Tech for Understanding: An Introduction to Assistive and Instructional Technology in the Classroom
This paper examines the different types of assistive and instructional technology available to students who are classified with one or more of the thirteen disabilities outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (referred to as, IDEA) While the roles of assistive and instructional technology are different, there are many instances where their uses may overlap. Thus, while these two categories will be discussed separately, it should be noted that some information may be applied to each category and more than one piece of technology. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the world of assistive and instructional technology for those who may be new to its concepts, particularly parents who have recently learned that their child may benefit from extra assistance and future educators who are interested in learning more about the devices they will be using to reach their students. After each of the thirteen disabilities is discussed briefly, each disability will then be assigned several types of assistive and instructional technology that serve it well. This will by no means be an exhaustive list of all types of technology available to teachers, parents, and students. However, it will attempt to provide a varied glimpse at some of the options that are available and how they may help children who are struggling to access the curriculum. 2 The Kabod, Vol. 6, Iss. 1 [2019] Art. 1 https:/digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod/vol6/iss1/1 Tech for Understanding 3 TECH FOR UNDERSTANDING If one says that every child has different abilities, he or she would be correct in making such a statement. After all, some children excel in sports while others excel in music. Some kids prefer math while some enjoy reading. Every child is unique, and each one presents his or her own sets of abilities and challenges. This is true especially for those children who have disabilities. According to Merriman Webster, a disability can be defined as "a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person's ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions" (Disability) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) outlines the 13 different disabilities that qualify children in the United States for special education services. The disabilities are the following: autism, deaf blindness, deafness, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment, including blindness (Center for Parent Information Resources, 2017) Children with such disabilities often face sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their daily lives, particularly in the field of education. The goals of instructional and assistive technology are to address these types of obstacles and provide means of support to help students access the curriculum as easily as possible (Figure 1) While is it difficult to find a concise definition for instructional technology, it is safe to say that instructional technology is any type of device or program that assists the student in the learning process. According to Section 3.5 of the United States Assistive Technology Act of 2004, an assistive technology deice is any "item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve 3 Caldwell: Tech for Understanding: An Introduction to Assistive and Instruct Published by Scholars Crossing, 2019 Tech for Understanding 4 functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (Assistive Technology Act of 2004) In educational terms, assistive technology helps students access learning (Figure 2) Thus, both of these types of technology, although they serve students in slightly different capacities, provide the assistance exceptional students need to excel and demonstrate their own special gifts in the classroom. The 13 Categories of Disability Autism (AU) Until 1990, autism was only recognized as a syndrome and not as a category within special education (Hunt, 2013, 9 1a) Thanks to IDEA, however, autism spectrum disorders are now receiving more and more attention because of their addition to the list of 13 disabilities. Autism is perhaps one of the most varied conditions that affects exceptional children because of the many different ways in which it manifests. It is a developmental disability that affects both verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, adaptation to change. It can also cause repetitive behaviors, social insecurity, obsession with certain topics, and strange responses to sensations. There is no perfect picture of a child with autism because autism affects each child differently. Some students can function very well in normal settings (these students are considered high functioning) while others cannot function in normal settings at all (very low functioning) However, most children begin exhibiting autistic behaviors by the age of three and, therefore, receive a diagnosis by the time they enter the elementary school classroom. Estimates state approximately autism affects 1 in 59 children with 1 in 37 boys being affected (Autism Speaks, n.d. However, the numbers are still growing and more research is being conducted each day to discover how to better serve autistic students and their families. 4 The Kabod, Vol. 6, Iss. 1 [2019] Art. 1 https:/digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod/vol6/iss1/1 Tech for Understanding 5 Deafness (d) Hearing Loss (HL) (including Blindness) and Deaf Blindness (DB) These three categories are overlapping, so they will be discussed together. A child is considered to be suffering from deafness when he or she cannot process linguistic information with or without the use of an amplifying device (Hunt, 2013, 11 1) Hearing loss also called hearing impairment is an umbrella term in the sense that it encompasses many different degrees of hearing loss. (11 1) For a child to receive special education services under IDEA, his or her educational performance must be affected by this sight loss. Deaf Blindness includes a combination of visual and hearing impairments that are so severe that the child has extreme difficulty communicating and participating in educational programs (National Center on DeafBlindness, n.d. Typically, there are other disabilities that accompany this diagnosis, and these children require a very unique education plan to meet their needs. Developmental Delay (DD) The term, "developmental delay" has been used by many people to mean different things. However, legislation states that a developmental delay is "a significant discrepancy in the actual functioning of an infant, toddler, or child, birth through age 5, when compared with the functioning of a non disabled infant, toddler, or child of the same chronological age in any of the following areas: physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional, and adaptive development." (USLegal, n.d. Of course, while there are countless ways in which a child can be delayed in his or her development, the five developmental areas that are generally recognized are: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, and adaptive development (Center for Parent Information Resources, 2016) Physical development refers to the fine and gross motor skills that children develop and improve upon, especially as they explore their surroundings and their own bodies. Cognitive 5 Caldwell: Tech for Understanding: An Introduction to Assistive and Instruct Published by Scholars Crossing, 2019 Tech for Understanding 6 development references intellectual abilities, particularly those utilized in the school setting. Communication development can be interpreted as speech, language and the process by which a child makes his or her point known and listens to the opinions of others. Social or emotional development refers to social skills and the ability to control and regulate emotions, and adaptive development means the skills children learn regarding how to care for themselves. Emotional Disturbance (ED) An emotional disturbance occurs when a child has extreme difficulty learning, cannot build interpersonal relationships, exhibits strange behaviors, is unhappy or depressed, or displays physical symptoms or fears (Virginia Department of Education, n.d. While its name implies that only the emotional realm is affected, emotional disturbance usually affects the physical, social, and cognitive realms as well (Council for Exceptional Children, n.d. Many children exhibit behavior changes from time to time, but children with emotional disturbances experience a complete personality change that lasts for a substantial period of time. Some children act immaturely or aggressively, while other children exhibit learning difficulties or aggression. Some specific examples are anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and psychotic disorders. Thus, while there are many potential causes of emotional disturbance, there are also many manifestations of this disorder. Intellectual Disabilities (ID) The term "intellectual disability" has seen several word changes in its lifetime as researchers reach a better understanding of what this type of disability is and how it is manifested (Hunt, 2013, 6 1) Officially, an intellectual disability is currently defined as: "a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills" (American Association on Intellectual 6 The Kabod, Vol. 6, Iss. 1 [2019] Art. 1 https:/digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod/vol6/iss1/1 Tech for Und