Journal 9: Adaptive Technology

Communication:  research one no/low tech tool and one high tech tool that assists special needs students in the communication process.

AAC stands for Augmentative and alternative communication.  It refers to the different ways people with impairments or restrictions can communicate.  They help people either with speaking or writing down the things they want to communicate.  These tools can either be low tech or high tech.

Teaching Textures

A low tech tool I found was a set of teaching textures.  It comes with a bunch of different patches of materials, and each material feels differently, they all have different textures.  It incorporates sensory input into activities, and it can help students who are visually impaired or for students who need tactile cuing to help them understand language.  If a student was visually impaired, different patches could be placed around the room as to label things and areas so the student knows where they are, or what to do.

ALLREADER

A high tech tool I found was the ALLREADER.  This device may be used by students who have visual impairments, such as blindness or low vision.  This tool combines many different features, including a scanner, optical character recognition, voice synthesis, a Daisy player, and a CD-Rom drive.  A Daisy player just converts print to audio.  This would help a student in your class with a visual impairment read the assigned books.   Also it would allow the student to read a classmate’s writing so they could work collaboratively. 

Accessibility: research one hardware option and one software option

Easitrax

Input devices allow students to use a computer without the standard mouse and keyboard.  They provide other ways to accomplish the same tasks.  One such device is the Easitrax, which is a type of joystick.  This would be considered a hardware accessibility option.  It is used like a mouse, but it helps students with motor impairments.  It scrolls and moves with the joystick, and only requires fingertip manipulation.

A software tool that can be helpful for students with dyslexia is ClaroRead.  It turns writing to speech, and allows students to proofread their own work.  It also allows students to scan writing and it will read that writing aloud.  This would allow the student to read and write and keep up with the rest of the class without being hung up by mixing up the letters.