Artifact 11

This artifact includes two printouts from the Internet. The first is from www.ldonline.org, a site with a variety of information on learning disabilities. This site provides a section for teachers, in depth information of learning disabilities, a Kid Zone, a section entitled "First Person" which includes stories written by people with learning disabilities, and much more. The printout from this site is called the "ABC's of LD/ADD". Questions concerning the definition of a learning disability, the types of learning disabilities, the causes of learning disabilities, and how to determine if a child has a learning disability are covered. The second printout is from www.check-it-out.org/assist.cfm. This site is designed for disabled people who use assisstive technology. This site defines assisstive technology as "any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities". Some examples are adapted toys, ramps, wheeled mobility, visual & reading aids, vehicle modifications and more. Other helpful information is given on this web page such as information on loan programs, help for finding equipment through loan, user feedback, and much more. I also pursued the accessibility options found on the computer's control panel. By adjusting such options as the display tab to high contrast and adding mouse pointer trails help individuals who have low vision.

Impact:

As a future teacher I may have students within my classroom who require assistive technology and I may also have students who have learning disabilities. Resources such as the Internet and the websites listed above will help prepare me for special needs students and their presence in my classroom and assuring their success within the classroom and school environment.

Alignment:

I have met competency 13.2 by exploring the Internet to find support for teaching children with special needs.