Assistive Technology

In my quest of searching for Assistive Technology(AT)tools, I found myself taking an AT class at Cambridge College. The professor was awesome, and I learned so much that I had to share. I've included many great Web sites and documents that offer a wealth of information and research related to using assistive technology in your teaching, and preparing for I.E.P meetings.

Assistive Technology Defined by A.D.A.

Assistive technology is “any item, piece of equipment, or product system…that is used to INCREASE, MAINTAIN, or IMPROVE the functional capabilities of children with disabilities”

Instructional Technology

Instructional Technologies may be any technology used to Support the Process of Teaching and Learning. Tools that facilitate learning for students or make the learning process Faster or More Efficient.


Information about learning styles and Multiple Intelligence is helpful for everyone and especially for people with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Take the learning style quiz to see how you learn.

Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health. Knowing your students learning styles will help you develop coping strategies to compensate for their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.
I believe that each and everyone of us has been blessed with a talent, find out what that talent is in every child, and build on it.

Different types of Learning Styles

Verbal (linguistic) prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

Aural (auditory-musical) prefer using sound and music.

Visual (spatial) prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

Physical (kinesthetic) prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

Logical (mathematical) prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

Social (interpersonal) prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

Solitary (intrapersonal) prefer to work alone and use self-study.


90 Days of Summer by Dave Edyburn is daily dose of special education technology professional development. Just spend 10-20 minutes a day exploring new ideas, skills, and resources. This daily guide can be used anytime, it only takes 20 minutes a day to learn new skills that will engage your students into the learning process.


The Assistive Technology handbook was created to assist IEP teams as they consider assistive technology. It describes the “consideration” process to be used by IEP teams as they discuss student needs. The handbook has been designed to bring consistency and equity to decisions made regarding AT throughout the Wichita Public Schools, Wichita, Kansas. It is a task-oriented approach that considers a range of AT from no-tech to high-tech solutions.

Survey of Assistive Technology Knowledge & Skills is a guide for Professional Development, for School personnel, students using AT, and their parents. Take the survey and see where you rate. The survey is a Collaborative Project with Kentucky Public Schools. Permission is granted to reproduce this form for non-commercial purposes.

Writing Computer Needs Assessments is a document that will help IEP teams consider what is best for the student, the assessment should include Disability information, Academic information, Technology/Classroom Environment information, Technology/Home Environment information, Visual Ability information, Fine Motor Abilities, Positioning, Writing Skills, and Additional Observations made by the students teachers, which will lead to summary and recommendations for the IEP meeting.


The Assistive Technology Consideration: Student Planning Guide is filled with examples for IEP teams to consider when creating the students IEP.

1. Review the student’s skills and functional capability & available evaluation data.
2. Develop annual goals, including objectives & benchmarks.
3. Examine tasks required of the student to participate and progress in educational settings.
4. Evaluate the difficulty of tasks and the student’s functional ability to perform them.
5. Identify services and supports, including AT, that allow the student to participate and achieve.


Universal Design for Learning is a framework that can help you turn the challenges posed by high standards and increasing learner diversity into opportunities to maximize learning for every student. Drawing upon new knowledge of how the brain works and new technologies and media now available for teaching and learning, UDL frames a systematic approach to setting goals, choosing or creating flexible materials and media, and assessing students accurately.

Visual Solutions

Bookshare's Library Now Free to All U.S. Students with Qualifying Disabilities. Memberships for U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students of all ages (K-12, post-secondary, continuing and adult education) are now free, due to special funding received from the Office of Special Education Programs. Bookshare.org


For some great visual learning tools check out Don Johnson Software for success in reading, writing and thinking. Don Johnstons software has empowered educators with supplemental instruction and intervention solutions to help struggling learners build core literacy skills with confidence since 1980.


The Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. The collection was produced by tens of thousands of volunteers. There are over 20,000 free books in the Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog. A grand total of over 100,000 titles is available at Project Gutenberg Partners, Affiliates and Resources.


Full Books is an unusual site that offers classic books to read on-line. It is unusual because the main page is just a listing of alphabetical groupings. Click on one, and you are shown all their books that fall within that grouping. Select a book, and you can read it on-line, after scrolling past a few ads.


The mission of the International Children’s Digital Library Foundation is to excite and inspire the world's children to become members of the global community – children who understand the value of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online.


The Assistive Technology Toolbox is a digital resource guide for parents, educators and administrators. The information has been compiled by the Northern, NJ Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities Training Center located at Warren County Technical School, Washington, New Jersey.




Email Contact: denisemccall@carolina.rr.com

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