Role of Assistive Technology in Teaching Students With Disabilities in K-12 Classrooms

Abstract

With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-476), it has become mandatory to address assistive technology for every student with disabilities. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 provides students with disabilities equal access to assistive technology. Despite the grants available to assist students with assistive technology in every state, stakeholders struggle in integrating assistive technology in K-12 classrooms. Many teachers strive to implement appropriate assistive technology to educate students with disabilities in K-12 classrooms because of variations of the needs in students, lack of proper knowledge and training in assistive technologies, and the higher costs of some of the emerging 21st-century technology. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the role of assistive technology to improve student learning and engagement and highlight some of the available no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech assistive technology equipment used with students with disabilities in K-12 classrooms.