DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION
Tasmanian Curriculum
 
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Advice to others about assistive technologies

  • Don’t be afraid of technology – there is an exhaustive list of programs and technologies on the market which will be ideally suited to specific students and others that will not be suitable.

  • Try before you buy. Many programs have information about them on the internet and free trials.

  • Don’t try to recreate the wheel. Seek support from people with ‘specialised’ knowledge such as Support staff, Guidance Officers, Speech Therapists, Teacher Learning Support Leader (TLSL) and Physical Impairment Coordinator.

  • Don’t give up – if one program doesn’t work try to find another one that might.

The importance of a team approach

The more people who are armed with the knowledge and tools for providing students with valuable programs and skills, the more likely it is that a greater number of students will be catered for. The staff is a great support for each other, sharing regularly at team meetings and bringing a variety of skills and knowledge to the table. Areas of weakness / lack of knowledge are identified and, as a team, solutions are found in the form of professional learning and sessions with the Teacher Assistant.

The ability to free up some Teacher Assistant time to investigate, trial and provide professional learning opportunities has been one of the keys to the successful implementation of our Assistive Technologies project.

Access

The provision of access to computers and various technologies ensures equal opportunity and equity for all.

Silhouette of a teacher‘We are finding that Assistive Technologies can be an advantage for many of our learners. There is a large group of students who can benefit from having this gentle ‘teacher on the shoulder’ as we like to call it. One of the main advantages is that the software is not really noticeable to other students in the classroom. It presents as a small square on the computer screen.’

Inclusion Support Teacher

Peers

Students are a great resource and peer support is encouraged by the way in which the computers are arranged in the main computer lab. Computers with assistive programs are dispersed around the laboratory to allow more skilled students to lend assistance to those using assistive technologies.

Progress for students

Ideally students will move from dependence on teachers and TAs, Assistive Software/Technology supported by TAs, teaching staff, more able peers and students of similar ability to independence supported by technology.

Useful free software