assistiveTech

I want to turn my disability into ability.
~ learning disabled singer Susan Boyle

Introduction to Assistive Technology: the big questions

• What qualifies as a “disability?”
• Traditional disabilities are physical (missing limb) or sensory (blindness)
• “Learning disabilities” are defined by the ESEA …

Pull down the assistiveTech menu to explore topics.

— example below of structure from past 8-day course (for your entertainment) —

Welcome to TLT462 – Assistive Technology – 8 Immersive Days!

1. Introduction:
   1. Intro to Cmap Tools – organizing YOUR learning in our course
      – Who are we?
      – What’s the course cover?
      – What will we do? What’s expected of me?
   2. Disabilities? exceptions or normality? What’s normal? — how are you exceptional (plus & minus)?
   3. Assistive Technologies (physical, sensory, COGNITIVE)
      – common examples of each: wheelchair, walker, glasses, what do YOU use for cognitive assistance?
      – uncommon examples & Case Studies
      – Stephen Hawking: MULTIPLE assistive technologies
   4. Cognitive Assistance: my story of mixed disability classes
      – good teaching addresses many needs. Modeling good learning tools meets needs
      – ANSWER from Cognitive Psychologists: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/how-can-we-amplify-student-learning-the-answer-from-cognitive-psychology/
      – Attention, Novelty , Spacing, Why, Emotions, Repitition
   5. Homework:
      1. Amy Mullins video
   6. Where do disabled students need assistance?
      – Whose Technology? school’s? child’s? — what happens in school change? graduation? Imagine if you could only use classes at school!
      – What’s its purpose? academic standards? skill/knowledge mastery? job skills? home & life skills? Do we care about the class? the school? the child? the community?
   7. Homework:
      1. Temple Grandin vid
2. Autism Spectrum Disorder – social & sensory overload, visual thinking, hyperfocus, jobs for this?
3. AD/HD – pharmaceuticals – normal? –
4. Dyslexia & reading – Dyscalculia & math
5. Social/Emotional Disorder & social learning
6. Developmental Disorder
7. Cognitive Disorder
   1. symbol systems
   2. math
8. Presentations

resources:

Case studies:

diabled musicians:
Rick Allen, Def Leppard one-armed drummer
blind musicians – Stevie Wonder, Blind Boys of Alabama
Charles Krauthammer
Stephen Hawking
John Callahan – http://www.callahanonline.com
Amy Mullins – https://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics
& South African olympian & murderer
Hugh Herr – BIONICS
Nicholas James Vujicic – no arms, no legs motivational speaker – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhcxOhIMAQ
vision – the EyeBorg

Autistic Spectrum – search
Temple Grandin – https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds
Carly

AD/HD examples – search

Dyslexics – search