Low-tech and High-tech adaptions for students with disabilites in math

Student's with disabilities need adaptions in math. Manipulative is an examples of a low-aid adaption. Also, Onion Mountain Technology makes fraction rubber bands, a manipulative number line, laminated addition and multiplication tables, and a special ruler that has multiple transparent overlays to help students understand the relationship between the different units of measure. Large calculators with oversized buttons are useful for students who lack fine motor control. Talking calculators can also be used for students with visual impairments. The coin abacus and coin-u-lator are designed to help teach basic money counting.

Educational Applications that can be used to teach math

As talked about in previous posts, assistive technology can be used in different ways in math. I am going to talk about three different math applications that can be used to help math concepts, skills, and problem solving. First, the MathPad. It is used mostly for grades K-2. It is a talking arithmetic worksheet program for basic operations. It lines up math problems automatically and prompts students for regrouping. The second application is the virtual pencil algebra. It is mostly used in middle school and above. It extends the features of VP arithmetic to algebraic equations. Reads mathematical symbols and describes positions of digits within the equations. The last application I am going to talk about is MathTalk/Scientific Notebook. It is also used in middle school and above. It must be used with Dragon Naturally which is a speaking program. A student will speak the math problem at their level. It offers graphing capabilities.

Dell, Amy. Assistive Technology in the classroom, Boston 2012.

Tools can be used to help visual-spatial and motor control difficulties

There are a few kinds of technology that can be used to address visual-spatial or motor control difficulties. The one that I found to most helpful is Math input panel in windows 7. Math equations can be written into the math input pad using the tablet and stylus setup. This panel allows math equations to be handwritten into a program and then converted into a text-based math equation. The program maintains both accuracy and great visual representation of the equation and its meaning.

Educational applications can be used to address automaticity

There are a few educational applications that can be used to address math fact fluency. They include visual -spatial or motor control difficulties. A math pad can help because it is a talking math worksheet program that enables students to perform arithmetic computations with whole numbers on the computer in much of the same way they would with using a pencil and paper. Also, math pad plus extends all of the features of math pad to arithmetic computations with decimals and fractions. Students can have the view of pie charts, fraction bars, or decimal grids. This is a very important feature for students who are unable to handle the manipulative that are often used in math instruction.

What should be considered when meeting students' goals?

Several questions should be asked when considering educational applications to meet students' goals and objectives. They include...

 

1. Does the child benefit from speech output?

2. Does the child get distracted easily?

3. Is the device clear, easy to read, and have readable fonts?

4. Does the child have physical disabilities?

5. Does the child have cognitive disabilities?

6. Does the device match the goal of the student?

Assistive Technology & Math

The next blog posts will be all about Assistive Technology and Math. Up to this point, I have mostly talked about how AT can be used with reading and writing. I have posted about several devices that could enhance writing and reading. I talked about how they would be used and who they would benefit each student. I will talk about assistive technologies that can be used in math and how they will help students grow and gain concepts.