1. STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
AssistiveTechnology

2. SCENARIO
 You are a teacher who has a few students that require you to
differentiate your instruction. Three have been diagnosed with ADHD,
while one has an auditory disability, and requires a special device in
order to hear. In addition, you have a number of students that have
mild learning disabilities that impact all areas, especially reading and
writing. As you prepare for the school year, you ask yourself, "What
resources do I have in order to help me meet my students' needs?“
 Resource: ITEC 7530 Module 4 Assignment

3. GOALS
 Become familiar with all terms needed to assist and speak with
students with special needs
 Acquire an understanding of laws that protect and aid in assisting
students with special needs
 Find and utilize all resources that are available for special needs
students
 Introduce technology to assist students with special needs

4. TERMS TO KNOW
 Assistive Technology refers to any item, piece of equipment, or
product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf,
modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
 Inclusion is the educational practice of educating children with
disabilities in classrooms with children without disabilities.
 Individual Education Plan or IEP guides the delivery of special
education supports and services for the student with a disability.
 Least Restrictive Environment or LRE is the process of delivering
instruction as much as possible in a regular classroom to a special
needs student.
 Consultative is the consultation between a teacher and a professional
concerning the best learning strategies for the special needs student.

5. WHAT QUALIFIESASTUDENT FOR
SPECIALSERVICES?
 The following examples are just a few that would qualify a student for
developmental services such as IEP. Along with each disability,
academic performance of the student must be affected.
 Autism
 Visual Difficulties
 Hearing Difficulties
 Learning Disorders
 Emotional Behavioral Disorders
 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
 Developmental Delays

6. WORKING WITH SPECIALNEEDS
STUDENTS
 As with any classroom, no two students share the same learning
needs.
 Although some students are identified by the teacher to require IEP
or special services, other students may just experience difficulties
in learning, but are not identified as a special needs student.
 Teachers should possess the effective ability to work with students
who require extra attention academically, accessing all resources
available to them.

7. WHERE DO WE PERFORM SERVICES FOR
SPECIALNEEDS STUDENTS?
 Most students are served in an inclusion setting, in a regular
education classroom where another teacher assists. Students must
be served in the LDR according to IDEA.
 Resource rooms are also used in which students are pulled out of
the regular classroom to receive services in a smaller setting.
 A self contained classroom can be used with students that express
extreme disabilities. These students will join the regular class
sessions only for connections type classes such as music
appreciation of physical education.

8. AVAILABLE RESOURCES
 School counselors and psychologists are the number one resources,
along with the special education department.
 Three informative websites that are available are:
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_with_l
earning_disabilities
http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-
Technology/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech086.shtml

9. MOST EFFECTIVE LEARNING
STRATEGIES
The following strategies have been recommended by The
Learning Disabilities Association of America.
Supply regular quality feedback
Break learning into smaller steps
Scaffolding
Administer probes
Use diagrams and pictures to support teaching
Provide enough independent and intensive practice
Provide strategies to use
Retrieved from:
http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/understanding/strateg
ies.asp

10. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGYFOR STUDENTS
Many teachers are searching for and finding additional resources
to aid in more effective teaching methods for special needs
students that they were originally unaware of.
Independence in student s with disabilities is promoted through
assistive technology resources.
Assistive technology, when used appropriated prepares students
better for the future if introduced at an earlier age.

11. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGYFOR
SPECIALNEEDS
Strategies for students with ADHD – students have trouble focusing
and usually act without thinking while exhibiting extreme
hyperactive behavior.
Outline
Flow charts
Preferential seating
Structured note taking assignments
Strategies that are more technical are also possibilities.
Word processors
Laptops
Spreadsheets

12. ADDITIONALASSISTIVETECHNOLOGY
Devices for the hearing impaired students include:
Infrared Systems that send s sound through infrared signals
Inductive Loop System is when a loop is installed under the carpet
around the speaker and listener generating a sound that the speaker
can hear.
 Other ideas for the hearing impaired include:
Manual or sign language
Use language that is written to supplement spoken language
Provide pictures that represent the lesson