Assistive technology in the classroom

The number of American students enrolled in special education programs has risen 30 percent in the past 10 years, according to the National Education Association. And nearly every classroom across the country has students with special needs.

This rise is in part due to increasing awareness and understanding of the many types of learning challenges that exist. Instead of focusing just on students with visual or auditory impairments, for example, schools and teachers now better recognize the signs of dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and intellectual disabilities.

Modern research and technology have made us more adept at understanding learning challenges and supporting students living with disabilities. That has led to more personalized education programs to suit the varying needs of these students.

Assistive technology already plays a pivotal role in expanding learning opportunities. Text-to-speech tools, for example, can help students with visual impairments and dyslexia, as well as those with ADHD. Understanding the many opportunities for using assistive technology allows educators to create equitable learning environments for all students.

Personalizing learning with assistive technology

Assistive technology in the classroom takes into account the fact that students learn in different ways. It allows all students in a classroom to work at their own pace using tools that support their specific needs. This is especially beneficial in schools with larger class sizes, where it can be harder to cater to each student in a personalized and meaningful way.

Assistive technology also empowers teachers with a deeper understanding of each student’s needs. This is because many assistive technology tools offer data on how each student is performing. Such data arms teachers with greater insight into which students need special attention in specific areas. It also tells teachers which topics might be challenging for all students — and where a classroom-wide review could support everyone.

Some teachers may think that adding technology will complicate lesson planning and increase their workloads. However, integrating technology into the classroom doesn’t have to involve any extra planning. Special education teacher Morgan Tigert explains that she doesn’t offer an alternative curriculum for special-needs students in her class. Instead, she creates one curriculum and provides students many different options for learning the same information.

Using this model, teachers can create one lesson plan designed to be taught across a variety of assistive technologies and mediums. Tigert’s approach allows students to work at their own pace and demonstrate aptitude in their own way. Special-needs students in this classroom model may feel more included when using assistive technology, as everyone is using individual tools. This may reduce the stigma on students who use assistive technology in a classroom where others don’t. It can also provide all students with more agency over the learning process, which can boost motivation, reliability, and self-advocacy.

Since students in the classroom are all learning the same material, albeit in different ways, they can collaborate during meaningful discussions. This ensures that special-needs students of all levels have the opportunity to learn real-world communication and teamwork skills.

In this way, assistive technology can promote learning equity, unlike traditional special-needs teaching. Different students in those more traditional special-needs classrooms are presented with varying levels of material, which can actually widen the achievement gap.

Assistive technology for special needs

From simple timers to complex voice recognition tools, there are a variety of assistive technologies available to the modern classroom. Different tools, apps, and devices can support nearly all learning challenges and abilities. Here’s an overview of the most common assistive technology in the classroom.

Assistive technology tools don’t have to be advanced or complicated to make a difference in student learning. For example, audio players and recorders can record what’s taught in class so that students can replay the files at home when they do homework. Timers are a visual aid that can help students who struggle with time management and self-pacing.

Large-display and talking calculators can help students who have visual or auditory impairments with their math assignments. Students with dyscalculia may also benefit from talking calculators, which help them perform equations and read numbers correctly.

Digital assignments can also be helpful for students with challenges like dyslexia. Electronic worksheets can guide students through the proper alignment of words, equations, and numbers. Similarly, audiobooks can help students follow along with written textbooks both in class and after school. An audio version of the day’s lesson allows students to replay the lecture so that they don’t lose or forget information.

Advanced assistive technology tools

More advanced technologies can also support students with visual, auditory, and motor skill challenges. The benefit of advanced technology tools is that many of them can be incorporated with laptops and tablets, meaning all students can learn from the same devices, yet in different ways.

Text-to-speech (TTS) tools support students with blindness, dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and other issues that cause visual or concentration impairment. These can be integrated with a Braille translator. Text-to-speech tools scan textbooks, assignments, and other materials, then read the text aloud to the student.

This shows students not only what material is presented, but also how to properly pace their words and how to pronounce them correctly. This can be especially helpful in subjects where new vocabulary and concepts are presented.

Screen readers are another TTS tool that teachers can incorporate into lessons that use e-readers, tablets, and laptops. A screen reader can be hooked up to headphones for a student in a large class so that it doesn’t disrupt or distract other students.

Speech-to-text assistive tools. In contrast with text-to-speech tools, speech-to-text tools can help students transform spoken words into written text. Also called dictation technology, these tools are ideal for students who struggle with writing challenges such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, poor penmanship, or poor spelling.

Students with attention issues like ADHD and ADD may also benefit from speech-to-text tools, as they can help them record their thoughts more efficiently. Students can use these tools to write, edit, and revise their work using just their voice. These tools can also be used to record the teacher so that lessons can be transcribed into notes for the student to review later.

Alternative keyboards. Alternative keyboards assist students with a variety of learning challenges. For example, some keyboards have extra-large buttons and colors, making it easier for those with visual impairments to see each key.

Students with dyslexia might also benefit from a keyboard that reads from A to Z, rather than the standard QWERTY keyboard. These keyboards can be connected to the laptops or tablets that other students are using so that everyone can view and complete the same work at once.

Onscreen keyboards can also help students with limited physical ability because they can be used with alternative microphones and switches, as well as eye gazes.

FM listening systems. Frequency modulation (FM) systems help students with impaired hearing better understand the teacher. FM tools require that the teacher wear a microphone, which directs information either through classroom-wide speakers or directly into students’ earphones. They reduce background noise so students with auditory impairments, attention deficits, language processing issues, and autism can better hear what the teacher is saying.

Virtual and augmented reality. Virtual reality is an emerging education tool that holds a lot of promise for special-needs students. For example, mixed reality headsets can support students who struggle with reading by walking them through a text step-by-step, adding highlights and notes along the way.

Teachers can also join students in virtual reality scenarios to walk students through specific instructions or lessons. Mixed reality headsets can provide students with a more personalized learning experience, even in a large class where other students are progressing at a different pace.

Apps and software for assistive technology. Many apps and software tools bring the functionality of assistive technology straight to your student’s device. The following are few common assistive technology apps:

• Voice4U is an interactive communication app that helps English language learners and students with autism express their feelings. 
• Dragon is a speech-to-text app that brings dictation to any device, without an additional tool. 
• Notability helps students with motor skill and processing challenges take more effective notes.
• ClaroRead is a robust text-to-speech tool that helps students with visual and attention impairments in reading, writing, studying, and test-taking.
• Co:Writer helps students write not only through speech recognition and translation, but also through intuitive word prediction.