Using+Technology+to+Support+All+Learners+(Grace)

**The Use of Assistive Technologies in the Classroom** Assistive technologies are very important to the education of some students. Such students are often those with special needs. These students may not be able to participate in classroom activities like students without special needs, thus these technologies are critical in including special needs students in their studies. They allow students to be active members in the classroom, as well as give the students some independence to learn on their own.

Portable communication devices provide a way for students with communicative disabilities to initiate, respond and converse. As a student selects a sequence of picture symbols, the computer "speaks" the pre-programmed message. Before there were such devices to help students with communication disabilities, these students could not be active participants in the classroom. Furthermore, they could not be active social members amongst their peers. The device will also help the students' parents to assist the child with studies in their home.