Special Needs and ICT... Possibilities and Problems

Before looking into this subject I was unaware that the area of ICT and special needs education was so full of exciting possibilities. Many technologies exist which can help students with various disabilities become more integrated into the mainstream classroom, improve learning outcomes, accommodate physical disabilities, aid in socialisation and make the learning process more enjoyable and productive. Despite ICT becoming part of education as early as the 1970s, it is only in the past few years that the positive role it can play for learners with special needs has been recognised (Stevens, 2004 as cited in Williams, Jamali and Nicholas, 2006, p.330). However, even now the extent to which governments are prioritising technology for those with special needs is still questionable. It is tempting to become carried away by the positives and possibilities (especially as someone without previous knowledge on the subject) but there are many issues and barriers to be considered. 

Looking at the available research, the positive results obtained for special needs students when technology is effectively integrated into their curriculum are overwhelming. However, I could find few studies regarding ICT and special needs education, and those I did find were conducted on a small scale. As Williams, Jamali and Nicholas observed in their 2006 paper, there has been a “surprising lack of research” (p.330) into the usability of mainstream technology and the specific applications created to assist those with special needs, despite the many ICT initiatives for people with all kind of disabilities.

So what are the reasons for the relatively minimal research? Is it that there's a lack of funding being streamed into these areas? This is a hard question to answer, as the issue of funding is a difficult one to assess. In some countries such as Ireland, it is clear that the funding and policies necessary to make technology a meaningful part of special needs education are seriously lacking (Roche, 2009, p.5). Gauging the Australian situation is a challenge. Forlin and Lock’s 2005 paper on technology use in rural Western Australian schools states that the necessary infrastructure and financial support is being provided by the government for both urban and rural schools. It also states there is an increased emphasis on ICT in special needs education and cites Government papers on these issues. However, looking at the government websites, this emphasis is not at all clear. The government’s Digital Education Revolution website does not mention special needs students at all in relation to this large initiative, except to say that schools can apply to use the Secondary School Computer Fund to buy alternative devices such as multimedia resources and adaptive devices for students with disabilities who cannot use regular computer equipment. The funding formula is not altered to cater for possibly more expensive technology however, meaning that additional funds are not allocated. It seems that the stronger focus thrown onto ICT and its possibilities for educating those with special needs in recent times is not at the stage where it is recognised enough to be highlighted by the government.

As Roche observes: “Computers and other forms of Information Communication Technology are but mere tools...they will only enhance learning if used correctly”(2009, p.5). Teacher training is an issue linked both with lack of research and lack of funding. A Becta paper looking at the research regarding ICT and special needs education acknowledges that further research is required into good pedagogical approaches using ICT(2003, p.3). Despite the fact that the paper was written in 2003, this point is still pertinent today. Teachers face the difficult task of not only mastering the use of various technologies in order to help their students use them, but also understanding and applying appropriate pedagogical practices. Adaptive devices (which include technologies that allow students with certain disabilities to use computers with greater ease such as mouse and keyboard alternatives, touch screens etc) are important elements when it comes to special needs education and allow for greater inclusivity and require practical usage knowledge by teachers, but do not require additional pedagogical knowledge. However, many complex programs are available to aid in the academic and social education of students, and knowing how to use these programs in a way that can best support and enhance learning is obviously essential. For example, with researchers proposing that interactive environments such as virtual environments, avatars and even small robots can be of great benefit to certain special needs students (Konstantinidis, et al., 2009, p.1), it is easy to see how the task of fully equipping teachers with the skills required to integrate technology of these types into the curriculum would be a daunting one for both policy makers and teachers themselves.

My research has uncovered many innovative and promising technologies aimed at supporting special needs students on a practical and academic level. The scholarly works on this subject seem to consist primarily of papers looking at the possibilities of emerging and already available technologies without studies to back up their hypotheses. The technologies discussed appear initially to be godsends, allowing for inclusivity, better outcomes and increased motivation at the very least. However, looking more deeply, the relative superficiality of the research into the area of usability and potential applications becomes depressingly clear. As noted earlier, this is surprising given the programs now available and the apparently increased emphasis on ICT and special needs students by governments and research bodies. 

My view is that large scale studies are required to produce reliable results regarding the measurable effects of technologies in special needs education. While the small scale studies I have read have offered across the board positive results, the size of the samples used somewhat undermine their findings. Serious research into how to apply programs and technologies in a pedagogically sound manner is also required. The fact that governments are showing increasing (if still inadequate) interest in ICT as it specifically relates to special needs education encourages me to believe that  a more substantial body of research could be the catalyst for improved focus on integrating a range of specific ICTs into the curriculum and prioritising the training of teachers in their use. 

Forlin, C., Lock, G.(2005) Employing Technologies to Engage Students with Diverse Needs in Rural School Communities. Retrieved from http://ajte.education.ecu.edu.au/issues/PDF/311/Forlin.pdf

Williams, P., Jamali, H., Nicholas, d. (2006). Using ICT with People with Special Educational Needs: What the Literature Tells Us. Aslib Proceedings, 58(4), 330-342. doi: 10.1108/00012530610687704

Roche, M. (2009). Using Technology Enhanced Learning to Teach Children with Asperger's Syndrome in the Irish Mainstream Classroom - Are We Missing Something? Retrieved from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:iE75TKJhfXUJ:scholar.google.com/+marianne+roche&hl=en&as_sdt=2000

Konstaninidis, E., Luneski, A., Frantzidis, C., Nikolaidou, M., Hitoglou-Antonadou, M., Bamidis, P. (2009). Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Enhanced Education of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Journal on Information Technology in Healthcare, 7(5), 284-292. Retrieved from http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/11044/

Becta ICT Research. (2003). What the Research Says about ICT Supporting Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Inclusion. Retrieved from http://research.becta.org.uk/upload-dir/downloads/page_documents/research/wtrs_ictsupport.pdf