Benefits of the use of ICT in school activities by students with motor, speech, visual, and hearing impairment: a literature review

Feasibility of an eye-gaze technology intervention for students with severe motor and communication difficulties in Taiwan

Eye-gaze technology provides access to a computer through the control of eye movements, thus allowing students with severe motor and communication difficulties to communicate and participate in curriculum activities and leisure; however, few studies have investigated whether any challenges exist to its implementation. This study examines the feasibility for teachers, parents, and therapists of applying an eye-gaze technology intervention for students with severe motor and communication difficulties in everyday settings. A mixed-method design was applied, focusing on the acceptability, demands, implementation, and practicality of the technology applications. Data was collected from 16 participants who assisted five students using eye-gaze technology in a previous 6-month intervention. The intervention comprised (a) use of eye-gaze devices with individualized content; and (b) services including training in use, team meetings, and bi-monthly support on implementation problems. The results showed that the participants perceived the technology as appropriate to enhance interaction and understanding of the students' learning and communication messages. Portable and easy-to-adjust systems were crucial to apply eye-gaze technology in different contexts. Improving eye-gaze services was required to afford in-service education, follow-up services, and loaning programs for sustainable implementation. The facilitators and barriers could guide researchers and practitioners to enhance the implementation of eye-gaze technology.

Understanding the possibilities and limitations of assistive technology in health and welfare services for people with intellectual disabilities, staff perspectives

PURPOSE

Little is known regarding what assistive technology (AT) exists and how it is used in welfare services for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study aimed to explore healthcare staff's perspectives and insights regarding AT in daily support and welfare services for people with ID. We also sought to explore the associations between the use of AT and workplace-related factors and background characteristics (e.g., gender, age, and experience).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three focus group discussions were conducted with 11 informants (8 women, 3 men) working in home-based and day services. Also, 176 healthcare staff (43 men, 133 women) who worked in municipal home-based services and day services completed a questionnaire comprised of background questions and 14 items with a five-point answer scale.

RESULTS

Number of years using AT was positively associated with a positive attitude and use of AT among the staff. Staff were mainly positive towards AT and believed that it could represent various possibilities in the everyday lives of people with ID and their own service delivery. However, the staff expressed uncertainties and ethical concerns regarding AT, and they experienced a lack of knowledge, focus, and awareness about technology in services for this group. The quantitative results mainly showed positive associations between believing in AT's usefulness and using it in services for people with ID.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that providing equipment and resources, personal interests, and staff attitudes are essential factors in successfully implementing AT for people with ID.Implications for rehabilitationHealthcare staff have a positive attitude towards using AT for people with intellectual disabilities, but they also perceive uncertainty and ethical concerns.The staff believe that there is a broad range of AT devices and systems available that can support the independence and participation of people with intellectual disabilities.The staff need to receive more training and technical supports from their workplace and AT-related experience is associated positively with the use of assistive technology by the staff.

Information and communication technology to improve school participation among upper secondary school students with special educational needs

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based information and communication technology (ICT) interventions to enhance school participation among students with special educational needs (SEN) are required.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of an ICT intervention on school participation among upper secondary school students with special educational needs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data on 300 students' assessments with the School Setting Interview (SSI), grades and school attendance were used in this quasi-experimental study, with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Descriptive and inferential statistics and effect size were used, as well as Rasch analysis to generate interval data on the students' ordinal SSI ratings.

RESULTS

In the ICT intervention (median time eight hours), 54% of the students received a tablet, and software concerned with planning and structure was received by 85%. After the ICT intervention, a significant decrease in perceived need for adjustments in school activities was found on a group level and 30% of the students improved their school attendance. Students who benefitted the most from the ICT intervention had few adjustment needs in school activities and no special educational support at baseline.

CONCLUSION

An ICT intervention is promising for improving school participation among upper secondary school students with SEN.

Enhanced participation or just another activity? The social shaping of iPad use for youths with intellectual disabilities

The use of smartphones and tablet devices in activities is believed to have great potential for enhancing the participation of people with intellectual disabilities. However, these technologies, in themselves, do not contribute to participation. What matters is how they are used. Employing the concept of domestication and insights gained from interviews with staff, this article examines conditions for the enhanced participation of youths with intellectual disability and how tablet devices are being integrated into social care settings, in particular.The findings reveal two approaches to tablet integration. In one approach, tablet use is an organized practice focused on technology acquisition, skills improvement and entertainment. In the other, it is integrated into existing practices as an aid to interpersonal communication. The organized digital activities create conditions for the youths to participate like non-disabled peers. The greatest potential for enabling participation with each other is when the youths themselves initiate the use of tablets.

Information and communication technologies: where are persons with intellectual disabilities?

Individuals with disabilities are entitled to equal access to information and communication technologies (ICT), including the Internet. The study to which this commentary refers has shown that over time (between 2003 and 2015), Internet access by persons with disabilities has increased, but a gap still exists between people with and without disabilities. One population that has been excluded from this study is that of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This is unfortunate because these individuals may face an even greater gap than others in access to the Internet. In this commentary we review the state of ICT use specifically by individuals with intellectual disabilities, and make a few recommendations for future ICT research and for reducing this gap.