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An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

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Behavioral and Emotional Disorders in children

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The incidence of autism has been on the rise in recent years, and it is estimated that approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States has been diagnosed with ASD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Maenner et al., 2020).  Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

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Assistive technologies and accommodations can play a crucial role in supporting individuals with autism. Here are some examples:
1 Communication aids:
People with autism may struggle with verbal communication, and assistive technologies like communication boards, visual schedules, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC ) devices can help them express their thoughts, needs, and emotions effectively.

2 Sensory tools
Sensory sensitivities are common in autism. Accommodations can include providing sensory-friendly environments with noise-cancelling headphones, weighted b Lankets, or fidget toys to help individuals regulate their sensory experiences and reduce anxiety.

3 Visual supports
Visual aids such as social stories, visual schedules, and visual cues can assist individuals with autism in understanding and following daily routines, tasks, and social expectations. These supports enhance their understanding of abstract conce pts and facilitate better communication. 4

4 Technology-based learning tools
Assistive technologies like educational apps, specialized software, and computer programs can be beneficial in enhancing learning experiences for individuals with autism. These tools can be customized to individual needs, providing interactive and engaging learning op ports.

5 Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) tools
ABA is a widely used therapeutic approach for individuals with autism. Various technologies, including video modeling, virtual reality applications, and tracking apps, can support ABA interventions and help individuals develop and generalize new skills.

6 Social skills training
Virtual reality (VR) programs and social skills training apps can provide a controlled and immersive environment for individuals with autism to practice social interactions, nonverbal cues, and appropriate behavior in different social situations .

7 Assistive devices for daily living
Adapted tools and devices can assist individuals with autism in performing daily activities independently. This may include specialized utensils, visual timers, and task reminders.

8 Occupational therapy can also be used to help individuals with autism develop sensory integration skills and improve their ability to perform daily activities (Mayo Clinic, 2021).

It is important to note that assistive technologies and accommodations should be tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual with autism, as everyone is unique and may require different types of support.

References
Maenner, M. J., Shaw, K. A., Baio, J., Washington, A., Patrick, M., DiRienzo, M., Christensen, D. L., Wiggins, L. D., Pettygrove, S., Andrews, J. G., Lopez, M., Hudson, A., Baroud, T., Schwenk, Y., White, T., Rosenberg, C. R., Lee, L.-C., Harrington, R. A., Huston, M., … Dietz, P. (2020). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2016. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 69(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6904a1

Mayo Clinic. (2021). Autism spectrum disorder: Diagnosis & treatment. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352934

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Definition: A disorder that interferes with a student's ability to listen, speak , think, write, spell or do math calculations.

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Definition: A disorder that interferes with a student's ability to listen, speak , think, write, spell or do math calculations.

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Specific Learning Disability: Categories of Students with Disabilities

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The Incidence of Specific Learning Disability

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The Incidence of Specific Learning Disability

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Dyslexia, ADHD, and Dysgraphia are the most prevalent learning disabilities.

Dyslexia affects about 15 to 20% of all students in the country. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comes next at 5-10% of the population. Dyscalculia affects a child's ability to process math skills. Around 3-7% of children across the world are affected by this learning disability.

It is estimated that 1 out of 10 people have dyslexia.

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Assistive Technologies:

1.Text-to-Speech Software: Text-to-speech software helps people with dyslexia read and analyze text in digital format. Hearing their writing being read aloud in a natural voice allows them to proofread and work on their mistakes. For example: Natural Reader

2.Speech-to-Text Software: Speech recognition tools allow students to dictate their thoughts, which are then transcribed into written text. This can assist students with difficulties in writing, spelling, or fine motor skills. Popular options include Dragon NaturallySpeaking and Google Docs Voice Typing.

3.Electronic Graphic Organizers: These digital tools help students organize their thoughts, make visual connections, and outline ideas. Programs like Inspiration and MindMeister offer customizable visual mapping features.

4.Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Technology: OCR software converts printed text from books, worksheets, or handouts into editable digital text, enabling students to access and work with the content more effectively. A popular OCR tool is ABBYY FineReader.

Accommodations:

1.Extended Time: Allowing students with SLDs additional time to complete assignments, tests, or exams can reduce stress and provide them with the necessary time to demonstrate their understanding and abilities

2.Preferential Seating: Placing students in a location that minimizes distractions, improves focus, or allows better visual access to the board or teacher can enhance their learning experience.

3.Modified Assignments: Adapting assignments or tests to suit the individual needs of students can include providing fewer questions, altering the format, simplifying language, or providing additional support resources.

4.Visual Aids and Organizational Supports: Using visual aids like graphic organizers, color-coding systems, checklists, or visual schedules can assist students with organization, sequencing, and understanding complex information.

References:

https://www.washington.edu/doit/academic-accommodations-students-learning-disabilities

https://studycorgi.com/blog/assistive-technology-for-learning-disabilities/#:~:text=Assistive%20technology%20for%20learning%20disabilities%20is%20any%20equipment%2C%20software%2C%20or,%2C%20apps%2C%20and%20handheld%20devices.

https://www.ldrfa.org/speech-to-text-apps-tools-and-software/

https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/dyslexia-statistics#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%201,of%20them%20receiving%20a%20diagnosis.

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/specific-learning-disorder/what-is-specific-learning-disorder

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Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities

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an individual who has a hearing impairment that is so severe that it adversely affects their educational performance and requires specialized instructional and related services

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About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears

Identifying infants with hearing loss - United States, 1999-2007.

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1. Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants

2. Assistive Listening Systems

3. Sign Language Interpreters

4. Real-Time Captioning

5. Note-taking Support

6. Captioned Videos and Multimedia

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Hearing aids do not require surgery and are best suited for people with less severe hearing loss and fair speech understanding. Cochlear implants require surgery and are best suited for people with more severe hearing loss in one or both ears and poor speech understanding.
https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/hearing-aids-vs-cochlear-implants#:~:text=Hearing%20aids%20do%20not%20require,ears%20and%20poor%20speech%20understanding.

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Extent and Type of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is mild to profound.
Your type of hearing loss is either "conductive," meaning it stems from your outer or middle ear, or "sensorineural," meaning it stems from your inner ear or hearing nerve.

Hearing loss is moderate to profound.
Your type of hearing loss is called "sensorineural," meaning it stems from your inner ear or hearing nerve.

What the Devices
Do and How They Do It
Hearing aids amplify acoustic sound generally and/or by specific frequencies.

A cochlear implant device allows you to hear in a different way. This is called electrical stimulation. A surgically placed implant bypasses your inner ear. It translates acoustic sound into electrical signals. It sends the signals directly to the hearing nerve and then on to the brain.

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Hearing aids do not require surgery and are best-suited for people with less severe hearing loss and fair speech understanding. Cochlear implants require surgery and are best-suited for people with more severe hearing loss and poor speech understanding.

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There are five general types of assistive listening devices: audio induction (also called a hearing) loop, FM system, infrared system, personal amplified system and Bluetooth systems.
https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/assistive-technology/assistive-listening-devices/#:~:text=There%20are%20five%20general%20types,amplified%20system%20and%20Bluetooth%20systems.

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There are five general types of assistive listening devices: audio induction (also called a hearing) loop, FM system, infrared system, personal amplified system and Bluetooth systems. The right device for you can depend on your hearing loss and where you need communication access.

This page provides a brief description of how each device works. You can also schedule a Hearing Loss Assistive Technology Demonstration with us to see how some assistive listening devices work.

Audio induction or hearing loop

Transmits sound via a microphone, an amplifier and wiring that encircles the seating (or listening!) area. It can also be used at counters and other smaller spaces to improve one-on-one communication.

Loops work by eliminating background noise, allowing the listener to hear the speaker's voice clearly, at a comfortable listening level. This is especially helpful in large spaces with poor acoustic features, such as hard floors, high ceilings and open space, but it is also helpful in settings where many people may be speaking at once, like an airport check-in desk or a bank.

To pick up the signals, hearing aid users use the T (telecoil) switch or program on their hearing aids and sit or stand within or near the wired area. However, even individuals without hearing aids or without a telecoil program can benefit from loop systems by using a portable device with headphones.

You can learn more about hearing loops and advocating for loop installation at Loop Minnesota.

FM system

Transmits sound wirelessly via radio waves.

The speaker wears a compact transmitter and microphone and the listener wears a portable receiver.

The receiver may have a headphone, neckloop or other accessories.

Commonly used for group meetings, church settings, conferences and classes. It may be used both indoors and outdoors.

Infrared system

Transmits sound wirelessly via invisible light beams.

The receiver must be in direct line of sight of the light beam from the transmitter.

Commonly used in churches, theaters and auditoriums. It can only be used indoors; sunlight may interfere with transmission.

There are infrared devices made just for home television listening. The transmitter is placed on the TV and plugs into an electrical outlet. The user wears a battery-powered headset (receiver) with volume control. The TV volume can then be set at a comfortable level for other listeners.

Personal amplified system

A portable device that transmits sound via a microphone and transmitter to headphones, an earphone or a neck loop.

Useful for one-on-one conversations or TV listening.

Can be used indoors or outdoors.

Bluetooth system

Transmits sound via Wi-Fi.

Works directly with hearing aids that have Bluetooth.

Individuals with hearing loss who do not use hearing aids can use a smartphone or tablet with earphones to connect to the wirelessly transmitted sound.

Where to buy assistive listening devices

Generally, most assistive listening devices are only available from specialty retailers. You can find some specialty retailers on these two vendor lists:

As with all technology, prices vary widely. Consider the features and benefits that are important to you, as well as your budget.

Fact sheets

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There are five general types of assistive listening devices: audio induction (also called a hearing) loop, FM system, infrared system, personal amplified system and Bluetooth systems. The right device for you can depend on your hearing loss and where you need communication access. This page provides a brief description of how each device works.

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Sign language interpreter steals show at Snoop concert

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Holly Maniatty is best known for her sign language interpreting at large festivals for rappers like Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

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Captions, composed of text, are used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access content delivered by spoken words and sounds. Real-time captions, or Computer Assisted Real-time Translation (CART), are created as an event takes place.
https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-real-time-captioning#:~:text=Captions%2C%20composed%20of%20text%2C%20are,as%20an%20event%20takes%20place.

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Captions, composed of text, are used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access content delivered by spoken words and sounds. Real-time captions, or Computer Assisted Real-time Translation (CART), are created as an event takes place.

A captioner (often trained as a court reporter or stenographer) uses a stenotype machine with a phonetic keyboard and special software. A computer translates the phonetic symbols into captions almost instantaneously and displays them on a laptop or on a large display screen. A slight delay may occur because of the captioner's need to hear and enter the words and the computer's processing time. Real-time captioning can be used for programs that do not have written scripts or captions such as: lectures, classes, congressional or council meetings, news programs, and non-broadcast meetings, such as those of professional associations.

Remote real-time captions are produced at a remote location and then transmitted to the site where the program is taking place. For example, in a lecture hall an instructor can talk into a microphone that is connected via telephone lines to a captioner in a different city. From that location, the captioner, using similar equipment as described above, transmits the captioned text via the internet, using special software, to a laptop in the lecture hall- or to a laptop in a student's home, if they are unable to attend the lecture in person.

Although most real-time captioning has been estimated to be well over ninety percent accurate, the audience will see occasional errors. The captioner may misunderstand a word, hear an unfamiliar word, or there may be an error in the software dictionary.

Captions can also benefit individuals who understand the written better than the spoken word of the language in which a presentation is delivered as well as people who are viewing the program in a noisy (e.g., airport or sports bar) or noiseless (e.g., a work cubicle) environment. Captions that are not "real-time" include those provided on television programming and those made available on prerecorded video that can be rented or purchased.

For more information on captioning consult the DO-IT Knowledge Base articles How can people who are deaf access video and multimedia products?, Is there a way to add captions to a video that is already published?, and Where can I find vendors who provide captioning services? You may also wish to view the video Communication Access Realtime Translation: CART Services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People.

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Captions, composed of text, are used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access content delivered by spoken words and sounds. Real-time captions, or Computer Assisted Real-time Translation (CART), are created as an event takes place. A captioner (often trained as a court reporter or stenogr…

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Note taking is the practice of capturing important pieces of information in a systematic way. It is an accommodation that deaf people rely on when they are in an environment of learning.
https://nationaldeafcenter.org/resource-items/note-taking-introduction/

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Note taking is the practice of capturing important pieces of information in a systematic way. It is not limited to the classroom. Note taking is an important accommodation in any situation requiring learning, including job sites and internships. Effective note taking is a skill that is acquired thro…

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Captioning involves synchronizing text with audio content of a video presentation. It is more common than sign language because not all individuals who are deaf know sign language, there is no one standard version of sign language, and the intricate motions of sign language may be difficult to display clearly, especially when scientific or other highly specialized language is used.
https://www.washington.edu/doit/creating-video-and-multimedia-products-are-accessible-people-sensory-impairments

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And How Universal Design Features Benefit Everyone

DVDs, streaming video on the web, and films are engaging instructional tools. Everyone benefits from dynamic visual displays and dialog. Well, not everyone. Viewers who are deaf miss all audio content not also presented in a visual form. Those who are blind can access only the visual content also presented in spoken form. It is usually not difficult to make video and multimedia accessible to viewers with sensory impairments, but special considerations should be made at the design phase to ensure complete access to everyone.

Universal Design

It is also easier and less costly than providing accommodations to viewers with sensory impairments once they need to access the media.

Universal design is defined by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University as "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design". At the Center, a group of architects, product designers, engineers, and environmental design researchers established a set of principles to guide the design of environments, communications, and products. The principles ensure that the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities; the design communicates necessary information effectively, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities; the design can be used efficiently, comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue; and appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

When universal design principles are applied, products can be used by people with a variety of characteristics. Expensive options for making the content of an inaccessible product accessible to people with disabilities can be avoided.

Access for People who are Deaf

To experience watching a multimedia product without the ability to hear, turn off the volume during a video presentation. Some programs, such as sporting events, are fairly easy to follow by watching the visual display. Others, like news programs, make little sense without audio. To make this content accessible to those who are deaf, the producer could arrange for a sign language interpreter or text captioning to appear on the screen.

Captioning involves synchronizing text with audio content of a video presentation. It is more common than sign language because not all individuals who are deaf know sign language, there is no one standard version of sign language, and the intricate motions of sign language may be difficult to display clearly, especially when scientific or other highly specialized language is used.

Millions of people worldwide experience enough hearing loss to affect their ability to watch a television program at a standard volume level. Some people are born deaf or hard of hearing, some experience a hearing loss from an accident or illness, and many gradually lose their ability to hear. The elderly are the fastest growing group of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Captions on videos allow full accessibility to programs by family, friends, and fellow students.

Captions can also serve other viewers, such as for those for whom English is a second language. People with certain learning disabilities can also benefit from hearing and seeing the spoken word simultaneously. For those learning to read, captioning has educational value; some instructors use captioned videos with the sound turned off to teach people how to read. Captions also provide content access to people viewing videos in noisy settings or in situations when it is important to be quiet.

Captioning and Transcription

Off-line captioning is created after the video has been shot. The captioner types the captions, which are recorded on the video display. Captions typically appear on the screen as a group and erase as a group; they do not scroll. The captions are either "open" or "closed." Open captioning appears on the screen whenever the video is presented. It is particularly appropriate for products specifically designed for or about people with disabilities, (e.g., DO-IT videos). Closed captions are stored in Line 21 of the vertical blanking interval (VBI) between the frames of a television signal and appear when the television's built-in decoders are used.

Real-time captions are created while shooting takes place. They are most often used for live programs such as videoconferences and sporting events. Much like a courtroom reporter, a trained stenotypist enters spoken content by typing phonetic codes on a special keyboard that facilitates high-speed transcription. Computer software translates the phonetic codes into words that typically scroll across the bottom of the video image in a continuous motion.

To employ universal design, the production should be filmed so that critical visual content does not appear where captioning will cover it. For example, if you are shooting an ice skating event, make sure the feet of the skaters are not so close to the bottom of the screen that they will be covered with captioned text. Keep in mind that captions should provide content for all of the visual events that occur on the screen, including noises that are not the result of speaking (e.g., a dog barking may translate into the captioned text "Dog barks."). Suggestions for making attractive and functional captions include the following:

Use one or two lines of text.

Caption the exact wording of speakers, including slang and grammatical errors.

Only occasionally edit a few words to facilitate reading speed.

Caption sound effects that contribute to the understanding of the content.

Synchronize captions with the aural content.

Only occasionally change the location of captions on the screen.

Use a simple sans-serif font, such as Helvetica, and proportional spacing.

Ensure high contrast between the text and background.

Use both uppercase and lowercase letters.

Use italics to indicate the narrator, off-screen voices, sound effects, and other vital information presented aurally.

Transcription is word-for-word translation of audio content into a text file. Although an appropriate alternative for audio files, it is best for videos to use captions that are synchronized with the visual content.

Legislation and greater awareness of individual needs has resulted in increasing numbers of video presentations available with captions. Many educational materials and most children's and prime time television programs are closed captioned.

Resources

Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) Knowledge Base (enter search text "captioning")
3PlayMedia CaptionMax CaptionSync Closed Captioning Hearing Loss Association of America Media Access Group at WGBH Caption Services National Captioning Institute National Court Reporters Association National Center for Accessible Media UDL on Campus VITAC (Vital Access)
Access for People who are Blind

People who are blind cannot access the visual content of a video production unless the content is available in audio or tactile format as well. Awareness of this access issue during the design phase of a product's creation can result in speakers or narrators voicing enough of the content to allow a person who is blind to follow along. This is particularly important for educational programming and products used with large audiences where it is unknown to the presenter what visual impairments audience members may have. Producers can listen to their video product without viewing the screen to help determine how accessible it might be to a person who is blind.

Audio Description or (Visual Description)

After shooting and editing is complete, specially trained professionals can add audio content to the video soundtrack. When pauses occur in the original production, the speaker reads titles, names and describes scenery, objects, and other visual information for the viewer who cannot see. Credits and contact information at the end of the production can be voiced in the original production or added as an audio described feature. A talking menu on a DVD is another example of how a product can be designed to be fully operable by a person who is blind.

Most video producers use outside services for audio description. Because this additional audio content is not of value to other audiences and can be distracting, audio description is usually not included with the standard product but is provided as an optional format as an accommodation when requested by a viewer. Providing this option is particularly important for products used in educational programs at all levels.

Resources

Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) Knowledge Base (enter search text "audio description")
Descriptive Video Service VITAC (Vital Access)
Examples of Accessible Videos

For examples of videos that are universally designed, explore the DO-IT streaming video collection. These videos are designed so that captions do not cover important visual content, and credits and reference information is spoken. For most videos, there is an audio-described version, a transcript, and a publication with more detail and references. The media player, developed by DO-IT, is also fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Legal issues

Consult "A Guide to Disability Rights Laws" for a summary of legislation that protetcts the rights of people with disabilities in the U.S. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and its 2008 amendments requires that public programs and services be accessible to people with disabilities, unless doing so would result in an undue burden. For example, the content of a video shown in a college course might be made accessible to a student who is deaf by including captions. Similarly, if a blind student enrolled in the course, the essential content that is presented visually could be audio-described.

The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 requires that television sets with screens thirteen inches or larger manufactured for sale in the United States must have built-in closed caption decoders.

Section 713 of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 charged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create mandates to increase the percentage of television programming that is captioned. It has published rules and set guidelines for gradually increasing the number of captioned programs.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that the U.S. Federal Government develop, procure, maintain, and use electronic and information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities. In the Section 508 guidelines that were developed by the Access Board and became effective in 2001, all training and informational video productions that impart an agency's mission must contain captions for speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content. Also, critical visual content must be audio described. Although the standards were developed for the federal government, similar legislation and policies of states and organizations as well as voluntary compliance have extended their use beyond federal agencies.

About DO-IT

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education. DO-IT is a collaboration of UW Information Technology and the Colleges of Engineering and Education at the University of Washington.

Grants and gifts fund DO-IT publications, videos, and programs to support the academic and career success of people with disabilities. Contribute today by sending a check to DO-IT, Box 354842, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-4842.

Your gift is tax deductible as specified in IRS regulations. Pursuant to RCW 19.09, the University of Washington is registered as a charitable organization with the Secretary of State, state of Washington. For more information call the Office of the Secretary of State, 1-800-322-4483.

To order free publications or newsletters use the DO-IT Publications Order Form; to order videos and training materials use the Videos, Books and Comprehensive Training Materials Order Form.

For further information, to be placed on the DO-IT mailing list, request materials in an alternate format, or to make comments or suggestions about DO-IT publications or web pages contact:

DO-IT
University of Washington
Box 354842
Seattle, WA 98195-4842

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888-972-DOIT (3648) (voice/TTY)
206-221-4171 (fax)
509-328-9331 (voice/TTY) Spokane

Founder and Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.
DO-IT Funding and Partners
This publication was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (grant #P333A990042) and the National Science Foundation (grant #9800324). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the federal government, and you should not assume their endorsement.

© 2014, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001, University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

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Creating Video and Multimedia Products That Are Accessible to People with Sensory Impairments

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And How Universal Design Features Benefit Everyone DVDs, streaming video on the web, and films are engaging instructional tools. Everyone benefits from dynamic visual displays and dialog. Well, not everyone. Viewers who are deaf miss all audio content not also presented in a visual form.

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Welcome to the National Center on Deaf-Blindness

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Research has shown that 0.2% of the world’s population is living with severe deafblindness. A further 2% of people around the world are living with milder forms of deafblindness².

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Research has shown that 0.2% of the world's population is living with severe deafblindness. A further 2% of people around the world are living with milder forms of deafblindness .*
This means that there are estimated to be over 15million people with severe deafblindness worldwide - equivalent to the populations of Sweden and Norway combined.

What is deafblindness?

People with deafblindness have a combination of sight and hearing impairments. This doesn't necessarily mean that they are totally blind or totally deaf - most people with deafblindness retain a little sight and/or hearing that they are able to use.

But even if a person has some sight and/or hearing, the severity of impairment to both these senses means that they cannot compensate for each other, which impacts significantly on the individual.

Sensory impairment and deafblindness

Some people have sight and hearing impairments which are caused by sensory processing issues. This is referred to as 'multi-sensory impairment'. People with multi-sensory impairment may have eyes and ears that function normally, but their brain has trouble filtering, organising and interpreting information taken in by the senses.

People with deafblindness and multi-sensory impairment may also have additional physical or learning disabilities. In our work, we often refer to this as 'multiple disabilities' or 'complex disabilities'.

Causes of deafblindness

There are many causes of deafblindness and multi-sensory impairment, including:

Congenital Rubella Syndrome - where a mother contracts rubella during pregnancy and her unborn child suffers birth defects, such as vision and hearing impairments.

Genetic conditions - these include Usher syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, and Down Syndrome.

Medical complications during pregnancy and birth - including poor nutrition and trauma.

Illness and accidents - including meningitis and cerebral malaria.

Sensory loss as a result of ageing.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), rubella is the leading cause of birth defects that can be prevented by vaccination .

As part of our work, we have influenced governments to introduce rubella vaccination where it is not currently offered.

We are proud of our recent success in Uganda, as the government has initiated its first ever vaccination campaign against rubella. This reached over 18 million children last year.

Find out more about deafblindness, including how people with deafblindness experience the world.

* World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB), 2018 At risk of exclusion from CRPD and SDGs implementation: Inequality and persons with deafblindness.

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Research has shown that 0.2% of the world's population is living with severe deafblindness. A further 2% of people around the world are living with milder forms of deafblindness .* This means that there are estimated to be over 15million people with severe deafblindness worldwide - equivalent to the populations of Sweden and Norway combined.

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Alerting devices

Apps

Assistive listening devices

Adaptive cutlery

Captioning

Dictation: Speech recognition software allows a user to navigate, type, and interact with websites using their voice¹.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants¹

Hearing loop systems

Screen readers: A program that analyzes the layout and content of a website and provides a text-to-speech translation.

Single loop magnifier

Screen readers

Sound amplifiers

Tactile braille readers

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Equipment and assistive devices may support people with deafblindness to live more independently.

This page includes information and resources that people with deafblindness may find helpful.

It is a guide. An individual's unique needs should be considered before making recommendations and purchases. Deafblind Information Australia does not endorse and is not affiliated with any particular brands or products. Independent research and consultation with an occupational therapist are recommended.

Deafblind Information Australia is not a supplier of equipment. Some Australian suppliers can be found in our Find Services pages.
Please discuss with your occupational therapist should you wish to purchase any aids or equipment.
The world is changing rapidly, and inclusive technology options are increasing.

Descriptions and examples of both assistive and inclusive technologies follow.

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is anything that is designed and produced with the aim of assisting someone with a disability to participate in a meaningful activity of daily living.

Examples of Assistive Technology include;

Tactile braille readers

Single loop magnifier

Screen readers

Hearing loop systems

Sound amplifiers

Adaptive cutlery

Inclusive Technology

Inclusive technologies are products developed for the mainstream market that have either

been designed to include people with disabilities, or

assist people with disabilities, even though this was not a factor when the product was first designed.

Inclusive technologies are used during many daily activities and in different places. Some examples include smartphones for communication and ergonomic potato peelers for arthritic hands. Sometimes inclusive technologies need to be modified to make them more suitable for someone with deafblindness.

Examples can include but are not limited to;

Smartphones

Smart lighting

Sensors in the home

Door and home automation

Gaming systems

Smart locks for the home

Voice-activated showers and taps

These are not exhaustive lists of assistive and inclusive technologies. Technologies change often and quickly. Any examples on this website are examples only. They are intended to help you know the types of products available. Please contact an occupational therapist to discuss possible solutions for access to activities of daily living.

Personal Independence Home, Education and Work environment Out and About

● Telling the time

● Low vision aids

● Alerting devices

● Listening devices

● Reading and writing

● Lighting

● Smart technology for the home

● Everyday living products

● Adapting the environment - take content from the previous page

● Loop systems

● Telecommunication

● Mobility aids

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Assistive Technology and Equipment - Deafblind Information

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Equipment and assistive devices may support people with deafblindness to live more independently. This page includes information and resources that people with deafblindness may find helpful. It is a guide. An individual's unique needs should be considered before making recommendations and purchases. Deafblind Information Australia does not endorse and is not affiliated with any particular [...]

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Hearing Impairment | Characteristics, Causes & Treatment - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Read the definition of hearing impairment and discover characteristics of hearing impairment. Learn about different types of auditory impairment...

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Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.

About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss, and the rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64¹.

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Overview

Over 5% of the world's population - or 430 million people - require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people - or 1 in every 10 people - will have disabling hearing loss.

'Disabling' hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear. Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.

Hearing loss and deafness

A person who is not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing - hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears - is said to have hearing loss. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can affect one ear or both ears and leads to difficulty in hearing conversational speech or loud sounds.

'Hard of hearing' refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices as well as captioning.

'Deaf' people mostly have profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing. They often use sign language for communication.

Causes of hearing loss and deafness

Although these factors can be encountered at different periods across the life span, individuals are most susceptible to their effects during critical periods in life.

Prenatal period

genetic factors including hereditary and non-hereditary hearing loss

intrauterine infections - such as rubella and cytomegalovirus infection.

Perinatal period

birth asphyxia (a lack of oxygen at the time of birth

hyperbilirubinemia (severe jaundice in the neonatal period)

low-birth weight

other perinatal morbidities and their management.

Childhood and adolescence

chronic ear infections (chronic suppurative otitis media)

collection of fluid in the ear (chronic nonsuppurativeotitis media)

meningitis and other infections.

Adulthood and older age

chronic diseases

smoking

otosclerosis

age-related sensorineural degeneration

sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Factors across the life span

cerumen impaction (impacted ear wax)

trauma to the ear or head

loud noise/loud sounds

ototoxic medicines

work related ototoxic chemicals

nutritional deficiencies

viral infections and other ear conditions

delayed onset or progressive genetic hearing loss.

The impact of unaddressed hearing loss

When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at individual level:

communication and speech

cognition

education and employment: In developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate. Among those who are employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce.

social isolation, loneliness and stigma

impact on society and economy

effects on years lived with disability (YDLs) and disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs (excluding the cost of hearing devices), costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs. Of these costs, 57% are attributed to low- and middle-income countries.

Prevention

Many of the causes that lead to hearing loss can be avoided through public health strategies and clinical interventions implemented across the life course.

Prevention of hearing loss is essential throughout the life course, from prenatal and perinatal periods to older age. In children, nearly 60% of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures. Likewise, most common causes of hearing loss in adults, such as exposure to loud sounds and ototoxic medicines, are preventable.

Effective strategies for reducing hearing loss at different stages of the life course include:

immunization;

good maternal and childcare practices;

genetic counselling;

identification and management of common ear conditions;

occupational hearing conservation programmes for noise and chemical exposure;

safe listening strategies for the reduction of exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings; and

rational use of medicines to prevent ototoxic hearing loss.

Identification and management

Early identification of hearing loss and ear diseases is key to effective management.

This requires systematic screening for detection of hearing loss and related ear diseases in those who are most at risk. This includes:

newborn babies and infants

pre-school and school-age children

people exposed to noise or chemicals at work

people receiving ototoxic medicines

older adults.

Hearing assessment and ear examination can be conducted in clinical and community settings. Tools such as the WHO "hearWHO" app and other technology-based solutions make it possible to screen for ear diseases and hearing loss with limited training and resources.

Once hearing loss is identified, it is essential that it is addressed as early as possible and in an appropriate manner, to mitigate any adverse impact.

Measures available to rehabilitate people with hearing loss include:

the use of hearing technologies, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and middle ear implants;

the use of sign language and other means of sensory substitution,such as speech reading, use of print on palm or Tadoma, signed communication; and

rehabilitative therapy to enhance perceptive skills and develop communication and linguistic abilities.

The use of hearing assistive technology, and services such as frequency modulation and loop systems, alerting devices, telecommunication devices,captioning services and sign language interpretation, can further improve access to communication and education for people with hearing loss.

WHO response

WHO's work on ear and hearing care is to promote integrated people-centred ear and hearing care (IPC-EHHC).

WHO's work is guided by the recommendations of the WHO World report on hearing (2021) and the World Health Assembly resolution on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.

WHO's work includes:

guiding, assisting and supporting Member States to increase awareness on EHC issues;

facilitating data generation and dissemination of ear and hearing care related data and information;

providing technical resources and guidance to facilitate planning and health systems capacity building for ear and hearing care;

supporting heath workforce training in ear and hearing care;

promoting safe listening to reduce the risk of recreational noise-induced hearing loss through the WHO Make Listening Safe initiative;

observing and promoting World Hearing Day as an annual advocacy event;

building partnerships to develop strong hearing care programmes, including initiatives for affordable hearing aids, cochlear implants and services; and

advocating for ear and hearing care through the World Hearing Forum.

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Deafness and hearing loss fact sheet from WHO: providing key facts and information on causes, impact, prevention, identification, management and WHO response.

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Assistive Devices for People with Hearing Impairment

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Assistive Devices for People with Hearing Impairment

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Sign language interpreters: These are people who translate spoken language into sign language for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Video relay services (VRS): These are services that allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with others over video calls using sign language.

Text messaging: This is a way for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with others using text messages.

Speech-to-text software: This is software that converts spoken words into text in real-time.

Alerting devices: These are devices that use flashing lights or vibrations to alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds such as doorbells, smoke alarms, and phone calls.

Hearing aids: These are small electronic devices that amplify sound and make it easier to hear.

Cochlear implants: These are surgically implanted devices that bypass damaged parts of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly.

Assistive listening devices (ALDs): These are devices that help people with hearing loss hear better in specific situations, such as in noisy environments or when watching TV.

Closed captioning: This is a text display of the audio portion of a video program. It can be turned on or off by the viewer.

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What are assistive devices?

The terms assistive device or assistive technology can refer to any device that helps a person with hearing loss or a voice, speech, or language disorder to communicate. These terms often refer to devices that help a person to hear and understand what is being said more clearly or to express thoughts more easily. With the development of digital and wireless technologies, more and more devices are becoming available to help people with hearing, voice, speech, and language disorders communicate more meaningfully and participate more fully in their daily lives.

What types of assistive devices are available?

Health professionals use a variety of names to describe assistive devices:

Assistive listening devices (ALDs) help amplify the sounds you want to hear, especially where there's a lot of background noise. ALDs can be used with a hearing aid or cochlear implant to help a wearer hear certain sounds better.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices help people with communication disorders to express themselves. These devices can range from a simple picture board to a computer program that synthesizes speech from text.

Alerting devices connect to a doorbell, telephone, or alarm that emits a loud sound or blinking light to let someone with hearing loss know that an event is taking place.

What types of assistive listening devices are available?

Several types of ALDs are available to improve sound transmission for people with hearing loss. Some are designed for large facilities such as classrooms, theaters, places of worship, and airports. Other types are intended for personal use in small settings and for one-on-one conversations. All can be used with or without hearing aids or a cochlear implant. ALD systems for large facilities include hearing loop systems, frequency-modulated (FM) systems, and infrared systems.

Hearing loop (or induction loop) systems use electromagnetic energy to transmit sound. A hearing loop system involves four parts:

A sound source, such as a public address system, microphone, or home TV or telephone

An amplifier

A thin loop of wire that encircles a room or branches out beneath carpeting

A receiver worn in the ears or as a headset

Amplified sound travels through the loop and creates an electromagnetic field that is picked up directly by a hearing loop receiver or a telecoil (see sidebar), a miniature wireless receiver that is built into many hearing aids and cochlear implants. To pick up the signal, a listener must be wearing the receiver and be within or near the loop. Because the sound is picked up directly by the receiver, the sound is much clearer, without as much of the competing background noise associated with many listening environments. Some loop systems are portable, making it possible for people with hearing loss to improve their listening environments, as needed, as they proceed with their daily activities. A hearing loop can be connected to a public address system, a television, or any other audio source. For those who don't have hearing aids with embedded telecoils, portable loop receivers are also available.

What's a telecoil?

A telecoil, also called a t-coil, is a coil of wire that is installed inside many hearing aids and cochlear implants to act as a miniature wireless receiver. It was originally designed to make sounds clearer to a listener over the telephone. It also is used with a variety of other assistive listening devices, such as hearing loop (or induction loop) systems, FM systems, infrared systems, and personal amplifiers.

The telecoil works by receiving an electromagnetic signal from the hearing loop and then turning it back into sound within the hearing aid or cochlear implant. This process eliminates much of the distracting background noise and delivers sound customized for one's own need. For people who are hard-of-hearing who do not have a telecoil-equipped hearing aid or cochlear implant, loop receivers with headsets can provide similar benefits but without the customized or "corrected sound" feature that matches one's hearing loss pattern.

Many cochlear implants have a telecoil built into the sound processor, or can use an external telecoil accessory with both hearing aid compatible telephones and public loop systems. A simple switch or programming maneuver performed by the user activates this function.

See the NIDCD fact sheet Hearing Aids for more information.

FM systems use radio signals to transmit amplified sounds. They are often used in classrooms, where the instructor wears a small microphone connected to a transmitter and the student wears the receiver, which is tuned to a specific frequency, or channel. People who have a telecoil inside their hearing aid or cochlear implant may also wear a wire around the neck (called a neckloop) or behind their aid or implant (called a silhouette inductor) to convert the signal into magnetic signals that can be picked up directly by the telecoil. FM systems can transmit signals up to 300 feet and are able to be used in many public places. However, because radio signals are able to penetrate walls, listeners in one room may need to listen to a different channel than those in another room to avoid receiving mixed signals. Personal FM systems operate in the same way as larger scale systems and can be used to help people with hearing loss to follow one-on-one conversations.

Infrared systems use infrared light to transmit sound. A transmitter converts sound into a light signal and beams it to a receiver that is worn by a listener. The receiver decodes the infrared signal back to sound. As with FM systems, people whose hearing aids or cochlear implants have a telecoil may also wear a neckloop or silhouette inductor to convert the infrared signal into a magnetic signal, which can be picked up through their telecoil. Unlike induction loop or FM systems, the infrared signal cannot pass through walls, making it particularly useful in courtrooms, where confidential information is often discussed, and in buildings where competing signals can be a problem, such as classrooms or movie theaters. However, infrared systems cannot be used in environments with too many competing light sources, such as outdoors or in strongly lit rooms.

Personal amplifiers are useful in places in which the above systems are unavailable or when watching TV, being outdoors, or traveling in a car. About the size of a cell phone, these devices increase sound levels and reduce background noise for a listener. Some have directional microphones that can be angled toward a speaker or other source of sound. As with other ALDs, the amplified sound can be picked up by a receiver that the listener is wearing, either as a headset or as earbuds.

What types of augmentative and alternative communication devices are available for communicating face-to-face?

The simplest AAC device is a picture board or touch screen that uses pictures or symbols of typical items and activities that make up a person's daily life. For example, a person might touch the image of a glass to ask for a drink. Many picture boards can be customized and expanded based on a person's age, education, occupation, and interests.

Keyboards, touch screens, and sometimes a person's limited speech may be used to communicate desired words. Some devices employ a text display. The display panel typically faces outward so that two people can exchange information while facing each other. Spelling and word prediction software can make it faster and easier to enter information.

Speech-generating devices go one step further by translating words or pictures into speech. Some models allow users to choose from several different voices, such as male or female, child or adult, and even some regional accents. Some devices employ a vocabulary of prerecorded words while others have an unlimited vocabulary, synthesizing speech as words are typed in. Software programs that convert personal computers into speaking devices are also available.

What augmentative and alternative communication devices are available for communicating by telephone?

For many years, people with hearing loss have used text telephone or telecommunications devices, called TTY or TDD machines, to communicate by phone. This same technology also benefits people with speech difficulties. A TTY machine consists of a typewriter keyboard that displays typed conversations onto a readout panel or printed on paper. Callers will either type messages to each other over the system or, if a call recipient does not have a TTY machine, use the national toll-free telecommunications relay service at 711 to communicate. (See Telecommunications Relay Services for more information.) Through the relay service, a communications assistant serves as a bridge between two callers, reading typed messages aloud to the person with hearing while transcribing what's spoken into type for the person with hearing loss.

With today's new electronic communication devices, however, TTY machines have almost become a thing of the past. People can place phone calls through the telecommunications relay service using almost any device with a keypad, including a laptop, personal digital assistant, and cell phone. Text messaging has also become a popular method of communication, skipping the relay service altogether.

Another system uses voice recognition software and an extensive library of video clips depicting American Sign Language to translate a signer's words into text or computer-generated speech in real time. It is also able to translate spoken words back into sign language or text.

Finally, for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, captioned telephones allow you to carry on a spoken conversation, while providing a transcript of the other person's words on a readout panel or computer screen as back-up.

What types of alerting devices are available?

Alerting or alarm devices use sound, light, vibrations, or a combination of these techniques to let someone know when a particular event is occurring. Clocks and wake-up alarm systems allow a person to choose to wake up to flashing lights, horns, or a gentle shaking.

Visual alert signalers monitor a variety of household devices and other sounds, such as doorbells and telephones. When the phone rings, the visual alert signaler will be activated and will vibrate or flash a light to let people know. In addition, remote receivers placed around the house can alert a person from any room. Portable vibrating pagers can let parents and caretakers know when a baby is crying. Some baby monitoring devices analyze a baby's cry and light up a picture to indicate if the baby sounds hungry, bored, or sleepy.

What research is being conducted on assistive technology?

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) funds research into several areas of assistive technology, such as those described below.

Improved devices for people with hearing loss
NIDCD-funded researchers are developing devices that help people with varying degrees of hearing loss communicate with others. One team has developed a portable device in which two or more users type messages to each other that can be displayed simultaneously in real time. Another team is designing an ALD that amplifies and enhances speech for a group of individuals who are conversing in a noisy environment.

Improved devices for nonspeaking people

More natural synthesized speech
NIDCD-sponsored scientists are also developing a personalized text-to-speech synthesis system that synthesizes speech that is more intelligible and natural sounding to be incorporated in speech-generating devices. Individuals who are at risk of losing their speaking ability can prerecord their own speech, which is then converted into their personal synthetic voice.

Brain-computer interface research
A relatively new and exciting area of study is called brain-computer interface research. NIDCD-funded scientists are studying how neural signals in a person's brain can be translated by a computer to help someone communicate. For example, people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) or brainstem stroke lose their ability to move their arms, legs, or body. They can also become locked-in, where they are not able to express words, even though they are able to think and reason normally. By implanting electrodes on the brain's motor cortex, some researchers are studying how a person who is locked-in can control communication software and type out words simply by imagining the movement of his or her hand. Other researchers are attempting to develop a prosthetic device that will be able to translate a person's thoughts into synthesized words and sentences. Another group is developing a wireless device that monitors brain activity that is triggered by visual stimulation. In this way, people who are locked-in can call for help during an emergency by staring at a designated spot on the device

Where can I get more information?

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

Use the following keywords to help you search for organizations that can answer questions and provide printed or electronic information on assistive devices:

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

NIH Publication No. 11-7672
December 2011

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Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders

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What are assistive devices? The terms assistive device or assistive technology can refer to any device that helps a person with hearing loss or a voice, speech, or language disorder to communicate.

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Any combination of the disabilities in other categories (not including the combination of deaf-blindness, which has its own category)

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"As you can see, there’s more to IDEA’s definition of multiple disabilities than having more than one impairment or disability. A key part of the definition is that the combination of disabilities causes the student to have severe educational needs. In fact, those educational needs must be severe enough that they cannot be addressed by providing special education services for only one of the impairments."

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Multiple Disabilities – Understanding and Supporting Learners with Disabilities

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…means concomitant [simultaneous] impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness, intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairme…

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According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 2% of students are classified as having multiple disabilities.

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Because multiple disabilities is a combination of two or more other disabilities, and because the exact combination of disabilities is not specified, any and all assistive technologies, accommodations, and modifications listed in this project may be applicable. If someone has two disabilities that necessitate similar interventions, such as more time on assignments, fidgets to play with, and a seat close to the teacher, interventions may go hand in hand. If someone, say, has both an orthopedic impairment and an emotional disturbance, they may need an unusual combination of accommodations to address both physical and psychiatric needs.

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Those of you who know me understand how passionate I am about children with Multiple AND Visual Disabilities. Here are my personal "Top 10 Tips" to guide in helping these special children grow and develop new skills for independence.

1. Believe in them!

Believe in the student's ability to learn something new- they can do it. This sounds easy, but it can be challenging when you have tried lots of things that haven't worked. Hang in there and always remember that yes they can! My biggest initial failures often end up being my greatest successes in the long run.

2. Have a 4-year plan.

Start by developing long-term goals; what would the team like the student to be able to do in 4 years? Think functional and realistic, but don't underestimate either. Use these long-term goals to guide the direction of the individual programs you develop and the annual goals. Give the student plenty of time to make progress because new skills usually are acquired slowly, it can take months to see even the smallest amount of progress. They will need all 4 years of regular work on these big skills to get where you want them to be.

3. Work together with team members.

Update other teachers, therapists and family members on progress and co-treat regularly with other members of the team. Working together regularly generates novel solutions to problems that pop up along the way. No one person has the answer alone; it is only by combining everyone's skill sets and observations about the student's progress that we have enough knowledge to create success. Finding ways to communicate with all of these people can be challenging - look for novel solutions to staying in regular contact. Use any and all means of keeping in touch with everyone else: group emails to talk about progress and ideas, phone/conference/Skype calls, home/school notebooks, home visits, plan your schedule to overlap with other therapists, be there at pick-up/drop-off times to have face time with parents, and schedule regular planning meeting that happen on a biweekly or monthly basis. I use all of these regularly to help me keep in contact with the multitude of people on my students' teams.

4. Develop group goals.

Work together with others on the same goals so that students get lots of practice on the same things. TVI's overlap particularly well with goals related to Literacy, Communication, Fine Motor Skills and Activities of Daily Living. COMS' overlaps well with Gross Motor, Adaptive PE, Fine Motor, and Activities of Daily Living. Equally as important, work with families so that there is consistency between school and home.

5. Work directly and often with the student and their paraprofessionals.

Work with the student at least 1-2 times a week, even if you aren't the teacher on a day-to-day basis. Consultation on a monthly or bi-monthly basis is almost never effective. Model how to implement your strategies and activities with any Parapro's that work with the student. Remember to check in with the Para's regularly - they have the best feedback about how things are going, and often have the best ideas for solutions to problems that come up as well.

6. Wait for the student's response.

Give plenty of wait time when looking for a student response - some students need 30+ seconds to even a full minute to assess the situation, figure out what they need to do, and then make their body do it. In addition, many students with multiple disabilities develop learned helplessness over time, knowing that if they just wait and do nothing someone else will do it for them. Don't let yourself be the Magic Fairy! It's OK to say things like "Hmm, I don't know what urgh means, you might want to use your device so I understand you" - and then wait - even if you really know they probably want a snack.

7. Make decisions based on the type of communicator they are.

Work with the Speech & Language Therapist to determine what type of communicator the student is. Are they unintentional, intentional but informal, or a symbolic communicator? If the student is an unintentional communicator, focus on shaping how staff members respond to the student's unintentional communications, including how we can shape a grunt or a point into a conversation. If they are intentional but informal, develop a plan to assist the student in becoming a symbolic communicator. If they are already using a symbolic means of communication, develop a plan to move the symbolic communication they are doing to the next level. For more information on how to help these students develop conversational skills, watch the webcast by Barbara Miles titled " Conversations: Connecting and Learning with Persons Who Are DeafBlind "

8. Make decisions based on their Learning Medium.

Use the student's learning medium to drive decisions about what kind of abstract symbol system you will use with the student. The student's Learning Medium is the primary way that they gather information - are they primarily using visual information, auditory information, or tactile information for learning? How they learn drives the type of Communicative Symbol System that will be most effective for the student. The TVI and the Speech & Language Therapist need to work together closely in determining the type of symbol system to use for communication. The way the student communicates will then drive decisions about a literacy system. This is a process that takes time and may involve several trials over a longer period of time before a final selection is made. For example, if the student is primarily an auditory learner but you select a visually based symbol system (such as Boardmaker Symbols), the student is not likely to be successful in mastering the visual symbols. You will end up thinking that they can't learn to use a symbolic system when in actuality you are just using the wrong type of system. The process of selecting a symbol system can be complex, and remember that many students with CVI will be unable to use visually based 2-dimensional symbols. My greatest success recently is a student for whom we did it all wrong in multiple ways for about 2 years before we figured out how she CAN do it. For more information about this process, watch my webinar titled " Effective Access to Communication and Literacy for Students with Visual and Multiple Disabilities ".

9. Determine how the student will respond.

Work with other team members (usually SpEd Teacher, OT, and S&L) to determine how the student will indicate their response. Will they reach with their hand or another body part using a visually guided reach, search and select using tactile skills, use eye gaze, or choose an item from an auditory list by responding with a yes or no (with a sound or body movements)? This will be determined by combining their Preferred Learning Medium along with their functional vision and fine motor skills. Once the way the student responds best has been determined, make sure everyone who works with the student knows HOW they will respond. I create cards for staff to refer to that summarize this for each student and hang on their wheelchairs or have at their desks.

10. Trust your gut in regards to mastery.

Being data driven is important, but it can limit us as well. If you have mixed mastery data, go with your gut feeling about whether or not a student has mastered a skill. When you think they have mastered it, move on to teaching them the next steps. Often students with multiple disabilities aren't able to show mastery of a skill at even an 80% level because of the multiple factors impacting their accuracy. It is tough to determine why these students make mistakes - are their mistakes because they don't understand, because we haven't made the skill or activity exciting or interesting for the student, because it is so hard to get their body to move in the way they want, because they are bored of working on the same thing for so long, or because they happened to be tired or sick that day? I often use 3/5 or even 2/3 trials as a mastery level rather than a higher 3/4 or 4/5 that we might expect for a student without motor issues. If you think the student "gets it", then start teaching them the next skill on their path toward their long term goals. Students and teachers both get sick of over-working a specific skill for too long, and this really can limit progress in the long run. Conversely, when a student really doesn't show mastery after a period of time, work with the team including para's and parents to figure out WHY they haven't really mastered the new skill. Use the WHY to help modify the approach so that it is successful.

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Top 10 Tips for Working with Students Who Have Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairments - Paths to Literacy

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Paths to Literacy Top 10 Tips for Working with Students Who Have Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairments. For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments

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A disorder of low IQ, that is, an IQ of under 70

Mild intellectual disability = IQ of 50-69

Moderate = 35-49

Severe = 20-34

Profound = under 20

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“Intellectual disability affects about 1% of the population, and of those about 85% have mild intellectual disability.” - The American Psychiatric Association
The association also notes boys are more likely to be diagnosed.
These numbers indicate that intellectual disability is a low-incidence disability, with moderate, severe, and profound levels of disability being exceedingly rare.

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1. Simplified directions

2. Visuals, e.g., a visual schedule

3. More time

4. Seating in a place that minimizes distractions

5. Paraprofessionals

6. Breaks

7. Fidgets to play with

8. Options to submit work in non-traditional formats, e.g., artwork, music

9. Modifications to the content required to be learned

10. Always IEPs

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The term 'intellectual disability' refers to a group of conditions caused by various genetic disorders and infections. Intellectual disability is usually identified during childhood, and has an ongoing impact on an individual's development. Intellectual disability can be defined as a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and to cope independently including social functioning. As with all disability groups, there are many types of intellectual disability with varying degrees of severity. These include considerable differences in the nature and extent of the intellectual impairments and functional limitations, the causes of the disability, the personal background and social environment of the individual. Some people have genetic disorders that impact severely on their intellectual, social and other functional abilities. Others with mild intellectual impairment may develop adequate living skills and are able to lead relatively independent adult lives. Approximately 75 per cent of people with intellectual disability are only mildly affected, with 25 per cent moderately, severely or profoundly affected.

Impact of intellectual disability

The characteristics and impact of a person's intellectual disability will vary depending on the cause. There are a number of common characteristics that may have a significant impact on an individual's learning, including:

difficulty understanding new information

difficulties with communication and social skills

slow cognitive processing time

difficulty in the sequential processing of information

difficulties comprehending abstract concepts.

Austed discussions during 2014 highlighted the challenges that students with an intellectual disability can experience at university level. Students may cope well with the 'hands-on' components of post-secondary study, but find it difficult to understand complex information.

One strategy known to be successful is to integrate people with an intellectual disability by providing opportunities for auditing classes. Auditing is an approach whereby a person attends lectures in an award course for general interest (i.e. not for the purpose of completing the requirements of the award). Auditing does not include assessment, online learning material, or attendance at laboratory or tutorial classes. It can include access to the library and general campus facilities.

Teaching strategies

It is important to know that despite difficulties in a learning environment students with intellectual disability can and do have the capacity to acquire and use new information. There is a range of inclusive teaching strategies that can assist all students to learn but there are some specific strategies that are useful in teaching a group which includes students with intellectual disability:

Provide an outline of what will be taught - highlight key concepts and provide opportunities to practise new skills and concepts.

Provide reading lists well before the start of a course so that reading can begin early.

Consider tailoring reading lists and provide guidance to key texts. Allow work to be completed on an in-depth study of a few texts rather than a broad study of many.

Whenever you are introducing procedures or processes or giving directions, for example in a laboratory or computing exercise, ensure that stages or sequences are made clear and are explained in verbal as well as written form.

Students may benefit from using assistive technology.

Use as many verbal descriptions as possible to supplement material presented on blackboard or overhead

Use clear, succinct, straightforward language.

Reinforce learning by using real-life examples and environments.

Present information in a range of formats - handouts, worksheets, overheads, videos - to meet a diversity of learning styles.

Use a variety of teaching methods so that students are not constrained by needing to acquire information by reading only. Where possible, present material diagrammatically - in lists, flow charts, concept maps etc.

Keep diagrams uncluttered and use colour wherever appropriate to distinguish and highlight.

Ensure that lists of technical/professional jargon which students will need to learn are available early in the course.

Recording lectures will assist those students who have handwriting or coordination problems and those who write slowly as well as those who have a tendency to mishear or misquote.

Students will be more likely to follow correctly the sequence of material in a lecture if they are able to listen to the material more than once.

Wherever possible, ensure that key statements and instructions are repeated or highlighted in some way.

One-to-one tutoring in subjects may be important; this can include peer tutoring.

Students may benefit from having oral rather than written feedback on their written assignments.

It may be helpful for students with intellectual disability to have an individual orientation to laboratory equipment or computers to minimise anxiety.

Assessment strategies

Students with intellectual disability may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks. Once you have a clear picture of how the disability impacts on learning, you can consider alternative assessment strategies. In considering alternative forms of assessment, equal opportunity is not a guaranteed outcome, it is the objective. You are not expected to lower standards to accommodate students with disability but rather are required to give them a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned:

Allow extensions to assignment deadlines

Use technology to record students work, e.g. digital photography, tape and video.

Students may take longer to organise thoughts and sequence material. They will benefit from discussing their outlines, with particular attention being paid to appropriate relationships and connections between points.

Encourage the student to submit an early draft of assignments to allow the opportunity for feedback to the student as a formative process.

Students with an intellectual disability will need extra time in an examination for reading and analysing questions and for planning their answers. Some students will request that examination questions be read to them. Some students may prefer to dictate their answers to a scribe. They will need a venue which is quiet and distraction-free.

Keep short your written examination instructions and sentences within examination questions. Questions using bullet points, lists or distinct parts are more likely to be correctly interpreted.

Because students with intellectual disability find it difficult to read multiple choice questions in a way that allows them to appreciate subtle changes in the arrangement of words, short answer questions will be a better test of their knowledge.

Students may benefit from an exam timetable that features a number of days between exams to assist in exam preparation.

Many students with intellectual disability are chronic misspellers and use dictionaries only with great difficulty.

Resources

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The term 'intellectual disability' refers to a group of conditions caused by various genetic disorders and infections. Intellectual disability is usually identified during childhood, and has an ongoing impact on an individual's development. Intellectual disability can be defined as a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and to cope independently including social functioning.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain.

TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

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NIH

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Leading causes include falls, traffic accidents, assault, and being struck by or against an object.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability among children and young adults in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year an estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI.

Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain.

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1) Medical/ Neurological
speech, vision, or hearing impairments, decreased coordination, headaches, partial or full paralysis, and seizures

2) Cognitive
decreased attention and organizational skills, poor memory, and slowed information processing

3) Behavioral/ Emotional
depressed, distractibility, aggressive behavior, and low frustration level

4) Social Skills Development
difficulty maintaining relationships, insensitivity to other's feelings, and social isolation

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- provide repetition and consistency
- avoid figurative language
- provide rest breaks when needed
- have consistent routines
- keep the environment as distraction- free as possible
- give the student more time to finish school work and tests
- probe skill acquisition frequently and provide repeated practice
- give directions and one step at a time.
- provide written directions when there are many steps involved.

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Low Tech :
- Paper Organizer/ Calendar
(help keep track because struggles with organization skills)
- Magnification tool
(need to enlarge size because of vision problems)
- Checklists
(reminder because its difficult to transition between tasks)

Mid Tech:
- Wearable timer "WatchMinder"
(reminder for task because of memory loss)
- Label Maker
( label the contents to easily find and put away items)

High Tech:
- Word Prediction and Speech to Text software
(speech to text for those that have difficulty using their hands to type. example: "CO: Writer Universal") Smartphone/Tablet
(meet individual students needs. examples: Audible, Behavior Tracker Pro, Breathe2Relax, Clear Record Premium, Concussion Recognition & Response, Dragon Diction, Evernote, ICE, SoundAmp, Today Screen)

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There are so many assistive technology (AT) devices available to help compensate for lost or diminished abilities due to brain injury, it is hard to know where to start. Today I thought we would address the area of memory loss and talk about just 10 items to get you started on your quest. Remember this list is not exhaustive! In addition, a consultation with an assistive technology specialist is recommended to help match abilities/needs to the available AT devices. For more information, please contact IPAT or your state's AT program for an assistive technology specialist near you.

1. Wearable Timers $10-$15

A simple wearable timer such as the Polder manual timer or the digital Kitchen Clip Timer can eliminate "setting and forgetting" such as the stove or running a bath. To clarify things even further for those who can still write, indicate why the timer was set on the back of the timer with a post-it note or dry erase marker.

The WatchMinder 3 provides up to 30 vibrating reminder alarms with a text message that can be personalized to fit the task. For example at 1pm an alarm may go off that says "take med", at 2pm it says "dentist", 3pm "journal", at 5pm it says "call home". It is now waterproof and allows for repeat snooze alarms. The company also just put out a new app (iOS $1.99).

A SmartPen syncs audio recordings with any markings on special Dot Paper. It allows one to go back and touch those images or words on the paper and playback what was said when they were created, right on the pen itself. The ability to read and write is not required; any kind of mark or drawing on the page will do.

A person who has difficulty remembering and writing down verbal directions, to do lists, and shopping lists may benefit from this or similar technologies. This pen can even be used to create a talking calendar.

4 & 5. Schedule/To-do list Apps

There are many smart phone apps available to help remember when and where you have to be and what you have to do. Many are low or no cost.

Any.do offers a full featured to do list, which I talked about last year and recently released a companion calendar app. Look for a new mail and memo app to come soon. These are free and work on iOS, Android and Chrome.

Google Keep is a very simple free app that allows for quick capture of typed, photo and voice reminders. You can set alarms for "Morning", Noon" or Night" or a specific time. It also provides a simple to do list and comes with a widget that you can keep on your home page of your phone. It syncs with your google account and can be accessed on your computer as well.

PEAT, as Trish describes in her blog post, is an android app that provides cueing, scheduling, to-do lists and task analysis. It allows you to integrate audio recordings, photos, and text to design a system that is tailored to the individual's needs. For example, put in a reminder to brush teeth and integrate a step-by-step procedure with pictures on how to complete that tooth brushing task.

It is different than other apps in that it monitors performance and adjusts the schedule if needed. Check out this news story to learn more about the app and exciting future developments.

7. Photo Dialing Apps

There are several apps available for both Android and iOS that help you create a set of one touch pictures to dial individuals directly. Here are two of them.

8. Journaling Apps

Keeping a paper memory diary, a popular aid for people with brain injuries, can get kind of bulky. One solution is to keep a journal on a smartphone or tablet instead, which also reduces the number of items to remember each day.

There are many journaling apps available that can help you. One example is the free S-Note app that is native to the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones and tablets. S-Note allows one to integrate photos, web clippings, audio recordings, video, text, and even handwriting with the built-in stylus. Save the entries by name, and they will be searchable. Worried about losing the S-Pen? There is a slot in the device for storage and an alarm that will warn you if the phone separates from the pen.

9. Smart Watches (price varies)

"I need a smartphone to remember my life, but I cannot remember to bring my smartphone!" If this applies to you, a smart watch might help. Although these watches are expensive and may seem gimmicky, they could be the one device that helps you remember all of the rest. There are many smart watches on the market and each vary in features. The following features could be very helpful with memory loss:

Notifications if your smartphone gets out of range;

Phone Finder and Watch Finder;

Notifications for calls, texts, and alarms;

Water resistant, so you don't have to take it off as much (if necessary); and

Long battery life.

The Pebble Smart Watches have all of these features and more. The free Pebble xTime app vibrates twice and "Bluetooth connection lost" flashes on the screen to notify you that your smartphone is out of range. The Phone Pebble Finder is free to find your phone and for $1.99 in-app purchase you can use the phone to locate your Pebble Watch.

Make a "memory recipe" with the IFTTT (If This Then That) app as Trish talks about in her blog. This free iOS/Android app allows one to create an automatic reaction for many of the triggers in our lives reducing the memory load and time. For example, if you leave a certain area such as your work environment, you can set up an IFTTT "recipe" to send a text message, notifying your loved one. You can also set up another "recipe" to unmute your phone when work is done, so you can hear it ring once you arrive home-which I always forget to do!

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Brain Injury and Assistive Technology: 10 Devices for Memory Loss - North Dakota Assistive

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There are so many assistive technology (AT) devices available to help compensate for lost or diminished abilities due to brain injury, it is hard to know where to start. Today I thought we would address the area of memory loss and talk about just 10 items to get you started on your quest.

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This device can help express thoughts, practice speech, and regain independence.

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AAC Devices for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

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A speech or language impairment refers to a communication disorder that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. This may encompass conditions such as fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering), articulation disorders, language impairments, or voice disorders.

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A speech or language impairment refers to a communication disorder that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. This may encompass conditions such as fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering), articulation disorders, language impairments, or voice disorders.

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- Carl Hoopingarner

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“Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorder.3 million+ Americans stutter.Approximately 9.4 million adults report having a problem using their voice that lasted one week or longer.Approximately 2 million Americans suffer from aphasia.” Link to source below:

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“Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorder.3 million+ Americans stutter.Approximately 9.4 million adults report having a problem using their voice that lasted one week or longer.Approximately 2 million Americans suffer from aphasia.” Link to source below:

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- Carl Hoopingarner

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About ASHA

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 228,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

Members: 228,000

President: Robert M. Augustine

Chief Executive Officer: Vicki R. Deal-Williams

Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland

Founded: 1925

Designations: Honors, Fellow
Publications:
Annual Convention: ASHA Convention

Speech & Language Disorders

Speech disorders occur when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with their voice. Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language) or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings completely (expressive language).

Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems.
Quick Facts:

Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing

Nearly half of U.S. children ages 3-17 with a voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorder have not received intervention services in the past year.

3 million+ Americans stutter.

Approximately 9.4 million adults report having a problem using their voice that lasted one week or longer.

Approximately 2 million Americans suffer from aphasia.

Hearing Loss & Disorders

Hearing loss is determined by three categories:

Audiologists are healthcare professionals who provide patient-centered care in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment of hearing, balance, and other auditory disorders for people of all ages.
Quick Facts:

Approximately 37.5 million Americans report having some trouble hearing.

More than half (51%) of all adults report having hearing problems, but only 11% have sought treatment.

An estimated 12.5 of children in the U.S. ages 6 to 19 show evidence of noise-induced hearing loss.

Approximately 26 million Americans, ages 20-69, have a hearing loss.

The risk of dementia may be up to five times greater and the risk of falling three times greater among people with untreated hearing loss.

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Facts about The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

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1. Assisted listening devices 2. Augmentative and Alternative communication devices 3. Speech recognition software 4. Speech-to-text software 5. Text-to-speech software 6. Alerting devices like baby monitors, fire alarms and doorbells. 

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1. Assisted listening devices 2. Augmentative and Alternative communication devices 3. Speech recognition software 4. Speech-to-text software 5. Text-to-speech software 6. Alerting devices like baby monitors, fire alarms and doorbells. 

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- Carl Hoopingarner

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An expanding literature base indicates the incidence and prevalence of emotional/behavioral problems in young children is increasing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS') 1999 report, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, estimates that at least one in five (20%) children and adolescents has a mental health disorder at some point in their life from childhood to adolescence.¹ At least one in 10 (10%), or about 6 million people, has a serious emotional disturbance at some point in their life.¹

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Estimating the Prevalence of Early Childhood Serious Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Challenges and Recommendations

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1.Offer the student up to three options and ask them to choose only one.

2. Previewing

Activate knowledge from the previous lesson by asking students reflective questions, then set intentions for your current lesson.

3. Mnemonic instruction

Use this memory-enhancing tool to teach students how to link new information to prior knowledge so that they easily retain specific information.

4. Adjust task difficulty

Adjust the difficulty of math problems to suit your learners’ capabilities.

5. Personalized system of instructionn

6. Interval duration during reading sessions

Adjust the amount of time between a student reading a word and the next word’s presentation, e.g., about five seconds.

7. Life space interviewing

This crisis intervention technique entails discussing the student’s negative behavior when the problem occurs.

8. Story mapping

Create a visual depiction of the setting, order of significant events, and character actions in a story before reading. This procedure helps to enhance student comprehension.

9. Individual curricular modification

Regularly administer behavioral assessments and use the results to determine the best instructional and curricular variables for different students when it comes to, for instance, assignment completion.

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9 Effective Teaching Strategies for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

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Children are the beacon of hope for our future. Their mental health and emotional well-being are the very foundation upon which future success and happiness are built.

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Assistive Technology for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

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Assistive Technology for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

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Assistive Technology for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

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Students with EBD Other common characteristics and behaviors include: Hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness) Aggression or self-injurious behavior (acting out, fighting) Withdrawal (failure to initiate interaction with others; retreat from exchanges of social

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Developmental Delay: means a disability affecting a child aged two (by September 30) to six, inclusive (age two up to age seven), who is experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, adaptive development, or has an established physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delays.

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Developmental delays are common in childhood, occurring in 10%–15% of preschool children. Recent estimates in the United States show that about one in six, or about 17%, of children aged 3 through 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/about.html

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Recent estimates in the United States show that about one in six, or about 17%, of children aged 3 through 17 years have a one or more developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. These conditions begin during the developmental period, may impact day-to-day functioning, and usually last throughout a person's lifetime. 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is part of a larger group of public and private organizations working to better understand developmental disabilities.

CDC is undertaking efforts to:

Study how common developmental disabilities are, who is more likely to have them, and whether their occurrence is changing over time.

Identify factors that can put children at risk for developmental disabilities and explore possible causes.

Improve identification of developmental delays so children and families can get the services and support they need as early as possible.

Determining How Many People Have Developmental Disabilities-Tracking

By tracking the number of children with developmental disabilities over time, we at CDC can find out whether the number is rising, dropping, or staying the same. We also can compare the number of children with developmental disabilities in different parts of the country and look at the different traits or features of children with developmental disabilities, including their demographic, socioeconomic, and birth and maternal characteristics. This information can help us look for risk factors and possible causes for developmental disabilities and can better inform prevention programs and policy development. These data also can help communities to plan for services and respond to the needs of families.
Learn more about tracking "
Understanding Risk Factors and Causes-Research

For some developmental disabilities, we know the risk factors and causes. For many others, we do not. Research can help us fill in these gaps. Understanding the factors that can place a child at greater risk for developmental disabilities will help us learn more about the causes of developmental disabilities, shape prevention efforts, and develop effective treatments.

CDC currently is funding and collaborating on the Study to Explore Early Development ( SEED), one of the largest U.S. studies to help identify factors that may put children at risk for autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. We also are exploring risk factors for and investigating causes of developmental disabilities through other national and international collaborations.
Learn more about research "
Promoting Early Identification of Developmental Disabilities

We naturally think of a child's growth as height and weight, but from birth through 5 years, a child should reach milestones in how he or she plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. A delay in any of these areas could be a sign of a developmental disability.

Through the " Learn the Signs. Act Early." program, CDC and its partners aim to improve early identification of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities by promoting developmental monitoring, so children and families can get the services and support they need.

References

1. Zablotsky B, Black LI, Maenner MJ, Schieve LA, Danielson ML, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Kogan MD, Boyle CA. Prevalence and Trends of Developmental Disabilities among Children in the US: 2009-2017. Pediatrics. 2019; 144(4):e20190811.

2. Developmental Disabilities: Delivery of Medical Care for Children and Adults. I. Leslie Rubin and Allen C. Crocker. Philadelphia, Pa, Lea & Febiger, 1989.

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national center on developmental disabilities and developmental disabilities

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CDC's Work on Developmental Disabilities | CDC

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CDC works to identify causes of Developmental Disabilities and opportunities to prevent them. By applying a public health approach incorporating three essential elements-surveillance or disease tracking, research to identify causes, and prevention research and programs-we can rapidly translate scientific findings into appropriate public health interventions.

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Audiobooks
One of the areas where many students with this diagnosis fall behind is in literacy and reading. Teachers have several tools at their disposal to make reading more accessible for children who struggle to make sense of words. Audiobooks are frequently recommended as an alternative to traditional reading. For younger children, teachers can use the AbleNet Bookworm to transform any book into an audiobook. Older kids might appreciate a better variety of stories found on subscription websites like Audible.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FauUZhQXNNo

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having difficulty in making certain sounds and/or talking in a very soft voice

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FauUZhQXNNo

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Orthopedic Impairment:  A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a student’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (for example, club foot, absence of some member), impairments caused by disease (for example, poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (such as, cerebral palsy, amputations, fractures or burns that cause contractures, etc.).

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According to the U.S. Department of Education, Orthopedic Impairments represent approximately 1.0 percent of all students having a classification in special education.

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special seating arrangements, larger tables;

note-taking assistance;

instruction focused on impairments in and the improvement of gross and fine motor skills;

securing assistive technology and augmentative communication devices;

extended time to complete assignments, and;

teacher awareness of student’s condition and its affect (such as tiring easily).

Assistive technology devices help students with various levels of severity of orthopedic impairment. These devices enable access to the educational curriculum and may include one or more of the following:

speech recognition software;

alternative keyboards and mice;

augmentative and alternative communication devices;

word prediction software;

screen reading software, and;

academic software for students with disabilities.

AEC600/WC262: Teaching Students with Disabilities: Orthopedic Impairment (ufl.edu)

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According to the U.S. Departnment of Education, visual impairment includes blindness or another condition which impacts the eyesight of a student to an extent that has an impact on their access to education.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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Sec. 300.8 (c) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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Statute/Regs Main » Regulations » Part B » Subpart A » Section 300.8 » c (c) Definitions of disability terms. The terms used in this definition of a child with a disability are defined as follows: (1) (i) Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communicat…

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According to the Center for Desease Control in the U.S., 3% of children under 18 years old have a visual impairment.

According to the WHO, 1 billion people have moderate to severe visual impairment, i.e. 0.125 percent. This number includes the entire population and does not specifically isolate children under 18 years old.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment

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Fast Facts of Common Eye Disorders | CDC

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Assistive technologies and Accomodations 

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Assistive technologies and Accomodations 

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1. High-tech
Text - to - speech software or devices. For example, JAWS screen reader (https://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/software/JAWS/), Kurzweil Education (https://www.kurzweiledu.com/default.html), refreshable Braille displays (https://www.afb.org/node/16207/refreshable-braille-displays)
2. Low-tech
magnifying glasses, larger font, different paper
3. Assistive technologies to help with orientation
guide dogs, canes

Sources: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=526852&p=3602299 and https://qiat.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/TEBO_VI_Resource_Guide.pdf

I though this guide "A Resource Guide to
Assistive Technology for
Students with Visual Impairment" (https://qiat.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/TEBO_VI_Resource_Guide.pdf) was a great resource as it recommends different assistive technologies by subject group.

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JAWS, Job Access With Speech, is the world's most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. JAWS provides speech and Braille output for the most popular computer applications on your PC.

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According to research, Other Health Impairment covers a variety of conditions, diseases, disorders, and injuries that substantially affect a student's strength, vitality, or alertness. Examples would be: heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, arthritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, and Tourette syndrome. These health problems would affect a student's educational performance.

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According to the U.S. Department of Education, Other Health Impairments represent approximately 15% percent of all students having a classification in special education.

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Computer-based instruction and distance learning are good alternatives for students with health problems that make regular class attendance difficult. Here is a list of accommodations for students who have health impairments:

- speech recognition computer input devices
- recorded class sessions
- assignments available in electronic format
- ergonomic keyboards
- email correspondence
- alternative testing arrangements
- etc.