1)    Braille writer

2)    Braille embossor

3)    Perkins Smart Brailler

4)    A Slate and stylus

5)    The Tele-touch

6)    The Tele-braille

7)    The Deafbline Communicator

8)    build-in screen magnification and voice-over feature of apple products and other computers

Classroom and laboratory accommodations

Tests, exams and evaluation accommodations

Reference:
https://diverselearnerinformation.weebly.com/deaf-blindness.html
https://accessiblecampus.ca/tools-resources/educators-tool-kit/teaching-tips/teaching-students-with-deaf-blindness/

The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, psychosocial behaviour, physical functions, information processing, speech, and sensory, perceptual, and/or motor abilities. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Intellectual disability, formerly labelled “mental retardation,” is defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as “significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behaviour and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” While there is no cure for ID, there is plenty of evidence that with extra time and patience, children and individuals with this disability can accomplish and achieve many things, both in life and academically.

Characteristics:

The goalis to give the student with a disability equal access to the learning environment. Individualized accommodations are not designed to give the student an advantage over other students, to alter a fundamental aspect of the course, nor to weaken academic rigor.

Accommodations are often made in five main areas:

Using this space only for studying also will help the child get into a routine of studying and also understand that when he is sitting there, he is supposed to concentrate on the activity or task, and not play.

It integrates both text and visuals. This has been scientifically proven to be an effective way of teaching and learning. Using them can be extremely useful for both teachers and students as they will make lessons more engaging as well as easily comprehensible.

Bookshare® is an ebook library that makes reading easier. People with reading barriers can customize their experience and read in ways that work for them. See how it works! 

It is FREE for qualified U.S. students and schools, and less than $1 per week for other members.

Individuals with mild to moderate hearing impairments can use cochlear implants to boost their hearing abilities. Cochlear implants are often assistive listening and residual hearing devices that help hard-in-hearing individuals access spoken speeches. The use of this devices has increased but has, in most cases, been limited to off-label use for children and adults in the United States (Benchetrit et al., 2021). However, in 2019, the US Drug Administration granted the widespread use of the devices for speech sound disorders. 

A cochlear implant like the one shown above is attached to a student's ears and bypasses the ear's damaged part to deliver sound signals to the auditory nerve.

Hearing aid assistive devices help persons with their ability to amplify sounds to the receiver's ears. Hearing aids come in many forms including in the canal, behind the ear and in the ear (Adam et al., 2018). The in-the-canal hearing aid is inserted deeper into an individual's ears, and the behind the ear is installed behind the ears and connected to the ear canal. The in-ear is designed to fit the size of an individual's ear. The hearing aid devices vary in features, use and sizes, and each individual chooses any that suits their situation. 

Real-time captioning aids give a typewritten account or form of the verbal speech presented in discussions, meetings and lectures. It requires trained personnel and a computer to convert the verbal presentation into a written mode that the hearing-impaired individuals understand (Adam et al., 2018). Real-time captioning may vary depending on the information required such as for those needing a word-to-word presentation and those that need a summary. Examples of real-time captioning include remote captioning and communication access real-time captioning. 

The frequency modulation systems transmit sound to a particular channel or frequency, similar to radio. Like other hearing aids, Frequency Modulation devices transmit audio from the speaker to a person's hearing aid devices (Adam et al., 2018). The microphone picks up the speaker's sound, and the device's transmitter sends the audio signal via the frequency modulation signals. The systems are preferred and valuable for people with hearing impairment as they give a direct and clear transmission. This is made possible because the devices can reduce the background noise, making it easier for the listener to get the speaker's words in a noisy background. 

Finger spelling and facial expressions play an essential role in the communication system when passing information to hard-of-hearing students. It allows one to emphasize an idea that an individual could otherwise not have understood (Sammari & Naceur, 2022). A teacher can supplement the finger spelling with other expressions, such as facial expressions that express joy, sadness, wonder and even surprise. Notably, the more hard-of-hearing individuals can master fingers spelling, the more ability they develop to communicate with others much more quickly. 

This accommodation allows teachers to train students with simple and moderate hearing impairments to listen and differentiate between alphabets, words and sounds (Sammari & Naceur, 2022). Learners who master auditory training can improve their listening ability and increase their ability to comprehend information and sounds. Auditory training involves several trials intended to achieve a higher accuracy in one's listening abilities. The training starts with the student listening to several presentations, and then the student identifies the sounds they heard. Eventually, the trainer gives feedback on whether the student got the sounds wrong or correct. Students learn various and improve as they practice with the teacher. 

Hard-of-hearing students cannot hear as well as people with normal hearing abilities (Sammari & Naceur, 2022). As individuals with low hearing abilities, this group of students must be allowed more time to complete tasks. The extra time allows the students to consult in areas that they may have yet to get during lectures and be able to make the appropriate adjustments. At the same time, the extra time allows the teacher to explain concepts or deploy 
 hearing aid tools such as videos to aid the students. The teacher can also deploy images, pictures and maps during the extra time as a teaching aid for the class. 

Teachers can also train hard-of-hearing students to learn how to read the lips' movement. This includes learning to observe and pay attention to the gestures and faces of the speaker (Sammari & Naceur, 2022). It helps the learner associate specific lip movements with the possible words and pronunciations the speaker may use. Often the oral method training allows learners to breach the gap between what could have been missed between a speaker and the listener. Many young learners with hearing impairment can read the lips as they advance their schooling. 

Adam, M., AlKhaja, S., Alsafadi, M., Sayour, M. B., Hamdan, S., & Alsyouf, I. (2018). Ranking the needs of students with disabilities at the University of Sharjah and identifying the state of the art of assistive technologies http://ieomsociety.org/paris2018/papers/488.pdf

Benchetrit, L., Ronner, E. A., Anne, S., & Cohen, M. S. (2021). Cochlear implantation in children with single-sided deafness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 147(1), 58-69. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.3852

Sammari, E., & Naceur, A. (2022). The effectiveness of an intervention program for the development of social and emotional capacities of children with a hearing impairment. Psychology, 13(7), 1025-1062. DOI: 10.4236/psych.2022.137070

M, Chloe. "How To Increase Dopamine for your ADHD." CareClinic, CareClinic, 2023, careclinic.io/how-to-increase-dopamine-adhd/.

Zylowska, Lidia, et al. "Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents With ADHD: A       Feasibility Study." Journal of Attention Disorders, vol. 11, no. 6, May 2008, pp. 737-46, https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054707308502.

"Meditation and ADHD." Mindworks, Mindworks Inc, 2023,          mindworks.org/blog/meditation-and-adhd/. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What is ADHD?
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

10 Best Assistive Technologies for ADD/ADHD

Yetman, Daniel. "Exposure Therapy." healthline, edited by Vara Saripalli, Tim Jewell, and Sofia Santamarina, Healthline Media, 21 June 2021, www.healthline.com/health/exposure-   therapy.

"5 Products to Help Build Literacy Skills in Children with Multiple Disabilities." Family Connect, American Printing House for the Blind, 2021, familyconnect.org/multiple- disabilities/learning/5-products-to-help-build-literacy-skills-in-children-with-multiple- disabilities/.

"Zazan Instructions: How to Meditate." Zen Mountain Monastery, Zen Mountain Monastery, 2021, zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/.

This a kit that can be used both by Frank and his teachers so that they can work together to establish an effective means of communication.  Such means may include pictures and/or linking meaning to certain color signs or shapes.

This could serve as a preliminary step to Franks VR exposure therapy.  A therapist could meet with Frank on a weekly basis in a relaxed environment and have frank visualize bugs.  Once imaginary exercises no longer produced anxiety in Frank, they could gradually work towards more difficult (realistic) exposures, such as VR.

The Isolator is an app that a person with ADHD can install on his or her app, computer, tablet, etc. that, when activated, will only allow the user to see and use one program or application.  For example, if a student needed to completed an online math assignment.  Using Isolator, all other software and notifications would be invisible and silent.  Only app associated with the online math assignment would be visible.

Individuals with ADHD have a higher amount of Dopamine Transporter Proteins than people without ADHD.  Dopamine Transporter Proteins are responsible for removing excess dopamine from the brain.  Since individuals with ADHD typically have a more of these proteins than are necessary, they therefore typically have lower overall levels of dopamine, which is associated with ADHD.  Another side to this, is that in today’s world, people, especially children, have an easier access to external sources for dopamine spikes than ever before.  There are social media apps, free games, cheap television, the internet, etc.   So, while historically children with ADHD have dopamine levels that were too low, today what we could be seeing are children who are so overexposed to dopamine that they are becoming desensitized to it.  Thus, they need greater and greater amounts to feel the same level of stimulus.  Day-to-day normal activities and, especially, activities that delay gratification, such as studying, learning, or exercising, seem extremely boring by comparison.  If someone’s ADHD stems from this latter cause, then removing all of these external dopamine sources, can be an effective way to begin to restore their body’s natural sensitivity to dopamine, thus improving their abilities to focus. Teachers, parents, and cafeteria staff would need to work together to help implement this for at least a month.

Cushman, Charlotte. "Instructional Strategies for Students with Multiple Disabilities." Paths to    Literacy, Perkins: School for the Blind, 2023, www.pathstoliteracy.org/instructional-        strategies-students-multiple-disabilities/.

Gupta, Sanjana. "What Is Exposure Therapy?" Very Well Mind, edited by Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, Dotdash Meredith Media, Inc., 29 June 2021, www.verywellmind.com/exposure-therapy- definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5190514.

Parette Jr., Howard P., et al. "Reducing Overload in Students with Learning and Behavioral Disorders: The Role of Assistive Technology." TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, vol. 4, no. 1, Sept. 2007, http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol4/iss1/art4

Yetman, Daniel. "Exposure Therapy." healthline, edited by Vara Saripalli, Tim Jewell, and Sofia Santamarina, Healthline Media, 21 June 2021, www.healthline.com/health/exposure-   therapy.

Young, Gabrielle, and Jeffrey MacCormack. "Assistive Technology for Students with Learning    Disabilities." LD at School, Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, 2020, www.ldatschool.ca/assistive-technology/.

"5 Products to Help Build Literacy Skills in Children with Multiple Disabilities." Family Connect, American Printing House for the Blind, 2021, familyconnect.org/multiple- disabilities/learning/5-products-to-help-build-literacy-skills-in-children-with-multiple- disabilities/.

Project Ideal: http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/multiple-disabilities/

"What is Exposure Therapy?" American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2017, www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/exposure-therapy.

In exposure therapy a therapist exposes an individual to her or his fears and/or anxiety producing triggers in a controlled environment.  If done successfully, the individual’s fear/anxiety level begins to fall with repeated exposure to the stressful event and the therapist can then work on introducing more challenging scenarios for the individual.   With the advent of Virtual Reality, a new way to expose individuals with anxiety disorders to their triggers is  available.  For Frank, this would mean that when he put on the VR headset, he would see some sort of bug that would raise his anxiety. This could be used as an intermediary step for Frank to help reduce his current reaction to the sight of bugs.  If Frank made sufficient progress with this, then he could move on to in vivo exposure where he has a real bug placed in the room with him and works on gradually lowering his anxiety in its presence.

Frank could be allowed to bring an assistant note taker to class with him to help him write or type notes classes.  At specified times throughout the day, Frank could be admitted time to go over the notes together with the assistant.

Student: Frank / Age: 5

Diagnosed with the following Disorders:

Frank’s anxiety disorder has a very acute trigger, bugs.  His reactions to bugs range anywhere from hyperventilating, to having a panic attack, where he needs to be removed from the classroom.

Frank’s deafness is so severe that a person cannot communicate with him via spoken language.  Hearing aids have been tried and have no effect.

XMind is a computer program that could particularly helpful for an individual with ADHD who also strongly identifies as visual learner and who prefers charts and pictures over reading texts.  This software boasts many features ideal for taking information and turning into some sort of picture, map, graph, chart, etc., such as mind mapping tools and gantt chart tools.

Providing ADHD students with access to mediation classes is a good alternative step to placing them on medication.  There increasingly more studies showing the health benefits of meditation, especially in regards to one’s ability to concentrate.  This is a safer way for child or adult with ADHD to combat the disorder.

Megan Banker, The 30 Best Assistive Technology Apps  (January 6, 2022) https://www.teachthought.com/technology/assistive-technology-apps/

https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/what-is-deafness/

Lindsey C. Edwards, 28 Learning Disabilities in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education, Vol. 2

(18 September 2012)

-Adjust chair and deck height to ensure proper position - their feet should be flat on the floor, shoulders relaxed and forearms supported by desk

-Allow child to move positions ie) stand while working

-Provide a sloped writing surface - a board or a three ring binder

-Provide other special equipments like pencil grips, spring loaded or loop scissors, different writing tools like thin markers or gel pens to reduce pencil pressure

-Give the child an end locker or cubby or teach how to open locker

-Give the child extra breaks so can move around

-Give extra time to go from class to class, get ready for PE and recess

-Provide teaching notes ahead of time, or fill in the blank sheets to reduce need to copy

-Use larger print for notes, worksheets and textbooks

-Have student use speech to text software

-Allow use of a computer for written assignments

-Provide extra time or tests or allow for oral tests

-Give directions slowly and in small parts-Teach handwriting strategies to print letters consistently

Emotional Disability: means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a student’s educational performance:

1. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

2. An inability to build or 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, or

5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to students who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disability.