Assistive Technology Lesson 3: Technologies for People with Cognitive Disabilities & Learning Disorders

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY

A severe, chronic disability that begins any time from birth through age 21 and is expected to last for a lifetime

LEARNING DISABILITY

One type of developmental disability

• Cerebral Palsy

• Rett Syndrome

• Epilepsy

• Autism

• Asperger’s syndrome

TYPES OF DEV’T DISABILITIES:

Scan/Read Programs

• A powerful technology solution for people who have difficulty with reading comprehension

• These programs involve hardware (a scanner) and software (text- to- speech technology)

Text-to-Speech Software

Another way to guide those with reading comprehension difficulties

Dictation Software

Also known as speech-recognition software

Electronic Helpers

Electronic spellers and talking dictionaries are also helpful tools for people with reading disabilities

Audiobooks

Reading doesn’t have to be difficult, and out of the classroom and office you can read for fun with ____and electronic book readers.

dysgraphia

• People who have difficulties with written language

• These individuals struggle with handwriting, spelling, and composition, and will benefit from voice- recognition and text- to- speech software.

dyscalculia

• A person with a math disability, sometimes called _____, has trouble learning and manipulating numbers.

• It is difficult for these individuals to understand math concepts, memorize math facts, and understand how math problems are organized on a page.

dysphasia

• a speech disorder or speech comprehension disorder ranges from complete absence of speech to difficulty in naming a few objects.

Smartphones

Great resources for those who have difficulty managing their time and remembering schedules or routines

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

• Differs from a developmental disability

• Involves a significant limitations in overall intellectual functioning

• Generally categorized as having an IQ of 70 or below

• May occur from a congenital disorder or as the result of a traumatic event such as brain injury or lead poisoning, or it may be brought about by the onset of a dementing condition such as Alzheimer’s disease

Communication Board

An example is DynaVox Mayer-Johnson’s Boardmaker for Windows or Mac is a drawing program combined with a graphics database that includes 4,500 picture communication symbols for creating symbol- based living skills materials