Selection of Appropriate Technology

A Team Approach

A Challenge to the Schools

In the future, devices and equipment will become easier to obtain as the costs of producing them decline. With decreases in the costs associated with technologies that can help children to benefit from special education, a wider variety of devices and equipment is likely to be provided with greater frequency. Already, many schools have acknowl­edged a willingness to invest in more sophisticated technologies such as com­puters for children with special needs. Since infor­mation about and instruction in the use of the many different types of technolo­gies used in school settings is an often-cited need of teachers, teachers will increasingly be encouraged to acquire more informa­tion about devices and assume more skills in technology service provision. As they acquire these skills, teachers must, in turn, use them to assist in the selec­tion and use of equipment in the schools.

Within the public schools, the design and application of adaptations and tech­nological devices are usually accom­plished through a multidisciplinary IEP team of professionals and other inter­ested parties including occupational, physical, and speech/language thera­pists; special and regular education teachers; and parents. Part of the assignment of the team is to ensure that all dimensions of a child's present level of performance are considered. This team approach is most effective when persons who have expertise in instruc­tional programming—including tech­nology and its applications—work cooperatively with parents and professionals who are involved in day-to-day instruction of students.

Special education teachers who par­ticipate in such team processes may be called upon to assume important responsibilities as team members. Unfortunately, many teachers have had inadequate training and/or experience with technology and its applications. When teachers are not prepared for the responsibility of selecting devices for students and using them in classroom settings, they may rely too heavily on the judgment of other professionals (e.g., the occupational, physical, or speech/language therapist). These pro­fessionals may see the child and his or her needs from a very different (and more limited) perspective than does the teacher.

It is important for the teacher, as well as all other team members, to develop a philosophical base around which decisions will be made when selecting appropriate technology for children with disabilities. It is also important to remember that the concept of "appropriateness" takes on several dimensions. P. L. 94-142 was drafted to encompass any need the child has related to learning and/or development, including the need to learn basic self-help skills, have appropriate adaptive equipment, develop appropriate social integration skills, acquire basic prevocational skills, and receive therapy ser­vices. In each of these areas, devices and equipment can play critical roles in ensuring the provision of appropriate learning experiences for children with disabilities in public school settings.

From a more traditional perspective, a technology is appropriate when its application meets one of three criteria. First, it should be in response to (or in anticipation of) specific and clearly defined goals that result in enhanced skills for the student. Second, it should be compatible with practical constraints such as the available resources or amount of instruction required for the student and the teacher to use the tech­nology. Third, it should result in desirable and sufficient outcomes.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29