUGE role in helping a child integrate using their augmentative communication at home and in their community! Since children need to be able to communicate with others, it is important that they are using their augmentative communication ALL the time, not just at school. Augmentative communication is the voice for many children and it is important that we as educators make sure that their voice is heard!!

Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Boston. PEARSON.

Integrating Augmentative Communication Into The IEP

In my last blog post I began to talk about students with disabilities who cannot speak. I explained that these students can display learned helplessness. Because of this saddening behavior, educators need to encourage these students to use their augmentative communication and follow the steps I talked about to help these students overcome learned helplessness! Since it is so important for students with disabilities who cannot speak to use their augmentative communication, in this blog post, I am going to talk about how to integrate augmentative communication into a students' IEP.  That being said, the purpose of this blog is to let educators and parents know how to integrate augmentative communication into the IEP.

Ways To Integrate Augmentative Communication Into An IEP:

• "...the IEP should include the use of the augmentative communication system within the student's educational program" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• The student must have "goals and objectives that reflect the use and continued development of the system" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• There are 3 goal areas to consider for augmentative communication:
• Communication
• Instruction/Academic
• Social Interactions
• How the student uses his or her augmentative communication device should be "integrated within and across the school day, including both instructional and non-instructional periods" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• "The IEP must include clear statements reflecting the student's communication needs across environments and descriptions of how the specific features of the system will be used by the student" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 
• Include:
•  A "list of the augmentative communication services to be provided by related service personnel (such as the speech language pathologist and occupational therapist)" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
•  Identify the party responsible for "device maintenance and operation" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).

A child using augmentative communication.

It is really important for educators to understand how to integrate augmentative communication into a student's IEP. Since you never know what type of students you are going to have in your classroom and what their needs are going to be, it is important for a teacher to understand all types of assistive technology that is available to help their students and how they can integrate it into their IEP. After writing this blog, I definitely feel more confident about being apart of an IEP team that is trying to integrate an augmentative communication device into a child's IEP!!

Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Boston. PEARSON.

Learned Helplessness

In my last couple of blog posts, I have been talking about assistive technology (AT) available to help students who are struggling in math. In my next couple of blog posts, I am going to talk about students with disabilities who cannot speak. These students use augmentative communication to help them communicate with people around them.

A student using augmentative communication.

Many of these students go through what is referred to as, learned helplessness. "Learned helplessness is formally defined as a disruption in motivation, affect, and learning following exposure to non-contingent (uncontrollable) outcomes" (Fincham, F.). As educators, the last thing we want is for any of our students to go through learned helplessness. So how do you get your students to overcome learned helplessness?

A student demonstrating learned helplessness.

The purpose of this blog post is to help educators understand how to get their students to overcome learned helplessness!

How To Overcome Learned Helplessness:

• "Build a daily expectation of communication through specific activities such as choosing the activity during recess, picking a book to read, or identifying where to eat lunch" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 
• "Construct a brief daily report to parents that is communicated by the student" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• "Allow natural consequences to occur and provide avenues for repair. This includes setups that alter the environment to provide less support or sabotage" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.).
• "Provide for choice making whenever possible that requires the student to use his or her augmentative communication system" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 
• "Provide powerful phrases on the device for students to reject or protest something" (Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G.). 

If you have a student in your life or classroom who is using augmentative communication, it is always important to encourage them to speak! Learned helplessness is not something that I would want to see in ANY of my students and I think that the above tips should be taken seriously and implemented into every classroom! 

Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A., & Petroff, J.G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Boston. PEARSON.

Fincham, F. (2009). Learned Helplessness. Retrieved From: http://www.education.com/reference/article/learned-helplessness/.