Technology and Special Needs

In recent years, technology has started to become commonplace in many of today's classrooms. Piles of evidence, along with the actual usage, have shown, parents, students, and teachers alike the many advantages of using technology in the classroom

The benefits of being able to go beyond the textbook, engaging students using the very technology they use for entertainment, increasing attendance scores, and behavior, and creating an organized learning environment for students has made the lives of willing teachers easier in a field that is becoming more and more demanding. Giving teachers the tools to help students be successful as teachers are being held to higher standards and levels of accountability is only going to help all stakeholders.

However, there are still naysayers who believe that technology takes away from learning, can be a distraction, and offers little assistance in improving the classroom environment. Beyond the fact that evidence is overwhelming for the positive effects, teachers can still be hesitant for various reasons, and administrators often hesitate due to budget concerns.

However, all students, and in particular, students with special needs, can benefit greatly from the use of technology in the classroom. Students with all needs, great and small, and on both ends of the spectrum, can benefit from the use of technologies for physical disabilities such as assistive technologies to aid in visual, audio, and physical issues; classroom resources to adjust the needs of students with learning difficulties; enrichment resources for gifted students; and even resources for parents to have a greater hand in the students' learning process.

As the push for inclusion increases and the need for teachers to take on that responsibilities due to budget cuts, students from very wide ranges of abilities are now in today's classrooms. The need for differentiation is great, and technology is one way of alleviating the stress on teachers to provide a quality education to such deeply varied classrooms.

Resources

Martin, Sylvia. Special Education, Technology, and Teacher Education.