Students with Multiple and Visual Impairments
Considerations for these students with multiple impairments should include:
- what are the educational goals technology may help the student attain?
- who will train the direct service providers (teacher, paraprofessionals,
parents) in the use of the technology?
- who will train the student in the use of the technology?
- who will help the teacher understand how to design instructional activities
so that the technology will be used?
A vision teacher should be an integral part of determining the technolgy
needs for all students with visual impairments. If you are the vision
teacher, you will most likely be the professional doing the initial training
of the student, and maybe even the teacher and others on how to set up
and use the device. It is also very important that you help the classroom
teacher find ways to integrate the technology into classroom instruction.
You can do this by providing print resources, and by telling her ways
other teachers you work with have used technology in classroom activities.
Integration of the technology into the classroom is crucially important.
Assistive technology services cannot stop at delivering the device and
providing basic instruction in how to set it up and operate it. Often
some of the most powerful devices fail in the classroom. Why?
- direct service providers need to know how to make changes to fit current
instructional needs
- direct service providers need to know how to plan activities in which
the use of the tech is required
- direct service providers need to understand how to structure activities
and arrange the classroom so that use of the technology is desirable
and convenient from the student's point of view
- direct service providers need to facilitate a realistic pace in instructional
activities, including wait time for the student to use the device
These and other considerations are especially important when students
are using communication technology. For additional information, see these
resources for a good discussion of integrating technology into instructional
activities:
Closing the Gap
http://www.closingthegap.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
here’s the index for the electronic bulletin board forum discussions
on using technology and integrating it into the curriculum, see also the
link below for literacy activities for special populations
http://www.closingthegap.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=80
Don Johnson
Look for information on the Emergent Literacy Framework at
http://www.donjohnston.com/about/searchfrm.htm
Linda Burkhart
http://www.lburkhart.com/handouts.htm
Look at handouts, especially Sample Sequenced Social Scripts
Caroline Musselwhite
http://aacintervention.com
Look especially at information on integrating augmentative communication
devices and the article “Where Do I Start?”
http://aacintervention.com/resources.htm
YAACK
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Connecting Young Kids
(YAACK)
http://aac.unl.edu/yaack/d2a.html
Learn more about fostering intentional communication with students who
are not verbal
Here’s the source for the Power Point and Clicker 4 Talking Book
tutorial, plus others:
Assistive Technology Training Online:
http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials.php
Senswitcher: free switch accessible cause/effect software - a wonderful
product!
http://www.northerngrid.org/ngflwebsite/sen/intro.htm
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