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https://www.fhi360.org/projects/family-center-technology-and-disability%E2%80%93ii-fctd

https://www.air.org/project/center-technology-and-disability

https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/assistive-technology-helps-students-with-disabilities-keep-up-in-school/

https://www.mobilitypluscolorado.com/blog/how-does-electric-wheelchair-work

https://harboraudiology.com/2020/06/how-do-hearing-aids-work/

https://axesslab.com/what-is-a-screen-reader/#:~:text=A%20screen%20reader%20is%20an,elements%20into%20speech%20or%20braille.

https://affectautism.com/2021/05/29/aacqs/

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- A child with limited sight would have been excluded from many learning activities just 15 years ago. Relegated to large-print books and unable to read classroom handouts, unless specially printed, children with low vision often were left in the dark.

But for students such as local third-grader Miles Buchan, technology now exists - and is present in the Steamboat Springs School District - to help children with disabilities read and write every line of their curriculum.

Gov. Bill Ritter has declared this week "Assistive Technology Awareness Week" for the state, bringing attention to devices that are used to "increase, maintain, or

improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."

When Marcia Martin began her job as assistive technology coordinator for the Northwest Colorado Board of Cooperative Services, or BOCES, six years ago, there were more than 30,000 devices classified as assistive technology, she said.

Ranging from over-sized pencil grips to the newest touch-screen computer capabilities, any type of adaptation used to help students falls into the category.

Working for BOCES, Martin provides resources to seven school districts, including all three in Routt County. Martin said the technologies most often used are adaptations of everyday software, including features built into operating systems to increase contrast and zoom, read back written text and provide voice-recognition software.

"Almost anything you can think of that someone would need to learn is probably assistive technology," she said.

Martin works with about 25 to 30 students on personalized technology in the BOCES district, but she said many teachers use devices on their own.

"I would say that for almost every student who is receiving some sort of special education services, their teacher is using some sort of assistive technology, whether their teacher consulted with me or not," she said.

Miles, a third-grader at Strawberry Park Elementary School, is affected with albinism, leaving him with very little pigmentation in his skin and eyes and poor eyesight. To help him see his schoolwork he uses a $2,300 magnifying camera system to help him read, write and perform everyday tasks.

Like a magnifying glass on steroids, the camera can zoom in and out on the National Geographic for Kids magazine Miles was reading last week to give him a clear view of creepy, crawly creatures. The camera also can switch to high-contrast or reverse modes, showing the words as white on a black background to help them stand out to Miles' eyes.

Assisting him one day a week is Robin Bremner, a teacher of the visually impaired for 26 years.

"He really is a good writer and quite an artist," Bremner said of Miles. "Because of the assistive technology, we are able to keep him in the classroom with the rest of the kiddos."

Miles showed off his camera display, which Martin says makes him a popular group-mate in the class.

"My hand looks ugly under here," he said as he zoomed in on his pores.

BOCES has no set budget for the assistive technology, but Martin said she has had no requests denied so far. The money comes from grants and dues paid by the districts. The districts also pay for some of the technology, especially software programs, on their own.

Martin said the assistive technology has increased the quality of education for a wide range of students.

"What I did before I had (computers) was largely akin to tutoring. The advent of technology in the schools had just opened countless doors," she said. "Students who had a very hard time with their handwriting can sit at a keyboard and type : and they're just thrilled."

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Assistive technology helps students with disabilities keep up in school

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A child with limited sight would have been excluded from many learning activities just 15 years ago. Relegated to large-print books and unable to read classroom handouts, unless specially printed, children with low vision often were left in the dark.

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Differentiated Instruction is important in the classroom as it allows all kinds of students with all different methods of learning to excel. In the modern classroom, there has been a focus to teach one specific way, be it at the teacher's convenience or the preferred corporatized teaching method, and we know it has major downsides on how students learn. Not every student process information from reading in the same way, like an auditory learner, may grasp information easier in an audiobook. Differentiated Instruction as its primary goal seeks to find these methods for individual students and allow them to use whatever method suits them to learn.

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The importance of AT to the classroom comes with the ability to assist those with different disabilities, such as blindness, impaired hearing, physical disabilities, and difficulties communicating excel in the classroom. Without assistive technology, students may lag behind, or generally be unable to participate in the educative process.

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https://en.bigbyteedu.com/news/blog/learner-kinds-and-the-best-learning-strategies

https://prezi.com/oav3qtcg-p8v/differentiation-instruction/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

https://www.solutiontree.com/blog/adapting-instruction-through-differentiation/

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Teaching and Learning Strategies for Differentiated Instruction

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Examples of devices which would be AT:
AAC devices
Screen readers
Hearing aids
Electric wheelchairs
Screen magnifiers

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Assistive technology is any piece of technology used to assist people with disabilities. This can be something that physically assists someone such as a wheelchair, or something such as a screen reader. It can be something as cheap and inexpensive as a grippy to something which costs hundreds.

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Differentiated Instruction is the method of teaching which takes into account the various methods which might help an individual student accel academically. Teachers must take into account these various methods and tailor them to meet students' needs. Some students may learn better hands-on, some might process reading better audibly, and some might require visual stimuli to assist the learning process.

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Different methods would be

Kinesthetic - Learning through physical activity.

Auditory - Learning through vocals, hearing, and listening.

Visual - Learning through visual stimuli, what you see, or read.