This column examines issues associated with measuring assistive technology outcomes in writing. Following an introduction to assistive technology and writing, it looks specifically at design, measurement, analysis, and decision making factors in the process of creating an outcomes system for measuring the impact of assistive technology on writing.…

This article provides an overview of current cochlear implant technology, programming strategies, troubleshooting, and care techniques. It considers: device components, initial stimulation, speech coding strategies, use and care, troubleshooting, and the classroom environment. (Contains references.) (DB)

Effective teaching approaches and assistive technologies that help learners with disabilities meet their educational goals can also provide opportunities to use these strategies in the workplace. Different strategies for group and one-on-one instruction are recommended. (Contains 11 references.) (JOW)

This is the story of my daughter, Hannah. Hannah is an amazing child. She can speak, read, and write English. She can play the piano and violin and she is mainstreamed into a third grade class. Hannah was born profoundly deaf and was not diagnosed until she was almost two years old. She received a cochlear implant when she was 2 1/2 years old.…

The phonological processing skills of 24 pre-lingually deaf 8- and 9-year-old experienced cochlear implant users were measured using a nonword repetition task. The children heard recordings of 20 nonwords and were asked to repeat each pattern as accurately as possible. Detailed segmental analyses of the consonants in the children's imitation…

Biomaterial science is a rapidly growing field that has scientists and doctors searching for new ways to repair the body. A merger between medicine and engineering, biomaterials can be complex subject matter, and it can certainly capture the minds of middle school students. In the lesson described in this article, seventh graders generally learn…

Inspired by Johnston's thought-provoking article, this article reports from the current Norwegian scene to make two main points. First, Norwegian Sign Language paradoxically appears to be better protected as well as more threatened than ever. Second, success in bilingual deaf education is not logically incompatible with a placement primarily in…

In this article, the authors discuss a number of new technologies that have emerged to support and enhance learning in public schools. Many of these technologies are not utilized to replace traditional teaching methods, but instead used as supplemental methodologies to enhance student learning, especially for students with disabilities. One low…

Compression hearing aids have the inherent, and often adjustable, feature of release time from compression. Research to date does not provide a consensus on how to choose or set release time. The current study had 2 purposes: (a) a comprehensive evaluation of the acoustic effects of release time for a single-channel compression system in quiet and…

The teacher comes to the classroom after a long medical leave taken for getting his legs amputated for having developed gangrene and follows his normal plan of teaching thus ignoring the various questions that his students may have about his physical disability. He realizes his mistake and in the next class uses his condition to explain a version…

No previous studies compare the prevalence of physiological hearing loss among older adults by nonmetro/metro residence. Also, there is little information on their relative successes in accommodating hearing loss with a hearing aid. This study sought to bridge these gaps by analyzing the 8,222 respondents to Wave 1 (1993?1994) of the national…

Educational technology applications and lessons, such as learning modules, activities, and user-authored systems, face substantial implementation challenges in public schools and post-secondary institutions. The design of technology impacts the willingness of teachers to implement new technology; evaluators examining implementation obstacles can…

Many patrons of libraries have one or more print disabilities that partially or totally impair their ability to use standard print. However, many devices and services are available to aid patrons who can not use print in the conventional manner. This paper provides an overview of typical assistive technology devices and services available to…

Some aspects of assistive technology can be enhanced by the application of virtual reality. Although virtual simulation offers a range of new possibilities, learning to navigate in a virtual environment is not equivalent to learning to navigate in the real world. Therefore, virtual reality simulation is advocated as a useful preparation for…

In the last 50 years, several new technologies have become enormously important within the Deaf community and have helped significantly to improve deaf people's lives in a hearing world. Current public attention and admiration, however, seems unduly focused on medical technologies that promise to solve "the problem" of being deaf. One reason for…