Dr. Pierce has worked as a speech-language pathologist for over 20 years specializing in children with severe, complex communication needs. She has also been the Associate Director for Early Childhood Research and Practice in the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at UNC-CH and a professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Services and School of Education at UNC-CH. Listen as Dr. Pierce explains three important things to consider when working with children with disabilities who use assistive technology.
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Dr. Patsy Pierce:
There are three really important factors to consider and to remember when working with children with disabilities and considering the use of assistive technology. First and foremost, thinking of a child as a child, and thinking about what that child would enjoy doing and participating in. And secondly, you also need to consider the families priorities and how they would like the child to be able to interact more within their family’s life ways, and what they would really like the child to do and to learn. And then finally, you think of assistive technology as the tool that’s going to help to accomplish those two goals of helping the child to enjoy life more, and participate and learn. And then also to help the child interact with their family and help meet the family’s goals and priorities. So I think those are the three main things- what the child likes to do, what the family is hoping their child can do, and then the assistive technology is the tool to help accomplish those two goals.