Reflection blog

At the beginning of course I did not have a lot of exposure to assistive technology and to students who made need it. Through out the course our exploration of different types of AT has broadened my understanding of AT and how it can be used in the classroom. I can now see how all students can benefit from it and how those who need it especially will suffer without it. The myths around allowing students to use AT, especially on test, are just that myths and through the writing of the weekly blogs I have come to a better understanding of this. As educator we need to focus on breaking down this misunderstanding within our field because not all educator realize that the myths are myths. These myths also exist for any students who need any sort of assistance in the classroom and are far too prevalent.

Week 14

http://letsplay.buffalo.edu/toys/special-toys.htm

This website was extremely informative on how to help students and children who need assistance with play. Often we only talk about AT in terms of how to help students in the classroom and not on how to help them enjoy life. When I worked at a preschool the summer after my freshman year of undergrad we focused on helping those students learn how to play and help them play. It was a great experience to see how to help students who are autistic learn how to play. For many of them they did not develop as other children did and would not play on their own. I also thought that the website would be really helpful to parents. For many parents who have children with disabilities they may not know where to turn and this website provides great information. I especially thought the Lekotek's Top Ten Tips would be helpful to a parent because it is broken down by disability with questions for them to think about.

Week 12

Of those who say nothing, few are silent ~ Thomas Neile

This quote can be taken in many different ways. One can think of it in terms of those who can not speak for themselves; those that do not have a voice of their own because of their life’s circumstances. This could apply to those who are oppressed, disabled or with a low status in our society. It could also be looked at in terms of actions speaking louder than words because people often say more by what they do than what they say. Silence can also be a very powerful tool too and it is not always necessary to voice your opinion to get a point across.
Unfortunately in today’s society of “who can yell loudest gets the most attention,” those who are silent get over looked. Their message gets lost and often their rights get trampled and swept under the table. For those who can’t speak for themselves those of us who can must speak for them. We must collaborate with them to get their message across. This is particularly important in working towards fair access for those who are disabled. In many movements for equality it is not until those with the power get involved that change occurs. This statement hold true for both stages of the Civil Rights movement and in some ways the feminist movement. It could also be said that a lack of cross over support for marriage equality for gays and lesbians has stunted their goals. When people standby silently and let the majority rule over the minority they are really saying, “it’s ok, I like only allowing the majorities wishes to come true.” When we stand by silently and allow the rights of the disabled to get trumped we are sending a message to those in power that we are ok with it. Since most people aren’t, in fact, ok with the rights of American’s who are disabled being stepped on we must use our voices to stop it from happening. Silence is compliance and the message comes out loud and clear everyday when we say nothing.

week 11

Recently I have noticed more public attention being drawn to children who have autism. This attention is coming from a celebrity; People Magazine and a new TV show called Parenthood. The celebrity who I am referring to is Toni Braxton who is using her experience, as a mother of a son with autism, to raise awareness for a group called Autism Speaks. Through her work she is making the odds of having a child with autism (1/110) prominent along with encouraging people to go to autismspeaks.org to learn the signs of it. Also, in the April 12, 2010 issue of People Magazine there was an article about a family with a son who is autistic titled “Accepting My Son.” The article discusses the acceptance of his father Rodney Peete, a former pro quarterback, of his son’s condition. Peete is currently writing a book along with his daughter about their experiences with his son R.J. The other source of public awareness for autism is on the show Parenthood, which started after the Olympics. On the show, in the first couple of episodes, the parents of a 10 years-old boy discovered that he has autism and it follows their journey and struggles.

This new public eye on autism is raising awareness for those who do not yet know a person who is autistic. This awareness is focused on acceptance and the message that, “it is more common than you think.” With the odds of having an autistic child at 1/110 chances are that eventually everyone will know a person who is autistic. Through publicity parents of new born children might also be more likely to notice the signs of autism in their child and get them help sooner rather than later. Public awareness is the first step in acceptance and this new mass media push will help to make that happen.

week 10

10 Things I Learned While Observing People for 30 Minutes at the Brighton Starbucks

1. Some people are really boring to watch and they do not do much. These people are those that sit still while they read their newspapers or work on their computers. Since they do not move a lot, there isn’t a lot to observe.

2. Some people are really interesting to watch because they do move a lot. These are the people who change seats and gesture a lot while they talk. These are also the people who impatiently wait for their coffee by puttsing around the store and looking around.

3. People switch seats often when they first arrive at Starbucks.

4. Some people talk using their hands constantly and others do not use them at all.

5. There are multiple ways to prepare coffee the same way. By this I mean, if one is putting sugar in their drink and then stirring, there are multiple different ways to do it based on the tinniest of gestures; some people shake their sugar and some do not and some stir for a long time and some barely even leave their stirrer in the drink.

6. At 9 am on a Monday morning there are many different people in Starbucks who are doing many different things. Some people are just in and out of the store getting theirs and others’ drinks, some are here to read the paper, others are here to do work and others to meet with friends. These people are all doing something different and on their own missions but for a space in time occupy the same space.

7. Writing for 30 minutes is tough. First of all it hurts the hand and secondly if it is not busy, it gets boring with people doing the same 3 motions over and over again.

8. Some people are natural people watchers. These are the people who get distracted by everyone who walks by them or into the store. There are also the people who never look up from what they are doing and do not seem to care about those around them.

9. The store will get extremely busy once you are done with the observation.

10. Even with the store not being busy there is a lot going on. I can now see how someone with ADD or ADHD would have problems concentrating in a space such as this. There are constantly things to distract someone and a lot of the movements or gestures that were observed are also those that are used in the classroom. The amount of movement that one individual does is astounding and it would be difficult to sit in a room where there are 30 people doing them.

week 10

10 Things I Learned While Observing People for 30 Minutes at the Brighton Starbucks

1. Some people are really boring to watch and they do not do much. These people are those that sit still while they read their newspapers or work on their computers. Since they do not move a lot, there isn’t a lot to observe.

2. Some people are really interesting to watch because they do move a lot. These are the people who change seats and gesture a lot while they talk. These are also the people who impatiently wait for their coffee by puttsing around the store and looking around.

3. People switch seats often when they first arrive at Starbucks.

4. Some people talk using their hands constantly and others do not use them at all.

5. There are multiple ways to prepare coffee the same way. By this I mean, if one is putting sugar in their drink and then stirring, there are multiple different ways to do it based on the tinniest of gestures; some people shake their sugar and some do not and some stir for a long time and some barely even leave their stirrer in the drink.

6. At 9 am on a Monday morning there are many different people in Starbucks who are doing many different things. Some people are just in and out of the store getting theirs and others’ drinks, some are here to read the paper, others are here to do work and others to meet with friends. These people are all doing something different and on their own missions but for a space in time occupy the same space.

7. Writing for 30 minutes is tough. First of all it hurts the hand and secondly if it is not busy, it gets boring with people doing the same 3 motions over and over again.

8. Some people are natural people watchers. These are the people who get distracted by everyone who walks by them or into the store. There are also the people who never look up from what they are doing and do not seem to care about those around them.

9. The store will get extremely busy once you are done with the observation.

10. Even with the store not being busy there is a lot going on. I can now see how someone with ADD or ADHD would have problems concentrating in a space such as this. There are constantly things to distract someone and a lot of the movements or gestures that were observed are also those that are used in the classroom. The amount of movement that one individual does is astounding and it would be difficult to sit in a room where there are 30 people doing them.

Week 9

Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley response

For someone who doesn’t have children and especially doesn’t have a child with a disability, “Welcome to Holland” paints wonderful imagery about the feelings of those who do. Despite not having children the description gave me insight into the world of having a child with disabilities. The use of a trip to describe the disappointment that one might feel about a change in their plans is one that people can connected with. I have been on many trips and I do know what it is like to plan for one with all the excitement and anticipation that comes with it. I also know what it feels like when future plans, that are anticipated, do not always pan out the way one would hope. Just from reading these short words from a parent I can appreciate a little of what it is like to have a child with disabilities. Kingsley also makes a great point about just appreciating what you have been handed. I think it could be easy for parents to feel bad for themselves about having a child with disabilities. Kingsley points out that if this happens then it would be easy to miss what is special about having a disabled child. Every individual child and person has his or her own unique personality and may not live up to the expectations set by parents and others. This piece helps to make you realize that life is not always going to hand you what you expect but it is important to accept what you receive and appreciate it for its own beauty.

Week 8

The social projects included in Design for the other 90% focuses on taking down the challenges faced by those who are disadvantaged. Their work and goal is to provide these people with low cost solutions to provide them with the basic necessities that they need. There are six main focuses of these projects: transportation, shelter, health, water, energy and education. The work that is being performed in each of these are aimed at creating a better life for people and providing them with the resources that will help them change their lives and situations.

The education focus of these projects is geared at providing the tools for social and economic movement through education. These projects understand that without an education the cycle of poverty will continue. One project that I found particularly interesting was “One Laptop Per Child.” The goal of this project is to provide those without computers with one. The computer that is mentioned in the project description is one that only costs $100 and “is designed as an educational tool to bring learning, information, and communication to children in developing countries.” These computers would be provided to the students by either the government or non-profit groups and they would be used to create students who were technologically savvy. This project focuses on the need for computer education for all students. Often, I think we are focused on the classic needs of disadvantaged students, math, reading, and writing but in today’s world those skills could be useless without technology education. In the last 20 years the world has become smaller through the use of computers and as we improve the lives of those who most need it, we need to make sure that we are providing them with the tools that they need to succeed in the 21^st century. This program if executed correctly could be the solution for many students by putting laptops in their hands and giving them first hand experience with the technology they are required to know in today’s world.

http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/Design/one-laptop-per-child

Week 7

As I went through the reading for class this week: “Toys for Children with Special Needs: You Can See a Lot by Observing” I was reminded of my niece and the summer that I spent as a teaching assistant for students with Autism. The articles’ discussion about the different stages of play, fitting each child individually for toys and the discussion on the current approach of specialists reminded me of these two things.

My niece is currently four years old and from the beginning I have always sought to buy the favorite gift of a holiday. I have learned from this quest that the latest greatest gift on the market does not always equal the favorite. After reading this article I realized that the reason they don’t always hit the mark is because they don’t always match her style. The idea of observing children play and seeing what they are truly into is the exact opposite approach than what the toy market wants toy buyers to take. They want to try to convince you that just because a toy is popular it is going to be right for every child and must be bought. I have also found that while buying her gifts that the ages listed on the side of the boxes often miss the mark. As mentioned in the article, labeling toys by developmental stages would be better than by ages. Often children do not meet up with the ages listed on the box and I think that sometimes toy companies try to stretch a toys marketability by stretching the ages on the box. By doing this they can sell more toys; if one buys a toy for a child at the top or bottom of the age range the child is either developmentally past a toy or not quite ready for it.

As for my experience in the preschool classroom, there we were instructed to help the kids play. All of the students were behind their age developmentally and need to, in some ways, be taught how to pretend. Many of them took objects at their face value rather than thinking outside the box. As teaching assistances we were instructed to help them pretend but I think sometimes it was forced on them. The article suggests giving them the right toys and letting them go on their own. I think the school I worked in was typical of the schools that Mistrett criticized on their approach. There was a mission and a purpose to everything on the staffs’ part and sometimes the students were not allowed to explore. I agree that schools need to have a purpose and that guiding and pushing all students and especially those with special needs but in some respects kids of all abilities need to chance to just be kids. Part of the development through play is kids just exploring and learning through it.

Week 6

Person and assistive technology device match is an individual process

Just as has been mentioned here before, matching a person with assistive technology is an extremely personal and individual choice. Along with it being a choice as to what technology they prefer, it is an individual process to decide what technology they will need. Every person has very different needs and participate in very different situations that they need assistance with.

As is mentioned in Curry’s Universal Design Accessibility for All Learners, different students need different technology to allow them to function best. In the article there is the example of the student with cerebral palsy who uses augmentative communication and switch-scanning equipment in class but Curry points out that different students might prefer different items for the same tasks. For this student with cerebral palsy it was an individual choice and process that matched her up with her chosen technology.

The Institute for Matching Person & Technology is located in Webster, NY and it uses a process called Matching Person & Technology (MPT), which matches users and assistive technology. (http://www.e-bility.com/arata/sigs_hpt_mpt.php) Through out their process they consider the environment and needs of the user to determine the technology that they will need. The process includes different tests and questions for the future users and is designed for persons over 15 years of age. They also have methods for those who are younger than 15 to match them with technology. With a process like MPT, users needs can be viewed holistically and the best technology for them can be found. Without processes like this one, users might not be able to view technology on such a personal level and may not get devices that truly fit their needs. In order to have a piece of technology that will be used continuously and to its fullest extent the process of matching users to it, needs to be personal. There are not one size fits all solutions when it comes to AT and believing that there is would be extremely detrimental to all.

Week 5

Web accessibility is an area of critical need and understanding not just in benefitting those with disabilities

In today’s world it is imperative that everyone has access to the Internet and knows how to use it properly. Access to the Internet is becoming less of a problem even despite the ability to pay. For those who cannot afford the Internet or computers, there is access available at public places such as libraries. However, access to the Internet is nothing if one does not know how to use it. I learned a lesson the hard way about ones access to the Internet vs. ones ability to use it. During the ’08-’09 school year I taught down in Perry, NY in a long-term sub position. In this position I did a project with my students, which required them to do research on the Internet. This lesson opened my eyes to the problem of students not knowing how to perform a simple Internet search. They were well versed on how to get to Google or Yahoo but they could not perform an affective search. Instead of searching keywords, they searched whole questions and were completely reliant on website such as Wikipedia and Yahoo Answers. As a student I remember sitting through library class and being taught how to use a search engine because the Internet was new and something that needed to be taught. I think today teachers take for granted that students have had computers around their whole lives and assume that they can use it affectively. After this lesson I realized that the students were not taught how to use the Internet for positive gains and this is a lesson they needed. Accessibility is not just about being able to get to a computer or on the Internet; it is also about knowing how to use it to be most beneficial.

Week 4

People of all ages, abilities, and needs may be able to benefit from assistive technology. Everyone’s needs are different. Understanding and meeting the needs of the individual are critical. There are many technology solutions available.

Just as last weeks blog addressed, ones comfort with assistive technology is going to determine how useful it is to them. Everyone can be taught to use AT but some may be unwilling or have a more difficult time learning it after years without it. For children AT has the possibility of being very advanced and they will be able to quickly learn how to use it. Those who can quickly learn it will probably be those who are most familiar with technology as a whole. Ones familiarity with technology needs to be thought of when trying to fit someone with AT. If someone is not comfortable with a high tech device, a low tech one may be better for him or her because it will allow him or her to continue to use it and not abandon it. When ones experience and needs are not considered when fitting someone with AT it will have a higher percentage of being abandoned and not picked up again.

AT can be found to fit everyone’s needs and this only requires research. I believe that knowledge about how to use AT and knowing what is out there are the best ways of properly fitting individuals. Simple research on the Internet can inform someone of the many options available and from there they can do more research to figure out what is going to be the best fit. As we talked in the first week of class there are also agencies out there that will help fit individuals with AT and these can be used to find the right solution.

I performed a simple Google search for “Assistive Technology Devices” and the first website that came up listed options of different AT devices that can be used by all ages:

- Voice recognition software

- Touch screens

- Head/eye control devices

- Magnifiers

- Foot switches

- Sip/puff switches

- Portable personal amplifiers

- Sign language translators

http://www.enablemart.com/Catalog/Mobility

All of the devices would help individuals do everyday functional tasks and they range from low to high tech to fit ones needs.

Week3

Using assistive technology is a personal decision. Many people prefer the familiar to something new. However, assistive technology lets people do things more easily, more independently, or sometimes even for the first time.

Assistive technology is a personal choice and should not be forced on anyone; however everyone, especially children, should be exposed to it and given the opportunity to experience it. For those who are older and have lived without AT they may be resistant because it is unfamiliar to them. One possible example of someone being comfortable without AT is the person who is resistant because they believe that they have gotten along fine without it for a number of years. For others they may not be familiar enough with technology itself and AT might be a cause of more stress and anxiety than not using it. For these people, they should still be exposed to AT but it cannot be forced on anyone. Some individuals who are not comfortable with AT at first may be able to be pushed towards using and loving it but everyone has limits and they need to be understood when introducing someone to AT. For others AT may be what keeps them in the familiar. One example of this is my father who is legally deaf and uses hearing aids to interact in the world. He has not always been deaf and is as a result of fighting in Vietnam and then from an accident at work. His accident at work involved a blowtorch going off next to his unprotected ears and it took him from the hard of hearing to the legally deaf category. For him AT allowed him to stay in his comfort zone, of being able to hear people’s voices. If he was to leave what he was familiar with; he would have to learn how to sign or interact with others using writing. At the age of 55 he was unwilling to leave the familiar and used AT to accomplish this.

For children who AT could help I believe it is important to expose them to it in order familiarize them with AT. For them AT could be all they know and they may never realized that their disability could have severely hindered their interactions with the world. For children who have disabilities and who do not, technology is an important part of their world today. Most students have access to computers either at home and/or at school. To not give children with disabilities the opportunity to explore AT would be negligent because they should not have to know what their lives would be like it they were born before the technological age. The only way to make sure that children are exposed to AT is to educate their parents and teachers as to what is available on the market. Of course, AT can not be forced on anyone and children and caregivers today may still choose to not use it but education on what is available is the first step in making a well informed decision.

week 2

Augmentative communication is a subset of assistive technology – understanding the differences and similarities between augmentative communication, assistive technology, high, low, and no tech AT is confusing but critical in understanding the field of assistive technology

The field of AT is very broad and it can be used to help people with a variety of needs. One of the subsets of AT is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) which is the process of using AT to communicate; this is needed to fully function in the world. Since AAC is part of AT, it is easy to believe that it is similar to the rest of AT but it is not. There are specific characteristics that make a device AAC; it must improve an individual’s ability to communicate effectively with the world around them. Not all AT is absolutely necessary for a person to function in the world but AAC is necessary.

AAC gives a person the ability to have a voice in what is going on around him or her; for young children who have verbalization difficulties it can give them the freedom of choice. The website YAACK describes the importance of AAC in the development of children. It explains that AAC is needed for young children because communication is what “cognitive, social and academic progress depends on,” and without it they would stall. (http://aac.unl.edu/yaack/toc.html) The website also suggests, when children are young they need to communicate with adults in a meaningful way to get their needs met and if they cannot they may shut down. AAC can help aid children in learning how to meaningfully and affectively communicate with the world around them. If they do not feel that they are being listened to it could cause them to stop developing all together. Also, if individuals and especially children do not have a way to communicate their needs, they will fall into learned helplessness and they will never develop the skills to do things for themselves. For adults who want to be independent of others and interact with the world as a whole they need AAC. Adults who have communication disabilities need AAC in order to be independent of others and communicate without the assistance.

AAC maybe the one area of AT where high tech devices are truly needed. Some low or no tech AAC devices may work for young children or those with limited cognitive abilities but for fully cognitive adults high tech devices are a necessity. The example of the no tech AAC that I used last week, the picture board, was great for preschool students because they did not have complex communication needs. Also at a young age children do not have a complete grasp of sentence construction or spelling. For adults a picture board would not work and would be too limiting. Adults require AAC that allows for complex communication with a wide variety of options if they desire independence. One example of an option for adult communication would be the Freedom 2000 Touchbook. (http://www.abilityhub.com/aac/aac-devices.htm) This device allows adults to interact with employees in a store to ask for assistance in finding an item, in a restaurant to place an order, or to hold a conversation with someone at work. Without the option of complex, high tech AAC devices adults will be limited in the things that they can do.

The main thing that needs to be understood about the differences between AAC and AT is that AAC is needed to truly communicate with the world. One cannot function without assistance in the world if they cannot communicate on their own. In order to be independent of others one needs AAC to help them.

Week 1

One of the biggest myths about assistive technology is that it involves only high tech items and that it is always costly…

The above statement describes many people’s beliefs about assistive technology (AT); to many AT does mean high tech items that are costly. Of course, this is a misperception of AT because anything that helps a student perform better can be considered assistive technology. It is easy to see that the reason people believe it only contains high tech devices is because they are more glamorous than a no or low tech device. No or low tech devices do not catch people’s attention in the same way that high tech devices do and therefore they are not always remembered.

Along with no or low-tech devices not always being remembered, the term technology in AT could also be what misleads people. The term technology to many means that there has to be power involved and a computer chip. This assumption is often wrong and today we tend to forget that in 1879 the light bulb was considered the newest, greatest piece of technology. The term technology changes, for the mass public, with every new invention and many of us forget about the most basic forms of it. For the vast majority of students who need to use a form of assistive technology it will be something that their teachers, and aids can create and build with little to no effort. Some students, for whom no or low tech devices have not worked, may require the use of high tech equipment, but it is by no means the only form of AT available.

One summer during my undergraduate studies, I worked in a preschool that mainly serviced students with Autism and while I was there I witnessed the use of many no to low tech assistive devices. At the school many of the students had picture boards to help them communicate with the adults in the building. Most of the students were nonverbal and had no other way of communicating but to point to a picture of an item they wanted or an activity they wanted to perform. Before that experience I could have been categorized as one of the people who believed in the myth. I had never thought of something as simple as a picture, laminated with Velcro on the back as AT. These picture boards provided enough communication for the students and the situation did not call for a costly high tech device even though one could have been used (ex. M³ http://www.dynavoxtech.com/products/m3/.) In the world of education and helping people with special needs money is often very scarce and the myth that AT is expensive probably turns many people away from it. The no or low tech solutions should always be explored before the high tech, costly ones.

In the article entitled “Edtech and AT: Two Technologies Converge” the author demonstrates that anything can be used as AT. Many of the high tech devices that are already in the classroom are considered AT. For example, most schools already own computers by the hundreds and an AT device can be created out of them. High tech AT can be created with little additional cost. One feature standard on Macintosh computers is that text on the screen can be read to the user. This built in feature can be used to help students with vision or literacy problems. An example of additional hardware available to alter the average computer into an AT device is an adaptive keyboard (http://www.rjcooper.com/keys-u-see/index.html.) The Keys-U-See keyboard is much larger than the typical keyboard found in a classroom. It can provide students with fine motor skills and vision difficulties just the adaptations they need. This keyboard gives students a larger typing area and provides larger print on each key for easier use for the small fee of $129. These are just two examples of accessible solutions that remind us that even high tech AT does not always need to equal costly.

The myth of AT being only high tech items and expensive is just that, a myth. After a simple Google search and some creative thought anyone can see that there are endless options of no, low and high tech items available to help students in the classroom. Some students may truly be in need of high tech costly items, but not all are and there are many cheap and easy solutions out there for those who try.