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An Overview of Assistive Technology SPE 545. Persons involved in AT: . Parents, users, families Educational program administrators Educators of all types Social workers Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) Occupational therapists Physical therapists . Purposes of AT.
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Persons involved in AT: Parents, users, families Educational program administrators Educators of all types Social workers Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) Occupational therapists Physical therapists
Purposes of AT • Increase productivity • Improve life quality • Enable communication • Facilitate learning • Independence and access to the community • Expanded control over their environment • Friendship • Functional • Enabling • Augmentative • Efficient • Adaptive
AT No Tech • Adaptation of common objects • Does not have electronic components • Can include an accommodation, change in the environment, flexible scheduling
AT Light Tech • Easily accessible • Low cost • Used by Peers Examples: • Slant Board • Tape Recorders • Changes in text size, in spacing, in background color • Calculator • Reading pen • Highlighter tape • Color filters
AT High Tech • Higher cost • Sometimes makes student feel “different” from peers • Word Processor • Word Prediction Software • Talking Word Processor • Multimedia Software • Voice Recognition Software
Resources • U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) • The National AT Reuse Center: http://www.passitoncenter.org/ • Infinitec, Inc. (a joint effort of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago and United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc., Washington D.C) http://www.infinitec.org/ • ISBE: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/SPEC-ED/html/assist_tech.htm • Association of AT Act Programs http://www.ataporg.org/atap/index.php • Illinois State Resources http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/cerebral-palsy-assistance/illinois • Illinois Assistive Technology Project (IATP) http://www.iltech.org • Illinois Life Span http://www.illinoislifespan.org/index.asp