I’ve done some talking about assistive technology previously in my blog, but in my next several posts I’m going to be going into some specific examples of assistive technology. Before I do that, I want to talk about the term “assistive technology continuum”.
There is such a wide range of assistive technology and that is what that term is referring to. The variety of options of AT is mind blowing! Assistive technology begins with the no-tech and low-tech options (such as pencil grippers or highlighted lined paper) -- and there are so many! If the low-tech AT is not effective for the needs of the students, then there should be progression to mid-tech AT. If mid-tech AT is not meeting the needs of the student, then there should be progression to high-tech AT. Gradually moving from low-tech to mid-tech to high-tech, trying out different options, is essentially moving across the “assistive technology continuum” to find effective devices for a student.
The thing to remember is there are no set rules with choosing assistive technology. The only way to find an appropriate device is through careful evaluation and actual usage.
References: Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A. and Petroff, J. G. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities (2nd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Picture from: http://theliveconnect.com/kliles/UDL/newsletter/
No comments:
Post a Comment