Why+and+Where?

Here are the reasons why and where we use assistive technology devices: 

** Assistive Technology for those with physical disabilities ** **Description:** People with physical disabilities face many difficult challenges that hinder independence. Assistive technology can assist them in daily living activities, leisure, and educational activities. There are all types of assistive technologies available to those with physical disabilities. Assistive technology can be low tech, for example keeping a heavy door propped open so those with disabilities can access it. Assistive technology can also be high tech such as touch screen computers. No matter how much the cost or the more advance a technology may be these devices are used to enhance and lead to greater independence of those with disabilities. When choosing assistive technology devices for those with physical disabilities five factors affect the decision. The five factors are age, developmental/cognitive status, physical abilities, present needs, and future needs of the student. There are a few general strategies that a teacher can do in order to help a student with physical limitation. Some of these include making the environment accessible and safe, provide appropriate adaptive equipment, and provide instruction time for the use of the assistive technology. **Low-tech devices:** These are usually more inexpensive and can use things that you already have to adapt the environment for those with physical disabilities. A few examples of low assistive technology devices include.

**Adapted silverware**: Many people with physical disabilities have difficulty gripping so feeding themselves using regular utensils is very difficult or impossible. Often if you wrap paper or cloth with rubber band for easier griping this will allow the person with the disability to eat independently. Heavier bottom cups, and plates with raised rims.



**Adapted desk or seats**: Those with physical disabilities may require more room or a smaller chair. This can be easily accomplished with little or no cost. Placing a secured object under them can raise desk. Also putting two desks together can expand desk areas.

**Adapted writing utensils**: By simply attaching a rubber band to the end of a pencil the student will have more grip on the object. The rubber band can also be used to other smaller objects that are difficult for the person with the disability to grip.

 **Adapted Clothing**: There are many ways clothing is adapted to meet the special needs of those with physical disabilities. One way is to place Velcro behind a button on a shirt so the individual appear to be wearing a button down shirt, but they actually have it fastened by Velcro. This is especially important for adolescents and adults. Others include adaptive fastening devices and devices to help pull up socks.



**Recreational Assistive Technology**: changing the grip on fishing rods, and cuffs for gasping racquets.



**Positioning assistive technology**: hip straps, foot boxes to keep hips bent at 90 degree angle, slant board to help support books or other objects in the lap



**Daily Living**: grasp bars in the bathroom and bathtub, alternate toilet seats, back supports on commodes or other form of adaptation on commode

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**High-tech devices:** High tech assistive technology often is more computerized and more expensive. These types of devices seem to be very efficient and helpful. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Desk**: A desk that raises and lowers hydraulically by the push of a button will help those in wheelchairs or other disability that may require a high or low desk. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Environmental Control**: These devices are called Environmental Control Unit that operates toys or electrical appliances through the use of a switch. This switch allows the person with little mobility to control everything from lights and appliances to TV/VCR. This device works by infrared. One of these devices would cost around $200.



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Voice Activated Phone**: Allows those who have little mobility or who cannot access a phone be able to use a phone through voice activation devices.

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Computers that aid in learning**: Touch screens, keyguard to help prevent accidental typing, moisture guard to guard the keyboard from drooling, keyboard design change, larger keys on keyboards, miniature keyboards are designed for those with little mobility or control of the upper body, and on-screen keyboards which can be touch screen, mouse or joystick operated. There are also electronic pointing devices that are used as a mouse but it is an infrared beam that maneuvers on the screen. There are also voice recognition programs that will type the message or operate the computer by voice activation.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Computer program assistive technology**: Menu management program- the use of macros will help decrease the amount of time it will take the student to learn the program. Abbreviation expansion- this program allows the students to type the abbreviation for the word and it will automatically replace the abbreviation with the extended word. Word prediction program- students will get a list of suggested words after typing just two letters. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Switches for Computers**: Using joy sticks or switches instead of a mouse to operate things on a computer.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Pertinent Information:** Many of these devices can be used with a variety of disabilities. Many people with physical disabilities require adapted material in order to promote independence. Those without physical limitations may also benefit from some of these products as well. The most important thing to consider when using assistive technology for those with physical disabilities is will this help promote independence for the person with the disability. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Educational Implications :** With any assistive technology device it is useful in the classroom because the student is more independent. The teacher has more time to focus on teaching instead of the things that the child is now capable of doing on their own. It is important to teach the child to do things for him or herself at an early age so they do not really on others for every aspect of their lives. <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">** Assistive Technology for Mobility ** <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tabstops: .5in;">High-tech: High assistive technologies for mobility include the following:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tabstops: .5in;">**Motorized wheelchairs-** Motorized wheelchairs are devices that are used to enable individuals with neither adequate upper or lower body strength to move around independently. They are quite expensive, but very efficient, though you cannot easily store them. This is used for a maximum level of high technology support. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tabstops: .5in;">**Stair Lifts or elevators-** These are electronic devices that allow individuals with disabilities to travel from floor to floor easily. Elevators can be found in most public buildings with more than one floor. Stair lifts can be found in public buildings and homes.

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; tabstops: .5in;">**Wheelchair lifts-** This can be found in vehicles to help individuals get in and out easily. This saves time and allows the individual to be able to travel from place to place more independently.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tabstops: .5in;">**Pertinent Information:** These technologies can pertain to individuals with various disabilities. They give individuals a chance to move within environments on their own or with minimal support. Disabilities, these technologies assist in, are mostly ones affecting the individual’s physical and mobile abilities. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tabstops: .5in;">**Educational Implications:** In an educational environment, teachers have a vital responsibility to include all students in their curriculum. There are several steps needed to incorporate the students into the classroom. First, teachers need to make sure the purpose of these technologies, such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs, are known to all students. Second, the room needs to be adapted to allow the individual to use it easily in the classroom. Lastly, the teacher needs to make sure that he/she and the students treat the individual like anyone else. Just because he/she has a mobile disability, does not mean he/she cannot function independently. <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Assistive Technology for Individuals with Speech Problems** <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Description:** Many individuals that have problems communicating, because of their deficits in speaking abilities, can be helped through assistive technology devices. Children with severe speech disabilities that can hardly communicate at all may be able to take part in high complexity communication with the assistance of these types of devices. A term used to describe how these assistive technology devices enable these individuals to communicate is alternative and augmentative communication or AAC(Smith, 2001, p. 216). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Low Tech Devices for Speech Impairments:** Low-tech devices used to assist individuals with speech impairments tend to be, for the most part, simple. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Communication Devices-** This is when individuals point to pictures or words in order to convey their messages. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Other Methods-** Ways of using pictures or symbols to communicate, similar to the communication board, can be developed with ease in the classroom by the teacher based on the individual student’s needs. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**High Tech Devices for Speech Impairments:** With all of the technology that the future is bringing, most assistive devices for speech impairments will be computerized. Devices that are computerized and more expensive are known as high technology. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**A speech synthesizer:** One example of a high tech assistive device. A speech synthesizer converts messages that individuals put in either through their own words or through typing, into a voice that the machine outputs. Speech synthesizers vary in their complexity and features. Some of them can utilize male or female voices, some of them can even transfer their words into different languages. However, they are all excellent ways to breakdown the communication barrier that individuals with speech impairments face.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Pertinent Information:** It is very important for academic success that students are able to effectively communicate with their teacher and others. It is important to keep in mind that every individual with speech deficits is unique, therefore so should their assistive devices and instruction be. No student needs too much technological support, and no child with needs should be denied available opportunities through assistive technological devices. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Educational Implications:** Professionals should be able to identify when students have the types of speech disorders that require assistive technology. Then it is up to the educator to locate and utilize the equipment, no matter how complex or simple, to help the student in the best possible way. <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Description:** Individuals with visual impairments have some type of visual restrictions. They are usually classified into two groups: low vision and blind. Low vision children or partially sighted children require many different special aids that can be classified as assistive technology. All of these kinds of devices are intended to enable students to overcome their disabilities and complete their work. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Low Tech devices for Visual Impairments:** These are inexpensive, less complex devices. Devices such as <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">magnifiers, telescopes, and closed-circuit televisions are intended to help the practically sighted have more beneficial educational and leisure experiences. There are also aides like these intended to make the computer more accessible. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Telesensory video magnifiers-** These help people with low vision read and write. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Handheld magnifier-** This device is the most affordable low tech aid is a some even contain small reading lamps for better illumination. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Mounted magnifiers-** These magnifiers can be mounted on height-adjustable stands or can simply hang around the neck. Here are some examples of the prices of these items: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">·Hand held magnifiers-42.95 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">·Glasses with magnifiers-49.00 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">·Table top magnifiers-35.95 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**High Tech devices for Visual Impairments:** These devices are more expensive and complex. Some examples are the following: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Zoom Text Software-** This is a screen magnifier that makes computers accessible for individuals with low vision, it costs around $395. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Screen Readers-** This is a program that has software called “Jaws for Windows”: and it costs around $895. This software works with any computer to provide access to today’s software applications and the internet, in a helpful way to visually impaired individuals. It has a speech synthesizer and the information from the screen is read aloud to the user. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Braille Master Symbol-** This is software that offers a number of Braille publishing facilities. It is designed to provide simple, straightforward, and manageable ways to produce Braille and large print from written words. It is designed for people that need to have Braille produced quickly. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Braille Pad Note Taker-**This is a personal note taker that costs $995. The keyboard note taker allows individuals to take notes and then download those notes on to a PC. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Pertinent Information:** Children with low vision may be able to read through visual experience if adjustments are made. Accommodations are necessary for various visual impairments, depending on the degree and types of loss. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Educational Implications:** With the low and high tech equipment that is available to an individual or school, and student has more motivation to learn and become involved. It helps with self-esteem, self-image, and it gives students personal independence. The low and high technology gives a child with a vision impairment a better out look on things in the classroom. <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Assistive Listening Devices** <span style="color: #2222aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Description:** Assistive listening devices are communication systems which enable hard of hearing people to better comprehend speech or listen to music (www.alds.com). They are not used as general purpose amplification devices, instead they are used as need-specific amplification in a particular environment or listening situation. Assistive listening devices range from low to high devices that are in widespread use at this time, the three main ones are: Induction Loop (IL) systems, Frequency Modulated (FM) radio systems, and Infrared (IR) systems (Stach, 1998). The fact that all these devices can be set to the individuals needs makes them very useful. When you combine an assistive listening device with a hearing aid it enables you to hear and communicate better. Assistive listening devices can help you whether you have a minimal hearing loss, a profound hearing loss, or if you need amplification in certain situations. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Low-tech devices:** There are many assistive listening devices that are lower functioning but still benefit the individual’s needs. Some examples include the following: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Telephone amplifying devices** **-** These can be used on cell phones as well as regular telephones to help individuals hear. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Text telephones-** This is when communication over the telephone lines is achieved by typing messages. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Closed captioning-** This can be considered an assistive listening device because it provides a dialogue that can be read at the bottom of the television screen. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Other devices include:** flashing lights and vibration to let you know when things are occurring like the doorbell ringing, smoke alarms and alarm clocks going off (www.alds.com). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**High-tech devices:** High technology listening devices are often more expensive and complex than low-tech. The following are examples: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Personnel FM systems** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**-** This is one of the highly functioning devices that is used in various settings. It consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker and is received by the listener. These systems work well in a variety of situations such as in public <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">meeting places, lectures, restaurants and classrooms. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Infrared systems-** These are often used in the home with television sets. Sound is transmitted using infrared light waves. The transmitter transmits the TV signal to your receiver, which is adjusted, to your desired volume. Induction Loop system is the most common for a large group. An induction loop is permanently installed under the carpet and connects to a microphone used by a speaker (www.asha.com). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Pertinent information:** In order for us to succeed in this world we have to be able to hear. This means in order for a child to advance academically in school they must be able to hear the teacher. When you think of how a child spends the day, you realize how assistive listening devices benefit children who spend their days playing and in acoustically poor classrooms. Among the most common listening devices for children is the FM system, because it is so sturdy and flexible. One of its advantages is that the listener’s ear is no farther from the speaker than the microphone is from the speaker’s mouth (Statch, 1998).

**To find out more information on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, please visit the links below.****

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