Computer
Aids for Special Needs Children
Irene Helen Zundel, June 2005
For more articles like this
visit
https://www.bridges4kids.org.
Computers are
now a permanent fixture in our society. They are lauded as an
educational tool in schools across the country. Because
technology allows students to access, process, and organize
information at lightning speed, schools are making their kids
computer-savvy much earlier---sometimes even in kindergarten!
Because computers today are made to be “user friendly”, kids
generally master the skills necessary to use them quite easily.
Children with learning differences, hearing or visual
impairments, developmental delays or physical challenges might
have some difficulties---but they can be overcome by using a few
adaptive aids.
To properly equip your computer to meet the needs of your
special needs child, you first need to evaluate what kind of
adaptive aids you require:
Is a screen magnifier to enlarge images and print something you
need?
Do you need a mouse that is super easy to click? Or would an
alternative kind of input device, such as a touch screen, be
better?
Does the option of having all text read aloud to your child
sound helpful?
Next, you have to equip the computer to meet your child’s
special needs:
While each type of difficulty may require one or more
adaptations to make computer use easier, these solutions aren’t
necessarily complicated or expensive. Before you go in search of
equipment, check your home computer’s “accessibility options.”
Both Microsoft and Mac include features that allow you to
regulate the clicking speed of your mouse, and increase the size
of navigation icons and cursors. They also have sound cues that
notify you when a task has been completed. Some operating
systems offer text to speech features, which are very helpful
for children with visual impairment or learning differences.
Some word processors have a “word completion” option This
enables the computer to finish typing words and phrases for your
child, greatly speeding up the writing process.
Here are some special tools that you may find helpful:
For children who have difficulty using a mouse or keyboard, try
alternative input devices such as touch screens, switches and
pointing devices. Edmark and Intellitools are companies that
manufacture alternative input devices, as well as other special
needs products.
Would you find a talking word processor helpful? Check into
Clicker 4 from Crick Software Inc. for ages three and up. It
reads aloud everything you child types, and lets him “write”
with rebus pictures instead of words. There is also a “word
grid” feature, which allows a child to click on difficult words
that are displayed on the bottom of the page. If your child has
spelling difficulties, she can insert these words into the text
of what she is typing merely by clicking on them, making the
writing process faster and less difficult.
back to the top ~
back to Breaking News
~ back to
What's New
|