Assessment of Assistive Computer Technology Needs in Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

There is an increasing reliance on assistive computer technology (ACT) for children with learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), although no formal system exists for prescribing the most appropriate technological assistance. It appears that many professionals responsible for technology assessments use an informal, subjective, intuitive, or trial and error methodology based on previous experience to prescribe assistive computer technologies for students. The Learning Disabilities Technical Assessment (LDTA) is an objective assessment tool designed to assist practitioners in selecting the most appropriate ACT (e.g., peripheral devices, instructional programs) for each individual. A pilot investigation of the LDTA with seventeen students is described. Although most students completed the assessment without difficulty, their experiences indicate that the LDTA can be improved by reprogramming to increase the speed of item presentation, increase the difficulty level of certain items, and revise the “interests” section to yield more theoretically relevant information.