The number of children diagnosed with autism has continued to rise since 2000 at startling rates, leading to an increased need for schools to discover innovative ways to meet the unique learning needs of these students. Technology has proven to be adaptable and successful in teaching social skills to children with autism. Assistive technology and…

Automatic Text Simplification (ATS) consists of computing techniques to rewrite text to make it simpler to read and understand, and prior research has explored its use to provide reading assistance to various user groups who may benefit from reading support. Prior literacy research has identified great diversity in literacy skills among DHH…

According to the Assistive Technology Act of 2004, assistive technology is defined as, "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." The use of AT helps persons with…

Ubiquitous acoustic sensors and actuators, i.e., microphones and loudspeakers, are among the most common components in consumer electronic devices. Traditionally, these components have been primarily used for sound-related tasks, including voice-user interfaces, sound playback, and sound event detection. However, with the growing demand for…

Experiences are the impressions developed through gaining, using, fostering, and sometimes disposing of a service or product. Recent years have shown an ongoing emphasis placed on experiences and their impacts; one of particular interest for this study are the experiences of para-collegiate student-athletes. Using the Experience Type Framework…

Navigating indoors without a map can be challenging, especially for visually impaired individuals in unfamiliar settings. Many existing indoor navigation methods rely on building maps, pre-deployed infrastructure (like BLE beacons or RFID), or visual-based systems that require a clear line of sight to a camera. These requirements can make…

Special education teachers do not always include assistive technology (AT) in instructional practices to promote the academic success of students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons special education teachers only sometimes include the use of AT in instructional practices. The conceptual framework was…

Virtual Reality (VR) is rapidly gaining popularity as a consumer technology, yet accessibility has not been prioritized. VR enables users to interact with immersive virtual worlds, but effective interaction requires the ability to perceive and navigate the environment. Fortunately, over the past thirty years, hundreds of scene-viewing and…

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies for children with complex communication needs (CCN) can improve communication skills, increase autonomy, promote social closeness, and enhance meaningful participation in a variety of social contexts. However, access to AAC technologies is insufficient. Successful use of AAC…

Prospective memory (PM), the ability to remember to execute an intention in the future, is critical for the performance of everyday tasks important for independence and quality of life. PM failures are associated with negative health, financial, and social outcomes, and are more frequent with increased age and can be even greater for older adults…

The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the psychosocial impact of assistive technology (AT) on veterans with disabilities in higher education. A current problem is that there is a research and knowledge gap in the AT needs of student veterans with disabilities living in South Texas, as well as in the psychosocial impact that AT for…

Teachers of children with disabilities are not providing consistent opportunities for assistive technology (AT) services, even when mandated to do so. This phenomenon contributes to children with disabilities not receiving services that help their educational growth and development. The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of K-2…

This qualitative single case study provides insights on the influences of assistive technology on students with vision impairments within the middle and high school grade levels. The problem addressed in this study is students with vision impairment face limitations in accessing the educational curriculum; however, when assistive technology…

Computational thinking (CT) has been supported as an important skill every young person should possess for the 21st century, with possible implications for problem-solving, self-expression, and creativity. Numerous initiatives, both within and outside classroom settings, have been developed in response to policy mandates aiming at broadening…

Alarm fatigue is a patient safety issue. The gap identified in practice is that nurses did not know how to navigate the monitoring system properly such that improper use of the alarm system was the result, which compromised patient safety. The goal of this project aimed to fill the gap in knowledge and skill among the staff and improve the…