Special Education
Image source: alysthoughts-edpyblog.blogspot.com
I have always had an interest in working with children with special needs. In the past, I have worked with children who have autism and various mental health disorders during my classroom placements. In my experience working with them, I have noticed that in some cases these students have additional educational assistants in the classroom and/or the classroom teacher tries to aid them but does not have or know of resources to aid the students. I have learned about accommodating and modifying the curriculum and lesson plans for these students and creating and IEP (individualized education plan). However, my interest lies with technological tools available for students with special needs. Through the Research Methods in Education course I was given the opportunity to examine what types of technological tools there were available to assists students with special needs. I came across three types of assistive technology; synthesis programs, speech recognition software and organizational software that can aid students with special needs with reading, writing and speaking.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology refers to any device or software that is available to aid individual students with special needs. Assistive technology has two main purposes: to further develop strengths and to allow students to better perform a given task (Forgrave, 2002). Though there are many types of assistive technology used for students with special needs, I will discuss only three. They are speech synthesis technology, speech recognition software and organizational software.
Speech synthesis technology works by reading aloud text that appears on the screen. Text can be entered either by typing directly into the computer program or by using word processing software. Students can chose whether they want the program to read, words, whole sentences or the entire text. This allows students to recognize when they have made a mistake in reading, go back, and correct their pronunciation by hearing it through the program. Programs such as text-to-speech decrease frustration in students caused by incorrect decoding and allows for more comprehension of the text (Forgrave, 2002).
Speech recognition technology enables students to speak into a computer then turn that speech into text. Students who are unable to physically use a keyboard will use speech-to-text programs that assist them in writing a report. This form of technology allows students to complete their work faster and it allows students to gather all their ideas down before they forget because of slow typing speed. Thus, speech recognition potentially can help helps students with the content of their writing rather than focusing on the mechanics (Zaho, 2007).
Organizational software can help student categorize information better. Through the use of webs and concept maps, these programs allow children to organize their brainstormed ideas into visual organizers. This then is used to create outlines for the students to follow when writing (Forgrave, 2002).
Speech synthesis technology works by reading aloud text that appears on the screen. Text can be entered either by typing directly into the computer program or by using word processing software. Students can chose whether they want the program to read, words, whole sentences or the entire text. This allows students to recognize when they have made a mistake in reading, go back, and correct their pronunciation by hearing it through the program. Programs such as text-to-speech decrease frustration in students caused by incorrect decoding and allows for more comprehension of the text (Forgrave, 2002).
Speech recognition technology enables students to speak into a computer then turn that speech into text. Students who are unable to physically use a keyboard will use speech-to-text programs that assist them in writing a report. This form of technology allows students to complete their work faster and it allows students to gather all their ideas down before they forget because of slow typing speed. Thus, speech recognition potentially can help helps students with the content of their writing rather than focusing on the mechanics (Zaho, 2007).
Organizational software can help student categorize information better. Through the use of webs and concept maps, these programs allow children to organize their brainstormed ideas into visual organizers. This then is used to create outlines for the students to follow when writing (Forgrave, 2002).
Artifact
This artifact is a literature review that I completed for my Research Methods in Education course. The paper examines three main types of assistive technology that can be used in classrooms to aid students with special needs. This was important to me because I became aware of these tools and how they work. This means that I will be able to implement them in my classroom if necessary.
roshni_lit_review.docx | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
File Type: | docx |
References
Forgrave, K. (2002). Assistive technology: Empowering students with learning disabilities. The Clearing House, 75(3), 122-127.
Zhao, Y. (2007). Speech technology and its potential for special education. Journal of Special Education Technology, 22(3), 35-41.
Zhao, Y. (2007). Speech technology and its potential for special education. Journal of Special Education Technology, 22(3), 35-41.