Assistive Technology in Education -free your mind!

Adaptive Technology

Education and the definition and use of Assistive Technology has evolved since first signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, known as the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act. It has taken many caring, persistent individuals many years to make the necessary changes to allow access to AT for individuals with disabilities.  Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications act of 1996 to provide benefits to all citizens, forging the path for all schools into the 21st century with internet access in every classroom.

The Assistive Technology acts of 1998 and 2004, were created to provide support program for states to address the Technology needs of individuals and redirect funding to individuals with disabilities.  It seems great strides had been made for the education for students with disabilities, but parents with children with special needs had waited long and worked hard to secure rights for their children, that most others take for granted. Consider it was only in 1975 that EHA changed education allowing school aged children with disabilities access to Free Appropriate Public Education. (FAPE)  It has taken decades for the rights of children with special needs to be fully addressed. (Beard Carpenter Johnson)

Assistive technologies are the tools educators use to help level the playing field to allow all children the best opportunity for a quality public education. The reauthorization of IDEA in 2004 defined  AT devices as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or  improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability." (Bryant & Bryant) The language was purposefully broad in scope to include everything from wheel chairs to hand held devices. AT's can be anything from a pencil grip, to a computer with speech recognition; low tech tools such as a communication boards to high tech software systems. The age of technology has made AT's more readily available in classrooms and are used in a variety of capacities by typical students and student with mild to severe needs.  Instructional technologies used in the classrooms can be AT as well.  Bryant & Bryant share how two students Phil & Maria use the same instructional software program for different purposes. Phil uses it to improve his skills, while Maria, who has dyslexia, uses the software as an AT to increase her functional capabilities; explaining that AT's can be used as remedial or compensatory.

The acceptance and more wide use of AT's can be attributed to several factors including the many laws passed to bridge the gap for children with disabilities; to organizations that educate the public about ADA, IDEA and the needs of this vulnerable population; as well as, the rapid evolution of technology from room size computers to handheld devices with ready made apps. One thing I found disturbing is that we still have people that feel that AT's give disabled students an unfair advantage. Yet it's ok in golf?  I don't know when education became a competition; or when trick questions are valid means of assessment. I believe all students have the right to a quality education that allows them to contribute to society and fulfill their professional and personal aspirations. I believe it is the job of every teacher to meet each student where they are and use all the tools and skills at their disposal to help that child have success...and joy in school.