Capstone Project

Individual Contribution
Hunter Somerville
ETEC 588
Texas A&M University-Commerce

Topic: Educational Systems and their approach to students with learning disabilities and how
they manage their learning through assistive technologies.

Hunter Somerville

Capstone Project

Spring 2015

Introduction
Individuals with learning disabilities can require accommodations for to their work
and/or educational environments. Applied or assistive technologies are available to help an
individual complete a task or perform work on a daily basis. Learning Disabilities (LD) are
those disabilities or disorders that affect learning but are not as significant as developmental
disabilities. Individuals can function in normal settings but may require some modifications to
text books, computer screens or keyboards, auditory modifications, and other learning based
changes to assist in completing daily tasks. This project will look at innovation that can be
diffused throughout an educational system that are available on computers and then can be
applied to specific learning disabilities making it an assistive technology. The one we will
discuss in detail is the Screen reader which is found on virtually all computers.
History
The problem for students with learning disabilities entering school is the lack of
information about technologies to assist these individuals with their daily lives. Many
individuals with learning disabilities may require only slight modifications to their environments
to help them to be successful. Under the current laws, children with learning disabilities are only
protected until the age of 21. At this point, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the only
coverage for individuals with learning disabilities. Stigma is well known to result in people not
seeking help for disability and especially in the case of mild disabilities. There are third party
advocates but these are limited to cities that have funding. Regardless of specific individual
circumstances, living with a learning disability has the potential to be a major life
stressor (Mellard & Patterson, 2008), especially in situations involving formal learning
performance (Taymans, 2012).

Hunter Somerville

Capstone Project

Spring 2015

Definition of Learning Disability

The definition of learning disabilities is important to understand because it influences the
type of technology that can be used to assist the student in learning. Learning disabilities are
defined by different organizations in different ways. . These significant differences in
definitions can lead to confusion and how accommodations are handled for an individual with a
learning disability. The review of the definitions that follow are necessary to show the
inconsistencies within the government, education, and medical systems within the United States.
Definitions and laws from other countries are not included in this literature review because of the
continuation and variation in definitions of learning disabilities around the world.
The American Psychiatric Associations May 2013 release of the new DSM-5 has
changed the language to Specific Learning Disorder. "Specific learning disorder is now a single,
overall diagnosis, incorporating deficits that impact academic achievement. Rather than limiting
learning disorders to diagnoses particular to reading, mathematics and written expression, the
criteria describe shortcomings in general academic skills and provide detailed specifiers for the
areas of reading, mathematics, and written expression" (APA, 2013). This book was released in
May.
There is also a need to explain a group of disabilities that do not fit the learning
disabilities definition and often get confused.

Developmental disabilities and intellectual

learning disorders are disabilities, disorders, or physical or mental impairments,physical or

mental that are usually severe and affect mental abilities. Although these disabilities do affect
learning, they are not a part of the learning disabilities definition. These can be blindness,
deafness, Downs Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and other disabilities that are life-long and

Hunter Somerville

Capstone Project

Spring 2015

incurable. These The disabilities usually require other forms of accommodations such as
physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychological counseling.

Technologies
Learning disabilities or specific learning disorders are manageable and once understood
by the individual with the disability can ask for assistance. Modern technologies can help
students and adults in the workplace function better and be more productive. Assistive
technologies are those technologies that can be purchased or downloaded to assist the individual
see the computer monitor, enhance hearing, or change colors of documents to make them more
legible. Applied technologies are taking technologies that already exist an applying them in a
manner that helps the student to succeed. Applied to technologies could be utilized by adding
the technology to a curriculum that doesnt require the function for a student without a learning
disability. For example, a screen reader that is available on computer is an assistive technology
that becomes applied when used for the student with a seeing disability.
There are challenges to selecting the correct technology. Training is required for each
type of disability and the appropriate technology to assist the student. If a student has multiple
learning disabilities, it can be challenging to find the correct technologies and applying them to
the curriculum. Some have said that technology-based solutions designed to address their
(students) learning needs are often not considered and not implemented their educational
programs. In addition to the ADA, the government created the Assistive Technology Act of 1988.
This act was passed to create a fund for providing assistive technologies to persons with
disabilities. It was designed to increase technology and technology services to individuals with
disabilities.
Screen Readers

Hunter Somerville

Capstone Project

Spring 2015

Visually impaired students and students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia or
dysgraphia must be able to access and interact with web technologies in todays modern world.
In order to interact with these web technologies, such as Facebook, Blackboard, Second Life, and
classroom assignments, learning disabled students must be able to see the screen and control the
computer and interact with the software and the web. Teachers that are teaching in this
environment must be able to assist and direct learning disabled students as well as understand the
complexities of the assistive technology. In this fast growing world of web technologies a
classroom for learning disabled students must be functional, comfortable, and not intimidating to
the students.
Communication is an integral part of learning and for a learning disabled student the
communication needs are even higher. The context of learning is increased as communication is
increased between student/teacher, student/student, and student/web. A screen reader is
foundational piece that allows the student to access the computer and becomes the gateway to the
world. Without a screen reader there is minimal communication by the student and the learning is
diminished. Learning disabled students wanting to learn, explore, and communicate with others
are the highest of stakeholders. Non-learning disabled teachers or parents may not have a high
stake in the screen reader for themselves, but definitely hold a high stake in obtaining these
screen readers for students so that they may learn. School districts and work places also hold
high stakes in these small pieces of equipment to make learning obtainable.
Learning disabled students have a need to connect to one another, to their teachers, and to
the world. This connection can be made through access to web technology tools and the ability
to collaborate with fellow students and can be made possible with a screen reader. It would be
essential for any instructor of visually impaired students and those with other learning disabilities
to have software capable of reading and translating to students as they access their required

Hunter Somerville

Capstone Project

Spring 2015

assignments. Computer access is essential to facilitate this access to the gateway of the world
and screen readers can make this happen.

References
American Psychiatry Association. (2013). Specific Learning Disorder Fact Sheet. Retrieved
from: http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/DSM/DSM-5/DSM-5-SpecificLearning-Disorder-Fact-Sheet.pdfRetrieved from: http://www.psychiatry.org/File
%20Library/Practice/DSM/DSM-5/DSM-5-Specific-Learning-Disorder-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Taymans, J. M. (2012). Legal and definitional issues affecting the identification and education
of adults with specific learning disabilities in adult education programs. Journal Of
Learning Disabilities, 45(1), 5-16. doi:10.1177/0022219411426857