Communication
AAC: According to the “American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association,” otherwise known as ASHA, the acronym AAC stands for “augmentative
and alternative communication.” It
includes all forms of communication, except for oral, which are “used to
express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas.”
Everyone uses AAC using body language including facial expressions,
gestures, pictures, symbols, and written word.
People that have severe speech or language problems often rely on this
form of communication to supplement or in place of speech. Many of these devices not only assist people
in self-expression, but also can improve/increase social interaction,
schoolwork, and self-esteem. There are
many types of AACs in existence, and this highlights four of the ones that I
found upon further research.
This wonderful no-tech writing tool allows students to more
easily grip writing utensils. Students
who lack proficiency in fine motor tools can use this tool on a number of
writing tools to create a larger and more versatile size range during
classwork. Although there are plethora
of items that can be used to provide students with a better grip, the one modeled
in this image uses Crayola Model Magic.
It can be molded to fit any student’s fingers, and dries to a finished
lightweight product. Writing is one of
the most basic and oldest forms of communication within society today. Being able to present written work in an efficient
and easy way can assist any student in their struggles to tackle development of
motor skills. An item such as this is
wonderful because it is inventive, cheap, and provides an ambiguous means of
support for a student in need.
According to an article I found on the web, use of
Smartboards in the classroom setting can be used as an excellent tool for
special educators. This high-tech tool promotes communication and digital usage for students with special needs. There is a new
“Notebook Software” which allows students to move objects with their fingers,
draw lines, connect sounds and words, and hear specific sounds and words from a
desired lesson. This is a wonderful new
technology, as some special needs students struggle with refined motor
skills. The information is presented on
a much larger scale and also helps promote the use of a mouse within a
technology similar to computer usage.
The tactile touch of the screen promotes mental and physical connection
within the real and digital world.http://www.ehow.com/about_6465574_assistive-technology-down_s-syndrome-students.html
Accessibility
Input Device:
The term, “input device,” defines an external hardware
component which can be used to feed data to a computer or computer-related
device. Both input and output devices
define a human-computer interaction.
Often, people with disabilities need input devices to access the advantages
of computers and other technologies.
These digital advances assist people with special needs in completing
their daily functions.
Microsoft Office actually has a multitude of Software
options to increase accessibility for people with disabilities. According to the Microsoft website, many of
these features have already been built into their operating system, providing
usability features for everyone during set up.
One example of this is selecting specific fonts, colors, sizes, and
zooming to customize on the screen for automatic alteration. This can improve the readability of
documents, website, icons, images, and any other computer-based software that
may be necessary. This tool is wonderful
because it can be implemented within the classroom upon initial instruction or
at a later date. Students are constantly
use programs within Microsoft Office, and their obvious understanding of this
has been built into their programming to better equip people with special
needs. 
A Joystick is a wonderful hardware tool that can be used as
a mouse alternative for students with special needs. The image presented is a model designed by
Traxsys, a company that creates hardware for purposes such as this. The joystick allows users to access the same
capabilities as a mouse. In addition, a
larger foam ball can be attached for uses with varying degrees of
abilities. A few other hardware options
I learned about were overlay keyboards, speech input devices, and adjusted
seating options. Items such as this can
be used in the classroom to make accessibility much easier for students. In addition, it can be used to supplement
computer programs for those who need it.
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