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- 1. 1. Assistive Technology is any device, whether electronic or not, that helps a student achieve their best performance in any common day activity or assignment. 2. There are many laws concerning assistive technology and students with special needs. Three laws in particular are The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, The Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (Tech Act of 1988), and No Child Left Behind. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is made so that every child has equal access to education and provides federal funding to schools with large concentrations of low income students. The Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act is the first law to define assistive technology, it is applicable to people of all ages, and provides federal funding for the development of Assistive Technology training and delivery systems. Finally, No Child Left Behind is a law that states that students with disabilities are not exempt from state tests, and must be tested at their grade level. It also states that testing accommodations be the same as the ones used in the classrooms, requires schools to follow accommodations in IEP plans and 504 plans, and it requires states to measure student and school achievement and growth. It also ensures that all children receive the same quality of education. 3. There are ten different categories of assistive technology. First, there are cognitive and learning aids. For example, a prewriting motor skills aid focuses on motor skills before someone learns how to write. Secondly, there is communication. One good example would be an electronic communicator. Thirdly, there is computer hardware/access. An example of this is a color coded keyboard. Fourthly, there are daily living aids. An example of this is a switch-adapted TV remote. Next, there are environmental aids. An example of an environmental aid is an environmental aid kit. Then, there are hearing and listening aids, such as a smart pen. Another category is moving and positioning aids such as an adjustable mounting system. Recreation, leisure, and sensory aids are another category of assistive technology. One example of this category is a drop-in-a-bucket audio toy. Switches are also a category of assistive technology. An example would be a switch-adapted bubble maker. Lastly, there are vision and reading aids. An example of a vision or reading aid would be an electronic book reader. 4. The SETT process is a process used to determine which types of assistive technology would be best to improve a disabled student’s performance. This process includes four steps. First, one must collect info. Second, one must generate solutions. Third, one must implement a plan. Last, one must integrate AT in IEP. 5. After reading the case studies, I found that Wanda's case interested me the most. The young man that I currently work with that has special needs, has a form of Leukodystrophy. He has a hard time keeping his hands still, and cannot write because of this. This case most interested me because I have a personal situation that I can relate to it, which makes it apply more to my life. I found it amazing how smart and determined the young girl seemed to be, and how unfair it seemed that she had a disorder that seemed to limit her ability to reach her full potential. I learned through this
- 2. article, that people may have setbacks in life that are out of their control, but if they really want to they can receive help and achieve as close to their full potential as possible. 6. This is a link. 7. I can find out if one of my students is required to use AT by looking at the students IEP or 504 plans. I can seek help by going to the members of the students IEP team, and the exceptional students staff at the school. Extra Credit Four accessibility features on my computer include Bluetooth file transfer, which transfers files through Bluetooth to any other device that has Bluetooth, Sticky notes, which allows one to post reminder notes on a desktop and move them or delete them at any time, Sound recorder, which records sound by a built-in microphone, and a calculator, which does most mathematical equations in seconds.