Assistive Technology as an Accommodationfor a Student with Mild Disabilities: The Case of Alex

Thi s case study investigated the impact of selected types of adaptive and assistive technology (AT) on the learning gains and academic achievement levels of a fe-male student with mild disabilities in her sixth and seventh grades in a Catholic school board in northeastern Ontario. Interviews were conducted with the parent, student, and pre-service teachers. Records from 6 school years were examined to determine the student’s academic history and performance levels, and reports from numerous professionals involved in the assessments and interventions of the student were explored. Reports from the community service-learning assignment provided information regarding teaching approaches and student responses. A synthesis of all data suggested that AT had resulted in increased student achieve-ment levels, perceptions of capability, and student self-advocacy. Additionally, the acceptance and use of AT by teachers increased significa ntly with the training of their student and the student’s subsequent tutoring of the teacher and classmates in the use of selected assistive technology. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 69- 81