Pros and Cons Assistive Technologies for Cognitive Augumentation

Apply the human activity assistive technology model to help identify appropriate assistive technologies for individuals with cognitive disabilities

 This is a framework describing the major elements of an assistive technology system.  It consists of four parts: 1) activity, 2) context, 3) human, and 4) assistive technologies.  Activities are categorized within three basic performance areas: 1) activities of daily living, 2) work and productive activities, and 3) play and leisure.  The context includes four major categories: 1) the setting (e.g., at home, at work, in the community), 2) social context (with peers, with strangers), 3) cultural context, and 4) physical context (light, sound, heat).  The person with a disability who needs assistive technology is viewed as the operator.  The general underlying abilities that individuals use to perform activities and tasks are termed intrinsic enablers.  Intrinsic enablers are grouped into three categories: 1) sensory input, 2) central processing, and 3) effectors (motor).  The final component is the assistive technology.  The assistive technology is described as the extrinsic enabler because it provides the basis by which human performance is improved in the presence of a disability.  The assistive technology domain consists of four interacting components: 1) the human/technology interface, 2) the processor, 3) the environmental interface, and 4) the activity output. The human activity and assistive technology model is proposed as a framework for understanding the place of assistive technology in the lives of persons with disabilities, guiding both clinical applications and research investigations. The model has four components - the human, the activity, the assistive technology, and the context in which these three integrated factors exist.

Identify cognitive skills that underlie functional performance for persons with cognitive disabilities

 Defining cognitive disability is not easy, and definitions of cognitive disability are usually broad. Persons with cognitive disabilities may have difficulty with various types of mental tasks. Intellectual disabilities, also known as developmental delay or mental retardation, are a group of disorders defined by diminished cognitive and adaptive development. Affecting more males than females, they are diagnosed in between one and three percent of the population. Many cognitive disabilities have a base in physiological or biological processes within the individual, such as a genetic disorder or a traumatic brain injury. Other cognitive disabilities may be based in the chemistry or structure of the person's brain. Persons with more profound cognitive disabilities often need assistance with aspects of daily living. Persons with minor learning disabilities might be able to function adequately despite their disability, maybe to the point where their disability is never diagnosed or noticed. Sometimes it is more useful to avoid the medical perspective of cognitive disability and view them from a functional perspective instead. A Functional disability perspective ignores the medical and behavioral causes of cognitive disability and focuses on the abilities and challenges the person with a cognitive disability faces. Functional cognitive disabilities may involve difficulties or deficits involving problem-solving, attention, memory, math comprehension, visual comprehension, reading, linguistic, and verbal comprehension.

Understand what cognitive faculties are commonly compromised in specific disorders

 

For those with mild to moderate dementia, assisted living facilities are a great choice for individuals with memory impairment without fully relinquishing independence. When choosing and assisted living facility for someone with dementia, be sure to identify some important factors:

• Secure Areas: Some assisted living facilities are designed with the mild dementia patient in mind. Entire wings or even buildings may be designated for individuals suffering from memory impairment. They often provide more supervision and security as does the rest of the facility. These communities are staffed with caregivers who are accustomed to the impulsivity and poor safety awareness exhibited by many who suffer. The staff is trained in how to respectfully and humanely redirect the resident back to the appropriate activity or location.

• Medication Assistance: Most assisted living facilities can aid in the administration of medication. This may be vital for a resident who is dealing with memory impairments. Knowing when to take what little white pill can be difficult for those without cognitive decline, let alone for those who do. Licensed nurses are qualified to distribute doctor-prescribed medications and can ensure compliance. This is also helpful when communicating with primary care physicians since staff can alert to an increase in behaviors or a decrease in functional abilities and know it is not a result of missed medications.

• Rehabilitation Programs: Many memory centers will also offer programs designed to slow the progression of this degenerative disease or alleviate symptoms associated with dementia like agitation and aggression. Sensory stimulation, cognitive therapies, physical and occupational therapies are all included in these types of programs. There has been a lot of positive research regarding alternative therapies such as music, art therapies which tend to help reduce agitation, although no long term benefits have been identified. Most therapies and programs are performed in group settings which allows for greater supervision of the residents as well as the socialization that is needed.

Understand the role of assistive technologies in aiding cognitive function

Technology can help students with behavioral issues. In many ways, the same is true for students suffering from serious illnesses. The comfort of a familiar environment and the ability to work at their own pace that is characteristic of online courses can help these student. For example, students who fall among the autism spectrum can benefit from both assistive technologies and the limited distractions of online courses. However, any student interested in online education as a way of handling their disability should make sure that their program complies with accessibility standards.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that people with disabilities have equal access to public programs and services. According to this law, no otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities shall, solely by reason of their disabilities, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in these programs. Besides elevators in buildings, reserved spaces in parking lots, and lifts on buses, the ADA accessibility requirements also apply to Internet-based programs. As the United States Department of Justice clarified, “Covered entities that use the Internet for communications regarding their programs, goods, or services must be prepared to offer those communications through accessible means as well.” Hopefully, the days are over when disabled students are shunted off into isolated classrooms, without the ability to participate in the regular routines of education and develop social relationships with their peers. We have such effective new assistive tools generated by developments in electronic and information technology that disabled individuals, some of whom even twenty years ago were unable to communicate with others, can now enjoy all the benefits of education, expand their intellects and abilities, and live their lives to the fullest. The key feature of contemporary computer-based educational technology is that it is focused on accessibility and offers almost limitless flexibility, making it adaptable to all varieties of disability. This endless opportunity is truly what education should be all about, for everyone.

 Identify and describe some of the assistive technologies that are currently available to assist individuals with cognitive impairments

The new forms of assistive technologies are often nothing short of miraculous. For example, watch this footage of theoretical physicist and world-famous genius Stephen Hawking give a lecture to a huge student audience. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and has almost no ability to move or speak on his own. Instead, he uses speech-generating technology in which computer software translates what he types on a keyboard (which he can do only with small physical movements of two fingers or his cheek) into a synthesized voice. In addition, the computer software includes auto-correct, so that he only needs to type a few letters before the computer recognizes and types out the entire word for him. Stephen Hawking is one of the best examples of how assistive technology has changed education: without such technology, Hawking would not have been able to make his major contributions to our understanding of the world, and students would not be able to learn from him. Hawking may be the most famous user of assistive technology, but there are so many new forms of assistive technology available to today’s students that it is difficult to list them all! There are technologies for every category of disability:

·         Speech-Recognition software: Students dealing with blindness/visual impairment, or with physical limitations that prevent them from typing on a keyboard, can use text-to-speech devices (mobile and otherwise) to compose their assignments. When using these programs, students speak into a microphone, which then translates their words into typed documents. The most well-known of the software programs that perform this task is Dragon Naturally Speaking, which also recognizes voice commands such as “insert exclamation point.”

·         Text-to-Speech software: This kind of assistive technology helps students with visual impairments by allowing them to listen to the text that appears on a computer screen. This is a huge improvement over Braille because once the program is installed on the computer, it can read anything on the screen, no matter what format it is in (e.g. .pdf or website) with no waiting for a Braille translation. This enables students to participate in online activities, use email and text, and have immediate access to course materials. There are many free versions of this software available online, such as Natural Readers.

·         Visual Aids: This broad category of assistive technology includes screen magnification software that enlarges portions of the screen where the reader directs the mouse; screen reader software that translates screen text to Braille, text-to-speech programs; audio texts. All of these can be used by students of many different kinds of visual disabilities.

·         Audio Aids: Another broad category of assistive technology, these student aids include sound amplification tools; alerting devices that use flashing lights or icons on the computer screen rather than sounds to signal users; close-captioning for videos; TTY (TDD) also known as Telecommunication for the Deaf; phones enabled with Voice Carry-Over (VCO) technologies that allow students with hearing difficulties to communicate over the phone with their own voice.

·         Physical Aids: For students with physical mobility, stability, motor coordination, and range of motion challenges, several technologies are available to assist them in completing their schoolwork, including audio books for students who cannot physically handle books; keyboard adapters such as key guards to prevent mistyping from tremors or loss of control; voice recognition software for students who cannot type.