Assistive technology ensures that no child is left behind.CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS June 24, 2009 The majority of the United States is familiar with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). What some individuals may not know is that this federal legislation applies not only to mainstream public education students, but also to various subgroups including the special education student population. Special education students and their teachers are held to specific standards under NCLB just as their mainstream counterparts. This poses a challenge to both students and educators since special education students require specially designed instruction to meet their learning needs. Educators are rising to the challenge of leaving no child behind with the help of assistive technology. Assistive technology serves as an important tool to help special education students access classroom curriculum and gain valuable learning experiences. This type of technology includes any device that helps an individual to gain knowledge, access the surrounding environment, communicate, or improve function in terms of reading, writing or math. These assistive devices can range from something as simple as a homemade hook on a wheelchair to something as complex as an expensive, high-tech augmentative communication device. Two local elementary students, although faced with physical limitations, are proving that their access to curriculum is not limited ensuring that they will not be left behind academically. Wheelchair bound in the absence of legs and using prosthetic arms, Daphne Merigoux-Haskin is a 3rd grade student at Gilbert J. Mircovich Elementary in Ingleside ISD. Merigoux-Haskin uses a computer device to access the curriculum and actively participate in class. Fourth grade Club Estates Elementary student in Corpus Christi ISD (CCISD), James Corley, faces multiple challenges including autism, cerebral palsy, and visual impairment. Although Corley is non-verbal, he communicates through an augmentative communication device to engage in learning. Within Region 2, 11,960 students—or approximately 11.3 percent of the regional student population—are reported in the special education subgroup. A sampling of Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data indicates that about 571 CCISD students use assistive technology to assist their learning. Other Region 2 districts with students using assistive technology in the mainstream classroom include Calallen ISD with twenty-three students, Tuloso Midway ISD with 131 students and Gregory Portland ISD with 54 students. Given these data, assistive technology enables special education students to function and succeed in the mainstream classroom. Education Service Center, Region 2 (ESC-2) Special Education Consultant, Kimberly Cook, says, “The use of assistive technology in the classroom is a statistic that is often underreported. It’s important that we increase community awareness of the important role that assistive technology plays in helping people with disabilities increase their learning and functioning.” The ESC-2 will host a technology expo on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 to highlight best practices in the use of assistive technology. ### |