1. KASSIDY CHUNN ELED 3111 DR. POLLY SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 Learning Disabilities and Technology

2. Words to Know! IEP (Individualized Education Program)- An IEP is a personalized education plan that will instruct the parents, school administration, and the teacher how to better provide education to a disabled student as well as set goals for the student. Inclusion- A term meaning to place disabled and non-disabled students together in the same classroom so that every students is given equal opportunity to grow and progress socially and mentally. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)- To the fullest extent possible, disabled students are educated with students who are not disabled in all appropriate school settings.

3. Disabilities that Affect Learning (covered in this presentation) Hearing Impaired Visually Impaired Attention Deficient Disorder (ADD)

4. Hearing Impaired For most students, sitting in a classroom and listening to the teacher give a direct lesson is a simple task. However, for students with a hearing problem this can be a nightmare of a task. This disability can negatively affect the student’s academic progress by causing the child to become off task or bored because they are not engaged in the lesson due to the fact that they are unable to hear it. A way to use assistive technology to help the students would be for the teacher to use a headset/microphone when speaking to the class during a lesson to amplify his/her voice. Have the child sit near the speaker so that they are receiving the maximum exposure. I volunteer in a classroom where this is done and the student and teacher both agree that it is a extremely beneficial.

5. Visually Impaired Students who are visually impaired are often asked to sit at the front of the classroom. This can be difficult for students who also may have anxiety/extreme nervousness or a fear of being in front of others, contradicting the least restrictive environment rule. A way to ensure that the visually impaired students are receiving the information and are capable of sitting where they feel comfortable is to have Screen Modification Software installed into the computers used by students. This software will not only enhance the quality if the presented material but also make it easier for the visually impaired child to concentrate and absorb all the new material.

6. Attention Deficient Disorder (ADD) ADD is a disability to concentrate on one task for an extensive period of time. When teachers give students worksheets or a project that may take up a good portion of the day, children with ADD tend to be come sidetracked and easily distracted by the most simple things. A way to cope with this or aide in the child’s ability to surpass the disorder is to incorporate games or technology into his/her learning. When a teacher notice the students becoming unproductive or getting off task, allow them to play a game on the computer that pertains to the subject or material being covered. This is give the child a chance to do something different for a bit while still exposing them to the lesson material.

7. Conclusion Questions What two big concepts have you learned about assistive technology and special needs students that will help you as you start to spend more time in classrooms? One concept that I have learned about assistive technology is that it can be used in a variety of settings. This type of technology can be incorporated into all classrooms- not just those specifically designed for a certain type of student. Branching off into a new school, I will feel more comfortable in attempting to use assistive technology to further expand my student’s knowledge. Another main concept that I have learned through this is that assistive technology is beneficial for only one type of disability- it covers a rage of them from ADD to vision impairments. I may have some students in my classroom that having difficulty hearing and some that may be diagnosed with ADD and I can use assistive technology for both! Why is it important to have access to assistive technologies in elementary school settings? No child learns the same way. For some students, learning comes naturally and there are no obstacles to work around; however, for others, learning is a struggle and takes effort on both the student and teacher side to ensure that knowledge is gained during class time. A way to do this is to use assistive technology to aide in the absorption of the lesson material.

8. Sources Used http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504- plan/what-is-iep http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504- plan/what-is-iep http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion_(education) http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,B, 612,a,5, http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,B, 612,a,5 http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assi st_tech.htm http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/treatment/assi st_tech.htm adaptivetech.tcnj.edu/resheet/blind.htm