Visual-Spatial, and Motor Control Issues

A Blogger's Insight: 

Technologies that Address Visual-Spatial 

and Motor Control Issues

We have looked at different kinds of apps that can be implemented into a children daily life to enhance their mathematic skills.  Now let's take a look at different types of technologies that can address students with visual-spatial and motor control issues.  

The following are characteristics of visual-spatial disabilities: 

√ has difficulty telling the difference between similar printed letters or figures; i.e., p & q, b & d, + and x, or square and rectangle 
√ often loses place when copying from a book or the chalkboard 

√ has difficulty telling the difference between different colors, shapes, and sizes 

√ confuses left and right 

 √ fatigues easily with schoolwork 

The following are characteristics of motor disabilities:

√ difficulty with fine motor tasks such as buttoning, zipping, tying, knitting, sewing, playing games with small parts, closing ziploc bags
√ difficulty with handwriting; hard to read, takes a long time to write 

√ frequently drops items

√ difficulty lining up numbers correctly for math problems and/or balancing a checkbook

 √ hums or vocalizes while concentrating on a task

To support these students, here is an additional resources that is 

available and recommended to use: 

MATH TALK

mathtalk.com

Math talk is a speech recognition software that helps students with their homework, create/write math problems using their voice, and a scientific math notebook used to record their problems and work. 

To view a video on the tool CLICK HERE!

 

Educational Applications

A Blogger's Insight: 

Educational Applications that can be Used to Address Automaticity/Math Fact Fluency

In today's society, there are SO many available and FREE resources that can be used to enhance mathematics automaticity and fact fluency.  Below are my personal favorite examples that I have located along with the website for easy access. 

SUPERKIDS

 http://www.superkids.com/

Provides an abundant amount of iPad, iPod, and iPhone apps designed to help kids learn on the GO!

AplusMATH 

 http://aplusmath.com/

Includes students with flashcards, worksheets/activities, exciting games, and homework help.

MathGoodies

http://mathgoodies.com/students.html 

Similar to the previous webpage but is designed for all grade level math operations.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_2_t_1.html 

Designed for all grade levels and provides manipulative aides for all types of mathematics operations.

Key Questions

A Blogger's Insight: 

Key Questions to Consider when Selecting

Educational Applications

When selecting educational applications, the following are things to consider:

What is the goal(s) or purpose(s) of computer use?

√ Providing an alternative means of completing schoolwork, participating in classroom activities, or demonstrating knowledge.
√ Using as a tool for writing, prewriting, and composition√ Finding information on the Internet or other reference tools
√ Self-expressing or making choices
√ Encouraging emergent literacy

Content of the educational application

√ Does it match the goal or purpose of computer use?

√ Does it match the student's interests? 

Matching student needs 

√ Young children and nonreaders or struggling readers benefit from speech output 

√ Children with preceptual problems need uncluttered screens and clear, easily readable fonts

√ Children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities need programs in which speed of response or input is not essential.  

Flexibility of educational application 

√ Can the visual display be customized for the student's individual needs?
√ Can sound or music be turned off?
√ Can speed and reaction time be modified?
√ Is it easy to use and customize?

REFERENCE:

Adapted from "Content Software Makes the Grade," by D.A. Newton, A.G. Dell, and A.M.     

                Disdier, 1998, Exceptional Parent, 20(12).

    

MATH & AT

A Blogger's Insight:

Mathematics & The Use of Assistive Technology

 

Many students struggle in mathematics and end up disliking the subject all together, later in life, because of all the formulas and rules involved.  Math is my favorite subject and many are unsure as to why.  However, I always let my students know, mathematics is the ONLY subject that is constant and does not change.  For the rest of our lives, numbers will always be same numbers, the formulas will always be the same forumlas and the rules will... You guessed it!! They will always be the same rules. 

 

Unlike mathematics, history is EVER-CHANGING! Our past is the today of tomorrow's generation.  

The English language is another subject that is always changing.  Slang is becoming a widely used language.  For example, when I was in elementary school, "Ain't is NOT a word!" However, not only is it acceptable to use, ain't is NOW in the dictionary! (Mind-boggling)

 

Unfortunately what makes math so difficult is if you don't use it, your loss it.  We don't go around speaking in formulas, like we do with the English language.  We don't experience math like we do with history and due to this, many find it hard to grasp the concept of math. 

 

How can we fix this?

When I was in elementary school, I felt the same way many students do about mathematics.  It just didn't make any sense.  The numbers just were not adding up :) (Get it because we are discussing math!) Anyways, the simple worksheet and examples were not enough for me.  Experiencing this, I can see the difficulties other students deal with.  So the essential question is... What can we do to fix this?

Throughout this module, we are going to be discussing mathematics and the use of assistive technologies.   When many think of integrating AT into the mathematics curriculum, they go directly for the aid of a computer or software programs that may help the students.  Teachers forget that AT is not just high-tech.  The use of manipulatives such as counting bears can be just as helpful as a calculator.  The integration of this simple AT provides students with a concrete idea behind the concepts of math.   Keep checking back as we explore how to make math interesting with the use of simple accommodations through AT.

 

Dealing with communication difficulties!

A Blogger's Insight:

Dealing with Communication Issues

 

 

There are ways to work with children who experience communication issues.  One way is to provide the student with choices.  I loved this video and feel it is extremely informative!

 

To elaborate on the video a bit, I want to explain my personal experience with Choice cards (which provide desired choices of play or treat when the student achieves the desired task).

 

I worked with a moderate to severe fifth-grade student with autism for several weeks last year.  He was a mostly non-verbal but working with the speech therapist to enchance his communication abilities.  He would act like the child in the video from our last blog when he got upset.  He would scream, hit, bit on his shirt and much more.  To promote desired behaviors in academics and daily living tasks, he was provided with a choice board.  For his choice board he had to earn ten pennies, which were velcroed to the back of the choice board for each task he successfully accomplished.  Before he would earn any of the pennies, he would have to choose a reward.  A visual representation of each reward would also be velcroed to the back of the board.   

The pennies would be given to him in small timed intervals to ensure that we kept his attention.  Once he filled up his entire care with the ten pennies, he would earn his chosen reward.  If it were computer time, he would get five - eight minutes on the computer.  If it were a snack, he would get five minutes to finish his snack before returning to another assignment.  The assignments would take anywhere between 5-15 minutes.  This method worked WONDERS! Maybe not all the time, but for the majority of the time, we were able to get him involved with academics successfully - which is the GOAL!

Let's look at a couple versions of choice cards:
   

 

As you can see they have to work towards their desired reward in each example, but are provided with a choice of what they would like to earn/work for. 

 

 

 





Teaching Strategies

A Blogger's Insight: 

Teaching Strategies  

Earlier in this module, we spoke about Break cards for children with Autism or the general population of students.  Children with Autism or children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), have an extremely difficult time with expressive communication.  First off, what is Autism? 

Watch the following video on Autism.  This video is a comprehensive look at childhood autism that takes a personal approach by focusing on two families faced with the challenge of raising an autistic child.

 

Now let's discuss one of the major difficulties children with Autism face: Expressive communication.  What is this? Expressive communication involves sending a message to another person(s) to make something happen or stop something that is already happening.  In other words, they are trying to convey a message to you.  Each child with autism is different.  Some children my just have difficulty expressing themselves, whereas others, may be completely nonverbal. 

 

I located this a video on you tube video about a twins who have overcome difficulties with expressive communication. (P.S. This is one of my favorite songs! Gets me everytime.)

 

The next video however, is showing you the good and bad behaviors of a nonverbal child with autism.

 

 

 Some other challenges in communication:

• delayed or absent speech development
• difficulty understanding the spoken communication of others (even students with relatively good communication skills can have subtle difficulties with this)
• difficulty understanding the non-verbal communication of others (e.g. following a point, understanding facial expressions or tome of voice)
• literal and concrete understanding of language (e.g. the student may be very confused by figurative language such as ‘pull up your socks’, ‘it’s raining cats and dogs; may not get sarcasm, irony and some humour)
• delayed processing of language (e.g. taking a long time to understand and act on an instruction)
• echolalia (repetition of another’s speech, including what is heard on games, TV and movies)
• different motivation to communicate, with many children commonly communicating about their needs and wants, rather than for sharing information or other social reasons



CASE #5

CASE #5 - Eric 

Present Level of Educational Performance (PLEP):

Eric participates in regular education programs for his academic subjects. His hand strength is limited and he fatigues quickly when doing any handwriting task. Civics and English homework area particular problem because of lengthy assignments and reports that need to be completed.

Annual Goal: 

Eric will use a computer or portable word processor to complete assignments in 10th grade English and Civics classes.

Assistive Technology Recommendation: 

Tablet & Adapted Keyboard

&