• Articulation (atypical production or omission of sounds)
• Voice (atypical voice quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, disruption in vocal cord function)
• Fluency (interruptions in the flow of speech, atypical rate or rhythm of sounds, syllables, words, phrases)
• Language (impaired comprehension or use of spoken language which affects written language and other symbolic forms of communication).

• Reducing background noise as far as possible
• Careful chunking and scaffolding of content 
• Sequential or tiered approach to activities
• Using multisensory enhancing cues for instruction and feedback (visual, auditory, tactile)
• Multimodal assessment
• Flexible grouping in differentiated learning stations w/ or w/o peer buddies
• Recycling vocabulary often
• Allowing extra time

• Text-to-Speech (TTS) (eg, Microsoft Reader, ReadPlease, Kurzweil 3000). This kind of software helps students to bypass the task of decoding words. Seeing individual words highlighted as the text is read aloud may help to improve students’ sight word vocabulary.
• Pentop computers
• Talking Dictionaries (eg, Visuwords)
• Audiobooks (eg, Audiobooks.com, Audible, Librivox)
• Electronic notepads
• Highlighter strips or sticky notes to block out clutter from a text

• Talking word processors, Speech-to-Text (STT) or Speech Recognition software (eg, WriteOutLoud, Intellitalk, Aspire Reader, Type & Talk on GoogleDocs, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Dictation support on Pages). Speech-to-text software bypasses the tasks of handwriting and spelling, allowing the student to concentrate on developing their ideas and planning their work. 
• Graphic organizers (eg, DraftBuilder, Inspiration, SimpleMind+, SparkSpace)
• Word prediction (eg, WordQ)
• Pencil grips / Computerized pens

• Cue cards (eg, Flashcard Machine)
• Interactive Whiteboards (eg, ShowMe)
• AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) (eg, ProLoquo)

Many individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are young and could have many years of productivity ahead of them. However, cognitive impairments may hinder individuals’ ability to perform daily tasks. Assistive technology for cognition (ATC) can be effective in helping compensate for cognitive impairments. 

• Avoids or does not keep eye contact
• Does not respond to name by 9 months of age
• Does not show facial expressions like happy, sad, angry, and surprised by 9 months of age
• Does not play simple interactive games like pat-a-cake by 12 months of age
• Uses few or no gestures by 12 months of age (e.g., does not wave goodbye)
• Does not share interests with others (e.g., shows you an object that he or she likes by 15 months of age)
• Does not point or look at what you point to by 18 months of age
• Does not notice when others are hurt or sad by 24 months of age
• Does not pretend in play (e.g., does not pretend to “feed” a doll by 30 months of age)
• Shows little interest in peers
• Has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about own feelings at 36 months of age or older
• Does not play games with turn taking by 60 months of age

• Repeats words or phrases over and over (i.e., echolalia)
• Plays with toys the same way every time
• Is focused on parts of objects (e.g., wheels)
• Gets upset by minor changes
• Has obsessive interests
• Must follow certain routines
• Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles
• Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel

• Delayed language skills
• Delayed movement skills
• Delayed cognitive or learning skills
• Hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive behavior
• Epilepsy or seizure disorder
• Unusual eating and sleeping habits
• Gastrointestinal issues (e.g., constipation)
• Unusual mood or emotional reactions
• Anxiety, stress, or excessive worry
• Lack of fear or more fear than expected

1. Harkin T. S.2561 - 100th Congress (1987-1988). Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988.
   
   
2. Georgia Tech Tools for Life. What is assistive technology?
   
   
3. Autism Speaks. Autism statistics and facts.
   
   
4. Alnajjar F, Cappuccio M, Renawi A, et al. Personalized robot interventions for autistic children: An automated methodology for attention assessment. Int J of Soc Robotics. 2020. doi:10.1007/s12369-020-00639-8
   
   
5. Dawson C. Socially assistive robot helps children with autism. USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
   
   
6. Waltz E. IEEE Spectrum. Therapy robot teaches social skills to children with autism.
   
   
7. Ham B. Personalized “deep learning” equips robots for autism therapy. MIT News.
   
   

• 9 months
• 18 months
• 30 months

• 18 months
• 24 months
• Additional screening might be needed if a child is at high risk for ASD (e.g., having a sister, brother or other family member with an ASD) or if behaviors sometimes associated with ASD are present.

• Remember that the learning and social needs of autistic students can be hugely varied. A student who excels in maths won’t necessarily be confident in the playground, and vice versa.
• Help students organise and plan their learning day by using technological tools such as timers, visual schedules and reminders. Every autistic student child will present differently; however, structure and routine in the classroom are beneficial to all students.
• Prepare students for new situations through strategies such as storytelling and social scripts which describe social situations, skills or concepts. Explain any upcoming changes in routine and provide reassurance. Anxiety caused by transitions can be a major issue for some autistic students, and this can interrupt learning.
• Use visual cues such as concept maps to help students learn and revise previously explored ideas. Many autistic students will benefit from materials being presented visually, as it enables them to concretely see what is required.
• Consider that some autistic students may not be able to cope in a noisy classroom environment or may have other sensory sensitivities therefore require the implementation of strategies to counteract this such as the use of headphones or by providing a quiet room. When setting classroom activities, think about what you are trying to achieve, and whether the task can be completed in an alternate way.   

• Proloquo2Go by Assistiveware, which features over 10,000 words, is easy to customize for physical or cognitive needs and can be used in many different languages. Compatible with iOS; costs about $250.
• TouchChat HD by Prentke Romich Company, which provides English and Spanish options and allows the user to choose a voice that fits their personality. Compatible with iOS; costs about $150.

• Difficulties with processing spoken and written language (including challenges with some types of math such as word problems)
• Sensory challenges that can make fluorescent lights, buzzers, and other ordinary noises painful and sitting still particularly difficult
• Executive functioning difficulties making it hard to manage schedules, stay on task, and plan projects

• Social stories: These short, simple, visual stories were first developed by Carol Gray and are used to prepare people with autism to think and behave appropriately in any situation. There are pre-existing social stories for common situations such as getting a hair cut or going to the dentist; therapists and parents can also write and illustrate customized social stories for unique situations such as starting a new school.
• Social skills cards and games: Many specialized companies have created cards and games to help build social skills. There are social skills games similar to Chutes and Ladders created to reinforce empathy; Uno cards focused on feelings; and dice games that are intended to reinforce social communication skills.

• 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.5 
• QTrobot, created by a company at the University of Luxembourg, which is intended to "increase children’s willingness to interact with human therapists, and decrease discomfort during therapy sessions."6
• Human-shaped robots created at MIT to help develop social skills and empathy in children with autism.7

• Brainworks
• Miracle Modus
• Heatpad

• Alert Me Bands
• AWAARE: Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response and Education Collaboration
• Project Lifesaver International

• "Genetic or hereditary conditions like Down syndrome
• Metabolic disorders like phenylketonuria (PKU)
• Trauma to the brain, such as shaken baby syndrome
• Severe psychosocial trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
• Exposure to certain toxic substances like prenatal alcohol exposure or lead poisoning
• Some very serious infections
• Deprivation of food or environment"

• "Learning and developing more slowly than other children same age
• Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking much later than developmentally appropriate
• Difficulty communicating or socializing with others
• Lower than average scores on IQ tests
• Difficulties talking or talking late
• Having problems remembering things
• Inability to connect actions with consequences
• Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking
• Trouble learning in school
• Inability to do everyday tasks like getting dressed or using the restroom without help"

• "A series of skills and stages that occur in a child between birth and adulthood
• Domains of skills include motor, sensory, social, cognitive
• Pediatricians evaluate basic developmental progress during routine office visits
• Involves Child Study Center, pediatrics"

• "Motor skills, including large (or gross) motor skills, such as rolling over, crawling and learning to walk and run, and fine motor skills, such as the ability to pick up and eat small pieces of food or hold a pencil and draw or write
• Sensory skills, including how a child uses the senses (taste, smell, touch, sound and sight) to learn about the environment
• Social skills, including how an infant interacts with parents and caregivers, and then with others, including siblings, extended family and strangers
• Cognitive skills, including how a child’s attention, memory, and thinking and learning skills develop and grow"

• By 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.
• Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.
• An annual additional investment of less than US$ 1.40 per person is needed to scale up ear and hearing care services globally.
• Over a 10-year period, this promises a return of nearly US$ 16 for every US dollar invested.

• Genetic factors - Include hereditary and non-hereditary hearing loss
• Intrauterine infections – such as rubella and cytomegalovirus infection

• Birth asphyxia (a lack of oxygen at the time of birth
• Hyperbilirubinemia (severe jaundice in the neonatal period)
• Low-birth weight 
• Other perinatal morbidities and their management 

• Chronic ear infections (chronic suppurative otitis media)
• Collection of fluid in the ear (chronic nonsuppurative otitis media)
• Meningitis and other infections

• Chronic diseases
• Smoking
• Otosclerosis
• Age-related sensorineural degeneration
• Sudden sensorineural hearing loss

• Cerumen impaction (impacted ear wax) 
• Trauma to the ear or head
• Loud noise/loud sounds
• Ototoxic medicines
• Work related ototoxic chemicals
• Nutritional deficiencies 
• Viral infections and other ear conditions
• Delayed onset or progressive genetic hearing loss

• immunization;  
• good maternal and childcare practices;  
• genetic counselling;  
• identification and management of common ear conditions; 
• occupational hearing conservation programmes for noise and chemical exposure;  
• safe listening strategies for the reduction of exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings; and 
• rational use of medicines to prevent ototoxic hearing loss.  

• Early identification of hearing loss and ear diseases is key to effective management.
• This requires systematic screening for detection of hearing loss and related ear diseases in those who are most at risk. This includes:
  • Newborn babies and infants
  • Pre-school and school-age children
  • People exposed to noise or chemicals at work
  • People receiving ototoxic medicines
  • Older adults
• Hearing assessment and ear examination can be conducted in clinical and community settings. Tools such as the WHO “hearWHO” app and other technology-based solutions make it possible to screen for ear diseases and hearing loss with limited training and resources.  
• Once hearing loss is identified, it is essential that it is addressed as early as possible and in an appropriate manner, to mitigate any adverse impact.
• Measures available to rehabilitate people with hearing loss include: 
  • the use of hearing technologies, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and middle ear implants; 
  • the use of sign language and other means of sensory substitution, such as speech reading, use of print on palm or Tadoma, signed communication; and  
  • rehabilitative therapy to enhance perceptive skills and develop communication and linguistic abilities. 
• The use of hearing assistive technology, and services such as frequency modulation and loop systems, alerting devices, telecommunication devices, captioning services and sign language interpretation, can further improve access to communication and education for people with hearing loss.  

Education and learning :

• Screen readers: A program that analyzes the layout and content of a website and provides a text to speech translation. The playback speed can be set by the user and commands allow them to skip from heading to heading, click links, and do other important tasks.
• Braille displays: A device that translates digital text into braille dots that can be read with the fingers. (More on braille below, as it is very important to many deaf-blind people.)
• Dictation: Speech recognition software allows a user to navigate, type, and interact with websites using their voice.

• Alerting devices: A device that converts an audio alert (e.g., doorbell, alarm clock) into a visual or physical alert that the person can perceive.
• Telecommunications: Many different options are available for those who are D/deaf or HoH, including amplified telephones, TTY / TDD, Text-to-911, and video chat.
• Enhanced listening: Systems can be used to connect an audio feed directly to someone’s hearing aid or cochlear implant.
• Visual communication: Captions and transcripts (with the ability to enlarge or zoom in!) provide audio information in a visual format.

• No keyboard navigation: Can you use your website or program without a mouse? Use the tab key, arrows, and enter to navigate.
• Pop-ups: If sites fail to set reading focus appropriately, a pop-up dialog can prevent a blind user from moving forward… or even knowing how to get back to where they were.
• Cluttered pages and carousels: Cluttered pages with carousels and moving text aren’t user friendly for blind users. (Spoiler alert: They aren’t user friendly for many people.)
• ARIA mistakes: If sites misuse ARIA markup, it changes a screen reader’s behavior in a way that interferes with navigation and operability.
• Document heading and labeling: Without proper heading tags, a screen reader user cannot quickly locate what they want to read.
• Alt text: Images that convey meaning need to be tagged with alt text so the person who is reading your website can hear a description of the image.

• Inaccurate captions: Automated captions are a blessing and a curse. It can be great to have captions, but AI is far from perfect and sometimes automated captions are worse than no captions at all.
• No transcripts: For a deaf-blind person who uses braille, transcripts are a must-have in order to access information presented in video or audio format.
• Phone-only customer support: Nothing is more frustrating than trying to contact a business and finding out the only option to do so is a phone number.
• Low-quality audio: Poor quality audio becomes even worse at high volume. It can also be difficult to transcribe accurately.

• Set clear expectations for the session or appointment
• Break up work into manageable chunks of time.
• Set a Time Timer until you start a fun activity during the session to ease transitions and give the students something to work towards.
• Promote self-regulation when working with students, they can take what they learn during the sessions and apply it when they are in the classroom.

• Special seating arrangements to develop useful posture and movements
• Instruction focused on development of gross and fine motor skills
• Securing suitable augmentative communication and other assistive devices
• Awareness of medical condition and its affect on the student (such as getting tired quickly)

• Physical Therapists who work on gross motor skills (focusing on the legs, back, neck and torso)
• Occupational Therapists who work on fine motor skills (focusing on the arms and hands as well as daily living activities such as dressing and bathing)
• Speech-Language Pathologists who work with the student on problems with speech and language
• Adapted Physical Education Teachers, who are specially trained PE teachers who work along with the OT and PT to develop an exercise program to help students with disabilities
• Other Therapists (Massage Therapists, Music Therapists,

• Used to increase, maintain or improve the function of the individual

• Talk to text software
• Wide lined paper
• Touch control devices text
• AT visualizers 
• Graphic organizers