Technology has become an increasingly important part of many special needs’ education. It can support students in a wide variety of ways, from helping organize their schedules to providing alternative methods of communication. This blends well with another longstanding principle when teaching children with special needs, that they should receive personalized attention.
How is technology used in special needs education?
There are many ways that technology can be used to provide accommodations for students with disabilities. Calendars and alarms can be used to help with organization. Work can be completed and submitted online, reducing the risk of losing worksheets and alleviating the stress of needing to write by hand. Speech-to-text, read-aloud, word prediction and similar functions can help with communication, language and literacy. Large screens can provide clear visual information, whether in static or video form, to the entire group. Audio technology can provide a different form of sensory engagement. Technology can also be useful for teachers when planning classes and monitoring students’ progress and can allow for more immediate communication between teachers and parents.
What do we mean by personalized learning in special needs classes?
Personalized learning ensures that each student can receive individualized attention from a teacher who can adjust their approach to suit the specific needs of that child. It acknowledges that even when two children have the same diagnosis regarding their disabilities, it may manifest in different ways and that effective teaching will be tailored to the student’s strengths and interests as well as supporting them in areas where they struggle. This approach can lead to students becoming more engaged, allowing them to grow in confidence as they make progress toward their more personalized and realistic goals. Common features of special needs classrooms, such as smaller class sizes, individualized instruction and differentiated instruction, are all designed to make personalized learning easier.
How can these things be integrated?
To offer a child personalized support, first, you need to identify their specific needs. This can be particularly difficult when working with a child who struggles with language, speaking and/or writing. Assistive devices provide alternative methods of communication that may help a child express themselves more clearly, as well as provide more opportunities to engage their senses, and therefore their attention, in different ways. This encourages them to become more invested in the class and aids the teacher in adjusting their approach as required.
It is not unusual for every student in a special needs class to be provided with a laptop or tablet, loaded with specialized software designed for students with disabilities; but it is also possible to provide specific programs and features for distinct needs, depending on the areas where the child most needs support. This may include read-and-write assistive technology for those who experience difficulties with language and literacy. It may be a colour-coded online schedule to allow a student to track lessons and homework assignments, even when they differ from the rest of the group. Technology provides many more opportunities for personalization in many different ways.
Conclusion
It is generally recognized by experts that children learn and perform better when they are treated as individuals and teaching can be adjusted to their unique strengths and weaknesses. By opening up new avenues of organization and communication, technology can meet the access needs of a wider range of students, increasing the degree of personalization in their classes.