Assistive Technology Proposal Assignment

Samantha Lilly

Overview
Frank is currently a 6th-grade student. Frank will be transitioning from the Elementary School
into the Middle School for the 2017-2018 school year. Frank already has an IEP in place stating
his educational goals. With this transition, Frank may need some extra time adjusting to the
new surroundings and schedule.

Here is some background information on Frank. Frank has been identified as having ADHD and
is taking Dexedrine at home. He often blurts out answers, uses inappropriate
language/statements and is very impulsive. This can result in physical aggression towards
others. Frank also rushes through assignments, finishing them within a short time frame (10
minutes). When he does this, Frank tends to incorrectly answer most questions and his writing
is illegible. Besides being diagnosed with ADHD, Frank also has a sensitivity to sound. This is
predominant during lunch and large group activities such as assemblies. Sometimes Frank
exhibits signs of anxiety but has not been diagnosed by a professional. From what has been
observed, this anxiety is when multiple assignments are due on the same day. Large
assignments and projects also cause Frank anxiety. Frank’s parents are aware of his anxiety and
are looking to seek medical attention prior to the school year for it.

Goals
The goals that I have for Frank are:

Transition from class to class (particularly without any physical altercations)

Be prepared for each class with proper materials (pencil, notebook, textbook, etc.)

Participate in a classroom setting appropriately (not shouting out/being inappropriate)

Finish assignments in a timely manner (without rushing)

Sit through lunch with a small group of peers

Complete large assignments in smaller tasks

Opening/closing locker

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Assistive Technologies
Here are some assistive technologies that I think would be beneficial for Frank to have while
transitioning to the Middle School.

1. Student Planner- Frank will need a planner to write down his assignments for each
class. This planner will be utilized daily and will travel to and from school with him. He
will be responsible for filling in the appropriate homework assignments and their due
dates. Students are given these at the beginning of the year, so this would not be an
additional cost to the school. However, Frank will need to have the assignment book
checked by a teacher or paraprofessional for accuracy and completion daily. I believe
this will help Frank from becoming overwhelmed with large assignments.

2. Checklist- Giving Frank a checklist for each class will allow him to be prepared. He will
have a visual that will let him know that he will need to bring his homework, notebook,
textbook and pencil to class. This will be placed in the outside sleeve of the notebook.
Unless Frank feels that the checklist draws too much attention on the outside of the
notebook, this can be placed on the inside and posted in his locker. This will cost
virtually nothing as it will be printed and copied via the school copier machine.
Personally, I love making my own checklist so this should be a great reminder to Frank
as to what he will need in each class.

3. Study Hall-With the transition into Middle School, students who have social/emotional
problems are given a block of time in a “study hall”. This is where they are given extra
help to work on assignments and have a weekly group lesson. I think Frank would
benefit tremendously from having a study hall class. He would be able to complete any
lengthy assignment and be given reminders of their due dates. This wouldn’t cost
anything, except to build it into Frank’s daily schedule.

4. Sound Cancellation Ear plugs- To help Frank with his sensitivity to sound, purchasing a
pair of DUBS Acoustic Filters Advanced Tech Earplugs would be perfect. Using earplugs
instead of headphones will give Frank an inconspicuous way to hide his sensitivity of
sound to other people if he wishes. He would be able to insert the earplugs, prior to
entering the lunch room or assemblies and still be able to participate fully with them.
These earplugs can be purchased through Amazon for around twenty dollars depending
on color. I love the idea of using earplugs instead of headphones, since they are not
bulky and won’t take up much space to store. However, I would insist that one of his

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 teachers would be responsible for keeping the earplugs throughout the day. This would
avoid any confusing on where they are and keep them from being lost. Click here for
more information about the earplugs.

5. Laptop/Computer- Any of Frank’s written assignments should be typed on a

laptop/computer, therefore the teacher will be able to read them. Teachers will need to
allow Frank time to complete his work and have it typed before turning it in. They will
be to send Frank to the library or resource room to complete this task if there is no
computer accessible to him in the classroom. Frank can write short responses to
questions without the use of a computer, although further clarification may be required.
This would also not cost anything to the school unless they are pursuing getting Frank a
personal laptop to use while at school. I personally would have Frank type his work on a
computer for clarification as there have been multiple times I needed his assistance to
reread the response.

6. Directional Lock-Frank will need extra time to open his locker as this will cause him
anxiety. I’m not sure how Frank will be when operating a combination lock, therefore I
would recommend another form of lock. I would recommend a directional lock much
like this one. Once again this would cost about eight dollars and could cut down on the
stress of remembering the combination and how to operate it. Besides using a
directional lock to limit his anxiety, I would recommend giving him a top locker without
someone utilizing the bottom locker. This would prevent him feeling rushed and
flustered between classes and upon arrival and departure.

7. Fidget Gadgets- A fidget toy would be beneficial to Frank. This would direct Frank’s
obsessive energy and inappropriateness towards something positive. There are multiple
types of fidget toys. There is a spinner version, which is held between your thumb and
pointer finger and then spun. There is also a fidget cube which has six different
switches/tasks that you can do. These tasks allow you to click, roll, flick, or spin objects
to reduce stress/anxiety. The best part is that they are quiet and fit inside of your
pocket. These fidget toys can be purchased on Amazon for less than twenty dollars
depending on the style you want. I think this would be beneficial for Frank to have
especially during idle downtime. Currently, these are popular to have among students
and would help Frank to fit in with his peers. However, I would set perimeters as to
when it is appropriate to use these gadgets.

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 8. WatchMinder- This is an inconspicuous tool to keep Frank on task. WatchMinder is
wristwatch that vibrates giving reminders to the person wearing it. These reminders are
easily programmed into the watch through the watch itself. When setting the reminders
you can also choose one of the sixty-five preprogrammed messages or a custom
message to show on the screen when the watch vibrates. Allowing Frank to wear this
watch throughout the day will give him gently reminders to pay attention when a
paraprofessional is not in the room. I would recommend this tool over a fidget gadget
for Frank. It would look and act like a typical wristwatch but give nonverbal cues to
Frank to pay attention and remain on task. It would also not disrupt the rest of the class
and interfere with learning like a fidget gadget. WatchMinder can be purchased online
for $79 at www.watchminder.com.

Summary
Having worked with Frank over the last year, I want his transition into the middle school to be
successful. Frank is a talented young man, with the ability to flourish. Given time to adjust and
the use of the right tools, Frank will be able to achieve this. Frank absolutely has the potential
to be successful without these tools. However, if he were able to have them purchased for him,
he would be able to do so without much adult intervention.

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