1. Resources That Can Help Enhance Education through
Assistive Technology
Presentation by Bryan Getty

2. An Overview
 Diversity of disabilities requires diversity of instruction
as well as access to many resources
 Accommodations and modifications are mandated by
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
 Effective teachers must be aware of the contents of the
IEPs for their students and they must work to ensure
that all their students have access to curriculum
 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA
2004) is the legislation that special education in public
schools follow

3. IEPs – Who Has One?
 Any student who has been diagnosed as having a
disability or other health impairment qualifies for
special services and may have an IEP:
 Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
 Cognitive Disabilities
 Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders
 Autism or Developmental Delays
 Hearing or Vision Impairments
 Speech or Language Impairments

4. Assistive Technology – What is it?
 Assistive Technology is any assistive, adaptive, and
rehabilitative device for people with
disabilities and also includes the process used in
selecting, locating, and using them (from Wikipedia)
 Adaptive Technology is not the same as Assistive
Technology
 Adaptive is created specifically for someone with a
disability, while assistive was not created specifically for
persons with disabilities, but it is being used to help
them in a particular instance

5. Resources for Assistive Technology
 An overview of Assistive Technology, or Assistive
Technology:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~wilbur/access/assistive.html
 Assistive Technology law (IDEA 2004):
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cstatute%2
CI%2CA%2C602%2C1%2C
 How to choose Assistive Technology?
http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088
 Documenting the need for Assistive Technology:
http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-
Technology/Pages/Documenting-Need-for-Assistive-
Technology.aspx

6. Resources & Instructional Practices
 Supporting Participation in Classroom Activities
 Developing a Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan
 Assistive Technology Intervention Plan (Blank Copy)
 Best Practices in Assistive Technology
 Ideas for using Assistive Technology

7. Recommendations for Students
with ADHD
 Visual timers or invisible clocks can help with time
management
 A digital pen can help students who struggle to take
notes by playing back the audio that was being
recorded while they were writing
 Locate students’ desks as near to the teacher as
possible, while maintaining inclusion in the entire
class
 Minimize distractions
 For more information, click here

8. Recommendations for Students
with Auditory Disabilities
 Hearing Assistive Technology Systems, or HATS:
 FM Systems
 Infrared Systems
 Induction Loop Systems
 One-to-One Communicators
 Other Solutions
 For more information on HATS, click here

9. Recommendations for Students
with Learning Disabilities
 Apps for students with Dysgraphia and writing
difficulties
 Apps for students with Dyslexia and reading
difficulties
 Repeat directions
 Maintain routine
 Use graphic organizers
 For other ideas of instructional practices for students
with learning disabilities, click here