What technology can be helpful for teaching students with invisible disabilities?
Date Updated:
05/23/22
At the Pathways to Success for Students with Invisible Disabilities Capacity Building Institute (CBI), held at Landmark College from April 8 – 9, 2013, a panel of Landmark faculty members discussed several different technologies that can be helpful to students with invisible disabilities, including learning disabilities, attention deficits, and autism spectrum disorders. Listed below are some panelist suggestions.
- LanSchool is classroom management software that allows the image from any computer in the classroom to be displayed on the instructor's monitor or projected.
- Microsoft OneNote is a program that can help students take notes and organize a variety of related documents into one easy to access location. Educators can also use the program to create a notebook of classroom materials such as syllabi, reading lists, study guides, lecture notes, and more, that students can then access anytime.
- Cloud storage through your school, Microsoft OneDrive, or Google Drive can be used to share PowerPoint slides, OneNote notebooks, or other documents with students quickly and easily.
- Livescribe pens are smart pens that create an audio recording while a student writes notes. Students can go to a specific point in the recording by touching the pen to their notes. These can be useful for anyone, not just students with learning disabilities.
- Dragon Naturally Speaking is speech recognition software that allows students to type by talking to the computer.
- Inspiration is mind-mapping software that allows students to brainstorm and organize concepts.
- Tinkerplots statistical software can be used for data analysis and modeling.
To read the full proceedings of this CBI, consult the Proceedings of Pathways to Success for Students with Invisible Disabilities: an AccessComputing Capacity Building Institute at Landmark College.
Other resources focused on technology and individuals with invisible disabilities include:
- Working Together: Computers and People with Learning Disabilities (publication)
- Working Together: Computers and People with Learning Disabilities (video)
- Phoenix Reading Project at Sugar-Salem High School: A Promising Practice in Using Scan/Read Software
- Landmark College: A Promising Practice on Developing Learning Resources for Students with Learning Disabilities
- Universally Designed Web Pages: A Case Study on Access Issues for a Student with a Learning Disability
- How can digital content help students with learning disabilities that affect their ability to process math?
- The Best Software and Gadgets for ADHD Students
- Accessibility Specialists: Understanding "Invisible" Disabilities & What this Means for Online Education
- National Center for Learning Disabilities Assistive Technology Resources