Selection of Assistive Technology
To determine the kinds of assistive technology (AT) that will
best suit the needs of the an individual with learning disabilities,
the functional limitations that the individual displays need to
be defined. Some key questions to answer are:
- What job duties or coursework obligations is the individual
expected to perform?
- In what specific areas is the individual having difficulties?
- What is it specifically that the individual cannot do or does
not do according to the employer's/instructor's expectations?
The answers to these questions will determine the kinds of assistive
devices that can be put in place to enable the individual with learning
disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job or meet
the requirements of a course or perform day to day tasks.
Every individual with learning disabilities has a unique profile
of strengths, weaknesses, interests, and experiences. Again, before
choices are made, it is important that specific technologies be
considered relative to
- the individual's unique profile,
- the task to be performed, and
- the particular context in which the technology will be applied.
It is important for the teacher or employer to keep in mind that
the technologies suggested to help an individual compensate for
a learning disability in one area might be used creatively, alone
or in conjunction with other technologies to meet an individual's
needs in another area of disability. Experimentation and a creative
approach to each individual's unique needs are called for.
Before making AT choices, it is important for the teacher or employer
to be specific about the functional limitations of the learning
disability in question and then to be specific about what it is
that is expected on the job or in the learning situation that will
be better accomplished with the help of some assistive technology
tool or device.
As well, the strengths of the individual with learning disabilities
must be weighed. It is important to find assistive technology support
services for help in:
- identifying the kinds of assistive technologies that will help
compensate,
- learning how to use various technologies, and
- preparing all participants within the given environment to feel
comfortable with the tool of choice.
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