ATS Evaluation Essay
*Due to unforeseen medical emergency, the ATS apologizes for the delay of this report. *
Background/history:
Rebecca is a 31 year old adult female who resides with her family in Bernardston, MA. Rebeca has a history of learning difficulties thought-out her academic career. According to Rebecca’s most recent evaluation; Rebecca has been diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disorder with Problems in Written Expression, including spelling, grammar and punctuation, anxiety and depression. She was referred for an assistive technology evaluation by MRCVC Kara Hutchinson to determine what tools and strategies are available to help Rebecca as she works toward her degree as a
X-ray Technician.
Functional Status:
Rebecca is a non-traditional student at Holyoke Community College. She is working towards her degree as an X-Ray Technician. Rebecca struggles with concentration, anxiety, depression, long and …show more content…
short term recall, reading comprehension, writing and organization. The combination of these disabilities impacts her ability to learn.
Functional Limitations and Potential Assistive Technology Solutions:
Currently, Rebecca owns an HP laptop with 4GB of RAM. Which she currently uses for personal use and school.
Reading: When asked about reading Rebecca explained at times, it is difficult for to comprehend what she had read and she needs to reread the material again.
When this happens, she becomes overwhelmed and anxious and finds it difficult to finish her assignment. She feels it would be beneficial for her reading and listen to the text at the same time to obtain better comprehension. Rebecca reviewed the text to speech software Read and Write Gold and Kurzweil. Rebecca would benefit from the use of text to speech to process information when she reads. Highlighting is important for Rebecca to take clear and concise notes and to help her process the electronic text. Both programs provide these qualities, although, the Kurzweil program provides the writing path tools which appealed to Rebecca needs. Rebecca sees the writing templates and the drafts for writing exceptionally helpful. The ATS is recommending the client is provided with the Kurzweil 3000 program. The ATS is recommending Rebecca is provided with an All-in-One-Printer, with USB cable and Surge
Protector.
Writing: Rebecca feels at times writing can be very difficult and laborious. Rebecca finds typing her papers helps, but there are times when she cannot spell a word and the spell check cannot help her with the corrections. During the evaluation the ATS noticed that Rebecca articulates well and is able to state her thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Rebecca tries the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program and was able to build a user profile with ease. The ATS also had the client examine the Windows Speech Recognition Program. Rebecca found the playback feature which the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program provides to be very helpful. The Windows Speech Recognition does not have this capability. The ATS is recommending Rebecca be provided with the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. And a USB headset. Rebecca will also need Microsoft Office Home and Student to finish her writing assignments.
Notetaking: Currently, Rebecca is not receiving assistance with notetaking and finds this task very difficult. Rebecca stated she finds it extremely difficult to take notes and to listen to lecture at the same time. Rebecca noticed that she has mistakenly left out important information when taking notes, due her inability to listen and take notes at the same time. The ATS showed Rebecca the LiveScribe Echo Pen. She was able to manipulate the pen with ease and understand many of the features and functions of the pen. Rebecca feels if she would have this piece of equipment she wouldn’t have to worry when taking notes. The ATS is recommending Rebecca be provided with a LiveScribe Pen and a Package of 4 notebooks.
Math: When asked about math subjects, Rebecca said she never managed well in mathematics. Her exam results indicate that she is in the low average range. Rebecca contributes the positive outcome of her test results, because she just finished a semester of math and many of the concepts were still fresh in her mind. Otherwise Rebecca states she has always struggled with math, which has made her anxious when having to take a class. The ATS is recommending Rebecca is provided with the Your Teacher Application and a $10.00 Google Play Store Gift Card to cover the price of the application. The application breaks down the math concepts into simpler terms, giving the student a better understanding of the process.
Applications/Organization/Anxiety: To address Rebecca’s anxiety and to help her overcome fear, the ATS is recommending the free application, I Can Be Free. Rebecca will be able to listen to sessions that will help her overcome fears and phobias and boost her confidence. The ATS is also recommending the Breathe2realax application (free). This application is a portable stress management tool which offers detailed instructions and practice exercises to help users find the stress management skill - diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing exercises could help Rebecca with mood stabilization, anxiety management and relaxation. Rebecca has a smartphone so she is able to install these applications on her phone. If by chance the phone cannot accommodate the applications the ATS will recommend an iPod for audio books and applications. The ATS will give Rebecca a list of free grammar checkers for her to use to help her with writing. Rebecca has difficulty with organization and she struggles with scheduling time for school, work and assisting her parents at home. To help Rebecca with her organization and studies the ATS would like to recommend the Study Minder program. Study Minder is a planner aimed directly at students with variable schedules such as hers. This program has a series of additional options to assist students with organization and the program is linked to a homework-help section that provides online resources to get answers to tough questions.
Background/history:
Rebecca is a 31 year old adult female who resides with her family in Bernardston, MA. Rebeca has a history of learning difficulties thought-out her academic career. According to Rebecca’s most recent evaluation; Rebecca has been diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disorder with Problems in Written Expression, including spelling, grammar and punctuation, anxiety and depression. She was referred for an assistive technology evaluation by MRCVC Kara Hutchinson to determine what tools and strategies are available to help Rebecca as she works toward her degree as a
X-ray Technician.
Functional Status:
Rebecca is a non-traditional student at Holyoke Community College. She is working towards her degree as an X-Ray Technician. Rebecca struggles with concentration, anxiety, depression, long and …show more content…
short term recall, reading comprehension, writing and organization. The combination of these disabilities impacts her ability to learn.
Functional Limitations and Potential Assistive Technology Solutions:
Currently, Rebecca owns an HP laptop with 4GB of RAM. Which she currently uses for personal use and school.
Reading: When asked about reading Rebecca explained at times, it is difficult for to comprehend what she had read and she needs to reread the material again.
When this happens, she becomes overwhelmed and anxious and finds it difficult to finish her assignment. She feels it would be beneficial for her reading and listen to the text at the same time to obtain better comprehension. Rebecca reviewed the text to speech software Read and Write Gold and Kurzweil. Rebecca would benefit from the use of text to speech to process information when she reads. Highlighting is important for Rebecca to take clear and concise notes and to help her process the electronic text. Both programs provide these qualities, although, the Kurzweil program provides the writing path tools which appealed to Rebecca needs. Rebecca sees the writing templates and the drafts for writing exceptionally helpful. The ATS is recommending the client is provided with the Kurzweil 3000 program. The ATS is recommending Rebecca is provided with an All-in-One-Printer, with USB cable and Surge
Protector.
Writing: Rebecca feels at times writing can be very difficult and laborious. Rebecca finds typing her papers helps, but there are times when she cannot spell a word and the spell check cannot help her with the corrections. During the evaluation the ATS noticed that Rebecca articulates well and is able to state her thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Rebecca tries the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program and was able to build a user profile with ease. The ATS also had the client examine the Windows Speech Recognition Program. Rebecca found the playback feature which the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program provides to be very helpful. The Windows Speech Recognition does not have this capability. The ATS is recommending Rebecca be provided with the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. And a USB headset. Rebecca will also need Microsoft Office Home and Student to finish her writing assignments.
Notetaking: Currently, Rebecca is not receiving assistance with notetaking and finds this task very difficult. Rebecca stated she finds it extremely difficult to take notes and to listen to lecture at the same time. Rebecca noticed that she has mistakenly left out important information when taking notes, due her inability to listen and take notes at the same time. The ATS showed Rebecca the LiveScribe Echo Pen. She was able to manipulate the pen with ease and understand many of the features and functions of the pen. Rebecca feels if she would have this piece of equipment she wouldn’t have to worry when taking notes. The ATS is recommending Rebecca be provided with a LiveScribe Pen and a Package of 4 notebooks.
Math: When asked about math subjects, Rebecca said she never managed well in mathematics. Her exam results indicate that she is in the low average range. Rebecca contributes the positive outcome of her test results, because she just finished a semester of math and many of the concepts were still fresh in her mind. Otherwise Rebecca states she has always struggled with math, which has made her anxious when having to take a class. The ATS is recommending Rebecca is provided with the Your Teacher Application and a $10.00 Google Play Store Gift Card to cover the price of the application. The application breaks down the math concepts into simpler terms, giving the student a better understanding of the process.
Applications/Organization/Anxiety: To address Rebecca’s anxiety and to help her overcome fear, the ATS is recommending the free application, I Can Be Free. Rebecca will be able to listen to sessions that will help her overcome fears and phobias and boost her confidence. The ATS is also recommending the Breathe2realax application (free). This application is a portable stress management tool which offers detailed instructions and practice exercises to help users find the stress management skill - diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing exercises could help Rebecca with mood stabilization, anxiety management and relaxation. Rebecca has a smartphone so she is able to install these applications on her phone. If by chance the phone cannot accommodate the applications the ATS will recommend an iPod for audio books and applications. The ATS will give Rebecca a list of free grammar checkers for her to use to help her with writing. Rebecca has difficulty with organization and she struggles with scheduling time for school, work and assisting her parents at home. To help Rebecca with her organization and studies the ATS would like to recommend the Study Minder program. Study Minder is a planner aimed directly at students with variable schedules such as hers. This program has a series of additional options to assist students with organization and the program is linked to a homework-help section that provides online resources to get answers to tough questions.