APPROACH
assistive technologies & adaptive education tools
Students with diverse abilities need the necessary tools to accomplish everyday tasks. For students with serious conditions it is important that we give proper functionality to make their lives easier to complete tasks. Assistive technology gives the students the ability to be able to focus on their education in their skill set, rather than fighting the barriers that prevent them from moving forward. Assistive technology also helps the educators during the course of the normal day, overhead rail systems, various types of sitting in standing apparatus, all support healthy living for students with mobility challenges and in most cases help to create a sense of dignity. The future of assisted technology could make radical changes to therapy. In the future, wearables could help deliver vital health information to caregivers that could lead to the switch from reactive medicine to predictive medicine and thus minimize highs and lows of student behavior. There are new studies that suggest Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can support neurobiology rehabilitation. (Benyoucef, 2017) Virtual and Augmented Reality can help in the development of synaptic connections that foster greater neuroplasticity in the brain. When combined with Exoskeletons or other movement devices, VR / AR can help those with mobility challenges rehabilitate in controlled environments while tackling simulated tasks. Other wearable devices allow students to control computers with eye movement or simple gestures that help develop their gross motor skills and hand eye coordination in Occupational Therapy. (Pepe & Talalai, 2016). Wearables also can encourage reluctant students to explore and move. Speech to text software supports those who struggle to get
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Approach
Figure 31
