Assistive Technology at Midland

Assistive Technology(AT) refers to any item, equipment, system or service that is used to increase, maintain, or improve a student with disabilities’ functional capabilities.

MIdland is committed to the principle of Universal Design for Learning. The school-wide use of appropriate AT devices and services ensures a wide range of alternatives for each student, and its choice and design ultimately make the curriculum more accessible and appropriate for students with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities and disabilities, in a variety of learning contexts.

AT – by itself – is not effective without proper teacher training and then proper training for the student using it. Midland employs a staff AT Specialist to assist in the implementation of AT elements in students’ IEPs, and the selection of AT devices and services for students who need it. Classes are offered to teachers whose students use particular software or devices, teaching them not only how to use them, but also how to integrate them into the classroom. Students are tutored individually on the use of appropriate AT as needs arise.

Each Midland classroom is equipped with basic hardware and software that allows each student to participate in any classroom activity, with other adaptive tools readily available. These include, but are not limited to, adaptive keyboards (Intellikeys, Big Keys High Contrast), Neos (portable word processors), word prediction software (WordQ and Co:Writer), symbol supported text (Boardmaker Plus, Picture It), language arts software (Edmark Reading Program, First Keys, PixWriter, Early Learning), and math software (Money Skills, Early Math, Math Flash).

Other AT used regularly includes:

• Computer Access: touch screens, SmartBoards, trackballs, switches;
• Reading: Start-to-Finish books, Daily Reading Comprehension, Life Skills Readers, News-2-You;
• Math: Clock Shop, Clock Faces, Math Pad, Calc-U-Scan;
• Writing: Clicker, Start Write;
• Multimedia: PowerPoint, Boardmaker Plus, Buildability;
• Independent Living: Adapted tools for the kitchen.