Assistive Technology
Today, we had an in depth discussion about the uses of assistive technology. I learned that

• Everyone of us needs or uses assistive technology regardless of whether or not we have special needs.
• Assistive technology can be individualized to the individual (since people with special needs are so unique).

I thought back to a lot of my experiences. I've seen students use assistive technologies for something as simple as writing properly (using a grip) or for something as complex as electronically communicating (due to speech and language disabilities).
It's important to remember that just because something is not electronic does not mean that is a technology. For example, I know a student who has severe ocular issues that affect his vision and focus, so anything that he does that involves his eyes will be hindered. During writing, his letters are so scrambled and inconsistent-sometimes they're pressed together or spaced too far apart; So, his occupational therapist gave him a spacing tool that looks like a hand held ruler with a piece pointing out that acts as a tool that physically reminded him when and there to space.