The number of special education students has risen to 13% in public schools in the U.S. In the past, these students were excluded from a traditional classroom. There needed to be new legislation in place to provide more opportunities.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act brought about these changes, but infrastructure and materials were still behind the eight ball. Today, special education students are welcomed into classrooms with the aid of technology.
Are you curious to learn how these technologies make the classroom a more inclusive place for these students? Read our guide below to learn what they are and their benefits.
Simplify Communication
Before the use of educational assistance, teachers may have mislabeled students as shy, introverted, or difficult. Now as educators, you give that child a new voice and simplify communication between the two of you.
For example, if several special education students suffer from speech problems, things like pictures and charts will assist.
Promote Engagement
As you know, each one of your special education students has a different learning style. With E-readers and text-to-speech technology, teachers can now cater to these needs in the physical classroom.
For online learning via remote classrooms, special education lesson plans with pre-recorded videos will benefit students immensely. They will love going at their own pace. Now they can interact with their peers and teachers in a whole new light.
Initiate Independent Learning
A new sense of independence comes to fruition faster when technologies like cell phones and tablets come into play in the classroom. Without having to sacrifice communication skills, special education students can now take their assistive devices on the go throughout the school.
Teachers and parents will need to help the kids with the initial setup. Once that is established, being able to monitor their progress via these devices is a breeze.
Alleviates Anxiety
Technology at their fingertips will alleviate anxieties as well. For example, when typing, things like spellchecker and grammatical tools will free them of the fear of falling behind.
Confidence will rise and stress levels will diminish as a result too. From the student’s perspective, they won’t feel singled out or neglected either.
For example, teachers can use a web app or site to work out a math problem. From there they can collect the student’s answers without the need of naming names. Time pressure and judgment from peers are reduced as a result.
Empower Special Education Students With Technology
As you can see, special education students no longer have to feel “different” or “less than”. Now, from teachers to students to parents, it’s a win-win-win scenario.
With classrooms looking and feeling a lot different these days, it can be difficult to keep up with these technologies. To keep your finger on the pulse as a parent, peer, or educator, be sure to browse through our blog. You’ll find just what you’re looking for in no time.
