ADD and ADHD assistive technology

The following information is taken from this website (http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_specialed_cluster_2/28/7202/1843735.cw/index.html)

"Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without Hyperactivity) is not identified as a separate category under IDEA. A student with severe AD/HD can receive special education services, if their disability significantly interferes with their educational performance but usually under the category of "other health impairment." Since AD/HD is the most commonly identified childhood disorder, this disability is included with high-incidence disabilities. Most students with AD/HD are not included in special education but still may pose challenges to general education teachers. AD/HD describes a series of behaviors that are characterized by a student not being able to attend to what is going on in class. They may have trouble sitting for more than a few minutes and they usually have behavior problems as well."

After doing a little research, it definitely was made very clear that we should always consider each child as a different "case," in which all of their needs are considered. We cannot say that the same assistive technology will work for every student with ADD or ADHD. One website mentioned that some of their children benefit from using a laptop in class while others are easily distracted by a computer because there is just too much information for them to take in and process all at once. It also mentioned using special seats and stress balls to help the students sit still for longer periods. Many ADD and ADHD students do better in school because the technology they are allowed to use helps decrease their levels of frustration so that they can concentrate on the learning.

I think that the neatest thing that I found during my research was this new device called "Play Attention." It is essentially a bike helmet that is lined with special sensors that allow the wearer to manipulate images on a computer screen. In the article, whose link is http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=35899&CFID=21612310&CFTOKEN=34064512, the manufacturers claim that the device makes attention and concentrating concrete things so that the student no longer has to try to understand an abstract concept. The little boy in the article even learned cause and effect from the use of this helmet.

I'm not sure how this would work in a Spanish classroom, but I think that just simply being aware of the needs of each and every student will cut down on the numerous misunderstandings and the so called "bad days" that both the student and the teacher can have. I am currently taking differentiation of instruction, and I am finding that I am making connections to all of my other classes that I am currently taking. To me, it seems that any good teacher worth their weight in (insert valuable substance) should want to know who their students are, where they are, and how they can best be helped to grow. If our students have any one of the numerous high-incidence or low-incidence disabilities, it provides us with more than just yet another challenge. It presents us with another opportunity to watch kids grow in knowledge and ability.