Findings...

The definition of a learning disability has evolved through time, creating immense difficulty in identifying students with them and providing such students with the resources they need to be successful. In 2004 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act classifies a learning disability as “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations” (IDEA 2004). Individuals with disabilities often struggle when their impairment inhibits their ability to perform a skill that their peers can normally perform (Forgrave, 2012). Students diagnosed with learning disabilities suffer from an increased risk of dropping out of high school, compared to those without such disabilities (33% to 11%) (Courtad & Bouck, 2015). In terms of legal specifications, the definition of assistive technology incorporates federally mandated services and equipment provided to students with disabilities (Lee & Templeton, 2008). The term also refers to the tools and strategies necessary for students, ranging from triangular pencil grips and carbon copy paper, to the Livescribe Pen and text to speech software. The categories of assistive technology involving positioning, mobility, augmentative, alternative communication, computer access, adaptive toys and games, adaptive environments, and instructional aids, offer a transformative aspect in addressing student needs (Courtad & Buock, 2015). Though controversial, recent data has demonstrated that the use of assistive technology as a resource for students with learning disabilities can greatly increase their learning ability. Assistive technology has the power to “build on individual strength” and “compensates for their disabilities to enable them to better perform a given task,” (Forgrave, 2012). In a study by Torgesen and Barker, significant improvements were reported in decoding abilities and word recognition as an effect of utilizing a word processor as an assistive technology tool (Forgrave, 2012). An additional compilation of five separate studies showed that students who utilized speech to text software as assistive technology showed longer, complex writing pieces with fewer errors (Forgrave, 2012). The broad nature of learning disabilities often makes it difficult to address the needs of students; however, with appropriate training and knowledge, assistive technology can provide tools of varied technological levels to address learning disabilities in content areas as well as in organization and self-management (Courtad & Buock, 2015).