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The benefits special needs children attaien att n through the adoption of technologywithin the educational secto


The benefits special needs child I


we speak to Lucy Taylor,, Education Lead at ACER to find out how technology can benef t pupils n a SEND context


n our second feature on SEND thismonth we speak to Lucy Taylor Education Lead a ACER,, to find out howtechnology can benefiit pupils i in a SEND contex t.


n our second fe feature on SEND this month,,


Educational technology is on a rapid adoption within schools and modern society today. In 2019, there are now a total of 32,113 schools in the UK: out of which 1,256 are special schools. The overall purpose of introducing new technological tools within schools has been to


students and enhan create an education


special children.


In particular we have increasingly witnessed the integration of technology within school curriculum to have accelerated the academic journey of special children and also make a positive impact on their personal lives. It is evident- the educational sector now understands that technology possess the power to bring children with special educational needs and disabilities independence, both in learning and communication.


Let’s have a look at the challenges that schools once faced and the ways children with special needs have reaped the benefits of integrated technology in schools today .


Standardised learningmeant low academic resultl s


Standardised learning meant lowacademic resu t


A few decades ago, there was not much


importance given to personalised learning within schools. An educational experience differs from child to child dependant on how well their


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ces overall learning, including that is accessible for all


abilities are detected and enhanced. Each need of a child, therefore, can vary vastly and often in the past this has been overlooked in pursuit of providing a standardised educational service .


Technology brings personalised learning


Technology brings personalised learning However, today special technology increases the level of independence within students them from the constant need for direc


t teacher freeing


involvement and homing in on how they learn best. There are now different tools within technological devices that allow a child to focus on learning through their strength skills (for example software that selectively focus on listening, speaking, reading etc). As a result, a student can choose the speed and style of learning that is convenient for them, which in turn will provide better academic results. Overall, the implementation of technologies in special education allows simplifying the communication and improves the academic skills of students wit h disabilities effectively .


Ch ldren s persona lives neg ected neglectel Special needs children often feel the need to segregate themselves from society in fear of being perceived as ‘different to the norm’. This is the stereotype they struggle with in their everyday lives and therefore see it as a challenge to overcome when socialising at school. Due to this segregation, special needs children often lack confidence in their own academic and interpersonal abilities. Subsequently, these


Childri en’s perso’ nal livesl Lack of career-related information provided


Lack of career-related information provided Technology has not always been so widely accessible as it is today. Few decades ago, in school and universities, there was limited information provided around career advisory, especially when con encounter difficultie was provided by tea


children become more susceptible to isolation and in turn are overly introverted. According to a


2 8 www .education-today.co.uk.co.uk


knowledge within this domain.We know that young people face challenges in finding


employment, but for the 14%of young people Octobe r 2019 2019 ttain through the adoption of technology within the educational sector


Mencap charity study in 2017, just 6%of people with learning disabilities are in employment, despite 60%wanting to and being able to be i n work.


Technology improves children’s social lives To combat this issue there now exists ground- breaking assistive technology to improve the lives of people with a learning disability, their families and carers.With technological skills adopted from an early stage, a child’s confidence is immediately boosted as they feel equally empowered to attain the same skillset as their peers. These children may need a little more guidance around the nuisances of how to function devices. However, thanks to the charities suchMencap, the gap between connecting personal lives and academic milestones through technology is slowly being bridged. Charities like these have partnered with technology related brands to run initiatives and programmes which help children and adults feel more empowered in their personal lives, breaking the stereotypical barriers society poses .


Technology improves children’s social live s


chers who equally had limited s.Most of this information cerning children that


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