Digital Assistive Technology Makes a Difference on Special Schools

Assistive technologies make a difference for special education students in the Natrona County School District (NCSD). Computer programs and other digital gadgets have changed how students’ needs are met, according to a Casper Star Tribute article.

Staff members Maureen Cellmer and Missy VanHorn are very enthusiastic about a Kurzweil product that scans written pages and then reads pages aloud to students. With a built-in dictionary, thesaurus, note-taking functions and highlighting options, the program reads to the students while helping them to develop a broader vocabulary and literacy, which is especially good for students that have difficulty reading. The software of Kurzweil Educational Systems even has different versions of the Kurzweil software to focus on reading and learning disabilities of visually impaired and blind students.

Cellmer explains in the the Casper Star Tribute article that they have had “kids who haven’t had any success in writing be able to write a whole project and get up and read it. They still need the icons, but they’re learning the words. We also have lots of children who are nonverbal. This lets them push a button and say what they want.”

Source: Natrona County School District (NCSD) & Kurzweil Educational Systems