Assistive Technology In My Life-Opinions-

What is Assistive Technology to Me?

After being a Special Education major for my third year in a row, I have many things to say about AT. Every summer,  I work with 3-5 year old children that are at risk or have recently received an IEP. I cannot stress enough how important Assistive Technology is in their lives, and the teachers. Every single day that they wake up, they depend on AT to be able to learn in their least restrictive environment. 

For example, one of the girls that I am typically a one on one aide with has cerebral palsy and uses a walker and wheelchair to go about her daily activities. She uses braces as well. Even though these are not digital pieces of technology, they are still assistive technology that she relies on. I could not be more grateful for the advancements that have taken place within the past ten years in AT. 

My goal as a future teacher, which is only a little over one year away, is to not only provide individualized support for every student, but to be a teacher that knows exactly what to provide for my students in order for them to be completely comfortable-whether it is through using assistive technology or just simply being an approachable teacher with an open mind.