The individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), is the federal law that was established to protect the rights of students with disabilities. According to the Roblyer & Hughes (2019) the use of technology transforms the lives of people with disabilities because they make living and learning richer (p. 308). This means that we must spend more time exploring the ways in which we can use technology to make the learning process of this population more effective and fluid.
In a study in Jorsen Journal sought to discover teachers’ attitudes towards the use of various tools in the classroom for persons with disabilities. The study, conducted in Oman by Ahmed Hassan and Hemdan Mohamed (2018) found overall that teachers had a positive attitude towards using technology to enhance the learning capabilities of people with disabilities. It is only reasonable to conclude that teachers find it easier to work with students with disabilities when they have technological support.
There are various technological tools that can be used to enhance the learning process for special needs students. Some of the most common are listed in Roblyer et al (2019). The books names the top ten must-have special education technologies as being the following: Read and Write Gold, Read2Go, Natural Reader, Livescribe Echo Plan, Anybook Reader, GoTalk NOW, Proloquo2Go, Inspiration & Kidspiration, Dragon Dictation, and Laureate First Words (p. 314). These tools help make a teacher’s work much easier and lower the level of frustration for the special needs students.
With the use of special tools comes the expectation to learn how to use them and become proficient at helping the students. This may be the only foreseeable area of resistance from special needs teachers since the changing technology landscape may require that they learn new skills every so often. In my experience, I have found that most special education teachers are willing to overcome the fear of new technology because their love for their students is much more compelling and important.
Luis Perez (2013) published a book detailing the use of the iPad as a revolutionary technological tool. The iPad has been used for enhancing all the different areas of learning for students with disabilities. Perez (2013) lists various dictation, writing, reading, and listening tools that can be used on iPads to assist students with disabilities. This one technological advancement has meant a lot for those with disabilities since it has dramatically enhanced their ability to learn without as much difficulty. Educators are happy and grateful for it.
I once had the opportunity to work with a client through an accessibility tool. I was working at a home for the disabled where we had an individual that was nonverbal. Once they got their tablet, they were elated to learn that they could either write what they wanted to say and not have to use as much sign language. This revolutionized their communication skills and made a huge difference in their quality of life. It also made our (the staff) lives a lot easier.
References
Mohamed, A. H. (2018), Attitudes of special education teachers towards using technology in inclusive classrooms: a mixed‐methods study. J Res Spec Educ Needs, 18: 278-288. doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12411
Pérez, L. (2013). Mobile learning for all: Supporting accessibility with the iPad Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press doi: 10.4135/9781483387963
Roblyer, M. D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming Learning Across Disciplines. New York: Pearson.
Nelson Masinde 
Reply to Nelson Masinde
Do you think technological support without administrative support still ease difficulties dealing with students with disabilities? While I believe we have made great strides in integrating technology into the classroom, I believe successes are due in part to those in administration who advocate its use.
It is expected that as a teacher, we must stay current with best practices in the classroom, constantly learning and improving our craft. If learning is part of our duty to stay current, why do you think we fight adopting new technologies? It is said that people don’t like change, and yet it is expected of us to adapt to changing generations. I think we fight technology as much as we embrace it because we see the good when it works, and the frustration it brings when it doesn’t.
Do you think because the IPad has been around for some time now, that it is easier to integrate into the classroom? I think mainstream technologies become easier to integrate because of the experience one gets around the technology being everywhere, used by so many, so when it is time to integrate it into the classroom, it most likely is already there in an informal way.
If stress is said to effect student success, then these technologies which less those burdens then have a direct correlation to student success. By taking stress off the students, this frees resources up like teacher time and administrative resources being diverted to assist.
Andrew J Novak
LikeLike