Class # 6: Assistive Technology Frameworks

Tonight we finished out Power Points on Assistive Technology Frameworks. I really liked this self learning activity and found myself diving deeper and deeper into the frameworks. I think I may have went a little over board on my Power Point but learned a lot! The four frameworks I looked at included HAAT, SETT, WATI and the MPT. The first one I looked at was the HAAT model and to try and help myself understand this model I thought up a particular student and walked through the steps as if I was part of the team to figure out what assistance in a particular activity they may require to gain access to the benefits of the activity and/or to facilitate their performance. I found this helped me a lot! This model has four components; the human, the activity, the assistive technology and the context in which all three of these exist. The particular student I thought up needs to complete written assignments in her English class. She has fine motor challenges which make it difficult for her to write legibly. So in this case I found the HAAT “activity” to be writing. For this particular student, for the the human component, we would need to consider the following; this person has the ability to speak and speaks clearly, has gross motor control, practices their fine motor skills on a daily basis – stress balls, cutting and sorting, uses pincer grip etc, receive occupational therapy,they have some experience using some forms of assistive technology- ex -adaptive keyboards, they work well with peers, they are pleasant, cheerful, easy to work with and loves to learn. For this student the context is the classroom and home. And finally the the AT that could be used in this example could be a speech recognition program such as dragon dictation on an iPod/iPhone/iPad that could be used at both school and home. By thinking through this example I was able to gain a better insight into this model and it also helped me to understand the next three models as they share those 4 commonalities; they all center around the student, they look at the task they are hoping to complete, the environment of milieu in which the task is to be completed and then looks at the suggested technology that to support and enable the person to complete the task successfully. Another crucial component that was not labeled directly in each model as a component but was definitely mentioned throughout each process was the aspect of time. All five of these components affects and impacts each other and needs to be looked at in detail and in an ongoing process. This is not a static process where once you think you have found a support the process is over. The team needs to be constantly gathering evidence to see what is working, what is not working and asking why. By doing this one will see how this process can impact growth of students and teachers and how it can impact and change a school's culture to not only say we support all students but demonstrate this belief as well. In each of the 4 models I studied, they all looked at the student first and did not jump to the assistive technology right away, which is key. How can we assign AT to a student without knowing their strengths, needs, context and environment first? With all the models, they take on a team approach where information is gathered, analyzed and the information used to make informed decisions. The process in one school for a particular student will look a bit different than for a student in another school because of the huge diversity amongst people with disabilities. This is why we see so many different models and assistive technology being used. There is no way we could come up with a blanket or standardized test to be used with all students, however, the five components mentioned above, I feel, do need to be part of any model or framework.

Like Morrison alludes to in her article, "Implementation of Assistive Computer Technology(ACT): A Model for School Systems, ACT provides students with independent access to curriculum which would otherwise have been difficult or impossible and provides equal opportunities and supports those with learning problems. With that said, she stresses, the process for effective integration of AT into the curriculum is not a quick and easy task that can be taken lightly. She states that the issues in ACT delivery, needs to be more carefully considered and requires a more complex understanding that goes beyond the mere access and operation of ACT devices." As seen in Scherer table 8.1 "Influences on Assistive Technology Use," for AT to influence student learning in a positive way, the milieu, personality and Technology needs to be considered in order to get optimal use out of the AT. For example, if the AT is being forced upon a student by therapist, teacher or parent that can affect the student view on the device and may feel embarrassed to use it in front of peers if they do not understand its purpose and they do not meet the students needs. With this scenario, the student may only partially use the device and be reluctant in it use or use it inappropriately.

The student may feel like the following cartoon depicts. That decisions are being made for him without considering his strengths and needs making him feel labeled. Tensions arises when the technology is looked at before the student leaving them feeling different and stigmatized. According to Morrison we need to look at the individual first. We also need to look at training and supporting educators, teachers, parents and students to help increase their comfort level and provide them with a better understanding as they participate in the decision making process with the team. The concept map Morrison uses on pg 90 of her article sums up nicely a suggested model for ACT implementation. It provides a great visual showing the student in the middle emphasizing the student-centered focus. As mentioned earlier, there is not a one-size fits all approach, but that is why these processes are referred to as models or frameworks, they are not meant to be followed word for word, but used to guide or provide a frame in which to work from.

(cartoons url-http://www.lexdis.org.uk/project/media/presentations/Glasgow2009/html/web_data/file19.htm)