Journal 8 - Adaptive Technologies

Summary - Students with special needs are among those that can benefit greatly from technology in the classroom.  Technology can help and create an avenue for those with special needs to close the gap that their need creates compared to those fully-able students.Technology for special needs students can range from high to low tech and covers two main categories: communication and accessibility.  In this post, I have researched a few representations of adaptive technology and bookmarked resources of my search in my Diigo tags and networks. 

Communication Technology -  These forms of technology help students with difficulties in communication, bridge the gap, making it easier.  Technology for communication can range from low tech to extremely high tech, catering to the students needs.  Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a general term used to describe tools that supplement or replace the students impairment in traditional writing and spoken forms of communication.  A low tech representation of AAC is the Mayer-Johnson Soft Communication Boards (pictured to the right).  Communication boards can be used as a way to communicate without spoken words.  The boards can be used with those who can not articulate speech on a daily basis, like special needs students, but also those who's speech may be temporarily affected, hospital patients.These boards specifically use Velcro so that instructions and individual thoughts can be constructed instead of a fixed sheet, and are utilized in different forms.  An example of incorporating high tech devices into the classroom is the Ipad (pictured-left). This tablet style device is handheld and can be downloaded with multiple types of software, games, and apps to incorporate into the classroom. The Text-to-Speech software by Apple is a way in which communication can be integrated into a tablet device or computer. High tech communication devices can give you the same effect as low tech device but in using high technology: the amount of space taken up by the item will be less, more words can be incorporated by downloading updated vocabulary, and voice software may be incorporated if speech is extremely difficult.
Input Technology -  Input technology is used to create an interface between the user and their computer.  Traditional forms of input devices are: the keyboard and mouse.  Special needs students may require specialized input devices, in order, to do homework or other curriculum requirements.  The Tetra Mouse (pictured-right) is an example of a specialized input device for special needs students.  If a student does not possess adequate fine-motor control for a mouse interface; then, the students can use the Tetra Mouse which is used with the mouth and not the hands.  The Tetra mouse functions like a traditional mouse, via a USB connection, yet its interface with the user is specialized to the mouth.  Often times input devices are specialized to a specific software program.  The  Soundhouse Special Access Kit (pictured-left) is an example of a software and input device developed to include those with special needs into music.  The banana keyboard has over-sized keys to address motor control issues and simulates a basic piano keyboard.  Incorporating the keyboard with the software contained in the kit, students can choose any musical instrument along with multiple effects.  This creates an inclusive atmosphere, where special needs students can explore their creativity in a feild of study that may have been excluded to them.
Conclusion - Technology can help to increase inclusion within schools.  Developing and utilizing these tools or tools like these, I can cater to my students' physical or mental needs.