The Effects of Assistive Technology on Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze assistive technology literature for students with disabilities. The literature search rendered N = 57 literature and n = 17 manuscripts were identified in the special education technology field studies. Each source was evaluated according to the following criteria: types of disability, learning objectives and tasks, types of assistive devices available, application, and competency in matching the assistive technology with a specific disability. Results show: 1) research in this field tends to be limited to faculty development and need assessment focus; 2) technological interventions appeared scattered, vague, incomprehensive and non-specific; and 3) pre-service teachers' comfort level of assistive technology in an inclusive classroom remain low. An updated list of various type of AT suggesting teachers to match each technological tool to a specific disability is summarized in Table 1 and it is also included in this study.

Assistive Technology Instruction in Teacher Professional Development

“…Each of these issues must be addressed, but a teacher who has not been adequately trained will be at a severe disadvantage. Sze (2008) identified cost, obsolescence, training, support, and maintenance as critical barriers to the integration of technology in the classroom. These issues, although impacting the classroom, fall into the realm of school administration.…”

Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments in Adoption Of Digital Talking Textbooks: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

“…Assistive technology devices are essential for students with visual impairments to enhance learning, cognition, and social development (Sze, Murphy, Smith, & Yu, 2004;Wong & Cohen, 2011). Devices include Job Access With Speech (JAWS®), talking calculators, audio books, Braille, tactile maps, magnifying glasses, and computer screens, which have improved access to information.…”

Technology Enhanced Learning for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Cerebral Paralysis: The MAS Platform

“…Computer technology offers promising new approaches to reducing the dependence of people with mental retardation on others [1]. Though studies reveal [3] that it is how teachers adapt and utilize the technology that makes a difference and not the technology itself, technology offers new horizons for both educators and learners.…”

“…In [22] there is a review of the relevant literature regarding assistive technology as an instructional tool to assist college students with language disabilities, in [13] authors complete a literature review in the field of daily tasks, [3] provides an updated list of various types of assistive technology is provided of different kind of disabilities, and [23] presents a U.S. national survey of the use of assistive technology by adults with mental retardation.…”