Presentation Example: Special Education Services Dedicated to Impaired Students

Special education services dedicated to visually impaired students.

Students with visual impairment can benefit from some services such as screen readers. The screen readers aid the students in reading texts displayed on computer screens. The application is vital as it enables the visually impaired students to go through learning materials which could have been out of their reach.

Besides the screen readers, students with sight impairments can also use brail in their learning. According to Cooper, Gaitenby, & Nye, (1984) the brail can not only allow the visually challenged students to read books but also to write using the brail machines. This approach is of great importance in submitting an assignment and gauging the learning capability of the visually challenged students.

Magnification software is also vital tools for the visually impaired students. The assistive technology provides necessary aid for students when reading texts displayed on computer screen. The software achieves its purpose by enlarging small passages which would have been otherwise difficult to identify for the said students hence making them legible and readable.

Special education services for Hearing impaired students.

There is a vast variety of services which can be provided for students with hearing impairments. One of the best approaches the challenges of this group of students is through the use of captioned films and movies. Boatner (1981) states that captioned films enable the students to understand what is being communicated by reading the captions attached to the video being displayed. Teachers can, therefore, include subtitles in visual learning content which is a viable way of talking with the visually impaired students.

Sign language is another approach used to educate students with hearing impairments. According to Moeller, (2000) sign language entails the utilization of manual communication as means of conveying meaning. It employs explicitly the use of facial articulation, hand gestures, finger orientations and movements to communicate ideas. The teachers, in this case, have to apply these expressions in their interaction with hearing-impaired students.

The use of hearing aid is another approach employed in addressing challenges faced by students with hearing impairments. The hearing aid devices achieve their objective through sound amplification. In this case, the students fitted with the hearing aids can take part in their learning activities without facing any difficulties as the devices can rectify their hearing impairments (Melanson, & Lindemann, 2000).

A professional organization dedicated to students with impairments in sight.

National Association of Parents of Children (AFP) with Visual Impairments is one of the foremost organization dedicated to students with visual impairments. AFPs mission is to develop a world devoid of limitations for people with visual disabilities through mobilization of leaders, advancements in understanding and the championing of practices and policies through research. The primary organization objective is to enable parents to find resources and information concerning how they can bring up their blind children. AFP achieves its goals by providing the parents with training, emotional support, and leadership which is vital in addressing the needs of the visually impaired children. According to afp.org, the organization also provides networking through enabling the parents to be part of the national advocacy group. The advocacy group is tasked with fostering communication and service coordination agencies at all the levels of governance which are concerned with providing services to the visually impaired in the society. AFP also offers pocket-friendly publications courtesy of their membership in the organization. Additionally, the agency provides vital information regarding the rights of the parents and their children in line with the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

A professional organization dedicated to students with impairments in hearing.

American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is a renowned professional organization dedicated to students with hearing impairments. The primary organization objective is to come up with principles for individuals dealing hearing-impaired children who entail the educators, parents, advocates and even the legislators. In respect of its goals, ASDC believes that parents of deaf children can benefit from interacting with other parents or guardians who have been successful in bringing up their deaf children. Further, the organization believes that parents have the prerogative of making decisions on their childrens behalf. Similarly, ASDC holds that the children should be accorded similar respect to that of other healthy children in the community. Notably, ASDC encourages parents of deaf children to introduce them to sign language and other assistive technology at their formative years. This measure is aimed at ensuring that the deaf children can progress in life like other healthy children who are born without the defects. In the interest of achieving the above-highlighted objectives, the organization provides the deaf childrens parents with relevant information on how to provide for their children. Additionally, ASDC provides a connection with other families with similar challenges apart from linking them with institutions and schools for the deaf. In this case, ASDC provides the necessary connections for the parents with hearing-impaired children which enables them to cater for their learning and developmental needs adequately.

References

Boatner, E. B. (1981). Captioned films for the deaf. American Annals of the deaf, 156(5), 520-525.

Cooper, F. S., Gaitenby, J. H., & Nye, P. W. (1984). Evolution of reading machines for the blind: Haskins Laboratories' research as a case history. Veterans Administration, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Rehabilitation R & D Service.

Melanson, J. L., & Lindemann, E. (2000). U.S. Patent No. 6,104,822. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Moeller, M. P. (2000). Early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Pediatrics, 106(3), e43-e43.