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##  Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities: Update                2002. ERIC Digest.                                                           

Technology has become ubiquitous as a tool for teachers and                     students. P.L. 100-407, The Technology-Related Assistance for                   Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (Tech Act) was designed to            enhance the availability and quality of assistive technology (AT)               devices and services to all individuals and their families                      throughout the United States. Public Law 105-17, the Individuals                with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), uses the same definitions               for assistive technology as the Tech Act and mandates that assistive            technology be considered in developing Individualized Education                 Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities. IDEA also emphasizes            access to the general education curriculum for all students with                disabilities. 
The Tech Act and the IDEA define an AT device as any            item, piece of equipment, or product system (whether acquired off               the shelf, modified, or customized) that is used to increase,                   maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a              disability. AT devices may be categorized as no technology, low                 technology, or high technology (LD Online, 2001). 
"No-technology"             or "no-tech" refers to any assistive device that is not electronic.             No-tech items range from a piece of foam glued onto the corners of              book pages to make turning easier to a study carrel to reduce                   distraction. "Low-technology" or "low-tech" devices are electronic              but do not include highly sophisticated computer components, such as            an electronic voice-recording device or a "talking                              watch" (Behrmann & Schaff, 2001). "High-technology" or "high-tech"              devices utilize complex, multifunction technology and usually                   include a computer and associated software. 
Lahm and                          Morissette (1994) identified areas of instruction in which AT can               assist students. Six of these are described here: (1)                           organization, (2) note taking, (3) writing, (4) academic                        productivity, (5) access to reference and general educational                   materials, and (6) cognitive assistance. ORGANIZATIONLow-tech             solutions include teaching students to organize their thoughts or               work using flow-charting, task analysis, webbing, and outlining.                These strategies can also be accomplished using high-tech, graphic,             software-based organizers to assist students in developing and                  structuring ideas. Such graphic organizers allow students to                    manipulate and reconfigure brainstormed ideas and color code and                group those ideas in ways that visually represent their thoughts.               Another high-tech solution might be the outline function of word                processing software, which lets students set out major ideas or                 topics and then add subcategories of information. Using the                     Internet, local area networks, or LCD projection systems enables                students and their teachers to collaborate, give feedback, and                  modify these applications either as a group or individually at                  different times. NOTE TAKINGA simple, no-tech approach to note            taking is for the teacher to provide copies of structured outlines              in which students fill in information. Low- and high-tech methods               include 
* Videotaping class sessions for visual learners or those             who are unable to attend class for extended periods of time. 
*                Sending web-cam photography across the Internet to allow students to            see and hear what is happening in class (for students who are unable            to attend class). 
* Sending class notes or presentations to                   students via e-mail. 
* Translating print-based notes to voice by              using optical character recognition (OCR) software with a voice                 synthesizer. 
* Using notebook computers, personal digital                     assistants (PDAs), or portable word processing keyboards to help                students with the mechanics of note taking. WRITINGWord                   processing may be the most important application of assistive                   technology for students with mild disabilities. Writing barriers for            students with mild disabilities include 
* Mechanics: spelling,                grammar, and punctuation errors. 
* Process: generating ideas,                 organizing, drafting, editing, revising, and producing a neat, clear            final copy. 
* Motivation: interest in writing. 
Grammar and                  spell-checkers, dictionaries, and thesaurus programs assist in the              mechanics of writing. Macros are available that will insert an                  entire phrase with the touch of a single key. Word prediction                   software helps students recall or spell words. 
During the writing             process, word processors allow teachers to make suggestions on the              student's disk. If computers are networked, students can read each              other's work and make recommendations for revision. Computer editing            also reduces or eliminates problems such as multiple erasures, torn             papers, and poor handwriting. The final copy is neat and                        legible. 
Motivation is often increased through the desktop                    publishing and multimedia capabilities of computers. A variety of               fonts and styles allow students to customize their writing and                  highlight important features. Graphic images, drawings, video, and              audio can provide interest or highlight ideas. Multimedia gives the             student the means and the motivation to generate new and more                   complex ideas. For early writers, there are programs that allow                 students to write with pictures or symbols as well as text. In some             of these programs, the student selects a series of pictures to                  represent an idea, then the pictures are transformed to words that              can be read by a synthesizer and then edited. ACADEMIC                        PRODUCTIVITYTools that assist productivity can be                           hardware-based, software-based, or both. Calculators, for example,              can be separate, multifunction devices or part of a computer's                  software. Spreadsheets, databases, and graphics software enhance                productivity in calculating, categorizing, grouping, and predicting             events. The Internet, computers, and PDAs can also aid productivity             in note taking, obtaining assignments, accessing reference material             and help from experts, and communicating with peers. Instead of                 relying on the telephone, students are increasingly sharing                     documents, using instant messaging, and transferring documents to               each other as e-mail attachments. ACCESS TO REFERENCE AND GENERAL             EDUCATIONAL MATERIALSAccess to the general education curriculum             is emphasized by IDEA and includes the ability to obtain materials              as well as the ability to understand and use them. Many students                with mild disabilities have difficulty gathering and synthesizing               information for their academic work. In this arena, Internet                    communications, multimedia, and universal design are providing new              learning tools. 
Internet communications can transport students                beyond their physical environments, allowing them to interact with              people far away and engage in interactive learning experiences. This            is particularly appropriate for individuals who are easily                      distracted when going to new and busy environments such as the                  library, who are poorly motivated, or who have difficulty with                  reading or writing. Students can establish "CompuPals" via e-mail or            instant messaging with other students, which often motivates them to            generate more text and thus gain more experience in writing.                    Students can also access electronic multimedia encyclopedias,                   library references, and online publications. However, these                     experiences should be structured, because it is easy to get                     distracted or lost as opportunities are explored. 
Multimedia tools            are another way in which information can be made accessible to                  students. Multimedia use of text, speech, graphics, pictures, audio,            and video in reference- based software is especially effective in               meeting the heterogeneous learning needs of students with mild                  disabilities. While a picture can be worth a thousand words to one              student, audio or text-based descriptive video or graphic supports              may help another student focus on the most important features of the            materials. 
Used in conjunction with assistive technology, e-books             can use the power of multimedia to motivate students to read. They              include high-interest stories: the computer reads each page of the              story aloud, highlighting the words as they are read. Fonts and                 colors can be changed to reduce distraction. Additional clicks of               the mouse result in pronunciation of syllables and a definition of              the word. When the student clicks on a picture, a label appears. A              verbal pronunciation of the label is offered when the student clicks            the mouse again. Word definitions can be added by electronic                    dictionaries and thesaurus. These books are available in multiple               languages, including English and Spanish, so students can read in               their native language while being exposed to a second                           language. 
The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)                    promotes the concept of universal design (Rose & Meyer, 2000), which            asserts that alternatives integrated in the general curriculum can              provide access to all students, including a range of backgrounds,               learning styles, or abilities. Providing material in digital form,              which can easily be translated, modified, or presented in different             ways, can often attain the goal of universal design. COGNITIVE                ASSISTANCEA vast array of application program software is                   available for instructing students through tutorials, drill and                 practice, problem solving, and simulations. Many of the assistive               technologies described previously can be combined with instructional            programs to develop and improve cognitive, reading, and                         problem-solving skills. Prompting and scheduling through PDAs,                  pagers, and Internet software also can assist students in                       remembering assignments or important tasks. They can help students              to follow directions or a sequence of events, establish to-do lists,            take and retrieve notes, check spelling or look up words in a                   dictionary. CONCLUSIONSpecial educators are familiar with the             need to create or customize instructional materials to meet the                 varied needs of students with disabilities. Today, assistive                    technology can be more specifically targeted to address an                      individual's needs through the emergent power and flexibility of                electronic tools and the ways in which they are combined and used.              These innovations affect teaching and learning as well as individual            capabilities. For students with mild disabilities, assistive                    technology can help to balance weak areas of learning with  strong              areas. RESOURCESBehrmann, M. & Schaff, J.(2001). Assisting                educators with assistive technology: Enabling children to achieve               independence in living and learning. Children and Families 42(3),               24-28. 
Franklin, K.S. (1991). Supported employment and assistive              technology-A powerful partnership. In S.L. Griffin & W.G.                       Revell (Eds.), Rehabilitation counselor desktop guide to supported              employment. Richmond, VA : Virginia Commonwealth University                     Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported                        Employment. 
Lahm, E., & Morrissette, S. (1994, April). Zap 'em                with assistive technology. Paper presented at the annual meeting of             The Council for Exceptional Children, Denver, CO. 
Lee, C. (1999).             Learning disabilities and assistive technologies; an emerging way to            touch the future. Amherst, MA: McGowan Publications. 
Rose, D. &               Meyer, A. (2000). Universal design for individual differences.                  Educational Leadership, 58(3), 39-43. 
Center for Applied Special              Technology http://www.cast.org 
Closing the Gap                                http://closingthegap.com 
Journal of Special Education Technology              http://jset.unlv.edu 
LD Online www.ldonline.org 
Literacy Access             Online http://www.literacyaccessonline.org 
The National Assistive             Technology Research Institute http://natri.uky.edu 
Internet                   resources cited in this document were current at the time of                    publication. Please note that Web addresses are subject to                      change. 
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ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be              freely reproduced and disseminated, but please acknowledge your                 source. This digest was prepared with funding from the Office of                Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), US Department of                   Education, under Contract No. ED-99-C0-0026. The opinions expressed             in this publication do not necessarily reflect the positions of OERI            or the Department of Education.                                              **Title:** Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities: Update                2002. ERIC Digest.                                                           **Note:** Digest number E623.                                                          **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Council for            Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA                       22201-5709. Tel: 800-328-0272 (Toll Free); Fax: 703-620-2521;                   e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.ericec.org.                **Descriptors:**  Assistive Devices (for Disabled),  Computer Assisted Instruction,               Educational Technology, Elementary Secondary Education, Internet,               Mild Disabilities, Notetaking, Writing Skills                               **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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