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.