Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits
Volume 14, Issue 1
“Assistive Technology for Literacy”
The theme of this issue is “Assistive Technology for Literacy” which is an ever-growing topic of interest. Literacy is multidimensional. Assistive technology can be used to improve students’ outcomes in traditional literacy instruction focused on reading and writing. Literacy also goes beyond reading and writing academic text. It is an important component in learning how to effectively use AAC devices. Literacy is used in social stories for students with autism. Nowadays, the term literacy also includes “digital literacy.” That reinforces the use of technology to produce work across subject areas, effectively collaborate and communicate. Literacy, including digital literacy, is often a requirement for employment and independent living.
To address this interest, ATOB editors have brought together a series of thought-provoking articles that highlight recent advancements in the field of AT and technologies. These articles can inform policies and practice both at the national and local levels. The collection of articles included within Volume 14 of ATOB offers different perspectives on how AT can be used to improve literacy skills for students with various types of disabilities from early childhood to higher education.
Learn more about the contents through an Introduction to ATOB Volume 14 by Guest Editor, Anne M. Hayes, M.Ed, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Inclusive Development Partners (IDP) and lead author of USAID’s toolkit to Promote Literacy for Students with Disabilities.
Use the links below to access the complete volume or individual articles.
Download Volume 14 (PDF)
Download Volume 14 (DOCX)
Graphic Symbols: Improving or Impeding Comprehension of Communication Bill of Rights?
Authors: Sofia Benson-Goldberg, M.S., CCC-SLP, Karen Erickson, PhD
Text-to-Speech Technology: Enhancing Reading Comprehension for Students with Reading Difficulty
Authors: Jennifer L. Keelor (1), Nancy Creaghead(2), Noah Silbert (3), Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus (4)
1Department of Communication, The College of Wooster
2Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati
3Communication Sciences Research Center, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
4Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel
The Development of an Assistive Technology Toolkit for Early Literacy Instruction
Authors: Ruby Natale, PhD, PsyD, Christina Sudduth, MPH, Monica Dowling, PhD, Sarah Messiah, PhD, MPH, Christina Nunez, MS, Michelle Schladant, PhD, ATP
Mastery of Assistive Technology in High School and Postsecondary Performance
Author: Ben Satterfield, Ed.D.
Driver Training Application for Individuals with Autism
Authors: Miriam Monahan, OTD OTR/L CDRS (1), Johnell Brooks, PhD (2), Julia Seeanner, M.S. (2), Casey Jenkins, B.S.(2), Jay Monahan, B.S.(1)
1Driver Rehabilitation Institute, Petaluma, CA
2Department of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University
The Evolving Landscape of Assistive Technology in K-12 Settings
Authors: Denise C. DeCoste (1) and M. Gayl Bowser (2)
1Falmouth, MA 2Camas Valley, OR
Emergent Literacy for Students with Cortical Vision Impairment: Self-Directed Reading
Authors: Deanna K. Wagner, MS/CCC-SLP and Gretchen Hanser, PhD, MS, OTR/L (1)
1International Academy of Hope, New York City, NY
Enhancing Structured Literacy™ Instruction with Educational Technology
Author: Sharon LePage Plante, CE/AOGPE
Emergent Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities in the Regular Classroom
Authors: Erin Sheldon, M.Ed. and Karen Erickson, Ph.D.
The authors and ATOB Editorial Board hope that you find these articles useful for your work and advocacy efforts. Many thanks to our ATOB Volume 14 Reviewers – we appreciate your hard work and dedication.
To contact ATOB with comments on this issue or about plans for future issues, please email atob@atia.org or the ATOB Editor-in-Chief at ATOBeditor@atia.org . We welcome your feedback.