When I began this AT journey, I thought AT was strictly electronics; that’s what came to mind. I quickly found out that is far from the truth! A pencil grip PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), and an extra large calculator -- all things I’ve heard of before! -- are all examples of AT. I’ve also come to see that there is so much AT that I’ve never heard of!
I found my journey helpful because there are so many resources out there that are free, easy to make, or a part of something we already have (i.e. a keyboard to use by clicking with the mouse is already an option on computers). Also, I now know many more things exist! Break cards, Speech to Text software, using a different instrument to type, etc. are just some examples of AT options that are out there.
I am so intrigued by the Assistive Technology Continuum. There is low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech assistive technology. My original thoughts about AT really focused on the high-tech AT, but there’s so much more. When working with students we should start with the low-tech and if that is not effective, continue up the continuum to find something that will work for the student.
My later posts build upon my earlier posts; you can tell I feel more comfortable with the topic and know much more... However there’s still so much more to learn! The world of AT is huge and I am excited to continue to explore and eventually be able to implement some AT in my future classroom!
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