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.