May 26, 2003 Athens, Greece Deree College The American College of Greece Technology as a Tool for Persons with Mental Retardation Christine A. Macfarlane, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Director, Special Education College of Education

Special Education Teacher

Graduated from USU

Technology The Great Equalizer

Technology works for... Persons who are blind or experience visual impairments Persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing Persons with dyslexia and other learning disabilities Persons with physical impairments Persons with complex health care needs Persons with communication/language disorders

Technology also works for... Persons with cognitive delays or intellectual disabilities (i.e., mental retardation) Sometimes more difficult to do Teachers and caregivers sometimes forget to think about use of technology

Mental Retardation - AAMR “Mental retardation is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before age 18.” Luckasson et al. (2002)

Professionals must consider the following five assumptions 1.Limitations in present functioning must be considered within the context of community environments typical of the individual’s age peers and culture. 2.Valid assessment considers cultural and linguistic diversity as well as difference in communication, sensory, motor, and behavioral factors. 3.Within an individual, limitations often coexist with strengths. 4.An important purpose of describing limitations is to develop a profile of needed supports. 5.With appropriate personalized supports over a sustained period, the life functioning of the person with mental retardation will generally improve.

WHO ICD-10 Mild –IQ between and approximately 70 Moderate –IQ between and Severe –IQ between and Profound –IQ below 20

Limitations in present functioning must be considered within the context of community environments typical of the individual’s age peers and culture. Typical peers use technology Technology permeates our culture Many options to use technology within the community

Valid assessment considers cultural and linguistic diversity as well as difference in communication, sensory, motor, and behavioral factors. May not get valid testing results without the use of assistive technology Consideration should begin at a young age

Within an individual, limitations often coexist with strengths. May not be able to talk, but can program VCR May not be able to add, but can push buttons

An important purpose of describing limitations is to develop a profile of needed supports. Does not have a sense of time Cannot count money Does not read a schedule or recipe

With appropriate personalized supports over a sustained period, the life functioning of the person with mental retardation will generally improve. More independent More inclusion Less care giving required Less supervision Productive member of society

What is technology? √ √ √ √

Assistive Technology Device IDEA defines Assistive Technology 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 functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

Assistive Technology Services IDEA also defines Assistive Technology as “...any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.”

AT Services include Evaluation Acquisition Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services Training or technical assistance

Technology can be used for Education Communication Environmental control Mobility Recreation and leisure Vocational Personal management

Will a person with MR benefit from technology? What functional limitation does the individual with mental retardation have that might be helped by assistive technology? Have professionals conducted a comprehensive assessment to determine what assistive technology might be beneficial? Will the technology be available for the person to use at all times in all environments where needed, and if not, what alternatives exist in other environments?

Will a person with MR benefit from technology? Will the assistive technology be a tool and not inhibit typical development and skill acquisition? Does the professional support system exist for the successful application and use of the identified technology? Can parents, teacher, and/or the person with mental retardation obtain training in the use of technology? The ARC

Technology Continuum “no tech” “high tech” “low tech” “mid tech” Lindsay, 2000

Technology Applications For the user –Hardware –Software For the teacher –Information seeking –Constructing lo-tech accommodations

He wanted to play with the dog. Isolate text with window The boy saw the dog. He wanted to play with the dog. The dog seemed very friendly. His Mom did not want the boy to play with the dog.

A Number line

Mid-tech accommodations Constructed Adapted Purchased

Constructed items Created from directions Created from “scratch”

Using a digital camera

Hi-tech accommodations The “double standard” How will we know unless we try Value of an individual

Making decisions Can this piece of equipment be made or fabricated? Can it be borrowed from an “equipment loan center” or library? Is the expense reasonable when compared to the therapeutic benefit? Is the equipment or service more costly than another option or alternative? Does the item serve the same purpose as equipment already available? State of Florida

Evaluating technology What technology tools are available to meet this student’s needs? Are there reliable reviews of these tools? What are the costs of the preferred tools? Are previews or workshops available? Are there additional sources of information? Is the preferred tool compatible with other school technology? State of Florida