Top 10 Assistive Technologies
Assistive technologies help enhance capabilities of students and individuals with learning disabilities. Assistive technologies help make the classroom inclusive, where social justice and equity are attained and sustained. Here are the top 10 assistive technologies.1. Bionic Ear:
This is an assistive technology that is useful for all students with hearing impairment. The teacher wears a microphone cuffed to his/her shirt. The student wears a listening device which is attached to their ear. Teachers will never have to scream to get their point across. All students will be able to understand with this technology.2. WordQ
The program recommends words students can use when writing. It also offers spoken feedback to help students find mistakes. The program is used by children of all ages and has a set vocabulary for all levels. Overall, it is an excellent text to speech program that benefits students with special needs.3. Talk Pad
This is like a picture schedule for students with disabilities such as ASD. Many students with ASD have trouble following a schedule that is different than their normal routines. Teachers have to use repetitive verbal prompts to keep the students on track. The talk pad is a device which pre-records 3 steps for those students that have time management and organizational issues. Picture schedules are there to compliment the verbal cues.4. Kurzweil:
The program provides reading and writing material which help people (students) with vision problems and learning disabilities such as dyslexia. There are many scanned and copied material and books on Kurzweil. It is beneficial as it reads the text out loud.5. Watchminder:
This device is a wristwatch used by students with learning disabilities. It helps them organize and manage their time. It also makes sure that students are on top of things and not slowing behind. For those who are hard of hearing, the device has a vibrator.6. SpeakQ:
The program is compatible with speech recognition. Students, who are physically disabled or slow at writing, can use this program to dictate what they wish to write. Overall, it is an excellent assistive technology; however, the computer takes time to get used to the voice speaking to it. The computer thus may unintentionally make errors.7. Kidspiration:
The program helps, young students with learning disabilities and language learning issues, organize their thoughts, material and ideas. The pictures, texts, numbers and spoken words are used to advance students’ vocabulary, word recognition, comprehension, reasoning and problem solving skills.8. Inspiration:
The program is similar to Kidspiration but is appropriate for students in intermediate and senior levels in education. Both programs can be used by adolescents, but Inspiration will be more useful.9. PDA/Mobile Learning:
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is used for digital note taking purposes. It also features an organizer which helps keep students manage and organize their time effectively. Textbooks are now offered on many PDAs to eliminate the need to carry heavy textbooks.10. “Step-by-Step Communicator”:
Students with disabilities often have trouble interacting or around social situations. They get lost in words trying to say what is on their mind. This program allows them to record 75 second messages they can use as a means for communication.