High-tech assistive technology for students with disabilities (15 tools)

I hope you get all about High-tech assistive technology for students with disabilities after reading the below information: The National Education Association (NEA) reports that there has been a 30% increase in the number of kids in special education programs in the United States over the past ten years.

Children with disabilities are present in practically every general education classroom in the country, according to the NEA, since three out of every four disabled students spend part or all of their school day in a general education classroom.

Assistive technology is one method for assisting students with impairments, even in the face of a shortage of special education teachers. Today’s students with certain challenges can learn more efficiently thanks to assistive technology solutions.

Assistive technology is a developing and dynamic field, with products ranging in sophistication from “low” technologies like a graphic organizer worksheet to high technologies like cutting-edge software and smartphone apps. Any given classroom may contain various assistive technology applications and sample items, influencing how learners of all abilities study.

High-tech assistive technology for students with disabilities:

1. Aids in the teaching of cause-and-effect relationships.
2. Promotes group instruction and time for sharing.
3. Improves fine motor skills.
4. Enhances Visual Tracking
5. Students with visual impairments or blindness.
6. Deaf or hard of hearing students.

Some other High-tech assistive technology for students with disabilities:

Ginger:

Several features in Ginger can make writing easier for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Additionally, it is created for non-English speakers. Among the characteristics are:

• A grammar checker that considers the context to identify mistakes or misspellings. For instance, Ginger is capable of determining if the words “there,” “their,” or “they’re” belong in a phrase, which is a common error in writing.
• Tools for word prediction and sentence rephrasing can be beneficial for children learning proper sentence construction.
• TTS capabilities, allowing students to hear their written work.
• A personal trainer gives practice sessions based on the student’s prior errors.

Ginger is accessible on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android mobile platforms.

Ghotit:

Ghotit was developed especially for struggling readers and other learning difficulties who have trouble writing. The word “Ghoti,” a term that highlights errors in the English language, served as the basis for the name. And because many spellings are difficult to understand, particularly for people with dyslexia, Ghotit devotes itself to helping kids and adults who have trouble writing clearly.

It can adapt correction suggestions for spelling and grammar issues based on the user’s prior errors. Ghotit can predict words, contextually check text passages, read-aloud text using TTS technology, and identify split and merged words. Students can quickly look up a term using the integrated dictionary that is also included.

Math Tools:

Students who struggle with math, most frequently due to a learning condition termed dyscalculia, might benefit from various technology and resources. Dyscalculia is defined by a general lack of understanding of math and makes it challenging to comprehend numbers.

Mathematical assistive technology is not simply for people who have dyscalculia. It can also benefit kids who struggle to complete math-related tasks due to limitations, including eyesight, problems with their fine motor skills, or other conditions.

Math Simulations:

Math simulations can aid dyscalculic students in visualizing mathematical concepts and issues. Since many students have trouble with the conceptual components of arithmetic, this enables them to understand better how a specific type of problem is applied.

On the NASA website, there are examples. Teachers and students may see clearly how a math idea or problem would work through video and animation simulations. Students can work through a problem and watch the outcome play out in the simulation with various math simulators.

Proofreading Software:

A type of assistive technology called proofreading software goes beyond the standard functions of a word processing program for proofreading, such as fixing terms that dyslexic pupils regularly misspell.

Other features in this area can assist pupils in honing their English language proficiency and improving their writing quality. Proofreading software can be useful for anyone with any learning disorder that makes writing and reading difficult, even though it is primarily designed for those with dyslexia.

Sip-and-Puff Systems from Origin Instruments:

Students can use various sip-and-puff items from Origin Instruments to operate electronic equipment. The youngster can easily manipulate a mouse, joystick, or keyboard using a helmet-mounted or gooseneck user interface or readily accessible tubing for a custom solution. USB technology is used to power the main system.

The product is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux computers. The system is connected to the user interface via two pressure switches for use on electronic devices.

Jouse3:

With the Jouse3 sip-and-puff system, kids can use their tongue, cheek, chin, or any other part of their mouth to operate a device. Due to its precision and speed, home users can engage it for drawing or playing video games. It doesn’t need a headpiece or to be placed on the user’s body; it can mount to a bed frame, a desk, or any other structure.

The program supports PCs running Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and UNIX, in addition to Android and iOS mobile devices. It has two different mouthpiece styles and can handle one or two external switches.

Sip-and-Puff Systems:

Students with movement issues, such as paralysis and deficiencies in fine motor skills, employ sip-and-puff devices. With these solutions, a youngster can move a computer, smartphone, or other technical application by moving the device with their mouth.

The youngster can move the controller, which functions like a joystick, in any direction and use either a sip or a puff to select different navigational tools. The young youngster can type with the same motions using an on-screen keyboard.

Sip-and-puff systems are an example of a switch device, a term for the gadgetry used in place of a keyboard or mouse in a computer. Other switch devices include buttons or things a pupil can touch, push, pull, kick, or do any other straightforward action to operate.

Learn more: Which network type uses light pulses to transmit data?

Sound-Field Systems:

Sound-field systems are a good option for schools where all students’ listening needs need to be met. According to ASHA, children with various auditory and learning issues, such as language delays, central auditory processing disorder, articulation abnormalities, and developmental delays, also benefit from these devices. Additionally, students studying English as a second language might use sound-field systems.

A microphone in sound-field systems transmits sound through speakers set around the classroom. Sound can spread uniformly around the classroom room with strong acoustics, solving the issue of distance between the speaker and each listener.

FM Systems:

FM systems are recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for kids with sensorineural hearing loss. All ages are susceptible to hearing loss, which results from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the nerve pathways leading from the inner ear to the brain.

They are utilizing radio broadcast technology and FM systems function. The teacher and student can keep a constant sound level regardless of distance or background noise with a transmitter microphone and a receiver. ASHA also points out that the hearing aid microphone can be disabled so the learner can focus solely on the teacher.

Assistive Listening Systems:

A variety of assistive listening technology may be helpful for students who have hearing loss, are deaf, or have other auditory and learning difficulties.

The National Association for the Deaf states that children who do not require cochlear implants or hearing aids but still require hearing aids can use assistive listening systems to increase the functionality and range of those devices.

A microphone, a form of transmission technology, and a device for capturing and conveying the sound to the ear are all used in assistive listening devices. One assistive listening system is often distinguished from another by the particular transmission technology.

Draft: Builder

Using the writing application Draft: Builder, the writing process may be broken down into three steps, which combine functionality for planning, taking notes, and creating drafts.

The tool uses a graphical organizer to assist the learner in visualizing the project and adding information where it belongs without conceptualizing the entire procedure. Making the paper is then automated, allowing the learner to drag and drop each note’s contents onto the first draft.

Other capabilities include:

• A dictionary.
• A bibliography tool.
• A talking spell checker that employs TTS technology.
• The capability for teachers to add protected text to the application for additional help.

Both Windows and Macintosh users can use Draft: Builder.

Low-Tech Handouts:

Graphic organizers don’t need to be technologically sophisticated; they might instead be simple handouts. Sample handouts are available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Students can write paragraphs more effectively by using the sandwich chart.

Check: What are some examples of low tech assistive technology?

The order of events in a narrative can be aided by using the sequence chart. The sense chart is intended for descriptive writing, in which authors are asked to develop words that accurately describe and represent a subject. There are dozens of more sample charts that can assist students with just about any kind of writing.

Text-To-Speech Assistive Tools:

Text-to-speech (TTS) software is an assistive technology created to aid youngsters who have trouble reading ordinary print. Blindness, dyslexia, other visual impairments, learning difficulties, and other physical conditions that make reading difficult are common print disabilities.

TTS, however, can also help other pupils, including those with intellectual disabilities, autism, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a variety of speech sounds that are used to make up words in any given situation, the technology reads the words to the pupil after scanning them in a synthesized voice.

The accuracy and lifelikeness of TTS technologies have improved because of advancements in voice synthesis.

Conclusion:

Here we end up all about High-tech assistive technology for students with disabilities Students, parents, and teachers have access to almost infinite resources due to the quick advancements in assistive technology solutions. Parents and teachers can use these tools when they start to appear in homes and classrooms to support students’ academic and personal development.

Technology, however, is not sufficient on its own. To effectively use these tools, it’s important to create a plan for their use and do regular check-ins to ensure the student gets the most out of them without becoming unduly dependent on them.

However, while there are now many available assistive devices, the same cannot be said for special education teachers. Most states have stated a need for special education teachers, as was already established. Additionally, many general education classrooms work with special needs students.

Current teachers can become certified to teach this expanding demographic more quickly. To better serve students with special needs, instructors can get a special education certification at Alvernia University Online for grades PreK–8 or 7–12. Additionally, they will increase their marketability.

As a result, they are opening up more professional prospects. Overall, this field requires additional teachers. Although technology development in special education is encouraging, more special education instructors are required. One method to immediately satisfy this need is certification. Discover more about the Alvernia program right now.

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