Digital learning equipment helps integrate students on the autism spectrum and with disabilities
Among the approximately 17.3 million people with disabilities (PCDs) in the country, almost 70% have not completed elementary school and only 5% have finished college. The data are from the 2019 National Health Survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Promoting inclusion in Brazilian schools involves several factors, but technology can be a key ally in this process, facilitating accessibility and integration for students.
Platforms and equipment that adapt to each student's learning reality and promote personalized interactive experiences are already a reality and have proven to be effective in classroom inclusion, regardless of physical or cognitive limitations. Technological resources and educational applications offer a number of advantages that facilitate the learning process for students with special needs: personalization, accessibility, engagement, immediate feedback for teachers, and monitoring of student progress.
This is the case with the Interactive Digital Table, which offers an inclusive pedagogical approach tailored to individual needs. The platform can be customized according to each student's abilities and interests, providing a flexible and stimulating learning environment.
It is worth noting that ensuring access to traditional education for special needs students without the aid of technological resources is a significant challenge, as the effective inclusion of these students requires specific pedagogical strategies and resources that meet their needs, allowing them to participate fully in school activities. Although it is possible to make adaptations to the curriculum and adopt differentiated teaching strategies and analog resources, technology plays a fundamental role in promoting educational inclusion.
The Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children (APAE) in Agudos do Sul (PR) is one of the institutions across the country that uses Digital Tables. “The tables are extremely valuable for our teaching and learning process. They are an important tool for working on behavioral and emotional issues, in addition to literacy. We use the tables in educational, social, and health settings. The equipment provides us with equity in the application of activities, interventions, and treatments," says Veridiana Pruchaki, director of the organization that serves 94 students with intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, and rare syndromes.
Greater accessibility
With the Interactive Digital Table, accessibility is guaranteed through different visual and auditory resources, which facilitate the integration of students with the proposed content. In addition, the interactivity of the applications and games allows students to learn in a more practical and sensory way, favoring the assimilation of concepts in a more meaningful way. Among the main tools of the equipment are:
- Screen readers: software that converts text to speech, allowing visually impaired students to access written content;
- Screen magnifiers: tools that increase the size of letters and images displayed, helping students with visual impairments to read;
- Sign language translators: software or applications that translate activities/commands into Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), facilitating communication and interaction between deaf and hearing students;
- Subtitles and transcripts: available in videos and audio recordings, allowing deaf students to access audio content through reading;
- Touchscreen: the device's screen recognizes any non-transparent object or accessibility device, enabling access for children with motor disabilities.
In addition to these features, using the Android operating system, the mediator can install the applications they want, according to the needs of each student, ensuring even greater accessibility to the equipment.