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Presenter(s)
Sherry L. Purcell, Ph.D.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Email: sherpurc@earthlink.net
Debbie Grant, M.A.
Santa Barbara County Education Office
Email: debgrant@sbceo.org
Federal education mandates require that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment. Specifically, IDEA'97 requires public schools to educate these students to the fullest extent possible within the general education curriculum. In addition, it requires public schools to consider the need for Assistive Technology for all students with disabilities. Assistive Technology for many students is the key to participation in general education. It provides functional access or a "bridge" between the student's disability and the ability to access the same curriculum as general education peers.
Functional access technologies break through the barriers of vision, hearing, processing, communication, and/or motor skills to allow students to do the same things as their general education peers. Assistive technology exists on a continuum from low-no tech to high tech (Golden, 1998; Parker, 1998). The choice of technology for a student varies depending on the type and level of severity of the disability, and on the specific task requirements in the classroom.
Through two publications, Purcell and Grant (2002, 2004) have developed an approach designed to support general education teachers, other educators, and IEP teams as they consider a student's ability to participate in general education programs. A state curriculum framework for the content areas of English Language Arts and Reading is the foundation of this approach. Standards are task-analyzed for performance variables and barriers to performance of the specific standards. AT Solutions for overcoming those barriers are offered in a range from low-no tech to high tech. IEP goals which incorporate Assistive Technology are suggested in an easy to use format. An extensive reference guide has been developed with directions for making various types of AT, as well as resources for purchasing AT.
This presentation will demonstrate how Assistive Technology provides functional access to general education. Teachers and others will be empowered to meet the Assistive Technology needs of students with disabilities by linking AT to general education curriculum standards for the content areas of English Language Arts and Reading. They will develop a fuller understanding of barriers to a student's performance when trying to meet those standards. In addition, the presentation will suggest a range of technology from low-no tech to high tech appropriate for specific standards. It will focus on what educators need to know about AT, including:
• specific examples of Assistive Technology
• resources for acquiring or making Assistive Technology devices
• illustrations of how Assistive Technology can be used in the day-to-day activities of learning in the classroom
• guidance as to how to incorporate Assistive Technology into IEP goal writing.
References
Golden, D. (1998). Assistive technology in special education: Policy and practice. Albuquerque: Council of Administrators in Special Education, Inc.
Parker, A. (1998). Assistive technology for all individuals with disabilities. (Memorandum, August 24, 1998). Sacramento, CA: California State Department of Education.
Purcell, S. & Grant, D. (2002). Assistive technology solutions for IEP teams. Verona, WI: Attainment Co.
Purcell, S. & Grant, D. (2004, in press). Assistive technology solutions for IEP teams, Book 2. Verona, WI: Attainment Co.
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