Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
disabilities. A study completed on the level of competency for special educators on 35 core
skills from the 1997 Council for Exceptional Children identified low levels of competence
(ranging from barely adequate to inadequate) in the following areas: technology imple-
mentation with students with disabilities, use of technology in professional development
plans, and use of technology to enhance the management of resources and appropriate
application of technology to classroom learning. Lahm and Sizemore (2002) also identi-
fied a comprehensive list of essential AT knowledge and skill competencies for all special
educators that included characteristics of learners, assessment, diagnosis and evaluation,
instructional content and practice, planning and managing the environment, managing
student behavior, communication and collaborative partnerships, and professional and
ethical practices. Copley and Ziviani (2004) identified a lack of suitable training as a major
barrier in effective AT implementation. A lack of follow-up support for teachers and stu-
dents was also identified as a reason for nonuse of AT in the classroom.
Teacher comfort level with AT is a critical factor in continued use and support for AT use
among students. Craddock (2006) found that important factors to emerge in the satisfac-
tion of student AT use were
• The provision of supportive educational classrooms that included more imagina-
tive layouts of classroom furniture versus the traditional column/row;
• Low-tech AT such as pencil grips and wedges, topic stands, and magniiers; and
• The integration of mainstream technology with AT, such as the use of laptops with
specialized software uploaded onto all systems that linked remotely to electronic
interactive white boards.
Craddock also identified human factors that were critical, such as having classroom assis-
tants working closely with the students and the teacher. In many instances it was the sup-
port given by individual teachers that materialized as a critical factor in the successful use
of AT. A recent study by Zapf and Scherer (2011) found a significant correlation (p = 0.023)
between the variables of teacher/parent comfort and student motivation in AT use, indi-
cating that teacher/parent comfort may affect student motivation in the use of AT. This
finding supports the importance of using an assessment scale to assess the comfort level
of the teacher/parent scale and its effect on the outcome use of AT. A study by Sze (2009)
revealed that one of the most important predictors of successful integration of students
with disabilities in the regular classroom is the attitude of general education teachers.
The results confirmed the existence of a significant link between preservice teacher atti-
tude and instructional practice. The success of instructional practice requires that general
education faculty be prepared to work with students with disabilities. Preservice special
education courses have benefited preservice teachers in gaining an understanding of stu-
dents with special needs, thus increasing their comfort level with diverse learners overall.
In studies on the attitudes of general education teachers, it was also revealed that a lack of
knowledge of disabling conditions affected the ability of these teachers to accept not only
students with disabilities but also other students with special needs.
Finally Craddock (2006) found that unsuccessful AT users reported many reasons for
nonuse, including a desire to “fit in” that may be threatened by AT use, for example, being
less inclined to use communication devices although they can improve communication
because of the perceived stigma. Assistive devices may effectively improve mobility, com-
munication, or accessibility, but if the device has a negative connotation because it brings
unwanted attention and threatens the sense of “fitting in,” this sense of “fitting in” may be
more important to the user than independence and/or sense of control.
