Adaptive and Assistive

Technologies
In a 7
th
Grade Math Classroom
By: Abby Beach
Students with Cognitive Difficulties
Most prevalent type of disability
Includes learning disabilities, serious emotional disabilities, and mental
retardation
Typically students do not have trouble accessing information due to
physical limitations but rather have difficulty reading, writing, and
retaining information.
Benefit from technologies that are visual in nature that provide
remediation.
Cool Math
Highly Interactive
Provides additional written
instruction with visuals
Students can practice skills
repetitively to increase retention
through games.
NCTMs Illuminations
Many different manipulatives to utilizes that
create a more hands on learning environment
to increase retention.
Brain Teasers to help recall past information
Educational Games for repetitive practice.
Students with Physical Difficulties
Effect a persons mobility and agility
Often have difficulty completing tasks that involve fine motor
skills such as the physical act of writing.
Have trouble accessing information but not necessarily retaining
it.
Benefit from technologies that help them gain access to maximize
participation
Math Pad and Math Pad Plus
Created by IntelliTools
Provides electronic worksheets to replace paper and pencil
for students with motoric challenges.
Helps students keep work organized with grid-like design.
Virtual Pencil
Designed for individuals who are
blind, motor impaired or learning
disabled
Helps students write on a
computer by providing adaptations
even brail.
Is costly to obtain.
Student with Sensory Difficulties
Involve impairments associated to hearing and vision
This could be students that are deaf, blind, or partially sighted.
These students can have difficulty accessing information as well as
communicating information depending on the medium.
Benefit from technologies that change verbal speech to text and
text to verbal speech.
Math Talk
This is a great tool for blind
students that nee to be able to type
math.
Student verbally tell the computer
what to write in math language and
it is translated onto the computer
scream.
Math Trax
Graphs that are created in the
software can be verbally described
to the student.
It is integrated with screen-readers
Can help visually impaired students
interpret graphs.
At-Risk Students
Students that are at-risk for failure
Not considered a disability by the federal definition of disabled
Often parallel to students with recognized disabilities
Benefit from technology that present content in a highly
motivation situation.
Math IXL
Students complete math problems
online.
Highly motivating because students
get immediate feedback
Designed K-8 so students can start
at their learning level.
The Mint
The mint helps students relate concepts that they have
learned in math to managing money
It is very motivating because all students need to
understand money in the future
Students can see how the topic relates to the real world.
Gifted and Talented Students
Students who give evidence of high achievement capabilities
Need activities that are not ordinarily provided in a general
education classroom to meet their achievement capabilities.
Benefit from technologies that promote higher level thinking
through individualized or small group instruction
Khan Academy
Gifted students take a pre-test and
can work through the curriculum at
their own pace.
This an be very motivating for
gifted learners to achieve the best
that they can without limitations.
Students can work at their own
pace.
Math and Project Based Learning
Students learn through solving
problems and creating projects
Allows gifted students more
freedom to research areas of
interest.
Encourages the use of higher level
thinking and collaboration.
Provides for a creative outlet.
Anderson, G.H. (2010). Glendas Assistive Technology Information and
More: Math, Math and more Math. Retrieved 8/4/14 from
http://atclassroom.blogspot.com/2010/09/math-math-and-more-math.html

Roblyer. M.D. and Doering A.H. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology
Into Teaching (6
th
ed.). Upper Saddle River. NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.