ANSWERS

Under this section of ASK, parents can find information on various topics that relate to raising and educating a child with special needs.
There are so many areas to cover and I encourage parents and professionals to send me information on topics of interest to them and I will include them here.

1. Assistive Technology – (which is considered a “related service” under a child’s IEP
2. Independent Living and Transitioning Students
3. Insurance Questions
4. Websites about Specific Disabilities
5. Disability Awareness and Inclusion
6. Social Skills and Children with Special Needs
7. Behavior

Assistive Technology

Defining Assistive Technology

Assistive technology devices are mechanical aids which substitute for or enhance the function of some physical or mental ability that is impaired. Assistive technology can be anything homemade, purchased off the shelf, modified, or commercially available which is used to help an individual perform some task of daily living. The term assistive technology encompasses a broad range of devices from "low tech" (e.g., pencil grips, splints, paper stabilizers) to "high tech" (e.g., computers, voice synthesizers, braille readers). These devices include the entire range of supportive tools and equipment from adapted spoons to wheelchairs and computer systems for environmental control.

Helpful Hints for Getting Assistive Technology Devices and Services through the School District

1. If you think your school-aged child has a disability and needs assistive technology devices and services, initiate special education services, including assistive technology, by sending a written request for an evaluation to the principal of your child’s school. Request an evaluation if you believe your child's assistive technology needs have not been met. State why you think an assistive technology evaluation may be helpful, e.g. how assistive technology may help your child reach his/her educational goals. Obtain as much information as possible about the assistive technology you are requesting so that you will be prepared to discuss the options with school officials.
2. Make regular contacts with school staff to get updates regarding the status of the request for assistive technology devices and services (including evaluations).
3. Make sure your entire child's assistive technology needs, both equipment and related services, are stated in the IEP. Include parent training, if it is needed.
4. Make sure that the IEP reflects for what, where, and when the assistive technology will be used (e.g. at home; during the summer; for all written assignments, reports).
5. Find out how staff will be trained to use the assistive technology, and identify who will provide needed supports.
6. Find out who will be responsible for maintenance of the device(s) if repair is needed. In the event of breakdown, what "back up" technology will be provided?
7. Follow-up face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations with written correspondence summarizing your understanding of decisions that were made or information that was conveyed. If you make several attempts to contact school staff by phone, and calls are not returned, send a letter to school staff stating that you have called, and request that the staff person contact you. Suggest times that you will be available. Request a response by a certain date.
8. Maintain dated records of all contacts and discussions with school staff; a notebook or file specifically for "Education" is useful. Keep copies of all correspondence (in chronological order) to and from school staff. Keep copies of the IEP, amendments, and other forms.
9. If you need assistance in understanding written materials, request that school staff verbally review these materials with you (e.g. correspondence, your rights, Individualized Education Program [IEP] and amendments).

And did you know...

-your local school district is responsible for providing evaluations, including assistive technology assessments, at no cost to you;
-you may request an independent evaluation if you disagree with the district's assessment, at no cost to you;
-school districts may pay for additional evaluations if initial evaluations do not provide enough information to develop an appropriate IEP;
-you may request that changes be made in the IEP;
-you have a right to request a hearing if you and school officials cannot agree on the IEP, or if you disagree with any portion of the IEP; or if the IEP is not working well for your child;
-children with disabilities who are not eligible for special education may obtain assistive technology devices and services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Information for the Educators:
“ An Educator's Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms” http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdTechGuide/index.html

Types of Assistive Technology Products

Below you will find information about assistive technology products for:

• Hearing impairments
• Language impairments
• Learning impairments
• Mobility impairments
• Visual impairments

For Hearing Impairments
Voice recognition products have been adapted to convert what is being spoken to sign language for an individual who is deaf. These same products are used to convert what is spoken to text that can be read by an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing. Similarly, it is possible to convert what is being spoken into a visual image that can be used by an individual who is deaf in learning how to speak.

TTY/TDD conversion modems are used to translate standard computer input and output (i.e. ASCII) to Baudot. Many devices that an individual who is deaf uses to communicate over the telephone use the Baudot code. Conversion modems are connected between computers and telephones to allow, for example, an individual to type a message on his/her computer and send it to a Baudot equipped device being used by an individual who is deaf.
Light Signaler alerts are devices designed to monitor computer audio signals when a user is not immediately in front of the screen. For example, a call lamp light flasher device can be connected to a PC. Such devices enable individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to know when programs such as Microsoft NetMeeeting and Microsoft Outlook receive messages, or are generating beeping alerts.

For Language Impairments
Screen review utilities make on-screen information available as synthesized speech and pairs the speech with a visual representation of a word, for example, highlighting a word as it is spoken. Screen review utilities convert the text that appears on screen into a computer voice.

This helps some people with language impairments. Some individuals with learning impairments find speech recognition easier to use for writing text. Additional assistive technology products used with computers by people with language impairments also include others which are defined above:

• Keyboard filters
• Speech recognition programs
• Touch screens
• Speech synthesizers

Reading comprehension programs focus on establishing or improving reading skills through ready-made activities, stories, exercises, or games. These programs can help users practice letter sound recognition and can increase the understanding of words by adding graphics, sound, and possibly animation.

Reading tools and learning disabilities programs include software designed to make text-based materials more accessible for people who have difficulty with reading. Options can include scanning, reformatting, navigating, or speaking text out loud. These programs help people who have difficulty seeing or manipulating conventional print materials; people who are developing new literacy skills or who are learning English as a foreign language; and people who comprehend better when they hear and see text highlighted simultaneously.

Additional assistive technology products used with computers by people with learning impairments also include products defined above including:

• Speech synthesizers
• Speech recognition programs
• Talking and large print word processors

For Mobility Impairments
On-screen keyboard programs provide an image of a standard or modified keyboard on the computer screen. The user selects the keys with a mouse, touch screen, trackball, joystick, switch, or electronic pointing device. On-screen keyboards often have a scanning option. With the scanning capability turned on, the individual keys on the on-screen keyboard are highlighted. When a desired key is high-lighted, an individual with mobility impairment is able to select it by using a switch positioned near a body part that is under his or her voluntary control.

Keyboard filters include typing aids such as word prediction utilities and add-on spelling checkers. These products reduce the required number of keystrokes. Keyboard filters enable users to quickly access the letters they need and to avoid inadvertently selecting keys they don't want. Keyboard filters - especially word prediction and spelling checkers - are also used by people with language and learning impairments.

Touch screens are devices placed on the computer monitor (or built into it) that allow direct selection or activation of the computer by touching the screen. These devices can benefit some users with mobility impairments because they present a more accessible target. It is easier for some people to select an option directly rather than through a mouse movement or keyboard because that movement might require greater fine motor skills than simply touching the screen to make a selection. Other people with mobility impairments might make their selections with assistive technology such as mouth sticks. Touch screens are also used by people with language and learning impairments who find it a simpler, direct, and intuitive process than making a selection using a mouse or keyboard.

For Visual Impairments
Screen enlargers (or screen magnifiers) work like a magnifying glass. They enlarge a portion of the screen, increasing the legibility for some users. Some screen enlargers allow a person to zoom in and out on a particular area of the screen.

Screen readers are software programs that present graphics and text as speech. For a computer user who is blind, and does not need a monitor, a screen reader is used to verbalize, or "speak," everything on the screen including names and descriptions of control buttons, menus, text, and punctuation. In essence, a screen reader transforms a graphic user interface (GUI) into an audio interface.

Speech recognition systems, also called voice recognition programs, allow people to give commands and enter data using their voices rather than other input devices. Speech recognition systems are also used by people with mobility, language and learning impairments.
Speech synthesizers receive information going to the screen in the form of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, and then "speak" it out loud. Often referred to as text-to-speech (TTS), the voice of the computer is synthesized speech - a distinctive, sometimes monotone voice that is the joining together of preprogrammed letters and words. Using speech synthesizers allows blind users to review their input as they type. Speech synthesizers are also used by people with language and learning impairments, for example, those who are unable to communicate orally.

Refreshable Braille displays provide tactile output of information represented on the computer screen. A Braille "cell" is composed of a series of dots. The pattern of the dots and various combinations of the cells are used in place of letters. Refreshable Braille displays mechanically lift small rounded plastic or metal pins as needed to form Braille characters. The user reads the Braille letters with his or her fingers, and then, after a line is read, can refresh the display to read the next line.

Braille embossers transfer computer generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned in or generated via standard word processing programs into Braille, which can be printed on the embosser.

Talking and large-print word processors are software programs that use speech synthesizers to provide auditory feedback of what is typed. Large-print word processors allow the user to view everything in large text without added screen enlargement. Individuals with learning disabilities often use these special-featured word processors to assist them with their spelling and grammar and/or to provide the auditory feedback they require to be able to write.

Assistive Technology and Specific Learning disabilities:
The table below illustrates the use of assistive technology or adaptive technology for students with specific disabilities or differing abilities.

Web Resources and
Contact Information about Assistive Technologies