Assistive
Technology
SpEd 417/517
Individualized Adaptation
Process/Lesson Plan
• 1. Select an environment for instruction
• analyze sensory and motor characteristics
• 2. Delineate the required activities and skills
• 3. Assess performance in the environment (of person with
disability)
• 4. Identify and analyze performance discrepancies
• 5. Select priority instructional objectives
• 6. Develop instructional strategies
7. Teach skills directly
8. Use adaptations
a. generate ideas
b. design, then construct
c. outline teaching procedures
9. Implement and evaluate, modify and fade as appropriate
Lesson Plan
• 1. Select an environment for instruction
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Select “real world” environment in which student must learn to
function
Describe sensory and motor characteristics
“George”
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
• enjoys listening to music and looking at magazines
• activities were age-appropriate
• family used the selected library
• located near home
• proximity to other community sites
• low cost to use facility
• facility open when available
Lesson Plan
• 2. Delineate the activities and skills required in the
environment
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Complete “skills inventory” by delineating activities performed and
skills required by a person without a disability for functioning within
the selected environment
“George”
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Choosing an audiotape
• locate audiotape section
• browse through audiotapes
• select one audiotape
Listening to audiotape
• locate audiotape
• position self
• open audiotape player lid
• insert audiotape
• close lid
• put on headphones
• turn on audiotape
• adjust volume
“George”
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Choosing a magazine
• locate magazine section
• locate preferred magazines
• select one magazine
Browsing through magazine
• locate an area to sit
• position self
• hold magazine
• read articles/look at pictures
• turn pages
Lesson Plan
• 3. Assess performance in the environment
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Take student to natural environment
Complete skills inventory
“George”
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Skills performed independently
• looked at one tape
• scanned then located the tape
• looked at one magazine
• looked at pictures in magazine
Lesson Plan
• 4. Identify and analyze performance discrepancies
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Student performance discrepancies are identified in relation to how a
person without disabilities would function in the environment
“George”
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Skills which George requires assistance with player
• locate audiotape section
• browse through audiotapes
• position self
• open lid of player
• insert audiotape
• close player lid
• put on headphones
• turn of audiotape
• adjust volume
Skills which George requires assistance with magazine
• locate magazine section
• locate preferred magazine
• locate an area to sit
• position self
• hold magazine
• turn the pages
Lesson Plan
• 5. Select priority instructional objectives
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Maintains health and vitality
Enhances participation in current & future environments
Increases social inclusion
Frequent and multiple applications across environments and
activities
Essential for further development
Priority for a significant person in that environment
“George”
• Priority objectives
• active participation in community setting - library
• engaged in activity with community members
• can use these skills across settings
• can lead to higher level technological skills
• George wants to listen and read magazines
Lesson Plan
• 6. Develop instructional strategies
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Direct instruction
• antecedent events
• consequent events
Develop instructional adaptations - generate adaptations that
will enable greater and more independent participation
• provide personal assistance
• modify skills or activities
• use an adaptive device
• modify physical and social environments
Lesson Plan
• 7. Direct Instruction
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Antecedent events
• Use of prompts
• verbal
• observational
• physical
• Prompting systems
• least intrusive prompts
• graduated guidance
• Task presentation
• massed trials
• distributed trials
• spaced trial sequence
Consequent events
• Delivering reinforcement
• Correcting errors
“George”
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Teach the following skills directly
• locate audiotape
• close player lid
• locate magazine section
• locate area to sit
Lesson Plan
• 8. Instructional adaptations
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a. Providing personal assistance
• be careful not to over-use assistance
• consider principal of “partial participation”
b. Modifying skills or activities
• changing typical skill sequence
• opportunities for repetition
• target priority skill and eliminate low priority skills
c. Using an adaptive device
• select a pre-made adaptation
• create an adaptation to simplify task
d. Modifying physical and social environments
• make changes to physical aspects of environment
• promote positive interdependence among student and peers
“George”
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Develop individualized adaptations
• a. Non-disabled peer assists George to move around library
• b. Peer chooses several age-appropriate options and George
makes final selection by looking at or touching one of the
options
• c. Activate a micro-switch with controlled arm or head
movement and place magazine on easel
• d. Provide supportive positioning in library setting and ensure
access to peers
Assistive Technology
Considerations
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Activities of daily living
Control of the environment
Position and seating
Vision
Hearing
Recreation
Mobility
Reading
Learning/studying
Math
Motor aspects of writing
Computer access
Composing written material
Communication
Lesson Plan
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9. Implement and evaluate, modify and fade as
appropriate
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Use of adaptive devices serve only to simplify task, not teach the
student
Direct instruction continues to be necessary - systematic cueing and
fading strategies should be designed, implemented, and evaluated
“George”
• Implement, evaluate and fade as appropriate
• Gradually fade peer support
• Change presentation of options to increase
reliability
• Change switch placement
• Change seating and supports as appropriate
Lesson Plan
• Evaluate effectiveness of adaptation
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performs its intended function
integrated into instructional sequence
accompanied by sufficient instruction to learn adaptation
facilitates independence
results in least intrusive assistance
attractive and safe
“fits” the specific context
results in acceptable rate and quality of performance
does not interfere with interactions
Lesson Plan
• Considerations for using adaptations
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Active participation
Preference
Longitudinal use
Instructional time
Design and construction
Physical movement demands
Precautions
• Over-generalizing
• Need for systematic instruction
• Ongoing evaluation of student performance with and without
adaptation
• Expect several modifications before most efficient match is found
Accessing resources
• community
• written
• vendors
“George”
• Adaptations were age-appropriate
• They provided necessary support
• Direct instruction was provided throughout
• Independence was fostered throughout
Adapted Lesson
Plan for Ryan
• Preschool
• Interagency team provided services in home setting
while transitioning to preschool setting
• Elementary
• Placement in an elementary classroom with resource
room support for physical management needs,
personal cares, and adapted curricular needs
• Secondary
• Placement in a self-contained classroom for students
with moderate to severe disabilities
Adapted Lesson
Plan
• Consider domain area of selected lesson plan
• Complete “Individualized Adaptation Process”
• Search for adaptation options and add
pictures/reference to plan
• Provide list of resources for adaptations in selected
domain area
• 30 points for completion of above “Adaptation
Process”, 25 points for including assistive
technology options, 25 points for use of multi-media