Assistive Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic created many unique challenges for all students in the education system, but especially for those in special education. The closure of schools just two years ago, caused major disruptions for students in special education programs who rely on individualized accommodations and services to learn.

Advancement Courses . (2018). How Assistive Technology Supports Special Education Students. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://blog.advancementcourses.com/articles/assistive-technology-special-ed/.

What is an assistive technology?

A major component of special education accommodations includes the use of assistive technologies, which are tools used to help students with disabilities increase or improve their functional capabilities. The definition of assistive technologies is broad, as it includes equipment like wheelchairs to word processing software and even pencil grips. These technologies are incredibly important for students in special education as they encourage independence, improve communication, increase socialization, and help many individuals achieve more than they thought was possible in the classroom

Impact of The Pandemic

When the pandemic initially forced students in special education out of the classroom, access to assistive technologies decreased and presented a major challenge for students who depend on these technologies to complete school. Not only was there limited access to assistive technologies because of students not being physically in the classroom, but also due to production issues across the globe and a lack of education about how to use them in a remote manner. Despite limited access to assistive technologies at the beginning of the pandemic, these unique times brought to the surface an increased need for assistive technologies and better education or training about them. By the end of the pandemic, assistive technology had dramatically improved in both its function and availability, opening doors that had once previously been closed.

Felix's Story

“A school year that was incredibly challenging for many students was the best year for Felix." -Wooten, Giosta, and Howorth (2021)

An insightful example of this change from the beginning to the end of the pandemic can be seen through the experience of a middle-school student named Felix, who has cochlear implants due to significant hearing loss and receives instruction in special education. The journal, “Reimagining Special Education Technology: Lessons From the Pandemic,” written by Randy Wooten, Alexandra Giosta, and Sarah Howorth, highlights Felix’s experience of learning remotely in special education. Prior to the pandemic, Felix utilized an ALD, where teachers would speak into a microphone that transmitted audio to his hearing device; however, during the pandemic, Felix’s teachers struggled to find a modality that provided closed captioning which made remote learning more difficult. As the pandemic continued, companies such as Zoom and Google provided closed captioning and live transcript on their platforms, which not only made attending class a simpler process, but allowed Felix to focus on learning new knowledge as opposed to struggling to understand his teachers. This assistive technology amplified his experience when returning to school and successfully supported his individualized needs.

View Sonic. (2020). Assistive Technology in Special Education. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/assistive-technology-in-special-education/.

Looking Ahead

The pandemic pushed companies to create inclusive technology such as live captioning on Zoom, which led to increased accessibility for students with special needs. Felix’s experience during the pandemic showed people that “increased dialogue, greater collaboration, and dissemination of guidance may help to ensure greater equity and accessibility for students.” (Wooten, Giosta, and Howorth, 2021). Although the pandemic presented initial challenges for students in special education who relied on assistive technologies, it pushed companies to improve their technologies, prompted a need for better education or training about them, and proved to provide greater accessibility for many individuals.

Room for Improvement

There many groups, such as the CEC Division of Innovations in Special Education Technology, who are “focused on providing educators (current and future), professionals, and family members innovative technology-based solutions for today’s educational needs” (Kaczorowski and Howorth, 2021). The ISET not only works to promote the development of new assistive technologies, but produce research, increase collaboration amongst educators, support teachers’ continuous learning, and create standards for technology accessibility. They seek to help schools provide quality special education services with the help of assistive technologies, while making inclusion their utmost priority. As groups like the ISET influence the thoughtful implementation of technology into the classroom, learning can be more enjoyable, engaging, and accommodating for all students in special education.

---

References

Kaczorowski, T., & Howorth, S. (2021). Ensuring Equitable and Accessible Technology: A

View From the CEC Division of Innovations in Special Education Technology (ISET). Teaching Exceptional Children, 53(6), 402–403. https://doi-org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/10.1177/00400599211025506

Wooten, R., Giosta, A., & Howorth, S. (2021). Reimagining Special Education Technology:

Lessons From the Pandemic. Teaching Exceptional Children, 54(2), 154–156. https://doi-org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/10.1177/00400599211063671