Assistive technology is helping students with special needs at the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario reach their potential.
Aidan Conners will be studying performing arts at Algonquin College this fall and he says the technology has helped support him on his learning journey. Aidan says he has dysgraphia, which means he doesn’t take verbal instructions very well and occasionally has a difficult time reading his own writing. According to Aidan his teachers would occasionally get frustrated with him because he didn’t understand the assignments being given out but assistive technology has solved many challenges.
For reading Aidan has e-Textbooks that allow an iPad to read text to him in an efficient and clear way, with definitions being easy to see for words he may not understand. When writing Aidan uses voice to text technology on an iPad and his voice is converted to text. Aidan noted that it doesn’t correct grammar, which is a good learning experience.
Aidan thanked his parents, teachers and guidance staff who helped him on his journey.
