Assistive Technology Evaluation

Evaluation of Assistive Technology

In our textbook, Assistive Technology: Access for all Students, the author’s state: “AT, like education, should not be approached with a ‘one size fits all’ mentality” (p.40). Just as educators are learning to diversity testing methods and measurements in order to give all types of students the same opportunity for higher learning; assistive technologies should be approach the very same way, we must consider all types of AT available and be innovative and creative, curious to discover and unravel the different molds and shapes the assistive technologies can take.
Upon researching it is amazing to learn that assistive technologies are revolutionizing mental disorders and learning
disabilities on a monumental scale. Not only does assistive technology come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but it comes diversified and adaptable to cultural and social conditions. The key with AT is to access different realms of learning techniques, that allow struggling minds and learners to find alternative methods that are more suitable to their thinking, and allows their minds to function on a cognitive healthy normal level manner.
In order to advance with all the technologies developing and to continue to evolve, a ‘one size fits all’ mentality could be detrimental and paralyzing. It could delay and hold back our evolution of understanding humans and neurology of humans, and any more delays will cause more and more children and adults to continue to suffer. It is heartbreaking to consider how many people in our modern society have had to suffer with anguish and despair, leading to analytically paralysis and rejection of the self. By opening up minds and re-evaluating frameworks of our understanding, we can recognized the potentials and skills of all types of people. Instead of lumping people into fixed categories, we can reconsider them as individuals with gifts and original traits. Without considering alternative measurements, students and teachers will be left in a repetitive cycles of defining disorder, instead of looking to them to teach us something different about the way the see and operate in the world it is absolutely vital that we diversify our assistive technologies to fit the spectrum of colorful personalities.
In a professional presentation aired on a series called TedTalks, titled, A Second Opinion on Learning Disorders, Aditi Shankardass, a scientist and doctor of neurology from India present profound research unveiled through advance medical technologies, which dive deeper into diagnostics by actually studying neurological process of the brain.
It is absolutely mind blowing to think of the implications these studies could produce, and she explains one of the first astounding revelations for mankind, to be able to understand of the power house of the human mind and body on a more accurate scientific level, as opposed to inference and categories. Aditi Shankardass states early in speech:
“It was while I was doing my PHD on the neurological causes of dyslexia in children that I encountered a startling fact that I’d like to share today. It is estimated that one in six children suffer from some developmental disorder. This is a disorder that retards mental development in the child and causes permanent mental impairments. Which means that each and every one of you today know someone with a form of suffering from developmental
disorder.
But here is what really perplexed me, despite the fact that each and every one of these disorders originates in the brain, most of these disorders are diagnosed solely on the basis of observable behavior. But diagnosing a brain disorder without actually looking at the brain is analogous to treating a patient with a heart problem based on their physical symptoms without doing EG or chest x-ray to look at the heart. It seemed so intuitive to me, that to diagnose and treat a brain disorder accurately, it would be necessary to look at the brain directly. Looking at behavior alone can miss a vital piece of the puzzle and provide an incomplete or even misleading picture of the child problems, yet despite all the advances in medical technology the diagnosis of brain disorders in one in six children still remained elusive. “She projects on screen for lecture a list of labeled learning disabilities: * Mental Retardation * Learning Disorders (Dyslexia, Speech and Language Disorders) * Attention Disorders (ADD, ADHD) * Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism, Asperger Syndrome) * Sensory Processing Disorder * Epilepsy, Seizure, and Sleep Disorders

She discusses her transitions and how she was lucky to discover a team of neurologists, from Harvard, that were initializing a new technology designed to measuring neurological patterns and functions, she discusses, and describes two programs developed by the new advance medical technology: A program called Brain Electrical Activity Mapping and the other program called Statistical Probability Mapping.
These programs use graphs and mathematical calculations to detect abnormalities of the neurological regions. Through understanding the design of the mind, we can learn and create ways to help solve the mysteries of the many brain disorders. She continues into the
speech:
“Seven year old Justin Senegal came to our clinic with this diagnosis of very severe autism. Like many autistic children his mind was locked inside his body. There were moments when he would actually space out seconds at a time. Doctors told the parents that he would never be able to interact socially and probably never develop much language. When we use this groundbreaking EEG technology to actually look at Justin’s brain the results were startling. It turned out Justin was certainly not autistic He was suffering from brain seizures that were invisible to the naked eye actually causing symptoms that mimicked those of autism. After given doses of anti-seizure medicine the change in him was amazing. Within a period was sixty days his vocabulary went from
Two to three words to three hundred words. His social and communication skills were improved so dramatically that he was enrolled into a regular school and even became a karate super champ.”
In another essay, author Aries Cobb, discusses AT and learning disabilities in an essay titled
Enhancing the Life Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities, under the category ‘Assistive Technology Used by Applied Behavior Analysts’, and he explained:
“In the areas of applied behavior analysis and special education, there are sets of technologies and computerized equipment that are used to assist children in the learning process. The list of technological devices and/or assistive technology used by behavior therapists as a treatment for children with special needs includes simple magnifiers, pointers, alternative input/ output devices, touch screens, voice recognition systems, graphic organizing software, and special cognitive software (Khek et al., 2006). In this study, the treatment group used AT to improve language and motor delays in children 3 to 5 years of age. Evaluating researchers have documented that, when AT is used for children with special needs, properly designed instruction contributes enormously to its effectiveness, especially in the case of autism (Cavanaugh, 2002; Smaldino et al, 2008). When used correctly for students with special needs, AT tends to create a learning environment that promotes enhanced operant procedures, positive self-growth, increased motor skills, and effective oral communication (Cavanaugh, 2002; Khek et al., 2006; Smaldino et al., 2008, 2012). In conjunction with the application of AT, educational therapists have found various technological devices to be effective in specific types of learning disability,” (p.49). Here in this essay, Aries Cobb, elaborates with positive endearing enthusiasm, of the booming possibilities and potentials unfolding through different AT equipment. From simple magnifying glasses to upgraded new software with a lot of high tech capacities, we have a gallery of choices and yet still have to test how to utilize most effectively. This process will be part of our education system and really parts of our existence will change, or upgrade, to the next level of compassion and understanding. To an enlightenment of liberated youngster whom have had to chance to find their inner voices through affordable I pads. The future is up to bold educators assessments and revisions. The future will be what we make of it, and that to AT more and more individuals can experience the empowering path of education and the tools that it hands to the growing curious mind.
As an aspiring future educator, I must learn the many layers of AT devices, and learn to understand the complexities of AT in order to be able to utilize the different elements for assistance in normal learning skill and assistance for disabilities or learning disorders. There are so many levels of mechanics and almost endless innovation potentials. It seems hard to really wrap my head around, but this will be the responsibility of future educators, to explore AT, and diversify the potentials in has to offer for all types of students. Just like most elements of the education system, it requires educators and school districts to keep up with changes and be intelligently aware of the changing processes. In our textbook, the authors discuss AT considerations, “These team members are knowledgeable about the student, and one of them should have significant knowledge regarding AT devices and services. Collectively, they should have appropriate knowledge about AT anto make informed decisions regarding the devices and services for the student. This does not mean that each member should be an expert in AT, but each should know AT well enough to help the team reach consensus regarding the appropriate AT for the student,” (p.41). The vitality of the students is very much dependent upon the amount of knowledge obtained by the research of the educators, the more knowledge of the elements of modern education, the more likely for result that are successful, enriching, nourishing, thought provoking, and inspirational experiences. With the positive energy compassions that come from awareness and acceptance of the personalities, and the vast spectrum of different intelligences, the positive flow could take our education system to a whole new level and to many different dimensions.
The more we understand the brain and how each individual operates on a set of experiences, and each individuals experiences shape their perceptions of life, and by learning more and more about the mysteries of the brain through AT, education will be redefined, refined, and respected and cherished more for all types of cultures and all types of learning methods and skills. All students illuminate and be understood as individuals and respected confidently, and have more changes of growing strong and healthy brains free of abnormalities or disease; and assistive technologies are just beginning to change the education system, and the more energy we lend to innovate new bridges for students, the further the students can travel on their path of education, knowledge, and wisdom.

References
Beard, L.A., Carpenter, L.B., & Johnston, L.B. (2011). Assistive Technology: Access for all Students (2nd Ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Ted Talks: A Neuron World; Aditi Shankardass: A Second Opinion on Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBxvZwJZgdM
Assistive Technology: Enhancing the Life Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities;
Aries Cobb. Distance Learning. Greenwich: 2011. Vol. 8, Iss. 4; p. 47 (11 pages)