at what every neuropsychologist needs to know

Assistive Technology For Struggling Learners:

What Every Neuropsychologist

Needs to Know

Karen.Janowski@gmail.com

Twitter name – KarenJan

Blog – http://Teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com

What is AT?

Federal definition

Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized,

that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with disabilities.

Devices

Services

Any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device

Sec. 300.6 Assistive technology service.

e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family; and

(f) Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child.

Devices and

Services

CommunicationVision SupportEnvironmental ControlsMobility

Learning/Curriculum Support

Assistive Technology:

Did you know….

That every studenton an IEP

MUST be considered

for Assistive Technology?

This was written into the Reauthorization of IDEA in ….

1997.

§ 300.324 Development, review, and revision of IEP.

(2) Consideration of special factors.The IEP Team must:

(v) Consider whether the child requires needs assistive technology devices and services

So, what doesthis mean?

AT consideration

Four possibilities1.Everything is working, no need for AT

2.Everything is working, including the AT

3.We want to consider new AT, consult with others

4.We need additional information; schedule an AT Evaluation

AT assessment

SETT + TT Framework

what difference does this make?

4 million students with high-incidence disabilities were now eligible to receive AT services and devices

Team Approach

ACCESSIBLE!!

AT Implementation

IDEA 2004New Provision –

students with print disabilities must have access to accessible instructional materials.

(b) On a case-by-case basis, the use of school-purchased assistive technology devices in a child’s home or in other settingsis required if the child’s IEP Team determinesthat the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.

FAQ:

What does this mean for you as a neuropsychologist?

• The school’s academic philosophy is that “it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,’

The school’s academic philosophy is that “it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,’

The (Henderson) school’s academic philosophy is that

“it’s not the students who are disabled, but the curriculum,”

Boston Globe, 4/4/11

It’s a different world for our students

‘We’re not reading and writing across and down the page anymore.We’re reading and writing in three dimensions – across, down and out, the out being hyperlinks.

It’s a whole different kind of literacy; it's a whole different kind of writing; it’s a whole different kind of reading.

It’s a type of literacy that can’t be done anywhere else but on the web.

James Yap Director of instructional technology

Ramapo Central School District, Hillburn, NYT.H.E Jounal, april 2009 p. 24

Reflect

Where is the Breakdown?

http://flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/276131991/

And what can be done to fix it?

http://flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/276131991/

Role of Remediation? Role of Compensation?

UDL

Cast.org

Based upon Brain Research

Three Networks:Recognition

Strategic

Affective

Multiple Methods of …

Engagement

Presentation

Expression

Proactive

Embedded

Reaches all Learners

Research Considerations

Elementary school children spend 31% to 60% of their school day on fine motor tasks including handwriting.

McHale & Cermak, 1992

Studies show teachers grade papers with better handwriting higher.

Only difference was quality of writing.

Students are less hesitant to reevaluate and edit their written work produced on a computer.

(Graham and MacArthur, 1988, Jones, 1996

Productivity increases (Mayer-Nichols, 1996)

Quality increases (Jones, 1996)

Studies indicate a dramatic increase in language arts skills as a result of children inputting words and sentences frequently using a computer.

THE STATUS OF ELEMENTARY KEYBOARDING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

By Harriet Rogers

Richard Wanderman

Word Example

with TTS

Research Considerations

Writing Next

11 Key Elements to Improve Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Meta-Analysis (of experiemental and quasi-experimental research)

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Writing Strategies - explicit instruction in writing process

Summarization - explicit instruction

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Collaborative Writing

Specific Product Goals - identifies purpose & characteristics of final product

Word Processing

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Sentence Combining – promoting more complex, sophisticated writing. Combining two or more basic sentences into one

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Prewriting – to generate & organize ideas

Inquiry Activities – experiential, provide engaging activities to develop ideas; compare/contrast, collecting and evaluating evidence

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Process Writing Approach - writing for real audiences, promoting planning, reviewing, reflecting, self-evaluation, offering personalized individual assistance, customized instruction, stresses ownership of writing

11 Key Elements to Improve

Writing Achievement in Grades 4 - 12

Study of Models - provides models for each type of writing that is the focus of instruction

Writing to Learn – using writing to learn content

Findings of Meta-Analysis

Three Core Recommendations

Writing Practices that Enhance Reading

Have students write about the texts they read

React, reflect, analyze, interpret

Summarize

Answer questions in writing

Writing Practices that Enhance Reading

Explicit instruction

Writing process

Paragraph Construction

Spelling Skills

Writing Practices that Enhance Reading

Increase Quantity of Writing

Writing improves Comprehension

Writing improves fluency

Writing improves decoding

so, what are we doing to increase writing opportunities for our struggling writers?

Five Paragraph Essay

?

Low Tech ideas

A word about

data collection

This is not in addition to. This is in place of.

What are we currently doing?

Is it working?

Removes the obstacles to success

Provides alternative ways to demonstrate learning

Promotes Independence!

Makes learning

possible!

Photo Credits

Start button - http://www.123rf.com/photo_3995846_start-button-over-white-concept-of-begin-go-initiate-etc.html

Frustration - http://www.afslegal.com/images/frustrated.jpg•Magician’s hat - http://www.ricotheclownandmagician.com/IMAGES/magic-hat-stars.gif

Shift - http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/04/idsa_northeast_district_c.html

Brick - http://earth911.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/single-brick.jpgOpen Door - http://www.nancyoutloud.com/

Team - http://www.navegabem.com/our-team.html

Process - http://www.core77.com/blog/book_reviews/book_review_process_by_jennifer_hudson_11289.asp