Assistive Technology Specialists Research Articles

Purposeful Integration of Assistive Technology for Diverse Learner Needs in Educator Preparation Programs

Educator Preparation Programs are designed around expectations of professional standards. As technology, both instructional and assistive, expands in K-12 classrooms, all pre-service educators (i.e., teachers, counselors, leaders, assistive technology specialists) require direct and intentional training in technology selection, implementation across settings, and evaluation of effectiveness. This study questioned how different benchmarks provide accountability for educational professionals’ technology integration to meet learners’ varied needs. Researchers analyzed existing professional preparation standards in relation to educator’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions toward using technology focusing on preparation or requirements for implementing AT in the classroom. The intersection across standards identified strengths and gaps in preparation expectations, and recommendations for augmenting preparation to integrate AT are discussed. Using the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) as a framework, researchers analyzed the InTASC and 19 Specialized Professional Associations’ standards for instances where knowledge, skills, and dispositions about integrating technology aligned. The analysis identified only 52 of 572 standards related to technology integration. Alignment was present in key areas of the QIAT related to instruction such as collaboratively developing a plan, integration, shared responsibilities, and varied strategies. However, most points of alignment indicated only preparatory knowledge, skills, and dispositions, leaving educators lacking abilities to meaningfully integrate AT to meet learners’ varied needs. Implications and recommendations address this shortcoming in educator preparation expectations. By preparing educators to integrate AT, educators ensure educational equity for every student (Rose et al., 2005).

Availability of disability specialists for students with vision or hearing impairment in the United Arab Emirates: current status and future needs

Purpose This study aims to identify the disability specialists currently needed for students with vision or hearing impairment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It also aims to identify the university-level training courses available for these specialists. Materials and methods This study adopted a mixed-methods design. The qualitative strand involved a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 employees of 10 UAE organizations providing support services to students with vision or hearing impairment. The quantitative strand determined the number of disability-related degree courses offered at UAE universities from 2018 to 2020. Results The interviewees revealed that students with visual impairment most need teachers for the visually impaired, braille trainers, orientation and mobility trainers, and assistive technology specialists, whereas students with hearing impairment most need teachers of the deaf or hard of hearing, speech therapists, and sign language specialists. Regarding disability-related training, 10 UAE universities each offered one disability-related programme between 2018 and 2020. These included nine general programmes for special or inclusive education and one programme for speech pathology. Conclusion UAE universities are currently unable to train the disability specialists required for students with vision or hearing impairment. An interim option is to offer scholarships to enable Emirati students planning to become disability specialists to gain these specialized qualifications overseas. Current efforts in the UAE to address the needs of people with disabilities should include a development and implementation plan for UAE university programmes to offer specialized courses for people with vision or hearing impairment.

Factors predicting current and future use of video-modelling in teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a Saudi Arabian perspective

Purpose Despite the effectiveness of using video-modelling to teach skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), few studies have addressed video-modelling being adopted in the classrooms. This study measured special educators’ current use of video-modelling in teaching students with ASD in Saudi Arabia. It also investigated the factors predicting current and future use of video-modelling based on Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Materials and Methods A descriptive research design was used. A total of 271 special educators responded to a survey. A stepwise multiple regression and a logistic regression analysis were used to determine factors predicting current and future use of video-modelling. Results Results showed that special educators used video-modelling in teaching students with ASD at a low level (M = 2.59). Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the combination of perceived relative advantage, perceived complexity, perceived trialability, and perceived observability predicted current use of video-modelling, whereas the logistic regression analysis revealed that perceived relative advantage and perceived trialability were only predictors of future use of video-modelling. Conclusions Results show that video-modelling is still used as an assistive technology slightly in teaching students with ASD, suggesting that educators may find it challenging to use video-modelling in classrooms. Results indicate that using video-modelling in teaching students with ASD can be influenced by a variety of factors related to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. This is evidence that educational and rehabilitation stakeholders need to cooperate in addressing these factors to close the research-practice gap, and improve the adoption of video-modelling in classrooms.

RESNA position paper on the capacity-building role of assistive technology specialists in PreK-12 educational settings

RESNA position paper on the capacity-building role of assistive technology specialists in PreK-12 educational settings

Least Restrictive Adaptation Model: Anything You Need You Can Find in the Kitchen Drawer (First printed inRE:view, 36(2), 63–69.)

Least Restrictive Adaptation Model: Anything You Need You Can Find in the Kitchen Drawer (First printed in<i>RE:view</i>, 36(2), 63–69.)

ASSESSING THE RELEVANCE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS: A CASE OF UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM IN TANZANIA

This paper assesses the relevance of assistive technology (AT) used by persons with disabilities enrolled in higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania. Assistive technology in its general sense is meant to support persons with disabilities (PWD) in managing their daily activities, including participation in teaching and learning. The study was descriptive in nature and used a cross-sectional research design. A total of 173 respondents participated in the study; 18 Management officials, 47 students, 35 trainers, 40 Dar-es-Salaam University Students Organisation (DARUSO) leaders, and 33 PWD. Among the 33 PWD; (10) visually impaired, (5) low vision, (7) physically impaired, (3) albinism, (7) hearing impaired, and (1) speech impaired. The study revealed that AT was provided conforming to the kind of a disability and that training was for new AT users. The training covered topics related to simple maintenance and repair of AT. The challenge was related to the shortages of AT experts and AT courses for training, caretakers and other professionals. The study recommends the establishment of AT courses for developing a cadre of AT specialists for conducting rehabilitation services. &#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0760/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Maine's Employability Skills Program

The most current data available on the employment rate of individuals with visual disabilities in the United States is from the 2011 American Community Survey (ACS). ACS data indicate that nearly 37% of people with self-reported visual disabilities are working, albeit only approximately 24% are working full-time year-round. Only 13% of those who reported being unemployed were actively seeking employment (Erickson, Lee, & von Schrader, 2013). Some clients of the vocational rehabilitation program at the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) are likewise stuck in prolonged periods of unemployment, and some clients' cases have remained open for five or more years before they secure employment or stop looking for work altogether. While attending the 2010 international conference of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the director of the Maine DBVI attended a session that described an employment program being implemented in the United Kingdom by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The RNIB program was designed to serve chronically unemployed individuals. It served 400 people over a two-year period and moved 93 individuals into employment and 79 into training--a 43% conversion rate (Wolffe, 2010). A description of the training approach, Pre-Employment Programme Overviews (Wolffe & Cheddie, 2010), was shared with conference attendees. Maine DBVI leadership decided to create a similarly structured program to hone consumers' job-seeking strategies and ideally help them to secure employment or participate in career-enhancing training. The purpose of this Practice Report is to describe the development and implementation approaches used in Maine's employability skills program and the outcomes participants achieved. DEVELOPMENT Working in tandem with the primary author of the Pre-Employment Programme Trainer's Manual (Wolffe, 2011), a core team of DBVI staff members developed a one-week intensive course, the Maine Employability Skills Program. The program was designed to support the efforts of chronically unemployed or underemployed consumers (that is, those who were out of work for more than a year or more or unable to adapt to changes in their current that would enable them to continue working at their desired level). These consumers were job (that is, they reported they were ready to go to work in their desired profession) and (that is, they recognized they did not have the necessary skills to begin working at their desired jobs). The outcome goal for consumers who enrolled in and completed the program was to explore career options, refine job-seeking skills, and write action plans to achieve their career goals. The consumers' action plans defined how they would obtain the necessary skills to engage fully in job-seeking activities and ultimately obtain and maintain meaningful and self-sustaining employment. Once the structure for the employability skills program was created, all the adult blindness system staff members at the Maine DBVI, which consisted of approximately 70 professional and support staff members, gathered for two days of training to learn what roles they could play in helping to deliver this new program. All attendees became familiar with the program's components so they could integrate their specific discipline's perspective into it. IMPLEMENTATION Vocational rehabilitation counselors, vision rehabilitation therapists, orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists, and assistive technology specialists took part in specific segments during the implementation of the week-long employability skills program. Members of the core development team were available throughout the duration of the program and took turns either facilitating or co-facilitating components of the program. Blindness professionals from across the state presented on specific topics such as building a personal transportation network and efficient labeling and other organizational systems for the work environment, and to demonstrate a variety of assistive technology devices to increase speed and efficiency. …

A Free Program for Using and Teaching An Accessible Electronic Wayfinding Device

Accessible Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are changing the way many people with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) travel. GPS provides real-time orientation information so that a traveler with a visual impairment can make informed decisions about path of travel and destination. Orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists are often asked to teach their clients how to use GPS. Finding the time and resources to learn new technology, however, can be challenging. O&M specialists are often juggling large caseloads and have limited budgets for professional development. Although accessible GPS is becoming a commonly used orientation tool in the field of visual impairment, many O&M instructors are unsure of how to include GPS in daily travel problem-solving processes or how to request training in its use. To help meet this need, staff members of the California School for the Blind have created a free curriculum guide, Finding Your Way: A Curriculum for Teaching and Using the BrailleNote with Sendero GPS. The curriculum was designed for O&M instructors who want to learn how to use the Sendero GPS with BrailleNote and then teach it to their students. It can also be used by consumers who wish to teach themselves GPS skills. The curriculum was born from a partnership between Maya Delgado Greenberg, an O&M specialist, and Jerry Kuns, an assistive technology specialist, the two authors of this piece. By applying a practical understanding of real-time orientation needs, the team dis covered and developed strategies to make learning the BrailleNote GPS fun and successful. They made notes on experimental lessons that worked well and recorded areas that could be improved. They put their final observations together to create a framework of successful lesson plans and teaching tools for GPS. The authors now do outreach and training to other O&M Specialists who want to learn how to teach the BrailleNote GPS to their clients. PURPOSE Finding Your Way is designed to address the needs of many O&M instructors who do not know braille, how to use a BrailleNote, or even exactly what GPS is. The curriculum is broken into short chapters that introduce new categories of GPS skills. Each chapter contains a description of selected GPS functions, vocabulary lists, keystroke summaries, suggested activities, a worksheet, and a quiz. There are accompanying small portable keystroke summary cheat for each chapter that can be used as a memory aid in the field. The curriculum and the summary sheets can be downloaded for free from the California School for the Blind website at . DESIGN The curriculum addresses the many ways in which accessible GPS can be applied to teaching and reinforcing O&M skills. For example, GPS can be used to introduce cardinal directions and address systems to preschool and elementary students. GPS can be used to help students search for nearby businesses and then locate addresses and phone numbers before making travel plans or paratransit appointments. High school and college students can use GPS to map their way around sprawling outdoor campuses in only a few O&M lessons. A sample GPS lesson might focus on helping a student, Carla (a pseudonym), learn how to use the GPS route function to travel from her house to her new job at a nearby restaurant named Sweet Tomatoes. The lesson would begin in Carla's living room with the instructor using the curriculum as a reference while talking Carla through the steps to search for Sweet Tomatoes in the Sendero with BrailleNote GPS database. After virtually locating the restaurant, the O&M instructor shows Carla how to create a vehicle route to her destination. While still relaxing in her living room, they use the GPS to review the route together, discussing the major streets to be traveled and the general shape of the route. …

Accessible market: a prototype for people with disabilities in Thailand

Purpose. Most Thai people like to purchase food at local markets; however, the accessibility to local markets by people with disabilities may be limited. The objective of this work was to develop a prototype of an accessible market for people with disabilities in Thailand, by performing a case study on a selected market in which people with disabilities often go.Methods. Representative players participated in this study: a market owner, food stall owners, assistive technology specialists, general customers, and customers with disabilities. Data were collected by observing environmental features in the market, and by interviewing the participants.Results. The results indicated that people with disabilities could not access the market because of lack of suitable parking zone, lack of ramps, walkways with obstacles, unsuitable public restrooms, the lack of zoned area for the food court and of standards for food stalls.Conclusion. After analysis of the data, a prototype was designed for parking spaces, ramps, walkways, public restroom, food court, and food stalls to make the market accessible.

Traveling by Touch: How Useful are Tactile Maps?

Many of you who are reading this article are itinerant professionals. To do your job, you make daily use of your own car, public transportation, or perhaps a contracted car and driver. If you drive your own car, you probably have caches of maps in accessible places to help you plan your travel. In my car, the maps use often are in the driver's side pocket, and the rarely used ones are nested in the glove compartment. If you are an aging baby boomer as am, you may also keep a magnifier for reading Mine is clamped on the driver's side visor, and occasionally when drive over a bump in the road, am startled by the magnifier dropping suddenly into my lap. If you are blind or have low vision, your travel planning is somewhat different. Rather than reaching around your car for a road map, perhaps you plan your travel route with an electronic device that uses global positioning satellite (GPS) technology or with computer software for mapping; you may obtain phone directions or rely on a driver for route planning. If you live in a city and travel by subway or bus, you may even have a complete tactile map of the transit system as a transportation resource. In unusual situations, you may have a portable version of the tactile map that you can consult for information while traveling. The distinctive role of maps for blind travelers is the subject of Practice Perspectives this month. Following this introduction are descriptions of two projects in which tactile maps were developed to address the needs of travelers who are blind. Before you read these pieces, however, consider how maps are used differently by people who are blind. In the absence of personal expertise on this topic, contacted four adults who are professionals in the field of visual impairment and blindness and are also blind. believed they could provide unique perspectives on map usage. They responded to my three questions with a rich variety of opinions and experiences. Eric Guillory, director of Youth Services at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston; Daniel Kish, founder and chief executive officer of World Access for the Blind in Huntington Beach, California, and an orientation and mobility instructor; Mark Nelson, chief operating officer for the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix, Arizona; and Sandy Ruconich, assistive technology specialist at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and past president (2006-2008) of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, all spoke to me about their own experiences, which provide context for this Practice Perspectives feature. Their responses to my questions are described below, and their thoughtful comments are very much appreciated. DO YOU USE TACTILE MAPS AS AN ADULT? IF SO, HOW? Although Daniel, Eric, Mark, and Sandy all acknowledged that tactile maps were not often available to them as adults, they all had used them for specific purposes at some point in their lives. Mark uses tactile maps mainly for orientation at conferences and meetings as well as for consideration, with his administrative team, of the way space is used at the Foundation for Blind Children. Eric uses tactile maps mainly in his instructional role with children. He stated, I don't employ them when learning travel routes and/or the layouts of buildings. have already gained a good knowledge of cardinal directions and geographic relationships due to my previous exploration of tactile maps. Daniel reported that tactile maps are rarely available, recalling that he was disappointed on a visit to Disneyland to find that brailled information about the park was available for blind visitors, but the map provided to sighted visitors was not available in a tactile format. …

Conducting Assessments in Technology Needs

Practitioners with an expertise in assistive technology and technology assessments are in demand to be full participants in the selection, planning, and implementation of instruction for students with mild disabilities. Frequently, practitioners with knowledge of assistive technology are assigned to evaluate students with sensory, physical, language, or severe disabilities. Our article highlights aspects of technology assessments and progress monitoring that can be used for students with mild disabilities. Given the impact that technology integration can have on the access that students with mild disabilities have to the general education classroom, we argue that all practitioners should be cognizant of protocols for assistive technology assessment and evaluation and that all evaluation teams should include an assistive technology specialist.

Technology Q&amp;A

In this new Technology Q&A column, we seek to answer questions related to technology submitted by JVIB readers. This month's question was submitted by a teacher of students with visual impairments who wrote: is a 9-year-old in an inclusion third-grade class. She is developmentally delayed, visually impaired (20/1000), and has emotional disorders. Anna recently transferred to our school. In her old school she would not participate in braille instruction. She is reading on a first-grade level. Anna participated in a low vision exam and was prescribed a + 20 hand magnifier, + 20 ClearImage microscope, 6X30 Selsi telescope, and a very basic CCTV [closed-circuit television]. Anna likes to use her low vision aids, and has been very cooperative with training to use such a close working distance. Anna cannot read her own writing. Once she becomes comfortable in her new school she will receive instruction in braille. Her teachers have two concerns that we would like the assistive technology specialist to address. What type of CCTV should we request that would allow Anna to participate in computer activities with projection magnification? Anna is not able to see the Promethean Activboards [interactive whiteboards that connect to computers and projectors] her teachers use in the classroom. She becomes frustrated using the telescope. Does the assistive technology specialist have any suggestions? The question of what type of closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) are appropriate to use in a classroom setting is in many ways a universal one, and we hope this response will not only benefit Anna, but also provide tips for other students and those who work with them. KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER A video magnifier, or CCTV system, uses a stand-mounted or handheld video camera to project a magnified image onto a video monitor, television screen, or computer monitor. Choosing the correct video magnifier involves a number of factors. When conducting an assistive technology assessment, key questions that must be answered include how much reading the student needs to do, how quickly can he or she read, and will he or she become fatigued. If the student becomes fatigued quickly while reading visually, a CCTV may not be the best answer. If she cannot keep up with the reading speed of her classmates, another method of reading may be required. Another question to ask is whether the student's eye condition is progressive. If it is, it may not be wise for the school district to invest a few thousand dollars in a video magnifier. However, the investment may still be worthwhile if there are other students in the district who could use the unit when the student in question can no longer use it. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS One product that could help Anna is the STRIX from the Dutch company FOCI BV, distributed by Florida Reading and Vision Technology. The STRIX is a portable, handheld electronic CCTV with an adjustable angle and a 7-inch thin film transistor (TFT) display screen. A portable CCTV has the advantage of being able to be moved from place to place to accommodate various activities in the classroom and elsewhere. It has a display-freeze feature that allows you to take a temporary picture of what is on the screen, and a stand to facilitate short handwriting tasks. It also has adjustable magnification levels and various display modes. The STRIX has an auto-focus camera, can be used for reading and writing, and can be held up to magnify images across the room. The device can magnify from 4 to 22 times. In addition to its full-color (photo) mode, it displays images in high-contrast black on white (positive) and high-contrast white on black (negative) modes. The STRIX's Freeze mode freezes the image on the display screen, allowing you to save the image temporarily. …

Establishment of Resource Portal of Assistive Technology in Taiwan

Purpose. To establish an Assistive Technology (AT) resource portal for users, professionals and policy-makers in Taiwan to provide a new and versatile information network for AT popularization.Methods. The Centre for AT Resources and Popularization (CATR@P), integrated the resources primarily from five AT Resource Centres of the Ministry of Interior in Taiwan. CATR@P invited representatives of organizations for people with disabilities, AT specialists and policy-makers to join the task force. A web company was responsible for website software design and collaboration with CATR@P, which included planning portal functions, all user-friendly interfaces and pilot testing.Results. The Resource Portal of AT was officially online in October 2006. The portal was structured with 19 main functions and the contents of this new portal are versatile and multifunctional. It contains vast amounts of national and international resources such as archives of AT centres, AT products, a professionals directory, websites linkage, full text of the AT Companion Journal, E-paper, on-line consultation services, frequently asked questions, and on-line questionnaires.Conclusions. Integration of Taiwan AT resources in conjunction with the internet technology has made resources more available for people with disabilities and society.

Computer Access for People After Stroke

This article will focus on computer access options for people who have had a stroke. The role of the occupational therapist and assistive technology specialist in evaluation, prescription, and training will be addressed. Options related to physical, perceptual, or cognitive impairments (following a stroke) to allow for access to the computer or to increase efficiency will be discussed. Alternative hardware, software options, and modifications to the operating system will be described.

A Pilot Course in Teaching Skills for Assistive Technology Specialists

A Pilot Course in Teaching Skills for Assistive Technology Specialists

Assistive Technology Specialists

The 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate that assistive technology be considered for each student receiving special education services. Without knowledge of assistive technology, service providers will have difficulty meeting that mandate. It may not be reasonable to expect all special educators to have enough expertise in this area to meet the mandate for all of their students. An assistive technology specialist can bring to a district the expertise needed to comply with this mandate. This article presents the knowledge and skills determined by the Council for Exceptional Children to be necessary for assistive technology specialists. These competencies provide guidelines for districts as they seek to employ a specialist and guide individuals interested in serving as specialists in their professional development.

Addressing Assistive Technology Needs in Special Education

Assistive technology is critical to maximize the functional skills of the person with a physical disability at home, work, and school. As assistive devices become increasingly complex and expensive and more options are available, the need for an assistive technology specialist is enhanced. Recent regulations and advances in technology are affecting the type, quality, and comprehensiveness of assistive technology service provision and need for assistive technology specialists. The occupational therapist's role as an assistive technology specialist is illustrated in an example of an assistive technology program within a special education setting.

Development and Assessment of a Rate Acceleration Keyboard for Direct-Selection Augmentative and Alternative Communication Users

Pamela Mathy-Laikko received her PhD in Communicative Disorders from the University of WisconsinMadison. Her current position is clinical director of the Hattie B. Munroe Augmentative Communication Center at Meyer Rehabilitation Institute, University of NelYraska Medical Center. She has been actively involved in the augmentative communication area for more than 12 years. In addition to extensive clinical work, her contributions to the area include book chapters and research publications as well as inservice and preservice training. Her current research interests include rate acceleration techniques and interactions of augmentative communication users. Carol West received her master's degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of NelYraska-Lincoln and is employed at the Meyer Rehabilitation Institute at the University of NelYraska Medical Center. Ms. West provides consultative augmentative communication services for school-aged students. Rebecca Jones is currently a doctoral student in communication disorders at the University of NelYraskaLincoln. She received her bachelor's degree from Illinois State University. From 1980 to 1987 she was special educator with multiple-handicapped, nonspeaking students at the Developmental Center in Peoria, Illinois. From 1987 to 1988 she was assistive technology specialist for Don Johnston Developmental Equipment. While obtaining a doctorate degree, her research and clinical interests will focus on augmentative communication and neurogenic speech disorders.

Job roles of assistive technology service providers in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to identify empirically the roles of assistive technology service providers in the United States. Via factor analysis, the following six job roles were identified: (a) Device Selection and Maintenance Activities, (b) Environmental Modification Activities, (c) Dissemination of Information on Assistive Technology Activities, (d) Evaluation of Suitability of Assistive Device Activities, (e) Administration Activities, and (f) Product Development Activities. The identified roles can provide a potential guide for the development of education or training curricula for assistive technology service providers. Those job role categories can be considered to be required areas of knowledge in a curriculum for assistive technology specialists. The identified roles can also be utilized to help define the profession of assistive technology. That definition could help guide the development of eligibility criterion and examination content for a credentialing programme for qualified assistive technology service providers in the future. A clear description of the job of assistive technology service providers can help administrators create needed positions within service delivery organizations such as state department of rehabilitation services and a rehabilitation hospital. The results could be valuable to the administrators responsible for setting job role criteria for assistive technology service providers. Such criteria are necessary for making effective hiring and employee evaluation decisions. In addition, the results can provide other professionals who utilize assistive technology services with an accurate picture of the services available from assistive technology service providers. When professionals on a rehabilitation team know what to expect of each other, clients are better served. Thus a better understanding of the roles of assistive technology service providers can contribute to better utilization of their services by a multidisciplinary team. This would in turn increase the chances of assistive technology services being offered to clients. Replication of the present study is encouraged to verify the obtained results. A future study should also focus on examining the roles of assistive technology service providers by directly observing their daily work activities. The task inventory used in the present study (ATTI) might be utilized to help guide such observations.