Trackballs are balls in a holder that can be rotated via hand to move the computer cursor. It come in many forms such as mini-trackballs, standard trackballs, large trackballs, and adaptive trackballs. Some students that benefit from this tool are students who have cognitive impairments or students that have problems staying focused for long periods of time.
Joysticks are similar to trackballs, but they have a lever that coordinates with a computer and one or more buttons that can also be read by a computer. The buttons help the student click. This device helps students with limited control of their fingers and/or hands.
Touch screens are computers that allow students to touch the actual screen without the aid of a trackball, joystick, or mouse. This is a common practice in the Apple community with things like iPhones and iPads. Even banks use touch screens at on their ATMs. This is a great option for younger students, students with severe disabilities, and students with autism.
Head-pointing systems are use on both laptops and desktops. One part sits on the computer monitor and the student wears the other part. Usually the wearable part is a headset. It works the same way a mouse would. Students need to be able to move their heads to use this tool. Students that benefit from this are students with cannot use their hands (such as students with muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injuries).
Eye-Gaze systems are tools that track students eye movement. Their eye movement then becomes the mouse pointer. Various cameras are needed for this system. This is a good tool for students with no reliable muscle movement except for good control of their eye movements (such as students who had a stroke).
In my next blog, I will talk about knowledge I have gained about AT and how it will help me as an educator.
Assistive Technology in the Classroom Enhancing the School Experience of Students with Disabilities
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