The Power of the "Tech"

Image from OnlineMedicineTips.com

  In a classroom, there are students sitting down on desks writing in their notebooks or loose-leaf papers while an individual student sits in the side tapping on a screen of a device. That student is known to have a type of disability who needs special attention and accommodations. The non-disabled students stare with envious looks wishing that were them automatically doing an assignment by a single tap of a finger. But little do they know that the device is the only thing that helps the special need student with everyday use.
  
  I am currently taking an education class called ED-215 "Intro to Exceptional Individuals" and it is a class that focuses on certain types of disabilities that are common in schoolchildren. I am not a Special Education major, but the class was required for my major, which is Elementary Education. The information that I have obtained so far in      the class was not so familiar with me, but I got to find out more about the types of disabilities and how students with special needs get through school, recreation, and household lifestyle.


   One day, we went to GSAT (Guam System of Assistive Technology) to learn more about the types of assistive technology. It was my first time going there and I was suprised to see all the different types of devices available for people with disabilities. One device that caught my eye was the Smart Pen, which is a special kind of pen that records and takes notes usually for students with autism or learning disabilities. Another one was the Logan Proxtalker, which is a device that talks when pictures are shown to form sentences. There are two types of categories of assistive technology: High-tech or Low-tech depending on how much it costs and how effective each one is.


   I think that Assistive Technology is a powerful tool that will help change the lives of people with disabilities who have hard times paying attention in school, doing work, playing activities, or getting through barriers. Assitive Technology does not only benefit people with disabilities, but can also benefit everyone.


Related article:

• Family Guide to Assistive Technology (pluk.org)
  Written and edited by:
  Katharin A. Kelker, Ed.D.
  Roger Holt, ATP