Special Education Resources

Integrating Technology Into a Student's IEP

Author - Ruth Bragman
South Atlantic Regional Resource Center Plantation, FL
Rural Special Education Quarterly, 8(2), 34-38, 1987
NICHCY News Digest Number 13 1989 Resources Updated, April 1996

Reprinted with the permission of the publisher, National Rural Development Institute and the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES), University of Utah, Department of Special Education, Milton Bennion Hall, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.

Note: This publication was originally released in 1989 and, as such, does not contain the most current information on assistive technology. NICHCY offers this document on the Internet with the caveat that, while readers can gain basic information about assistive technology from this document, it is important that they supplement this overview with more current readings from other sources. For current resources check out Parent Pals Assistive Technology Resources.

The use of this model requires knowledge and understanding of the technology that is available and potentially accessible. For the purpose of this model we have identified and defined broad technological categories which include, but are not limited to those described below.

SENSORY ENHANCERS

Sensory enhancers are adaptive/assistive devices and/or software which allow a sensory-deficient student access to the environment through the use of technology. Individuals in the following categories can be served: hard of hearing, deaf, speech impaired, visually handicapped, seriously emotionally disturbed, orthopedically impaired, other health impaired, deaf-blind, multihandicapped, and specific learning disabled. Following are examples of types of sensory enhancers:
-- audio output devices
-- braille writers (input/output)
-- character magnification devices
-- digitizers
-- electronic scanners (with speech synthesizers)
-- eye movement detectors/eye sensor devices
-- voice analyzers and recognizers.

Keyboard Adaptation and Emulators

Keyboard adaptations are alternatives to using the standard keyboard to input data. Keyboard emulators are peripheral products that make the computer "think" that its own keyboard is being used. Examples of keyboard adaptions/emulators are:

-- alternative key pads (sketch pad, graphic pad) -- bar code scanners
-- fist/foot keyboard
-- firmward card
-- joy stick
-- key guard
-- light pen
-- membrane keyboard
-- mouse
-- touch screen.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS AND MANIPULATORS

Environmental controls and manipulators modify the operation of a device to compensate for environmental restrictions due to a student's handicap. Some examples of environmental controls and manipulators are:
-- adaptations of timers, light switches, telephone/radio amplifiers, headphones, buzzers (environmental control systems)
-- control mechanisms with sonar sensing devices
-- pressure plates
-- robotics
-- additional external switches and sensors (eyebrow switch, breath switch, pressure switch)
-- telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDDs).

INSTRUCTIONAL USES OF TECHNOLOGY

Instructional uses of technology are those which utilize software and/or related applications of technology which allow the student full educational opportunity. Examples of the instructional uses of technology are:
-- Computer-assisted instruction (software for drill and practice, simulations, tutorials, demonstrations, problem-solving)
-- computer-managed instruction (tracking and placement, grading display and analysis, scheduling, and various information management tasks)
-- computer-supported activities (word processing, data bases, spread sheets, utilities)
-- video disks
-- telecommunications
-- alternative languages (LOGO).

MOTIVATIONAL DEVICES

Motivational devices encourage the student to interact with his/her environment through exploration, manipulation, and play. Two motivational devices are:
-- battery operated devices
-- modifications of toys and games.

STUDENT ASSESMENT/ ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS

The student assessment/evaluation process, as outlined in Public Law 94-142, Section 300.532, states that "...the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, where appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communication status, and motor abilities." In addition to the traditional assessment and evaluation of students, the use of technology to facilitate maximum handicapped student potential needs to be considered.

1996 Note: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the 1990 amendment to P.L. 94-142, specifically states that a student's need for assistive technology devices and services is to be considered and addressed when his or her Individualized Education Program is planned. These devices and services can be provided by the school as either a part of special education or as a related services.

The traditional evaluation focuses on the identification of the nature of the handicapping condition so that appropriate services may be made available. This evaluation usually provides information regarding the student's current educational functioning so that an intervention program, which is tailored to the needs of the student, can be developed. Evaluation procedures are in accordance with Sections 300.530-300.534, which state that "...tests are selected and administered so as to best ensure that when a test is administered to a child with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the child's aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factors the test purports to measure, rather then reflecting the child's impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills (except where those skills are the factors which the test purports to measure)..."

Technological considerations augment the traditional evaluation by providing information about the student's ability to access and use technology. Inclusion of technological considerations helps to ensure that there has been a total review of the nature of the handicapping condition. Technological considerations should be an integral part of the student assessment/evaluation process so that the IEP reflects the unique needs of the handicapped student.

The following questions identify content of traditional assessment/evaluation reporting and suggests the addition of questions which would support technological considerations. Traditional and Technological Considerations

-- Health

Traditional: Does the student have any acute, subacute, or chronic health problems? Does the student have a progressive and/or degenerative condition?

Technological: Given the student's attendance record, could the use of technology allow the student more continuous access to school and the curricula? How can technology be used to compensate for the effects of a degenerative condition?

-- Visual

Traditional: What is the student's visual acuity? What is the student's tracking ability?

Technological: What kinds of physical adaptions need to be made to allow the student to access technology? How will technology allow the student to utilize compensatory senses; i.e., could a student use a magnified screen or does s/he need large print on the screen? Is the student able to discriminate presented visual stimuli? Would speech-produced input facilitate learning?

-- Hearing

Traditional: Is there a decibel loss? How will the decibel loss affect the student's ability to learn?

Technological: What adaptions will allow the student access to the instructional program; i.e., how can technology (micro-computer, software, and a voice entry system) help to produce vocalization training? Would speech output facilitate learning? Is the student able to discriminate presented auditory stimuli?

-- Social and emotional status

Traditional: How does the student respond to differing social situations? What are the student's basic character traits?

Technological: What is the positive/negative psychological impact of the use of a computer with certain students; i.e., how will the student who has normal intelligence, but no means of expressive communication, deal with the use of a computer to provide his/her voice? What is the impact of the use of technology to the environment, peers, class?

-- General intelligence

Traditional: How does the student perform on a standard IQ test? What is the student's potential for learning?

Technological: Does the student have the ability or will the student develop the ability for higher cognitive functions that will allow for conceptualization, symbolization, generalization and abstraction; i.e., will the student be able to understand cause/effect relationships when making a selection on the computer, causing it to output information? Does the student have the notion of causality and the desire to bring about an effect? Does the student have the cognitive ability to learn and remember the use and operation of given devices? Does the student have symbolic functioning; i.e., the ability to associate a symbol or set of symbols with units of experience?

-- Academic performance

Traditional: How does the student perform on a wide range of screening measures which reflect achievement?

Technological: How can the current level of achievement be affected by the use of technology; i.e., how will the use of drill and practice, educational games, simulation, demonstrations, tutorials, problem-solving, word processing, information search and retrieval, graphics, and/or spread sheets, affect academic performance? Will the use of technology affect the speed of learning? Will the probability of the learner achieving his/her goals and objectives set forth in the curriculum be increased?

-- Communication status

Traditional: What is the student's receptive and expressive language ability? Does the student have any problems with voice, articulation, and fluency which affect the production of spoken language?

Technological: What is the relationship between the student's level of expressive and receptive language; i.e., how will the use of technology affect the student's ability to communicate? What skills are present (spoken, incomprehensible but consistent, written, speed of communication with and without device)? What is the present language structure (nonvocal from birth, nonvocal from injury)? Does the student understand the intent to communicate? What is the symbolic level of functioning? How will speech output affect the student?

-- Motor abilities

Traditional: What are the student's abilities in gross motor and fine motor skills?

Technological: Given the student's degree of motor control and ability, what methods could be used to access technology; i.e., how accurately can the student point? How long can the student keep his/her finger in one location? Can the student hold/move an adaptive/ assistive device? What are the available range and dependability of movement? What is the strength of the available movement? What is the accuracy of the actions? What are the speed and force of the actions?

-- Additional

Technological sophistication of the user: What previous experience has the user had with gadgets, switches, adaptive/assistive devices, or interacting with a computer? Will fear keep the student from accessing the technology? What is the student's motivational level?

Selection of Technological Devices and Software

Once the evaluation/assessment has been completed and the goals/objectives have been defined, the general categories in which technology may be appropriately used may be selected. When reviewing the categories, it must be determined whether the technology will facilitate input, processing, and/or output. Within and across these categories there are numerous catalogs and software that are available. Most of these listings also include additional sources, such as professional organizations and newsletters.

By knowing the specific goals and objectives for the student, review of resource catalogs and recommended equipment will be easier. Reviews in these catalogs will differ in format and content, but by collecting information from a variety of sources, it will become apparent which devices/software will be appropriate to meet specific goals/objectives. From the identified adaptive/assistive items, a more student-specific analysis may then be completed.

Identification of the Operational Characteristics of Selected Devices and Software

When specific devices/software have been identified to facilitate maximum handicapped student potential and ensure placement in the least restrictive environment, a detailed analysis of the use of technology must occur. Technological devices/software need to be analyzed with the following considerations.

Operational characteristics: -- functional utility
-- availability
-- costs
-- installation criteria
-- integrative capabilities
-- portability
-- unique operations
-- limitations
-- maintenance
-- required technological sophistication for instructor
-- formal evaluations
-- durability
-- flexibility
-- product research

User behavioral characteristics:
-- health
-- vision
-- hearing
-- social and emotional status
-- general intelligence
-- academic performance
-- communication status
-- motor abilities
-- technological sophistication

TECHNOLOGICAL MATCH

At this step, the assessment/evaluation information for a specific student is matched as closely as possible to the identified operational characteristics of selected devices/software and user behavior characteristics. When the evaluation/assessment -- which includes both the traditional and the technological considerations -- is completed, the IEP that is developed will be one that takes advantage of the full range of available options.

SUMMARY

The use of technology must play an integral part in allowing the handicapped student access to his/her environment. It is the responsibility of educators to see that advanced technology is used to maximize student potential and allow the handicapped student full access to society.