B.Ed SPL. EDU.

[ASD]
SEMESTER - 3

BY : SHIVAM VERMA
⦁ Assistive technology devices and services
were first defined in federal law in the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of
1990.

⦁ These definitions remained unchanged until

2004.
• Assistive Technology Device

• Assistive Technology Service

⦁ “Any item, piece of equipment or product
system, whether acquired commercially off
the shelf, modified, or customized, that is
used to increase, maintain, or improve the
functional capabilities of a child with a
disability”.

⦁ The term does not include a medical device

that is surgically implanted, or the
replacement of such device.
(Public Law 108-446)
⦁ Broad definition gives the flexibility to
provide a range of assistive technology
solutions from low technology to high
technology.

⦁ May include modifications, accommodations,

and instructional technology required by the
student.

⦁ May include tools and strategies that are

components of universal design for learning
(UDL).
Assistive technology devices are available in a
variety of categories to address functional
capabilities of students with disabilities.
Technology solutions available in the following
areas
⦁ – Academic and Learning Aids

⦁ – Aids for Daily Living

⦁ – Assistive Listening Devices and

Environmental Aids
⦁ – Augmentative Communication
Additional technology areas
⦁ – Computer Access and Instruction

⦁ – Environmental Control

⦁ – Mobility Aids

⦁ – Pre-vocational and Vocational Aids

⦁ – Recreation and Leisure Aids

⦁ – Seating and Positioning

⦁ – Visual Aids
⦁ Any service that directly assists a child with a
disability with the selection, acquisition, or
use of an assistive technology device.

⦁ The term includes-

(a) The evaluation of the needs of a child with a

disability, including a functional evaluation of
the child in the child’s customary
environment;
(b)Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing
for the acquisition of assistive technology
devices by children with disabilities;

(c)Selecting designing, fitting, customizing,

adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or
replacing assistive technology devices;

(d)Coordinating and using other therapies,

interventions, or services with assistive
technology devices, such as those associated
with existing education and rehabilitation
plans and programs;
(e)Training or technical assistance for a child
with a disability or, if appropriate, that child’s
family; and

(f)Training or technical assistance for

professionals (including individuals or
rehabilitation services), employers, or other
individuals who provide services to employ,
or are otherwise substantially involved in the
major life functions of children with
disabilities.
⦁ Assistive technology devices can be grouped
into three categories:

⦁ Low-tech,
⦁ Mid-tech and
⦁ High-tech.
Consider whether low-tech solutions can meet
the student’s needs

Low-tech devices are typically

⦁ Portable & Easy to use,

⦁ Inexpensive to purchase,

⦁ Widely available, and

⦁ Involve little or no training.

⦁ Rubber pencil grip can enable a student with
poor motor control to grasp a pencil more
securely and produce more legible work.

⦁ Sticky notes and removable highlighter tape

can be used by students or teachers to mark
important words or sections of text.
⦁ Communication books with pictures
representing frequently used messages can help
a nonverbal student to communicate.

⦁ Timers can be used to show how much time an

activity will take, helping students pace
themselves through activities.
⦁ Line magnifiers, which enlarge a line of text, can
be helpful to students with vision impairments,
as well as students with learning disabilities who
have difficulty focusing on one line of text at a
time.

⦁ Seat cushions can help students with physical

disabilities maintain the posture needed to use
their arms or hands effectively.
Mid-tech devices are somewhat more complex,
often requiring a battery.
⦁ Mid-tech devices offer many of the
advantages of low-tech devices.
⦁ Inexpensive and usually do not require
extensive training.
⦁ lightweight and portable, allowing them to be
used anywhere.
⦁ CD players with audiobooks allow struggling
readers to listen to text as they look at the
words in printed books.

⦁ Digital audio recorders provide a way for

students to practice reading aloud. They can
also be used by teachers or students to
record reminder messages.
⦁ Amplification systems can be useful for students
with hearing impairments, as well as for
students who have difficulty focusing on what
the teacher is saying.

⦁ Specialized calculators, such as those with large

displays or speech output, can be helpful to
students with vision impairments.
⦁ Hand-held talking dictionaries can be useful to
students who have difficulty with reading or
spelling.

⦁ Talking switches can help nonverbal students

participate more fully in classroom and social
activities. The teacher can record short
messages, which the student can play back as
needed.
⦁ When low- and mid-tech solutions are not
useful, then evaluation Team consider a
variety of high-tech assistive technologies.

The Team should take into account

⦁ The effort needed to obtain and learn to use a
device.
⦁ Most of them are expensive
⦁ Trackballs, headsticks, touchscreens, and
eyegaze systems enables physically
challenged students to operate computers in
a variety of ways.
⦁ Text-to-speech software enables a computer to
speak digital text. Talking word processing
software provides students with auditory
feedback, enabling them to more easily correct
spelling and grammar errors.

⦁ Word prediction software can be helpful to

students with physical disabilities, as well as
students with learning disabilities, because it
minimizes physical effort.
⦁ Speech recognition software allows a student
to speak into the computer through a
microphone and have the text appear on the
computer screen.

(AbleData ( https://abledata.acl.gov/ ) provides a searchable

database of nearly 40,000 assistive technology products,
including everything from low-tech to high-tech devices.)
⦁ Disability is the outcome of the interaction
between a child with an impairment and an
environment with barriers that hinder his or her
participation on an equal basis with others.

⦁ Assistive technology can reduce or eliminate

such barriers.
⦁ Many people with disabilities and their
families have limited awareness of assistive
products and services.

⦁ This makes it difficult for children and their

families to know what assistive technologies
are available or suitable and how they can be
beneficial.
⦁ The 2005 ‘Global survey on government action on
the implementation of the Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities’ found that of the 114 responding
countries 50% had not passed relevant legislation
and 48% did not have policies in place relating to
the provision of assistive technology (58). This
indicates that for many States the provision of
assistive technology is a relatively low area of
priority.
⦁ Assistive technology services are often in
short supply and located far away from
where children with disabilities live.
⦁ Non-governmental organizations rarely
have the financial means or capacity to
develop country-wide sustainable service
delivery systems.
⦁ services often focus on specific types of
assistive technology or disabilities.
⦁ Current service delivery is not equitable.
⦁ In many countries, there is no production of
assistive products—or production occurs on a
small scale.
⦁ It is small not only in terms of quantity, but
also in terms of the range of types, models
and sizes of the products.
⦁ Limited access to the materials and
equipment needed to produce assistive
products can hamper production. Market-
related factors can also limit production.
⦁ Limited awareness of assistive technology or
purchasing capacity leads to a limited
demand. This results in few incentives to
engage in production.
⦁ Moreover, duty and import taxes associated
with assistive technology can discourage local
businesses to import materials, equipment or
assistive products
⦁ Physically or cognitively inaccessible
environments act as barriers to assistive
technology.
⦁ For example, inaccessible transport systems or
service centres prevent children from having easy
access to the services and products they need.
⦁ Physical barriers include stairs or poor lighting,
while cognitive barriers include texts that are not
clear or symbols that are difficult to understand.
⦁ Further, regardless of the cost or availability of a
wheelchair, a child will not be able to use it in an
inaccessible house, road or school.
⦁ Another barrier to assistive technology is a
lack of personnel properly trained in
manufacturing or adapting products, or
delivering services.
⦁ The costs of purchasing, maintaining and
replacing assistive products, and associated
services and traveling costs constitute a
major barrier.
⦁ Costs can be especially prohibitive in the case
of children, as they need their assistive
products replaced or adjusted as they grow.
Queries?????