Technology Supported Interventions For Students With Special Needs In The 21st Century

Groundbreaking innovations have paved the way for new assistive approaches to support students with special needs. New technological innovations such as smart mobile devices and apps, wearable devices, web-based monitoring and support systems, artificial intelligence, and more are changing the way in which care and support can be given to students with special needs. These technologies range from encouraging self-care and independent living to supporting the completion of academic work, accommodating cognitive disabilities, or even supporting communication and socialization. The applications of assistive technologies are widespread and diverse in the ways in which the technology itself can be utilized and the people it can support. The increasing developments in technology are bringing in a new way of interventions for all types of students with diverse special needs in the modern educational atmosphere. Technology-Supported Interventions for Students With Special Needs in the 21st Century covers effective assistive modern technologies for overcoming specific challenges encountered by students with special needs for promoting their learning and development, educational attainment, social engagement, self-sufficiency, and quality of life. This book presents an overview of contemporary assistive tools and approaches integrated with digital technologies for students with special needs; shares findings of cutting-edge research on using digital technologies; provides evidence-based digital technology-facilitated tools and strategies for effective diagnosis, treatment, educational intervention, and care of students with special needs; and identifies promising areas and directions for future innovations, applications, and research. It is ideal for classroom teachers, special educators, educational technologists, intervention specialists, medical professionals, caregivers, administrators, policymakers, teacher educators, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the use of assistive technologies for students with special needs in the digital era.

Heterogeneous classes including students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are increasingly becoming fixtures of the twenty-first century school. As a result, the question of how to devise more effective, innovative and diverse tools has posed a significant challenge for educators and the research community. This collection considers how technology may provide SEN children with greater opportunities to acquire academic skills, while preparing them for a successful transition to adulthood. Computers, and other new technologies, hold great promise for facilitating the inclusion of SEN individuals into modern society. Precisely because they are characterized by multiple representations of knowledge, computerized learning environments offer effective support tools for the instruction of SEN students faced with barriers that make learning a more complex process. Yet, despite the blossoming of this field, research on how the use of technology may benefit SEN students is in its early stages. The development of the theoretical knowledge and empirical databases necessary to assess the impact of computers on learners’ characteristics and educators' teaching goals lag behind the introduction of the respective technological innovations. To meet this challenge, this volume presents a review of the latest advances in how new technologies and their software may potentially enhance SEN students' performance, in school and out. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Journal of Special Needs.

Bilingual students with disabilities have an established right to be educated in their most proficient language. However, in practice, many culturally and linguistically diverse students still do not receive the quality of education that they are promised and deserve. Multilingual learners with disabilities must be acknowledged for the assets they bring and engaged in classroom learning that is rigorous and relevant. Bilingual Special Education for the 21st Century: A New Interface addresses the complex intersection of bilingual education and special education with the overlay of culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. This work provides practical solutions to current dilemmas and challenges today’s educators of multilingual learners with disabilities face in the classroom. Covering topics such as dual language education, identification practices, and transition planning, this book is an essential resource for special education experts, faculty and administration of both K-12 and higher education, pre-service teachers, researchers, and academicians.

Inclusive education remains a significant challenge in today's educational landscape, as K-12 classrooms and higher education institutions struggle to meet the diverse needs of all students. To address this pressing issue, Developing Inclusive Environments in Education: Global Practices and Curricula, led by Kiyoji Koreeda, offers practical strategies and insights. The book explores the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, providing a comprehensive guide to making learning inclusive and transformative. It showcases global examples of universal design curricula and highlights the use of educational technologies to facilitate inclusive learning experiences. By focusing on practical activities and support systems, the book empowers educators to build inclusive classrooms and higher education settings, offering detailed descriptions of useful tools and software for personalized teaching materials and reasonable accommodations. Developing Inclusive Environments in Education is an essential resource for researchers and educators committed to fostering inclusive practices and creating transformative educational environments. Embracing the strategies and insights presented in this book allows researchers and educators to revolutionize their approach to education. They can create inclusive environments that support the success and well-being of every student, ensuring that no one is left behind. By adopting the practical guidance and leveraging the examples provided, educators can implement inclusive practices and transform their classrooms and educational settings to meet the diverse needs of learners worldwide. This transformative approach empowers educators to utilize advanced curricula, leverage educational technologies, and implement personalized teaching materials and accommodations, ultimately creating an environment where all students can thrive. Developing Inclusive Environments in Educationserves as a valuable resource, equipping educators with the necessary knowledge and tools to build inclusive and transformative educational environments.

Educators who work with students with disabilities have the unique challenge of providing comprehensive and quality educational experiences for students who have a wide range of abilities and levels of focus. Pedagogies and educational strategies can be applied across a student population, though they tend to have varied success. Developing adaptive teaching methods that provide quality experiences for students with varied disabilities are necessary to promote success for as many of these students as possible. Special Education Design and Development Tools for School Rehabilitation Professionals is a comprehensive research publication that examines special education practices and provides in-depth evaluations of pedagogical practices for improved educational experiences for students with disabilities. Highlighting a range of topics such as bilingual education, psychometrics, and physical education, this book is ideal for special education teachers, instructors, rehabilitation professionals, academicians, school administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, principals, educational software developers, researchers, and students.

Diversity creates a rich environment for ideas to evolve into new and more refined forms. This pedagogical approach can help students to appreciate and value all forms of diversity and enrich learning. There is a need for administrators in education to institute policies that will support diversity and inclusion within special education classrooms. Rethinking Inclusion and Transformation in Special Education explores the latest findings on how children learn by discussing global policies and educational practices, considering professional expectations, establishing parent relationships that enhance communication, creating an effective learning environment that meets all students’ needs, and using technology wisely. Covering topics such as language development promotion, school leadership practices, and long-term skill support, this book is essential for special education teachers, diversity officers, school administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, academicians, researchers, and upper-level students.

This guide presents strategies for applying technology to help students who have cognitive and physical disabilities, and shows how technology is useful not only in presenting curriculum and assessing students, but also in the administration and organization of special education programs. Case studies and descriptions of state-of-the-art applications illustrate how technology can help students with disabilities master complex materials and basic skills and how technology can support educators in assessing and evaluating students' progress. Chapter 1 describes the most common challenges associated with educating children with disabilities and discusses research-validated approaches in assistive instruction and assessment technologies. Chapter 2 demystifies the process of determining what technology will best meet student needs and discusses the cost effective acquisition of those technologies. Chapter 3 delineates strategies necessary to ensure that technology investments produce continuous learning improvements, including the establishment of a technology team and devising a long-range technology plan. Chapter 4 provides assistance in finding the help needed to make technology "pay off." It includes an extensive resource list that provides contact information and describes national, state, and local organizations, information centers, clearinghouses, and research group that provide services, information, and demonstrations of technology. An appendix includes relevant federal documents on assistive technology. (CR)

The social and emotional welfare of students in both K-12 and higher education settings has become increasingly important during the third decade of the 21st century, as students face a variety of social-emotional learning (SEL) challenges related to a multitude of internal and external factors. As concepts around traditional literacy education evolve and become more culturally and linguistically relevant, the connections between SEL and academic literacy opportunities warrant considerable exploration. The Handbook of Research on Supporting Social and Emotional Development Through Literacy Education develops a conceptual framework around pedagogical connections to social and emotional teaching and learning within K-12 literacy practices. This text provides a variety of research and practice protocols supporting student success through the integration of SEL and literacy across grade levels. Covering topics such as culturally relevant literacy, digital literacy, and content-area literacy, this handbook is essential for curriculum directors, education faculty, instructional facilitators, literacy professionals, practicing teachers, pre-service teachers, professional development coordinators, school counselors, teacher preparation programs, academicians, researchers, and students.