This article reviews laptop computers from under $1000 to over $3500 in terms of appropriateness for disabled students. Software compatability, price of add-ons, speed, memory and memory expansion options, screen, keyboard battery and disk drive features, and ease of attachment to printers and other computers are discussed as selection factors.…

One of nine brief guides for special educators on using computer technology, this guide focuses on utilizing the telecommunications capabilities of computers. Network capabilities including electronic mail, bulletin boards, and access to distant databases are briefly explained. Networks useful to the educator, general commercial systems, and local…

One of nine brief guides on using computer technology, this guide is directed to parents of children with disabilities and provides an overview of computer use with handicapped children and suggestions for ways parents can learn more about the potential of technology to aid their children. Instructional software for classroom or home use generally…

To help industrial arts teachers make decisions about the use of computer programs in classes containing disabled students, critical elements of appropriate computer software are discussed, includingpurpose and objectives, principles of learning, and major software problems. Recommendations are also presented for developing software and joining a…

This brief paper describes the computerized mentoring program of Project DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) at the University of Washington. Introductory material notes the origins of the mentoring concept and the value of DO-IT mentors to their proteges. The program centers on providing mentoring via the Internet…

This article describes how a group of elementary teachers set out to master their instructional software to turn the collection into an effective aid for enabling the success of students with and without disabilities. It discusses planning for systematic intervention and positive outcomes through the use of computer programs. (Contains…

The paper demonstrates how school districts can have a low cost software library for instruction by utilizing public domain software. Such software can be used to augment the curriculum and to meet the individual needs of special education students. Specific examples of how one school district has used public domain software in computer-assisted…

This guide to using computers with infants and toddlers was developed by the "Let's Play! Project," a 3-year federally supported project that worked to promote play in infants and toddlers with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. Following an introductory section on getting ready to use the computer with a young child, the first…

This guide focuses on the use of computers and cooperative learning techniques in classrooms that include students with disabilities. The guide outlines the characteristics of cooperative learning such as goal interdependence, individual accountability, and heterogeneous groups, emphasizing the value of each group member. Several cooperative…

This paper documents the need for new instructional methods to use with students who have disabilities, by citing results from a survey of 46 Oklahoma schools, which gathered data on the modifications used for mainstreamed students with disabilities. Next, the critical research on learning and on computer assisted instruction is summarized. A…

The article details major steps in establishing a computerized management information system in a special education organization to carry out such functions as student record monitoring and fiscal control. Steps include (1) the study phase, (2) the gross design phase, (3) the detailed design phase, and (4) the implementation phase.(Author/DB)

This guide to playing with switches for parents and early intervention personnel was developed by the "Let's Play! Project," a 3-year federally supported project that worked to promote play in infants and toddlers with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. Switches are used with electronic toys to help young children…

This article describes how the East Tennessee Technology Access Center is coordinating the use of new computer math programs designed for elementary children with and without disabilities. The use of the computer software to develop math skills, improve literacy, and increase the independence of students with disabilities is discussed. (Contains…

Four statewide programs offering such services as help in selection, education, and awareness of assistive devices for disabled students are described: the Pennsylvania Assistive Device Center, MissouriLINC, the New Jersey Assistive Device Center, and the Center for Computer Opportunities for the Disabled (Massachusetts). A contact person is…

This article describes five organizational Web sites that are good resources in selecting and using software with children who have special needs. The sites represent the DO-IT project, the Trace Research and Development Center, Special Needs Opportunity Windows, the Family Center on Technology and Disability, and the National Center for…