Access Technology: Making the Right Choice

Day, J. (e)(1995) Access Technology: Making The Right Choice COVENTRY; NCET

Types of Access for IT

• Physcial Access

Technology provides independent access to a world of communication and learning that has been closed until now. It is no wonder than we consider IT in the context of physical access as a lifeline.

• Cognitive Access

By experiencing learning in an active way, they are helped to identify similar situations in the world around them. The common factor in these experiences is that IT is providing an additional resource to facilitate the learnig process for these pupils.

• Supportive Access

The power of technology to support pupils in different areas of difficulty.
The pupil who is wary of failure in the learning process can explore ideas on the computer in a supportive environment.


Framework for ICT-based Provision

• Context
• Purpose
• Resourcing
• Support
• Expectations
• Management
• Monitoring
• Transition

(this could be used as a basis to ensure the progression from stroytelling using the ICT program into written / drawn stories, or recalling a story without a visual prompt)


IT and Emotional / Behavioural

• IT can provide a non-threatening environment in which to achieve success
• The computer provides a neutral setting... the pupil is controlling the pace and level of work
• for the learner who is unsure about the acceptability of his work, the computer constitutes a private world in which to experiment safely

Speech and Language

• For some learners with speech and language difficulties, information technology is a lifeline, enabling them to communicate with the world around them.
  

Teaching Children With Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialisation

Quill, K. A. (1995) 'Teaching Children With Autism: Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialisation' LONDON; Delmar Publishers

Echolalia

• Repetition of other's speech, may occur immediately after or significantly later than the original production of an utterance
• 85% of children with autism use echolalia if they manage to acquire speech

Wetherby, A. M. & Prizant, B. M. (1989) 'The Expression of Communicative Intent' Seminars of Speech and Language, 10, (pp77-91)

Communicative intent with echolalia

• used for normal children, but also useful in identifying underlying echoic utterances in chidren with autiss

1. No awareness of goal
No emotion
Not directly involved
Passive behaviour / verbal interaction limited

2. Awareness of goal
focus of attention
manipulates object / vocalise towards
may relate a sentence to the task, but not directly to a person

3. Simple plan to achieve a goal
focus of attention
direct language towards a person for a desired outcome
echo to question = the answer to the question