Post #12

I most enjoyed watching the video, Assistive Technologies for Vision and Hearing Impaired Children, that was suggested by Dr. Strange.I have taken the education class for exceptional children and I am aware that tools such as text to speech devices, text telephones, talking calculators, note takers, sensory aids, speech to text devises, FMradios, iphones, ipods, screen magnifiers, and flip cameras that were listed in the videos are used in the classroom. However, watching this video showed more of what it is like to be in the classroom and the extra effort on the teacher's part it takes to accommodate and help these children learn. Like the changes in technology are changing and improving learning for all students, it is also allowing for huge strides to be made in the field of special needs children. This new technology that is available can allow for deaf and blind students to easily blend in with the general classroom. As a high school English teacher, I will make sure to know how these devises work and how to incorporate them in to my lesson plan in case I do ever have a deaf or blind student in my classroom. Excluding the talking calculators, I know that all the tools listed above will be valuable for writing papers, hearing my lessons, and communicating with other classmates. Also, another important part of having a deaf or blind student is to have good communication with the student's parents. These are two sites I have found that I would like to keep up to date on and would be able to share with the parents of the deaf or blind student.

http://www.blindness.org/
This site is dedicated strictly to people affected by blindness. On the main page, an article written by a girl who went blind at an early age is displayed. It has a positive message and explains how she can still enjoy life. This could help parents better understand their child with lost site and help them to inspire them that the future is not lost. Also, this site provides information on the different eye disorders that effect sight and health options available to fix them. Understanding the problem thoroughly can provide further comfort about what is going on with their child. Another beneficial aspect of the site is the “Your Community” section. It includes local chapter that will allow these families to connect with others in their area with similar disabilities. There are also message boards, blogs, chat rooms, and stories of hope so that parents can communicate with many others and share their feelings and learn what others have done to thrive in life. Also, the site reports on news and events in case the parents and their child would like to get more involved in the blind community.

http://www.deafchildren.org/
This is a site created by the American Organization for Deaf Children. ASDC was founded in 1967 as a parent helping parent network, and now it has grown to be a national non-profit organization. It includes the latest news about the subject and many resources and links to explore about the deaf community. It also offers a connection to Deaf Autism America which “aims to increase mutual support, understanding, learning and collaboration among families and professionals in order to enhance the quality of life for Deaf and hard of hearing children with autism. The goal of DAA is to improve education, networking, resources and advocacy services for this special population.” This could be useful to parents that have children with multiple disorders including deafness as well as autism. Last, the site has useful videos on vocational rehab services, early intervention for deaf children, and a video that stresses the importance of American sign language as an ability to connect, stimulate, and converse with others, most importantly, parents.