Students with Disabilities and Technology

Abstract

America’s schools are required to meet all federal laws and regulations for special education including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires that students are included in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Each student who is identified with a disability that affects them academically has either an Individual Education Plan or a Section 504 Plan which is created by a collaborative team (e.g., the parents, child, regular and special education teachers, therapists, and the school psychologist). They determine the goals, objectives, and accommodations that need to be made in the classroom setting. IDEA requires that assistive technology, which includes products, tools, and devices that can make a particular function easier or possible to perform, needs to be considered for every student who has an individualized education program (IEP) (Blackhurst, 2005). Teachers of students with disabilities are utilizing techniques such as universal design to make adaptations to the regular education curriculum to help them garner access and understanding (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002; Rose & Meyer, 2000). Also teachers in inclusive environments are using differentiated instruction which takes into account every student’s interests, ability levels, and learning profiles regardless of disability (Dodge, 2006; Drapeau, 2004; Tomlinson, 2001). Often technology plays a vital role as special education teachers seek to individualize teaching methods to meet the needs of their students.