What is Assistive Technology?

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology is defined as any device, piece of equipment or system that helps or compensate for an individual’s specific learning deficits. Using assistive technologies does not cure or eradicate learning difficulties. It helps and assist your child reach his or her potential because it allows them to capitalise on their strengths and evade areas of difficulty (Stanberry & Raskind, 2009).

Furthermore, from using assistive technologies it can greatly increase a child’s self-reliance and sense of independence. It provides opportunities for children to experience success from working independently, instead of being overly dependent on parents, siblings, friends and teachers (Stanberry & Raskind, 2009). It is a great feeling for a child to be able to successfully complete a task on their own. It provides them with a sense of accomplishment!  


What happens to the students with writing difficulties in the classroom?

According to Hetzroni & Shieber (2004), students with learning disabilities experience significant difficulty with the writing process and therefore as a result have low academic achievement in school. This is unbelievable as within a classroom context, a large proportion of time is spent on writing tasks!

Some of the problems that students with writing difficulties may have include: generating ideas, organising ideas, finding the right words to convey ideas, using correct grammar, punctuation, illegible handwriting and spelling. While there are no easy answers to these types of problems, there are ways to create an environment using a variety of assistive technology tools in which students will be more successful writers (Hetzroni & Shieber, 2004).

What can parents and teachers do to help students with writing difficulties?

Firstly, it is imperative that teachers and parents work collaboratively to support the learning development of students with special needs. This can be done by thoroughly researching the types of tools that are currently on the market to support students with writing difficulties and then sharing this information with each other.

Technology plays an important role in assisting low-achieving writers. As stated in Gunning (2010) through the use of computers, CDs, DVDs and other assistive technologies, information can be presented to students in a variety of ways to enhance their educational achievement. For example there is a new program on the market called Wynn Reader which is useful for adaptations in electronic text and supporting struggling writers.

Hopefully this information has enabled you to gain a deeper insight into the world of assistive technology and the benefits it can bring to you and your classroom.

Ciao
Miss Assistive Technology

Gunning, T.G. (2010). Assessing and correcting reading and writing difficulties (4^th ed). MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Hetzroni, O. & Shrieber, B. (2004). Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(2) 143-154.

Stanberry, K. & Raskind, M. (2009). Assistive Technology for Kids with Learning Disabilities: An overview. Retrieved 20^th September 2010 from: http://www.orpti.org/documents/Understanding%20Dyslexia_Ramsey_Betsy_asstech.pdf