What’s in a Name? ICT for Students with Special Needs.
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Transcript of What’s in a Name? ICT for Students with Special Needs.
What’s in a Name?
• ICT for Students with Special Needs
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A student with special needs
• May have more difficulty learning than other children of the same age
• May need different approaches to learning
• May find it hard to make use of traditional educational facilities and resources
• May need modified learning materials
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• We may need labels to help identify needs
• But we are teaching children, not labels
Labels
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One set of labels
• Learning Disabilities, including Mild, Moderate,Severe or Profound Learning Disabilities
• Learning Difficulties
• Specific Learning Disabilities
• Speech and Language Disorders
• Autism /Autistic Spectrum Disorders
• Emotional or Behavioural Disorders
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• Hearing Impairments/Deaf
• Visual Impairments/Blind
• Physical Disabilities
• Non-English Speaking Students
• Exceptionally Able Students
• Educationally or Socially Disadvantaged
• Members of the Travelling Community
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A continuum of need
• A wide variation in each category
• Different impact on the ability to learn
• Students can have more than one difficulty
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Effects on learning can include:
• Cognitive difficulties
• Behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties
• Communication and interaction difficulties
• Sensory difficultiesHearing/Visual
• Other difficulties Physical/Medical
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A Questioning Approach
• Current thinking: is the “difficulty” with the environment and the technology within it?
• Is the method of accessing the technology a key barrier? If so, can the barrier be removed?
• What can a student do better/faster/extra with technology than he/she can do without it?
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ICT forSpecific Learning Disabilities• Talking books to encourage and support
reading
• Structured skills practice
• Drafting and correcting using a word processor
• Speech feedback
• Word prediction
• Word banks
• Spell checking
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Mild Learning Disabilities
• Supporting basic literacy and numeracy skills
• Structured skills practice
• Talking books to encourage and support reading
• Talking word processor to encourage and support writing
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Moderate Learning Disabilities
• Developing basic concepts
• Supporting basic literacy and numeracy
• Encouraging language development
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Severe or Profound Learning Disabilities
• Supporting basic language development
• Providing stimulation
• Attending and responding to environment
• Facilitating communication
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Speech and Language Disorders
• Whole word and phrase input
• Pictures and symbols with text
• Voice output communication aids
• Talking books to support language development
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Emotional and Behavioural Disorders
• Non-threatening environment
• Control of pace and level of work
• Consistent response
• Assist with problem solving
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Autistic Spectrum Disorders
• Motivation
• Pictures and symbols for communication
• Speech feedback
• Consistent response
• Supporting literacy and recording using whole words pictures and symbols
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Physical Disabilities
• Wide range of special access to ICT
• Writing using special input devices
• Communication using speech output aids
• Easy access to learning materials
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Hearing Impairments
• ICT is a very good visual medium
• Pictures and symbols to help writing
• Electronic communication – e-mail, text messages
• Multi-media software gives a variety of feedback
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Visual Impairments
• Speech feedback from the computer
• Magnification of the screen to suit the individual
• Visual stimulation
• Speech software to read back printed materials and web resources
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Exceptionally Abled
• Access to extra information
• Individualised learning
• Presentation of challenging material which can reduce frustration levels
• Collaborative learning
• Opportunity to apply complex thinking skills
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Other Needs
Travellers, members of other minority cultures/non-English speakers,
educationally/socially disadvantaged• Modification of teaching materials to include
other cultures, values etc• Use of content-free software by students for
self-expression, storytelling etc.• Individualised learning• ESL software
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Conclusions
• A person, not a label
• A continuum of need
• Consider the student’s learning needs
• Set realistic targets
• ICT is a not a cure