Reflections of Assistive Technologies

Cerebral palsy is a motor conditions that cause physical disability in a person's development, primarily affecting various areas of body movement.  Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain.  Resulting limits in movement and posture cause activity limitation.  Students suffering from this disability have the opportunity to utilize wheelchairs and laptops with voice recognition software.  Wheelchairs provide mobility for these students, and the voice recognition software allows them complete assignments and tasks quickly.  Voice activated demands eliminate issues that would inhibit a person with impaired motor function to use a keyboard or laptop, thus is an excellent tool for someone diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Amyoplasia arthrogryposis multiplex congenita is most generally characterized by the immobility of one or more joints of the limbs.  Arthrogrypotic deformities of crooked stiff joints are presented at birth; newborns with this condition lack the normal range of motion.  Students suffering from this disability have the opportunity to utilize wheelchairs, laptops with or without voice recognition software, and (in this case) musical instruments designed with a joystick.  The ability to play a musical instrument usually requires full use of joints in the hands, however, by altering the horn to function through the use of a joystick, students without full use of their hands can learn to play.  Designing different instruments and tools to offer these students the opportunity to pursue what they are most interested in is another example of what technology can do to assist.

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.  Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize.  The signs usually develop gradually and diagnostic criteria require that symptoms become apparent before a child is three years old.  Students suffering from this disability have the opportunity to utilize AbleNet supertalker, and AbleNet bookworm.  AbleNet supertalker and AbleNet bookworm allow a student initially described as "primarily nonverbal" to find their voice, essentially.  Becoming comfortable with identification can be the first step in a student's verbal interaction.