Assistive Technology For Struggling Learners: What Every Neuropsychologist Needs to Know [email protected] Twitter name – KarenJan Blog – http://Teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com
Sep 06, 2014
Assistive Technology For Struggling Learners:
What Every Neuropsychologist
Needs to Know
Twitter name – KarenJan
Blog – http://Teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com
What is AT?
Federal definition
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 the functional capabilities of a child with disabilities.
Devices
Services
Any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device
Sec. 300.6 Assistive technology service.
e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family; and
(f) Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child.
Devices and
Services
CommunicationVision SupportEnvironmental ControlsMobility
Learning/Curriculum Support
Assistive Technology:
Did you know….
That every studenton an IEP
MUST be considered
for Assistive Technology?
This was written into the Reauthorization of IDEA in ….
1997.
§ 300.324 Development, review, and revision of IEP.
(2) Consideration of special factors.The IEP Team must:
(v) Consider whether the child requires needs assistive technology devices and services
So, what doesthis mean?
AT consideration
Four possibilities1.Everything is working, no need for AT
2.Everything is working, including the AT
3.We want to consider new AT, consult with others
4.We need additional information; schedule an AT Evaluation
AT assessment
SETT + TT Framework
what difference does this make?
4 million students with high-incidence disabilities were now eligible to receive AT services and devices
Team Approach
ACCESSIBLE!!
AT Implementation
IDEA 2004New Provision –
students with print disabilities must have access to accessible instructional materials.
(b) On a case-by-case basis, the use of school-purchased assistive technology devices in a child’s home or in other settingsis required if the child’s IEP Team determinesthat the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.
FAQ:
What does this mean for you as a neuropsychologist?
• The school’s academic philosophy is that “it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,’
The school’s academic philosophy is that “it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,’
The (Henderson) school’s academic philosophy is that
“it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,”
Boston Globe, 4/4/11
It’s a different world for our students
‘We’re not reading and writing across and down the page anymore.We’re reading and writing in three dimensions – across, down and out, the out being hyperlinks.
It’s a whole different kind of literacy; it's a whole different kind of writing; it’s a whole different kind of reading.
It’s a type of literacy that can’t be done anywhere else but on the web.
James Yap Director of instructional technology
Ramapo Central School District, Hillburn, NYT.H.E Jounal, april 2009 p. 24
Reflect
Where is the Breakdown?
http://flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/276131991/
And what can be done to fix it?
http://flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/276131991/
Role of Remediation? Role of Compensation?
UDL
Cast.org
Based upon Brain Research
Three Networks:Recognition
Strategic
Affective
Multiple Methods of …
Engagement
Presentation
Expression
Proactive
Embedded
Reaches all Learners
Research Considerations
Elementary school children spend 31% to 60% of their school day on fine motor tasks including handwriting.
McHale & Cermak, 1992
Studies show teachers grade papers with better handwriting higher.
Only difference was quality of writing.
Students are less hesitant to reevaluate and edit their written work produced on a computer.
(Graham and MacArthur, 1988, Jones, 1996
Productivity increases (Mayer-Nichols, 1996)
Quality increases (Jones, 1996)
Studies indicate a dramatic increase in language arts skills as a result of children inputting words and sentences frequently using a computer.
THE STATUS OF ELEMENTARY KEYBOARDING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
By Harriet Rogers
Richard Wanderman
Word Example
with TTS
Research Considerations
Writing Next
11 Key Elements to Improve Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Meta-Analysis (of experiemental and quasi-experimental research)
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Writing Strategies - explicit instruction in writing process
Summarization - explicit instruction
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Collaborative Writing
Specific Product Goals - identifies purpose & characteristics of final product
Word Processing
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Sentence Combining – promoting more complex, sophisticated writing. Combining two or more basic sentences into one
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Prewriting – to generate & organize ideas
Inquiry Activities – experiential, provide engaging activities to develop ideas; compare/contrast, collecting and evaluating evidence
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Process Writing Approach - writing for real audiences, promoting planning, reviewing, reflecting, self-evaluation, offering personalized individual assistance, customized instruction, stresses ownership of writing
11 Key Elements to Improve
Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12
Study of Models - provides models for each type of writing that is the focus of instruction
Writing to Learn – using writing to learn content
Findings of Meta-Analysis
Three Core Recommendations
Writing Practices that Enhance Reading
Have students write about the texts they read
React, reflect, analyze, interpret
Summarize
Answer questions in writing
Writing Practices that Enhance Reading
Explicit instruction
Writing process
Paragraph Construction
Spelling Skills
Writing Practices that Enhance Reading
Increase Quantity of Writing
Writing improves Comprehension
Writing improves fluency
Writing improves decoding
so, what are we doing to increase writing opportunities for our struggling writers?
Five Paragraph Essay
?
Low Tech ideas
A word about
data collection
This is not in addition to. This is in place of.
What are we currently doing?
Is it working?
Removes the obstacles to success
Provides alternative ways to demonstrate learning
Promotes Independence!
Makes learning
possible!
Photo Credits
Start button - http://www.123rf.com/photo_3995846_start-button-over-white-concept-of-begin-go-initiate-etc.html
Frustration - http://www.afslegal.com/images/frustrated.jpg•Magician’s hat - http://www.ricotheclownandmagician.com/IMAGES/magic-hat-stars.gif
Shift - http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/04/idsa_northeast_district_c.html
Brick - http://earth911.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/single-brick.jpgOpen Door - http://www.nancyoutloud.com/
Team - http://www.navegabem.com/our-team.html
Process - http://www.core77.com/blog/book_reviews/book_review_process_by_jennifer_hudson_11289.asp