9 posts tagged with "research"

The WHO estimates that one in 160 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In 2020, the CDC reported that one in 54 children in the US is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (according to 2016 data). Moreover, one in 34 boys was identified with autism, while one in 144 girls are identified with autism.

When children show signs of learning difficulties, an appropriate assessment of their skills and abilities is essential. Children need to be adequately assessed and diagnosed to be provided with the right kind of support to succeed in their academic and personal lives. When we need to gather comprehensive information about a child’s brain to understand the sources of problems, the brain’s strengths and weaknesses need to be examined. A neuropsychological evaluation is an important step and can provide some valuable insights.

“For most people, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible.” According to the WHO globally, more than one billion people need one or more assistive technology products. Moreover, the WHO states that assistive technology “allows people to live healthy, productive, independent, dignified lives and participate in education, the labor market, and civic life.” Assistive technology has traditionally been designed to be used by individuals with learning disabilities; much of this technology has proved useful to all of us.

An essential part of learning is evaluation or assessment. It is critical to both student and instructor. Students need to be assessed to find out whether instruction goals are being met. Assessment is an integral part of instruction and the learning experience.

Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, and curriculum. Assessment makes teachers reflect on their instruction methods and practices. It makes teachers ask some difficult questions such as “are we teaching what we think we are teaching?” “Are my students learning what they should be learning?” “Is there a way I can teach this subject better, thereby promoting better learning?”

Our previous article discussed what assistive technology is, what assistive technology for learning disabilities means, and the types of learning difficulties that assistive technology helps with. This article will build on the previous one, and it will address the different kinds of assistive technology that are out there. Additionally, we will focus on the factors that should be considered when evaluating assistive technology for a child.

There are various assistive technology tools out there. The ones that will be covered are some of the most commonly used ones. Moreover, these assistive technology tools are directly related to helping with the learning difficulties addressed in the previous article. These learning difficulties are explicitly reading, writing, organization and memory, math, and listening.

Our brains begin to mature long before we are born. Our brains continue to develop most of our lives—however, brain maturity differs from one individual to another.

This should not come as a shock; when we know our bodies grow at different rates. Puberty is reached at different ages, and people reach emotional maturity at different ages. Why would we expect our brains to be any different? Having a classroom full of children of the same age or siblings of the same age does not mean that they are equally ready to learn about a specific topic or skill. It is also worth mentioning that different brain functions mature at different times.

All children need to be challenged to benefit from teachers. However, teachers must be careful to neither instruct above or below the maturity level of a child’s brain. By not teaching at the student’s brain maturity level, teachers can face problems in the classroom. Children may act out, be avoidant, challenge authority, and show aggression towards other students. For example, a child can have advanced verbal skills but might develop gross and fine motor control at a slower rate. Other children might be advanced physically but might be emotionally immature. We need to understand better how our brains mature and the characteristics of each level of brain development.

Technology is continuously evolving and changing the way we communicate, work, play, and create. Therefore, it only makes sense that digital technology advancements would change the face of education as we know it. E-learning development is now a multi-billion dollar industry; 98% of US Businesses plan to adopt EdTech in 2020.

What is Standardized Testing?#

As the name implies, standardized testing is any test administered and scored in a standard manner. A standardized test is a method of assessment with consistency as its focal point. Standardized tests require all test-takers to respond to the same questions or similar questions from a common question bank in the same way. They are scored consistently, making it possible to compare student performances to each other.

It is estimated that 15-30% of children and adolescents globally have learning difficulties. Learning difficulties or learning disabilities, as known in North America, are conditions that affect children’s abilities to learn, specifically when compared to their peers. Learning difficulties may affect essential learning skills, such as reading, writing, and math. Moreover, they can hinder long or short-term attention, memory, and high-order thinking skills, such as time management, evaluation, critical thinking. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of conditions from dyslexia (difficulty reading words accurately) to dysgraphia (impaired handwriting, problems with spelling or putting thoughts on paper) and dyscalculia (difficulty in interpreting arithmetic). It is important to note that there are other disorders that can disrupt learning; these include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Despite not being considered a learning difficulty, ADHD can disrupt learning; children with ADHD have problems staying still, following instructions, and staying focused. Autism is a developmental disability that makes it difficult for children to communicate, read body language, make friends, and learn necessary skills.