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The use of assistive technology in special education has grown over the past four decades. In inclusive settings, assistive technology plays a vital role in providing access to academic content for students with disabilities. As the role of assistive technology in secondary classrooms expands, concerns regarding student autonomy, personal preferences, and the societal implications associated with certain tools increase in significance. This article outlines important considerations for teachers to factor in when making assistive technology selections and identifies three decision-making evaluation tools to aid in the selection process for secondary students with disabilities.

Today's classrooms contain students with a variety of needs. Although teachers work to differentiate and meet the needs of diverse students, inclusion of students with physical disabilities can present multiple obstacles in science classrooms. However, with advanced planning and strategic accommodations, the needs of these students can often be met in a manner that emphasizes inclusion and independence. This article describes how one second-grade teacher in a rural school district accommodated two students in her class with physical disabilities during an activity on forces and motion. Both of the students had Individual Education Programs (IEP) in place. After carefully reading through the IEPs, accommodations and modifications the IEP team recommended for each student were identified. To begin the process, the teacher turned to the research based principles of Universal Design for Learning (Basham and Marino 2013) to guide her alterations to the lesson. Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework based on cognitive neuroscience that emphasizes flexible learning environments for students in the classroom, with the goal of accommodating individual learning styles and differences. Additional strategies are discussed for providing classroom supports to students with three types of physical disabilities are also suggested.

The past four decades have generated significant research toward improving the academic outcomes of students with disabilities, especially in the field of mathematics. In this effort, the role of technology in the classroom, both high- and low-tech, has garnered significant attention. For students with disabilities, the use of manipulatives is a form of technology with an established research base. Although concrete manipulatives in instructional practice have been thoroughly studied, the emergence of virtual manipulatives presents teachers with new options for teaching mathematics to elementary and secondary students. This article discusses the use of virtual manipulatives for students with disabilities while highlighting the benefits they pose, such as providing students with flexible options for learning, promoting student autonomy, and offering educators a wider range of options to accommodate diverse groups of students.