Week 12: Assistive Technology

Question 1

Define Assistive Technologies

Answer 1

“Simply anything that can help a person with disabilities do something they cannot do, or help them do it better than they can without it” Huemann

Question 2

When should ATs be used

Answer 2

To assist with difficulty accessing the curriculum.
To address physical barriers to inclusion.
To augment existing abilities

Question 3

When should ATs not be used

Answer 3

When it reduces independence
When there is no useful or productive purpose
When it becomes a barrier

Question 4

What is the SETT framework?

Answer 4

Tool that helps teams gather and organize information that can be used to guide collaborative decisions about services that foster the educational success of students with disabilities

Question 5

What does SETT stand for?

Answer 5

Student, Environment, Task, Tools

Question 6

List some factors that need to be taken into account when choosing appropriate ATs for students

Answer 6

Cost
Suitability
Utility
Availability
Planning
Training

Question 7

What are the three levels of classification of ATs?

Answer 7

Low Tech - Often devices that are not electronic
Medium Tech - Reasonably complicated devices; tape recorders, visual timers and wheelchairs
High Tech - Generally more complex and are often specialised to accommodate for a specific impaired function.

Question 8

What are some of the commonalities between models of matching people to technologies (such as the MPT model)

Answer 8

Consideration of personal characteristics of the user
Contexts for use
Types of technology

Question 9

What does the MPT model stand for?

Answer 9

Matching Persons and Technology Model (Scherer et al., 2005)

Question 10

Why should students also use ATs at home?

Answer 10

Assisting the parents with ultimately assist the student to use the AT effectively

Question 11

What are the types of ATs?

Answer 11

Physical supports (e.g. AFOs, pencil grips)
Environmental controls (e.g. switches)
Emotional regulation (e.g. weighted vests, trampolines)
Communication devices (e.g. Dynavox)

Question 12

List some of the factors that need to be acknowledged in the effective implementation of ATs in the classroom

Answer 12

Time (to plan and for the students to use AT)
Approach to using AT (problem-solving or team approach)
Explicit teaching of AT (including the AT itself)
The effort/experience of the teacher
External supports (including the parents and the administrators of the school)

Question 13

Give some examples of ATs

Answer 13

Text-to-speech function
Speech-to-text function
SmartPens & Reading Pens (ie Livescribe, C-Pen)
Audiobooks
Augmented and Virtual Reality (VR)
Appropriate Chrome extensions
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
A system that allows non-verbal students to initiate and maintain communication
COMPIC and Boardmaker
Picture libraries that provide graphics for use in communication boards, books and for labelling items.