Marcia Rock is one of the preeminent researchers on bug-in-ear coaching. In this method, an instructional coach watches a live video feed of a teacher's classroom and provides in-the-moment feedback via a wireless earpiece. The process, which is sometimes compared to a football coach communicating with a quarterback, is become increasingly…

Dr. David Rose is perhaps best known for his connection to the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and as a main and driving force behind the collection of instructional, assistive, and access principles known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). His research background includes principal investigator on National Science Foundation and…

The purpose of this letter to the editor is to comment on several review papers recently published in the current "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Special Issue on Technology: Software, Robotics, and Translational Science." These reviews address a variety of aspects relating to technology-aided intervention and instruction…

Obtaining appropriate special education and related services to establish the best educational environment--academically and socially--has not only been challenging but also downright daunting. The decisions the author has made supporting his children, 6-year-old James who is deaf and 12-year-old Miia who is hard of hearing, are, in part, derived…

Bror Saxberg is Chief Learning Officer for Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and a leading global provider of educational services, offering post-secondary education, test preparation, professional training, and K-12 programs. Saxberg is responsible for the research and development of innovative learning…

In this article, the author talks about functional electrical stimulation in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is defined as the electrical stimulation of muscles that have impaired motor control, in order to produce a contraction to obtain functionally useful movement. It was first proposed in…

The golden summer of sport is now over, but what is the legacy of London 2012 for disabled people? Nadia Ahmed, a disabled student, discusses the difficulties she has faced in finding accessible accommodation in London. She argues that while the Games are over, the United Kingdom still has lots of hurdles to leap when it comes to disability. The…

Twenty-first century teachers working with diverse readers are often faced with the question of how to integrate technology in reading instruction that meets the needs of the techno-generation. Are today's teachers equipped with the knowledge of how to effectively use Assistive Technologies (AT) for reading? This position paper discusses AT for…

The purpose of the "Evidence to Practice" commentary is to highlight an issue or research finding in selected articles, emphasizing the relevance to practice. This article introduces a new tool designed to summarize the most up-to-date evidence in an easily readable format, in order to provide clinically useful answers within minutes for assisting…

Hybrid and online courses and advances in assistive technologies make accommodating students with disabilities ever-changing, requiring innovation. This reality, coupled with students' reluctance to disclose disabilities, points toward a need for replacing accommodations directed at those with disabilities with universal design whereby they…

This article takes a phenomenological approach to understanding embodiment in relation to teaching and learning taking place in movement contexts. Recently a number of studies have pointed to the potential that phenomenology has to understand the meanings and experiences of moving subjects. By presenting two examples of our own work on embodied…

Assistive technologies (AT) can provide significant assistance in accomplishing the tasks of daily living for persons who have disabilities. Five types of ethical principles underlie the distribution and use of AT: beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, autonomy and fidelity. Beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, most directly affect the…

This commentary includes a brief discussion of issues raised by the articles and systematic review contained in this special issue addressing technology applications for persons with severe developmental disabilities. Topical areas include a discussion of: (1) a need to compare "high tech" with "low tech" applications, (2) procedural fidelity, (3)…

The study by Tefft et al. (2011, in this issue) is one of the few studies that have explored the impact of pediatric powered mobility on families. The parents who participated in their study reported increased satisfaction with their children's social and play skills, ability to move independently, sleeping patterns, and public perception of their…

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including speech generating devices (SGDs), offer people with complex communication needs the potential for improved communication and participation in society. Despite rapid and ongoing development in AAC technology, its potential is not being fully realised. The number of people with complex…