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Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired Persons

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Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired Persons

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Lovancy Ingram

Screen readers are software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech
synthesizer or braille display.

Blindness cane -  Blindness canes are used by people with low or no vision in order to navigate unfamiliar environments. People typically learn how to use blindness canes from orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists

Computers can be used as assistive technology in the classroom for displaying accessible assignments and allowing students to take notes that they can read.

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What services are available for people with intellectual disability?

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What services are available for people with intellectual disability?

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For babies and toddlers, early intervention programs are available. A team of professionals works with parents to write an Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP. This document outlines the child’s specific needs and what services will help the child thrive. Early intervention may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, family counseling, training with special assistive devices, or nutrition services.

School-age children with intellectual disabilities (including preschoolers) are eligible for special education for free through the public school system. This is mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Parents and educators work together to create an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, which outlines the child’s needs and the services the child will receive at school. The point of special education is to make adaptations, accommodations, and modifications that allow a child with an intellectual disability to succeed in the classroom.

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Accommodations for Visually Impaired Persons

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Accommodations for Visually Impaired Persons

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Lovancy Ingram

-Audiotaped, brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts.

-Verbal descriptions of visual aids.

-Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials.

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Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following accommodations are typical for a student with blindness:

Audiotaped, Brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts

Verbal descriptions of visual aids

Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials

Braille lab signs and equipment labels; auditory lab warning signals

Adaptive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)

Computer with optical character reader, voice output, Braille screen display and printer output

For more information about accommodations for students with disabilities, consult Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities or view the video by the same title. For information about adaptive technology for students who are blind, consult Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments or view this video by the same title.

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What are typical accommodations for students with blindness? | DO-IT

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Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following accommodations are typical for a student with blindness: Audiotaped, Brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts Verbal descriptions of v…

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Intellectual disability and scientific research: from diagnosis to treatment

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Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. These areas are:

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Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. These areas are:

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Intellectual functioning. Also known as IQ, this refers to a person’s ability to learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems.

Adaptive behaviors. These are skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care of oneself.

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sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children

learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking

find it hard to remember things

have trouble understanding social rules

have trouble seeing the results of their actions

have trouble solving problems

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Other techniques to use in the classroom

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Other techniques to use in the classroom

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Support the student’s inclusion. - Emotional disturbances, by their very nature, can make it difficult for people to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships. You can support the student with an emotional disturbance in subtle but meaningful ways, especially during group work, cooperative learning activities, peer interactions, and team projects. There may also be times to let the student work alone, take a break, or have a hall pass for some quiet time apart.

Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class. - Students with emotional disturbances are frequently the targets (rather than the initiators) of other students’ misbehaviors. Having a stated, explicit classroom management plan provides a solid structure by which both teacher and students can address inappropriate behavior, understand consequences, and develop a shared approach to behavior in class and toward one another. This IRIS training module may help you set up such a plan.

Recognize the student's accomplishments. - Some students benefit from working toward a tangible goal on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. With a bonus points system, students earn points that can be saved up and cashed in for rewards at a later time. When designing a point system for students with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems, it is important to design the task and its time frame to fit the points. If the payoff is too far into the future, the student may give up on the task. Students may also be encouraged to record their progress on a chart or record sheet that enables them to see their progress toward the goal.

Encourage organization and routine. - Teach students to keep track of their assignments, grades, and targeted behaviors using reminders such as assignment sheets, daily schedules and to-do lists. Help students manage their time by establishing routines for making transitions between lessons, getting and putting away materials, and requesting assistance. Students can have cue cards on their desk or notebook to serve as visual cues for transition steps. Provide time-management reminders, such as 10-, 5-, or 2-minute warnings before clean-up time, to establish time limitations for completing work.

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Accommodations for Hard of Hearing Persons

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Accommodations for Hard of Hearing Persons

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Lovancy Ingram

Sign Language interpretation
Assistive Listening Devices and Systems
Cued Transliteration
Oral Transliteration
Speech-to-Text and Captioning Services

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No two Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals are completely alike - the accommodations that prove useful for one may not work for others due to variations in hearing levels, identity, and communication preferences. When immersed in a new culture, it can be challenging for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to experience new accents, languages, and listening environments.

Whether you're a Deaf of Hard of Hearing individual looking into accommodations for international exchange or an international exchange professional looking to support a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual on a program, learn more about the most commonly used accommodations in international exchange here.

Sign Language Interpretation

In the U.S., the most common sign language interpretation is American Sign Language (ASL), which uses hands, arms, head, facial expression and body language to facilitate full communication. American Sign Language is a full and distinct language that is not the same as written or spoken English. It uses a different syntax, vocabulary and grammar structure.

Just as there is ASL in the U.S., there exist many distinct local and national sign languages in other countries that can be dramatically different depending on the language's origins. International Deaf visitors to the U.S. with limited or no experience with ASL may sometimes choose to work with a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI). Certified Deaf Interpreters are Deaf or Hard of Hearing interpreters who use ASL as a native language and can serve as a communication bridge between a hearing ASL interpreter and a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual with limited ASL experience.

Signed Exact English (SEE) is another interpretation style that some Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may prefer. It is different from ASL in that written or spoken English is interpreted in a word-for-word manner and does not incorporate the nuanced syntax and grammatical structures of ASL.

Sign language interpretation can be provided in person or remotely via video remote interpreting (VRI) or video relay system (VRS).

Speech-to-Text and Captioning Services

Several major speech-to-text/captioning services include Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), Typewell, and C-Print. CART provides instant verbatim captioning, which is often especially useful in foreign language courses. Typewell and C-Print provide "meaning-for-meaning" captions, which relay the meaning of what is being said, but do not provide word-for-word interpretation.

Speech-to-text/captioning services can be provided on-site or remotely.

Assistive Listening Devices and Systems

Assistive listening systems are useful in reducing background noise and amplifying speakers or other important sounds directly to a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual. Assistive listening systems use a microphone to capture sounds and then transmit these directly to an individual. Types of systems include:

FM systems that use frequencies similar to ones used on commercial FM radios

Infrared systems that use infrared light to transmit auditory signals

Induction loop systems a magnetic field to transmit sounds

There are different options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to connect to FM, infrared and other assistive listening systems. These may include using:

Earphones for those who don't wear hearing aids, or that are worn over an assistive listening device such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant processor

Patch cords (short wires with a plug at each end) that are plugged directly into a personal assistive listening device

Hearing aid or cochlear implant settings or external pieces that allow an individual to connect to a specific system (e.g., an FM boot, a Telecoil switch)

Oral Transliteration

In this case, a transliterator in positioned within close view of a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual and inaudibly repeats spoken content to make it as speechreadable to the individual as possible. An Oral Transliterator may also "voice over" or verbally convey what a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person is communicating.

Cued Language Transliteration

Cued speech is a visual communication system that combines mouth movements related to speech with visual cues (different handshapes and locations) to convey different syllables. Cued Language Transliterators do not "interpret" because cued speech is not a language. Rather, Cued Language Transliterators convert words into exact visual cues.

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Through the use of a variety of accommodations, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals participate fully in a variety of international exchange experiences. No individual is completely alike - the accommodations that prove useful for one individual may not be relevant to others due to variations in hearing levels, identity, and communication preferences.

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A great article discussing accommodations and modifications in the classroom for emotional behavioral disorders

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A great article discussing accommodations and modifications in the classroom for emotional behavioral disorders

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The following is a list of needs and modifications to help a child with an emotional behavioral disorder, EBD, find success in all environments.

Need 1:

Kids with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder may have difficulty establishing a variety of relationships
Modification:

Set up goals aimed at social interactions

Use role-playing situations

Use seating arrangement to encourage social interaction.

Need 2:

Children with an emotional behavioral disorder often have skewed views of their long term possibilities and desires
Modification:

Include students with EBD in the planning process and IEP, so they can visual and voice their goals.

It can also help for them to note the goals it will take to get there.

Need 3:

Children with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder are often achieving academically below their non-disabled peers in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Modification:

Set up personalized goals and strategies, so that the child can find success.

Early detection and intervention is the best strategy

Children with Emotional Behavior Disorders may present extra challenges to caregiver in forms of outbursts and disobedience. The caregiver cannot give into this as it only validates the child's behavior. Instead caregiver needs to challenge students to keep them learning new skills

Need 4:

Children with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder may appear easily distracted, less attentive, and have poor concentration
Modification:

Set clear rules and expectations with visual stimulating material.

By setting up an environment and materials that are stimulating, children can stay more engaged and interested.

Need 5:

Children with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder may be dishonest, blame others, manipulate situations, and bully others
Modification:

Clearly post rules

Stay consistent in expectations

Set limits and Boundaries

Use behavior contracts

Use a highly structured environment

Develop a cue word for the child to note inappropriate behavior

Need 6:

Students with Emotional Behavioral disorders are often truant from school and disruptive when present
Modification:

Communicate with parents, so similar strategies and expectations are used at home

Need 7:

Kids with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder often have low-self esteem, high stress points, and may engage in self-injurious behaviors
Modification:

Establish a quiet cool off area

Teach self-talk to relieve stress and anxiety

Teach and put in place self-monitoring and self-control techniques

Provide time for relaxation techniques

Be aware of your speech and non-verbal cues when talking to the student

Related Articles to 'Emotional Behavioral Disorder: Accommodations and Modifications'
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Quick Break Down Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Definitions and Challenges

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The following is a list of needs and modifications to help a child with an emotional behavioral disorder, EBD, find success in all environments. Need 1: Kids with an Emotional Behavioral Disorder may have difficulty establishing a variety of relationships Modification: Set up goals aimed at social interactions Use role-playing situations Use seating arrangement to encourage social interaction.

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Article about students struggles in the classroom

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Article about students struggles in the classroom

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Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Teachers must be able to identify students struggling with emotional or behavioral disorders to take appropriate action. Learn to identify some of…

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This is another umbrella term used to refer to severe mental disorders that caused abnormal thinking and perceptions. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false belief, hallucinations are false perceptions. Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder there are others as well.

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OCD is actually considered an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by recurrent unwanted thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors.

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Assistive Equipment and Tech for Hearing Impaired Persons

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Assistive Equipment and Tech for Hearing Impaired Persons

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Lovancy Ingram

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.

Apps- Can turn a smartphone or tablet into a signaler, assistive listening device, accessible telephone device or caption viewer. Apps from hearing aid manufacturers and smart home technology devices can provide both alerts and remote controls.

TY (or TDD)-Telephone device with a keyboard and a text display screen. Users communicate over the telephone by typing and reading their conversations.

Captioning- Subtitles in various formats. Often used in conjunction with TV, live performances or events, etc.

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Eating disorders are characterized by extremes and eating behavior— either too much or too little— or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape. This includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating.

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Conduct disorder refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in young people. Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way. This may include aggression to people/animals, distruction of property, lying or stealing, truancy or other serious violations of rules.

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Also known as a manic depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a serious medical condition that causes dramatic mood swings from overly high and/or irritable too sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between.

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Anxiety can be excessive, persistence, seemingly uncontrollable, and overwhelming. An irrational fear of every day situations may be involved. This high level of anxiety is a definite warning sign that a person may have an anxiety disorder.

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1. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors.
2. An inability to build/maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
3. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
4. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated personal or school problems (this includes schizophrenia). This does not apply to children who might be socially maladjusted unless they have an emotional disturbance.

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Assistive Technology for Hearing Impairment

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Assistive Technology for Hearing Impairment

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Assistive listening devices (ALDs) help amplify the sounds you want to hear. 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.

Hearing loop (or induction loop) systems use electromagnetic energy to transmit sound.  Amplified sound travels through the loop and creates an electromagnetic field that is picked up directly by receiver that is built into many hearing aids and cochlear implants.

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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.

This logo informs people that a public
area is looped.

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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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.

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Specific Learning Disabilities Julio Carmona 

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Specific Learning Disabilities Julio Carmona 

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Knowing the Dyslexia:
Symptoms include- Delay in speech, Issues recalling or naming letters, numbers and colors, Misspells words , Difficulty with learning numbers, and Trouble learning.

Resources
Treatments:

There is no specified treatment for dyslexia but the child can be helped with tutoring by using apt educational approaches and techniques.

Self care: Encourage to recognize sounds, Read out simple words to help child recognize, Use pictures and videos to, help them learn, Work with visuals to express thoughts

Therapies: Psychotherapy

Causes

While the exact cause is unknown, possible risk factors are:

Family history, Premature birth or low birth weight of the baby, Exposure to alcohol or drugs such as nicotine during pregnancy and Infection that alters development of the brain in fetus.

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Specific Learning Disability Julio Carmona 

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Specific Learning Disability Julio Carmona 

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Assistive Technology
Speech Voice Recognition, Text to Speech, Mind Mapping, Touch Typing, Tablets, Apps and Handheld devices

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Specific Learning Disabilities Julio Carmona 

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Specific Learning Disabilities Julio Carmona 

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Assisting Specific Learning Disabilities

Screen all students for potential reading problems at the beginning of the year and again in the middle of the year.
Provide time for differentiated reading instruction for all students based on assessments of students’ current reading level. Provide intensive, systematic instruction on up to three foundational reading skills in small groups to students who score below the benchmark score on universal screening. Monitor the progress of tier 2 students at least once a month. Provide intensive instruction on a daily basis that promotes the development of the various components of reading proficiency to students who show minimal progress after reasonable time in tier 2 small group instruction (tier 3).

Accommodations
Allow students to access instructional materials in ways that do not require them to read standard print presented in a standard visual format: Verbal instructions, Repetition, audio format, larger prints and fewer item per page

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12- Brain Traumatic Injury- TBI Julio Carmona 

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12- Brain Traumatic Injury- TBI Julio Carmona 

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TBI Definition
Low incidence 0.4%.
Learning disorders (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia) are a group of disorders that inhibit the brain’s ability to receive, process, store, respond to, and communicate information. Most children with learning disorders have average to above-average intelligence but often process information differently than others, leading to issues in the classroom. Parents saw a 42% improvement, on average, in their child’s ability to learn in school after completing the Brain Balance program.

The unique symptoms your child is coping with may be able to improve through a unique combination of physical, sensory, and cognitive activities that help build stronger connections across different regions of the brain.

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Traumatic Brain Injury- TBI Julio Carmona

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Traumatic Brain Injury- TBI Julio Carmona

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TBI Resources and accommodations

Some accommodations to improve concentration include:
Have student sit near teacher in the classroom, Keep distractions to a minimum, Use peer note-takers,

Allow student to use a tape recorder, Provide assignments in writing, Teach in small groups.

Schedule classes when student’s attention is best, Focus student’s attention with verbal and nonverbal cues, Allow student to have frequent breaks.

Accommodations  teaching strategies for traumatic brain injury to improve executive function include:

Have student return homework in a specific place, Display, classroom schedule, Review daily routines with student.

Encourage student to use daily organizer when giving assignments., Encourage student to outline assignments, Break projects into steps.

When forming accommodations and teaching strategies for traumatic brain injury, remember to seek input from parents, special education staff, and others involved in the student’s recovery. Encourage other students to help their classmate with classroom activities and moving from one class to another. With consistency and positive support, the student can reach his maximum academic potential.

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Contributed by Katarzyna Blicharska

The nature of severe and multiple disabilities requires special education and related services from many educational team members and specialists including:

Occupational therapists

Behavioral therapists

Physical therapists

Speech and language therapists

Paraprofessionals and Educational Assistants

Common accommodations include:

Assigning Paraprofessional assistance

Adapting curriculum and differential instructions

Assisting with feeding and toileting

Assisting with dressing, eating and washing

Supervising during recess and breaks

Assisting with mobility

Taking notes for students, applying assistive technology

Focus on activities that can be engaged in by all students without modifications

Multilevel curriculum instruction-differentiated instructions

Curriculum overlapping

Special Healthcare adaptations: respiratory support, intravenous nutritional support, breathing support.

National Center for Learning Disabilities

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Julio Carmona

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Julio Carmona

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Assistive Technology for TBI

For some individuals, reading a clock with hands may be difficult. An alternative choice may be a digital clock displayed in clear view. A Talking Clock and Talking Calendar will announce the time of day and date aloud with the push of a button, and can be accessed as many times as the individual needs the information. For those needing reminders across environments, talking watches with date and time features are also available.

A checklist may be used to help remind a person to complete certain tasks. For example, a daily checklist placed inside the door to a home may include reminders like, “take house key”, “turn off iron” and “lock front door”. Home-made labels can also help people remember the contents of a drawer or closet and can be made using words or pictures.

Devices

Small voice recorders on keychains or message recorders can be pre-recorded with reminder messages including appointments, telephone numbers, grocery lists, or prescription refills. Slightly more elaborate memo recorders, like the Voice Cue have clocks and alarms that can be programmed to make specific announcements, some at the same times each day of the week. When set ahead of time, a device called the Watch Minder® can remind a person to do specific tasks like “call home” or “go to work”.

Handheld microcomputers, such as the Palm Pilot ®, use touch screen capability and allow an individual to easily input, save, and retrieve notes, telephone numbers, dates and daily reminders, and to-do lists. A built-in calendar displays the entire month at a glance while cursor controls allow scrolling from day-to-day or month-to month.

The Visual Assistant is a handheld microcomputer that provides task-prompting support by providing digital pictures, along with custom recorded audio messages that provide step-by-step instructions.

The Ultra Key Seeker beeps and flashes to assist in locating lost keys. A vibrating alarm clock called the Shake Awake® can be placed inside a pillowcase or under the mattress to assist with varied sleep patterns, such as insomnia and reversed sleep-wake schedules.

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Severe and Multiple Disabilities Educational Placement Considerations.

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Severe and Multiple Disabilities Educational Placement Considerations.

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Contributed by Katarzyna Blicharska

The optimal educational placement of students with multiple or severe disabilities is determined by the case conference team who considers priorities of the student, the family, the medical needs and peer-support concern to design the best environment for the student.
At times, inclusive placement is not possible and a self-contained classroom is designated as the most optimal setting. The term “self-contained classroom” refers to a classroom, where a special education teacher is responsible for the instruction of all academic subjects.
The classroom is typically separated from general education classrooms but located within the school.
Depending on individual ability, the students can join their peers for lunch, recess and campus activities.

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 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Julio Carmona

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 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Julio Carmona

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Understanding TBI
Physical disabilities:

Individuals with TBI may have problems speaking, seeing, hearing, and using their other senses. They may have headaches and feel tired a lot. They may also have trouble with skills such as writing or drawing. Their muscles may suddenly contract or tighten (this is called spasticity). They may also have seizures. Their balance and walking may also be affected. They may be partly or completely paralyzed on one side of the body, or both sides.

Difficulties with thinking:

Because the brain has been injured, it is common that the person's ability to use the brain changes. For example, children with TBI may have trouble with short-term memory (being able to remember something from one minute to the next, like what the teacher just said). They may also have trouble with their long-term memory (being able to remember information from a while ago, like facts learned last month). People with TBI may have trouble concentrating and only be able to focus their attention for a short time. They may think slowly. They may have trouble talking and listening to others. They may also have difficulty with reading and writing, planning, understanding the order in which events happen (called sequencing), and judgment.

Social, behavioral, or emotional problems:

These difficulties may include sudden changes in mood, anxiety, and depression. Children with TBI may have trouble relating to others. They may be restless and may laugh or cry a lot. They may not have much motivation or much control over their emotions.

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Contribution by Katarzyna Blicharska

Assistive technology is any kind of software, equipment, or product that helps a disabled individual learn, improve or maintain specific functional capabilities.
Technology is crucial in helping students access education.

Most common categories of Assistive Technologies are:

Learning

Mobility

Verbal Communication

Hand and Finger Dexterity

Cognitive Memory

Hearing

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a great resource for both employers and educators.

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Contribution by Katarzyna Blicharska

Many of the medical conditions are unpredictable in nature. Flexibility, creativity as well as contingency planning are necessary for student success.
Student's health, wellbeing and safety take the precedence.
Some of the most common accommodations include:

Clear and highly organized contents, materials, outlines and task assignments.

Planners and timelines that set agenda for extended periods of time like a mid quarter, quarter or semester.

Providing materials through digital media: google classroom, emails or hard copy mail in/pick up for guardians.

Providing recorded lectures and sessions.

Speech to text and text to voice technologies where necessary.

Speech recognition  computer input devices, ergonomic keyboards, one-handed keyboards, expanded keyboards.

Ergonomic work stations.

Environment adaptation to reduce fatigue and stress.

Extended time for assignments and assessments.

Forum for electronic discussions and meetings: Zoom, GoogleMeet etc.

Graphic organizers for writing assignments.

Structured learning environment with consistent roles and routines.

Assistance of Educational Assistant or Educational Paraprofessional.

Use of peer note taker.

Planning for extended absences and delivery of educational services.

Learning Disabilities Association of America

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Understanding Other Health Impairments  Classroom context

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Understanding Other Health Impairments  Classroom context

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Contribution by Katarzyna Blicharska

There is a great variability in severity levels and manifestations of impairments resulting from medical conditions.
The effects can span from physical to intellectual and emotional in nature. Each individual and disability require specific classroom environment adaptations.
Here are some guidelines to consider to prepare a supportive and inclusive classroom:

Enhance disability awareness/empathy in students. For example: allow students to use assistive devices in order to gain empathy and understanding of their peer limitations and challenges.

Monitor Medical Guidelines. Student's medical needs are the primary concern. Be aware of student's medical emergency plan, scheduled medication times, medication effect monitoring, communication lines with parents/guardians.

Rethink Emergency Procedures. Beware of evacuation and emergency procedures in case of fire, earthquake, tornado or other. Practice emergency situations and assign peer assistance to disabled student.

Plan for fatigue. Students with health impairments may tire more quickly or require a shortened school day, plan for breaks.

Adapt physical environment to meet student's mobility/positioning needs.

Adapt instructional materials to the individual needs of the student.

Adapt instruction content and pace to include the student.

Adapt evaluation, extend time for evaluation, extend time for classwork as necessary.

Cooperate with Educational Assistants and Paraprofessionals assisting the student.

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A tablet that reads sign language and coverts it to voice.

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A tablet that reads sign language and coverts it to voice.

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Peter McLoughlin

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MotionSavvy UNI Sign Language Interpreter

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An app that allows the deaf to read messages instantly.

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An app that allows the deaf to read messages instantly.

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Peter McLoughlin

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10 year old girl designs jewelry for hearing aids.

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10 year old girl designs jewelry for hearing aids.

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Peter McLoughlin

Hayleigh’s Cherished Charms:  Sometimes a low-tech innovation can have as big an impact as their high tech counterparts.  At the age of ten, a girl named Hayleigh noticed that her many of her classmates at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing hid their hearing aids behind their hair.  “I wanted to make my hearing aids shine and be fancy and proud of my hearing aids,” says Hayleigh.  So she started designing jewelry that can best be described as "hearing aid bling".

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A hearing aid with a battery that lasts 2-3 years

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Peter McLoughlin

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Peter McLoughlin

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Peter McLoughlin

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Peter McLoughlin

Using your phone for VR to enhance the environment.

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Peter McLoughlin

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This machine creates artificial vision for the blind

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Peter McLoughlin

A.I that gives audio descriptions of the area around us.
3-D Sound Maps.
Braille touchscreens.
Bluetooth beacons to help navigate through buildings.
Electric vehicles.
Smart glasses.

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It's estimated that there are about 36 million people in the world who are blind, and a further 216 million who live with moderate to severe visual impairments. Although the World Health Organization points out that up to 80% of vision impairment around the world is avoidable with better access to treatment, the number of people who are blind or have low vision is rising as the global population ages.

But technology is playing a vital role in tearing down barriers, and artificial intelligence is making real inroads into improving accessibility.

Here are seven examples of how smart technology can be a game-changer, allowing everyone to interact with the world in new ways.

[Subscribe to Microsoft on the Issues for more on the topics that matter most.]
The eye in AI
As we've reported, Microsoft's Seeing AI is an app designed to help people with low vision or who are blind. It enhances the world around the user with rich audio descriptions. It can read a handwritten note or scan a barcode and then tell the user what the product is. Point a camera at something and the app will describe how many people it can see and where they are in the image - center, top left and so on.
3-D Sound Maps
YouTube Video

Click here to load media

For a sighted person, walking along the street can mean taking in every detail that surrounds them. Microsoft Soundscape replicates that behavior by building a detailed audio map that relates what's taking place around a person with visual impairment.

It creates layers of context and detail by drawing on location data, sound beacons and synthesized 3-D stereo sound to build a constantly updating 3-D sound map of the surrounding world.
Knowledge at your fingertips
Braille has been used for nearly 200 years as a tactile way of reading with fingertips. It has now jumped from the page to the screen with the updated version of Narrator, the screen-reader for Microsoft Windows, supporting digital Braille displays and keyboards.

Outside of Microsoft's efforts, Braille touchscreens that work in the same way as tablets have already proved popular among students and teachers. At the Assistive Technology Industry Association's 2019 conference in Orlando, Florida, innovations on display included the BraiBook, a Braille e-reader that fits into the palm of a hand, and even an electronic toy called the Braille Buzz, designed to teach Braille to preschoolers.
Beacons of change
Bluetooth beacons, such as those being used by the company Foresight Augmented Reality, act like highly precise, personalized guides for people who are blind or partially sighted. While basic GPS technology can take users to a location, beacons mounted in a store, restaurant or public building can guide them to the entrance of the building in question. And when the user is inside, other beacons can direct them to the bathroom or other important facilities.
Electric vehicles
The European Union is taking no chances with people's safety. New legislation means electric vehicles have to be audible at low speeds and while reversing. Some manufacturers are already incorporating artificial noise into their electric vehicles.
Smart Glasses
Researchers at Ajman University in the United Arab Emirates are working on the development of a set of smart glasses that can use AI to read, provide navigation information and potentially identify faces. Glasses are connected to a smartphone through a processing unit, allowing the system to function without an internet connection.

These smart glasses are still in the early stages of development but are said to work with a reading accuracy rate of 95%.
AI for Accessibility
Microsoft's AI for Accessibility program was launched last year, with a $25 million commitment to put Microsoft technology in the hands of start-ups, developers, researchers and non-profits in order to drive innovation and amplify human capability for people with disabilities. The program is continuously looking at new projects to support.
For more on these innovations and accessibility initiatives at Microsoft, visit microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility and follow @MSFTIssues on Twitter.

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7 smart tech developments for people who are blind or have low vision

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It's estimated that there are about 36 million people in the world who are blind, and a further 216 million who live with moderate to severe visual impairments. Although the World Health Organization points out that up to 80% of vision impairment around the world is avoidable with better access to treatment, the number of people who are blind or have low vision is rising as the global population ages.

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Peter McLoughlin

The following accommodations are typical for a student with blindness:

Audiotaped, Brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts

Verbal descriptions of visual aids

Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials

Braille lab signs and equipment labels; auditory lab warning signals

Adaptive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)

Computer with optical character reader, voice output, Braille screen display and printer output

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Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following accommodations are typical for a student with blindness:

Audiotaped, Brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts

Verbal descriptions of visual aids

Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials

Braille lab signs and equipment labels; auditory lab warning signals

Adaptive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)

Computer with optical character reader, voice output, Braille screen display and printer output

For more information about accommodations for students with disabilities, consult Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities or view the video by the same title. For information about adaptive technology for students who are blind, consult Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments or view this video by the same title.

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What are typical accommodations for students with blindness? | DO-IT

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Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following accommodations are typical for a student with blindness: Audiotaped, Brailled, or electronically formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts Verbal descriptions of v…

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Peter McLoughlin

The most commonly used accommodations for deafness are:
-Sign Language
-Speech-to-Text and Captioning Services
-Assistive Listening Devices and Systems
-Oral Transliteration
-Cued Language Transliteration.

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No two Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals are completely alike - the accommodations that prove useful for one may not work for others due to variations in hearing levels, identity, and communication preferences. When immersed in a new culture, it can be challenging for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to experience new accents, languages, and listening environments.

Whether you're a Deaf of Hard of Hearing individual looking into accommodations for international exchange or an international exchange professional looking to support a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual on a program, learn more about the most commonly used accommodations in international exchange here.

Sign Language Interpretation

In the U.S., the most common sign language interpretation is American Sign Language (ASL), which uses hands, arms, head, facial expression and body language to facilitate full communication. American Sign Language is a full and distinct language that is not the same as written or spoken English. It uses a different syntax, vocabulary and grammar structure.

Just as there is ASL in the U.S., there exist many distinct local and national sign languages in other countries that can be dramatically different depending on the language's origins. International Deaf visitors to the U.S. with limited or no experience with ASL may sometimes choose to work with a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI). Certified Deaf Interpreters are Deaf or Hard of Hearing interpreters who use ASL as a native language and can serve as a communication bridge between a hearing ASL interpreter and a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual with limited ASL experience.

Signed Exact English (SEE) is another interpretation style that some Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may prefer. It is different from ASL in that written or spoken English is interpreted in a word-for-word manner and does not incorporate the nuanced syntax and grammatical structures of ASL.

Sign language interpretation can be provided in person or remotely via video remote interpreting (VRI) or video relay system (VRS).

Speech-to-Text and Captioning Services

Several major speech-to-text/captioning services include Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), Typewell, and C-Print. CART provides instant verbatim captioning, which is often especially useful in foreign language courses. Typewell and C-Print provide "meaning-for-meaning" captions, which relay the meaning of what is being said, but do not provide word-for-word interpretation.

Speech-to-text/captioning services can be provided on-site or remotely.

Assistive Listening Devices and Systems

Assistive listening systems are useful in reducing background noise and amplifying speakers or other important sounds directly to a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual. Assistive listening systems use a microphone to capture sounds and then transmit these directly to an individual. Types of systems include:

FM systems that use frequencies similar to ones used on commercial FM radios

Infrared systems that use infrared light to transmit auditory signals

Induction loop systems a magnetic field to transmit sounds

There are different options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to connect to FM, infrared and other assistive listening systems. These may include using:

Earphones for those who don't wear hearing aids, or that are worn over an assistive listening device such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant processor

Patch cords (short wires with a plug at each end) that are plugged directly into a personal assistive listening device

Hearing aid or cochlear implant settings or external pieces that allow an individual to connect to a specific system (e.g., an FM boot, a Telecoil switch)

Oral Transliteration

In this case, a transliterator in positioned within close view of a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual and inaudibly repeats spoken content to make it as speechreadable to the individual as possible. An Oral Transliterator may also "voice over" or verbally convey what a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person is communicating.

Cued Language Transliteration

Cued speech is a visual communication system that combines mouth movements related to speech with visual cues (different handshapes and locations) to convey different syllables. Cued Language Transliterators do not "interpret" because cued speech is not a language. Rather, Cued Language Transliterators convert words into exact visual cues.

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Through the use of a variety of accommodations, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals participate fully in a variety of international exchange experiences. No individual is completely alike - the accommodations that prove useful for one individual may not be relevant to others due to variations in hearing levels, identity, and communication preferences.

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Accommodations and Strategies for Students with Speech Impairment

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Accommodations and Strategies for Students with Speech Impairment

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1. Model correct speech patterns and avoid correcting speech difficulties

2. Be patient when student is speaking, since rushing may result in frustration

3. Allow alternative ways of communicating like gestures, writing or drawing

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Accommodations and Strategies for Students with  Language Impairment

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Accommodations and Strategies for Students with  Language Impairment

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1. Ensure that the student has a way to appropriately express their wants and needs

2. Reinforce communication attempts (e.g. their gestures, partial verbalizations) when the student is non-verbal or emerging verbal

3. Use pictures or photographs to reinforce and review the vocabulary that has been taught

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Assistive Technology for Speech or Language Impairment

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Assistive Technology for Speech or Language Impairment

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Electronic Fluency Devices

Electronic Fluency Devices are devices intended to help improve the fluency of people with stutters. They do this by playing the sound of the user's own voice back into their ear, slightly altered.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is the use of symbols, aids, strategies, and techniques to enhance the communication process. This includes sign language, various communication boards, and both manual and electronic devices help those who have trouble with communication

Applications for Tablet or Phones:
Speech Journal: Audio wed to images for multiple learning/teaching goals
Articulation Station: For kids struggling with pronunciation
Speech Wizard: helps students to practice their sounds, sentences, and phrases
Talk for Me: Text-to-Speech application

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Understanding Speech or Language Impairments - Resources

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Understanding Speech or Language Impairments - Resources

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Why are speech and language skills so critical for literacy?

Spoken language provides the foundation for the development of reading and writing. Spoken and written language have a reciprocal relationship – each builds on the other to result in general language and literacy competence, starting early and continuing through childhood into adulthood.

Responsiveness to Intervention: New Roles for Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech Language Therapy:
Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. They work with parents, carers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors.

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Example: Kiwi, a “socially assistive robot” created by a team of researchers from the University of Southern California that teaches autistic children both how to do math and socialize

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How Technology Can Help People With Autism

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From weighted blankets to socially responsive robots, there is an incredible range of assistive technology available to help those with autism.

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Adriana Lassus

Graphic organizers - Organizing ideas visually allows students with LDs to see the connections between ideas
Social Stories - Short story with realistic pictures which is intended to help an autistic child, teen, or adult to better understand and/or navigate his or her world.
PECS - Picture exchange communication system
Stress Balls, Worry Beads, Standing Desks - For sensory issues and anxiety
Noise-canceling Headphones, Weighted Vests, and Tinted Glasses - To help students avoid excessive sound and light
Written Planners, Color-Coded Schedules, and Visual Reminders - For executive functioning
Ordered Routines - That are clearly established and provide stability
Warning and Preparation - When changes are anticipated
Choice Boards - Choice boards display a limited number of options for activities to support difficulty figuring out what to do next
Frequent Breaks - Having a quiet place to go or being able to move around can be beneficial
Help with Class Notes - Some students are permitted to tape record class, use another student’s notes, or use the teacher’s outline for the class
Extra time - May be required for long-term projects or exams

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Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) - is a specific type of assistive technology that can benefit people with autism of all ages by promoting independence, expanding communication, and increasing social interactions.

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speech generating device, autism app, autism tablet

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Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Autism
"While it is not an official medical diagnosis, “high-functioning autism” is often used to refer to people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can speak, read, write, and manage their day-to-day lives without much assistance"

Autism Speaks - "There is no one type of autism, but many."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today.

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% of students under the IDEA by disability type.

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% of students under the IDEA by disability type.

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Peter McLoughlin

This is from one of the links Orphelia sent us.

This resources has information on a few more:
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=64

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Peter McLoughlin

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Peter McLoughlin

Omg..... you gotta watch this. I have tears in my eyes!

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Deaf BABY hears mom say "I LOVE YOU " for the first time [ Hot Vocals]

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Great Video on how technology is changing deafness.

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Great Video on how technology is changing deafness.

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Peter McLoughlin

Truly inspirational people. A real eye opener! These implants are amazing! Can you imagine not hearing, getting one of these devices and hearing for the first time? Wow!

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Between Sound & Silence: How Technology is Changing Deafness | Op-Docs

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Peter McLoughlin

It seems pretty basic at the moment, but you can imagine that with more advances, blindness may be a thing of the past!

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A virtual reality kit is helping visually impaired people "see" art through haptic gloves.

3D models are created from laser scans of original sculptures. The user then wears the gloves to feel the virtual artwork. The gloves vibrate, replicating the sense of touch to the brain.

The system was developed by NeuroDigital Technologies and Geometry. BBC Click finds out more.

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A virtual reality kit is helping visually impaired people "see" art through haptic gloves. 3D models are created from laser scans of original sculptures. The user then wears the gloves to feel the virtual artwork. The gloves vibrate, replicating the sense of touch to the brain.

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Deaf-Blindness is the smallest percentage of all low incidence disabilities. 0.0%

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Deaf-Blindness is the smallest percentage of all low incidence disabilities. 0.0%

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Peter McLoughlin.
Apparently only 1% of children identified as deaf blindness are completely deaf or completely blind.  The other 99% have different levels of combined hearing and vision loss

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Low-Incidence Disabilities (I.D.E.A.): Deaf-blindness, Down Syndrome & Usher Syndrome

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Accommodations Deaf Blindness, Down Syndrome, Usher Syndrome Good communication techiques environmental consideration classroom techniques Equipment (Assistive Learning Device) Interpreters Captioned Media Lighting Braille/Braillist Mobility Instructor Usher Syndrome Comparison

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Sec. 300.8 (c) (13) -Visual impairment defined

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13) Visual Impairment Including Blindness

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13) Visual Impairment Including Blindness

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Lovancy Ingram

Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Visual impairment appears to be low incidence based on research from the US Dept. of Education. See graphic at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg#1

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(13) Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

[71 FR 46753, Aug. 14, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 61306, Oct. 30, 2007]

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Sec. 300.8 (c) (13) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(13) Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. [71 FR 46753, Aug. 14, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 61306, Oct. 30, 2007] Severe Discrepancyidea_regulations-template-default single single-idea_regulations postid-56846 wp-custom-logo wp-embed-responsive with-font-selector no-anchor-scroll footer-on-bottom animate-body-popup social-brand-colors...

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High Incidence (Prevalence: 19% - 2nd Most Prevalent)

Definition: "Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance." (IDEA, 2018)

Range includes: fluency disorder or issues, challenges in pronouncing specific sounds, difficulty comprehending words properly, expressing oneself, listening to others and difficulty voicing words.

Important organizations:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Apraxia Kids
We Stutter

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10) Specific Learning Disability Julio Carmona 

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10) Specific Learning Disability Julio Carmona 

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Specific Learning Disability Definition
38.8% the highest disability in the learning field - high incidence

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

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Housebound student accessing education. 

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9) Other Health Impairments-Hight Incidence                                    15% of students served under IDEA and Sect.504.                                                

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9) Other Health Impairments-Hight Incidence                                    15% of students served under IDEA and Sect.504.                                                

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Contribution by Katarzyna Blicharska

Other Health Impairments encompass a wide range of medical diagnoses and subsequent health problems that can have a temporary or chronic impact on a student's academic performance.
Although the disease alone may not affect learning, oftentimes the secondary effects of illness and the side effects of medications can have a significant impact on memory, attention, strength, alertness and energy.
Common diagnoses include:

Multiple Sclerosis

Epilepsy

Cerebral Palsy

Asthma and Allergies (Multiple chemical sensitivity)

Diabetes

Heart Disease

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

AIDS

Cancer

Drug and Alcohol addictions

ADD

ADHD

Tourette Syndrome

Students with Other Health Impairments who do not fall under categories defined in IDEA may qualify for services under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Important Organizations:

Council for Exceptional Children
U.S. Department of Education; Office of Civil Rights

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MX

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7) Multiple Disabilities and Severe Disabilities.   Low incidence: 2.2%

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7) Multiple Disabilities and Severe Disabilities.   Low incidence: 2.2%

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Contributed by Katarzyna Blicharska

The IDEA defines multiple disabilities as: "concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments".

There are a number of causes for students who
are born with multiple disabilities, some of the most frequently identified causes are:

• chromosomal anomalies
• hereditary and genetics
• prenatal
• postnatal
• infections
• genetic disorders
• traumatic brain injury (TBI).

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Kids Like Me (with disabilities) - I Believe!

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(Low-Incidence)

Intellectual disability is a term used when there are limits to a person’s ability to learn at an expected level and function in daily life. Levels of intellectual disability vary greatly in children. Children with intellectual disability might have a hard time letting others know their wants and needs, and taking care of themselves. Intellectual disability could cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than other children of the same age.

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Sec. 300.8 (c) (5) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Definition of Hearing Impairment

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Lovancy Ingram

Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.

Hearing impairment appears to be low incidence based on research from the US Dept. of Education. See graphic at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg#1

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(5) Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section.

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Sec. 300.8 (c) (5) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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(Low-Incidence, about 6%)
Conditions which generate behavioral issues fall under the category “emotional disturbance”

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Peter McLoughlin

A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.

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Definition

An inability to comprehend verbal language due to an inability to hear characterizes deafness. The official definition of deafness from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification." The phrase "with or without amplification" is significant as it indicates that a hearing aid will not provide sufficient accommodation so that the student can succeed in the classroom.

Common Traits

Hearing loss varies in severity; however, as IDEA's definition specifies, deafness entails the most severe cases. Impairments can affect the ability to hear intensity (loudness, measured in decibels), pitch (frequency, measured in hertz) or both. Typically hearing loss above 90 decibels is considered deafness, according to National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).

Educational Challenges

Students who are deaf face several educational barriers, which can make the following tasks difficult:

Learning by lectures

Participating in classroom discussions

Giving oral presentations

Taking oral exams

Note taking

Watching educational films

Additionally, NICHCY identifies language arts as a potentially problematic subject, specifically in topics such as vocabulary, grammar and word order.

Tips for Teachers and Parents

Armed with the right accommodations, students can overcome every educational challenge listed above. For instance, NICHCY notes that a child who is deaf could receive assistance from a note taker so that he or she can focus on lip reading during lectures, and that arranging priority seating at the front of the classroom can enable a child to lip read more effectively. A sign language interpreter can also assist by translating spoken lectures. Teachers, using PowerPoint presentations to accompany your lectures can help as well.

A sign language interpreter can also be of assistance during classroom discussions. The same goes with lip reading, although that may prove more difficult depending on the proximity of the classmate speaking. Text-to-speech assistive technology offers a deaf student the ability to share comments with the class if he or she does not use a sign language interpreter.

The same text-to-speech assistive technology can enable a student to give oral presentations and take oral exams. See 7 Apps to Use as Assistive Technology for text-to-speech iPad apps to consider. When watching educational films, enabling captions and ensuring that the child who needs to read them is seated where he or she can see them can solve potential problems. Finally, extra classroom time focused on English or the help of an English tutor can counteract the challenges this subject presents for deaf students.

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Definition of "Deafness" Under IDEA | Resources for Parents & Teachers

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How is "deafness" defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? Read about the common traits and how to support students who are deaf.

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Peter McLoughlin

The combination of hearing and visual losses in children and youth cause “such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness or multiple disabilities.

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It may seem that deaf-blindness refers to a total inability to see or hear. However, in reality deaf-blindness is a condition in which the combination of hearing and visual losses in children and youth cause "such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness" [34 CFR 300.8(c)(2)] or multiple disabilities.

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Low Incidence (Prevalence: 11% - 4th Most Prevalent)

Definition: "Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences." (IDEA, 2018)

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Peter McLoughlin
About 0.22% of the population are deaf in America.  Over half of that are people over 65 years of age.

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Rosemari Kroll
rosemari.kroll@swwc.org
Edgerton, JCC, MCC, Prinsburg, Redwood Area, RLB, RRC, Springfield, Tracy Area, Wabasso & WWG

Jenny Mann
jenny.mann@swwc.org
Adrian, Canby, Hendricks, HBC, Luverne, Minneota, Pipestone, RTR & Windom

Jill Rohman
jill.rohman@swwc.org
ACGC, BBE, Benson, EVW, KMS, MACCRAY, Montevideo, NLS & Willmar

Deb Wallert
deb.wallert@swwc.org
BLHS, BOLD, Cedar Mountain, Comfrey, GSL, Lester Prairie, Mountain Lake, Redwood Area and Windom

Contracted Provider
Benson, EVW & Montevideo
Karen Dornbusch, Audiologist
karen.dornbusch@swwc.org
Hearing Test Information

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Low Incidence Disabilities / Deaf/Hard of Hearing

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Rosemari Kroll rosemari.kroll@swwc.org Edgerton, JCC, MCC, Prinsburg, Redwood Area, RLB, RRC, Springfield, Tracy Area, Wabasso & WWG Jenny Mann jenny.mann@swwc.org Adrian, Canby, Hendricks, HBC, Luverne, Minneota, Pipestone, RTR & Windom Jill Rohman jill.rohman@swwc.org ACGC, BBE, Benson, EVW, KMS, MACCRAY, Montevideo, NLS & Willmar Deb Wallert deb.wallert@swwc.org BLHS, BOLD, Cedar Mountain, Comfrey, GSL, Lester Prairie, Mountain Lake, Redwood Area and Windom Contracted Provider Benson, EVW & Montevideo Karen Dornbusch, Audiologist karen.dornbusch@swwc.org Hearing Test Information