Using Technology to Enhance Special Education: Volume 37

Technology has become a very important aspect of our sacred existence as humans. It has penetrated all sections of our society – it is now an enrichment tool for our economy, politics, education, and society. While these enrichments are naturally inclusive, this chapter focuses on the use of technology in enhancing the education of students, especially those with disabilities. Things that were once inaccessible are now accessible to students with disabilities through the use of technology. These students might have some atypical traits; however, they are humans who can learn and function in our society when provided with appropriate learning tools such as technology. With technology, these students' learning and social activities can be enhanced, modified, adapted, and adjusted so that they can maximize their fullest potential. This is the premise of this chapter; and it sets the stage for the other chapters.

Educators are responsible for supporting the learning of all students, and those identified with learning disabilities. School organizations support educators by creating systematic processes that identify needs and support special education teams in their consideration of appropriate supports. Assistive technology (AT) is a critical consideration for students with learning disabilities by promoting access for a meaningful and inclusive education. This chapter offers recommendations for educators in the development and inclusion of educational structures that recognize and champion the practices of AT, the differences from education technology, as well as AT considerations, to directly support the needs of students with learning disabilities.

In this chapter, we examine the current research on how technology is applied to benefit students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD). First, we describe the iterative yet unpredictable nature of technological innovation to suggest that incremental successes are qualified by the creation of often unforeseen consequences. We then identify commonly used nonelectronic technologies in education to emphasize that the hoped-for advances in electronic technology have failed to deliver on their decades-old promise of educational revolution. We continue with our review of the literature on empirical studies examining how technology is used to support students with EBD. These findings indicate that the research design primarily employed in this field is single-subject. Examples of specific findings include web-based graphic organizers for student writing, virtual self-modeling for targeting student behaviors, and virtual coaching for teachers of students with EBD. We conclude by reviewing how leaders in the field of special education predict the field will change in the future. Overall, with an increased emphasis on research accessibility and practitioner-validated knowledge, and advances in neuroscience and artificial technologies, practitioners may hold a more central role to the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

Assistive technology can support and enhance the learning, independence, and daily living skills of students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disability (ID). Assistive technology is not generally disability dependent; however, for students with ID we decided to focus on assistive technology across two areas: instructional aids – with a focus on reading, writing, and mathematics – and transition and independence. Throughout our focus on these two categories of assistive technology, we discuss low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech options to support students with ID.

With a push toward inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom, students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) are exposed to greater educational opportunities. Given the largely verbal nature of traditional classroom instruction, there has been a need for advancements in technology to provide more access to the material covered by teachers and in class discussions. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to virtual learning also brought to light many additional challenges for the DHH population, which can, in part, be lessened through technological advancements.

Technology is present in classrooms today in many ways that it never has been before. Technology, and more specifically assistive technology, can be used to provide students with visual impairments with equal access and engagement in learning. Best practices for using technology to enhance learning for students with visual impairments includes, but is not limited to, collaboration among all stakeholders involved, individualized instruction, and specialized training on behalf of students with visual impairments and their teachers. The heterogeneity of the population of learners with visual impairments must be explicitly addressed by educational teams taking into account the high prevalence of additional disabilities among students with visual impairments and other unique characteristics of this population. Stakeholders (i.e., students, families, caregivers, educators, administrators, and policymakers) need to work together and continue working together as education evolves to make this access and engagement a reality for all learners including those who are blind or have low vision.

This chapter presents ways in which educators can use technology to enhance learning for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The chapter begins with an overview of the communicative and social challenges that students with ASD typically experience. Next, it defines technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) and offers suggestions for educators planning to incorporate TAII into their classroom. The third section offers specific supports on using TAII to enhance communication while the final section offers specific supports on using TAII to enhance affective and social learning. Case studies and tables with clearly defined supports are included throughout the chapter. Educators may combine the supports presented because each support addresses more than one characteristic or need. In addition, educators will find that these supports benefit students with neurodiverse learning needs who may not be identified with ASD.

Students with extensive supports needs (ESN) often require pervasive and intensive supports to access the full benefits of educational programming. In this chapter, the authors describe the application of both established and innovative technologies for promoting equitable access and opportunity for these students. They provide guidance for the use of technology across the areas of academic instruction, social communication, behavior supports, daily living, and employment.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly affect academic performance in a wide range of areas including, working memory, language processing, attention, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This chapter will discuss characteristics associated with TBI, and provide a series of high- and low-tech strategies teachers can implement in their classrooms to help students who have experienced brain trauma to succeed through academic challenges. In addition, the benefits and weaknesses of certain technologies used by students with TBI in school and at home will be discussed.

This chapter details how engaging students in digital comics creation might support adolescents in strengthening their narrative writing capabilities. This chapter first provides a more detailed explanation of the micro and macrostructural elements involved in narrative production. Second, the chapter provides an introduction to comics and important design features. The authors also illuminate the complexity of multimodal texts (texts that combine images and words) and link visual narrative pedagogy and curriculum to classroom equity and accessibility. Across these opening sections, academic standards are referenced to show how the comics medium aligns with national visions of what robust English Language Arts education entails. The chapter concludes with descriptions of specific pedagogical strategies and digital comic-making tools that teachers and interventionists might explore with students within various classroom contexts. Examples of digital comics designed using various web tools are also shared.

This chapter focuses on the question: How can technology serve as a bridge for teachers and families to engage in the co-creation of activities, lessons, and an environment oriented toward equity and inclusion for all learners? To answer this question, the authors provide context for ways that technology is conceptualized as a bridge, with particular attention paid to two interlocking metaphors: technology as infrastructure and technology as a medium. They describe key conceptual elements and applicable practices of technology in relation to equity and inclusion by presenting examples of technology acting as a bridge in the co-creation of materials used to facilitate learning for K-12 students during a collaborative Summer Institute between community stakeholders (including family members) and educators (including elementary and secondary teachers). Within the context of the Summer Institute, the authors focus on two activities informed by the Summer Institute participants (i.e., stakeholders and educators). Through these activities, the participants contribute their knowledge and insights to enhancing digital platforms (e.g., infrastructures) and accessibility (e.g., medium) leading to important technological breakthroughs that facilitate more equitable and inclusive practices.

The use of technology continues to be an integral component of the current and future general and special educational landscapes. This was only made more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and move to remote learning that was required by many school systems. The use of educational technology for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is an important way to address their special needs and improve their educational outcomes. Many of these students benefit from increased learning opportunities that are provided with computer-based technology; however, there are important considerations that must be addressed when using technology with these students. This chapter discusses the use of educational technology for CLD students to address their unique needs through culturally relevant pedagogy and teaching strategies.

In this chapter, we discuss the use of technology to enhance learning for students with physical disabilities and other health impairments. In recent years, there has been significant growth in numbers, diversity, and academic orientation of persons with physical disabilities and other health impairments; therefore, it is incumbent on special educators to adopt and use appropriate emerging innovative technology to enhance student learning. Impactful laws (Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], Every Student Succeeds Act, Individuals with Disability Education Act, and Title II of ADA) provide impetus for advancing the policies on the use of technology by students with physical disabilities and other health impairments in the United States. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards also guide the development of educators' digital literacies and pedagogical practices that will harness technology for student learning. This chapter is organized around the ISTE Standards, US Department of Education policies, and the use of technology to aid students with physical disabilities and other health impairments.

The twentieth century is sometimes characterized as a technological era; and most people find this description easy to accept because they have seen a dramatic proliferation of technological goods and services that are readily available in all societies. In fact, life for most people throughout the world has changed mostly because of the rapid pace of technological advances. For example, medical technology has vastly improved the health of much of the world's populations; and modern communication technologies have made the world more accessible, thus helping diverse learners with disabilities to enjoy the benefits of the twenty-first century life. The challenge now is how to improve the educational opportunities offered to individuals who have highly variable abilities. One promising way to relieve this pressure is the use of educational and assistive technologies to provide appropriate support that is differentiated based on learner needs. In this chapter, we discuss the use of technology to enhance special education. Embedded in our discussions are future perspectives on dealing with roadblocks that face general and special educators using technology in learning processes.