Anna Newton Spring 2012 EDTC 625

Assistive Technology Interview I interviewed the Assistive Technology Team Leader for my county. Her name is Ms. D. Bicknell. Ms. Bicknell began her education at the Virginia Commonwealth University and gained a bachelors degree in Physical Therapy and worked in the health care system for a few years after her graduation. She then transferred into the school system, which had always been her intention. She worked in the school system as a physical therapist for ten years and then received a grant to get her masters in assistive technology. She decided not to pass up on the grant because her work with special education and physical therapy matched very well with assistive technology; many PT students benefit from assistive technology. Once she gained her masters, she joined the assistive technology team and then was asked to be the team leader at the request of the Director of Special Education. An example of a student with a challenging learning disability that Ms. Bicknell described was a high school student with ADHD, who has a hard time paying attention in class, and taking class notes. This student is in AP classes, which is not common with students with IEPs. The students father requested a piece of technology, known as a recording/Smart pen, which helped him take notes and remember what happened in class. This pen was an attempt to help improve some failing grades the student had. This student is the first in the county to have a recording pen. The benefit to a recording pen is that you can automatically go to certain lectures without fast forwarding or rewinding like you would have to with a tape recorder, which has been used in the past.

According to Ms. Bicknell, the most helpful assistive technology software in our county despite grade level is the Boardmaker software, which is primarily used by special education teachers. It provides a visual component with words. She found this to be helpful with students that have severe disabilities. It helps these students communicate with others who would otherwise not be able to communicate without this software. She also mentioned, the Kurzweil software, that reads digital text and highlights the words on the screen and the students have control of the reading. She thinks this is particularly helpful for high school students that are below grade level to improve their reading. The most helpful assistive technology hardware in our county according to Ms. Bicknell is the computer, iPod touch, and the iPad. All of these pieces of hardware allow for multiple pieces of software. The iPod touch and the iPad allow for many types of applications, for example it has speech generating apps to help students with communication. The school is looking more into iPads and iPod touches because you can use mainstream technology while cutting costs because they are cheaper than other pieces of hardware and can do the same, if not more, applications than other traditional pieces of hardware. Right now the county has three iPads and two iPod touches. They are in process of adding applications and training for their used with students in the county. The emerging assistive technologies are the iPads and iPod touches, according Ms. Bicknell. She stated the same reasons why they are the emerging technology, particularly stating that it can handle multiple applications for less of a cost. She also mentioned some research being done for students with severe physical disabilities to use their tongue to access and use a computer. In order for teachers to gain access to assistive technologies in the school system is by putting in a request or a referral can be made for an assistive technology assessment of a student

through an IEP meeting. Many special education classes and related professionals, like speech, occupational, and physical therapists, already have assistive technology in place, according to Ms. Bicknell. As a result of this interview, I feel that I am more aware what is out there in my county and what the special education department already has in place. I will talk more with my special education students case managers to find out what assistive technology has been used, currently in use and what may be helpful to use for them in the future. I have a Smartboard in my room. When discussing text that is being projected on the screen, I can highlight or underline the current section that we are on. I could also use the screen feature to help students with ADHD of other focusing issues by helping them stay on the text that is currently under discussion, instead of them being distracted by other text that is not currently being discussed. I also will not be afraid to ask if more can be done to help a certain student or make a referral if I feel one should be made.