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Purpose: Postoperative rehabilitation programs for cochlear implant (CI) recipients primarily emphasize enhancing speech perception. However, effective communication in everyday social interactions necessitates consideration of diverse verbal social cues to facilitate language comprehension. Failure to discern emotional expressions may lead to maladjusted social behavior, underscoring the importance of integrating social cues perception into rehabilitation initiatives to enhance CI users' well-being. After conventional rehabilitation, CI users demonstrate varying levels of emotion perception abilities. This disparity notably impacts young CI users, whose emotion perception deficit can extend to social functioning, encompassing coping strategies and social competence, even when relying on nonauditory cues such as facial expressions. Knowing that emotion perception abilities generally decrease with age, acknowledging emotion perception impairments in aging CI users is crucial, especially since a direct correlation between quality-of-life scores and vocal emotion recognition abilities has been observed in adult CI users. After briefly reviewing the scope of CI rehabilitation programs and summarizing the mounting evidence on CI users' emotion perception deficits and their impact, we will present our recommendations for embedding emotional training as part of enriched and standardized evaluation/rehabilitation programs that can improve CI users' social integration and quality of life. Conclusions: Evaluating all aspects, including emotion perception, in CI rehabilitation programs is crucial because it ensures a comprehensive approach that enhances speech comprehension and the emotional dimension of communication, potentially improving CI users' social interaction and overall well-being. The development of emotion perception training holds promises for CI users and individuals grappling with various forms of hearing loss and sensory deficits. Ultimately, adopting such a comprehensive approach has the potential to significantly elevate the overall quality of life for a broad spectrum of patients.

Although more students with disabilities are attending university than ever before, many still have difficulties with the transition from high school. Transition research has extensively examined the factors and barriers that support or hinder successful transitions for students with disabilities. However, there has been little explicit focus on the "intersection" of experiences with transition and academic accommodations on the overall experience of students with disabilities at university. This study interviewed six participants with various disabilities who transitioned directly from high school to university. Thematic analysis showed that: (a) first-year students are unprepared for the bureaucratic nature of the accommodation process, but ultimately find it fair and non-stigmatizing; (b) first-year students discover that they have to play a more active role in their accommodation planning but ultimately find that this role, and the accommodations they receive, positively supports their autonomy and disability identity at university; and (c) some university instructors exhibit significantly negative attitudes towards students requiring accommodations. These findings have practice implications for disability service professionals in universities supporting the transition needs of students with disabilities.

This study focuses on the use of Google Classroom as assistive technology in inclusive classrooms. Findings were based on data collected through single-case study methodology in semi-structured formal and informal interviews with eight teachers and a focus group with six students at one junior high school in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. This study is designed to better understand the benefits and challenges associated with the use of Google Classroom within the framework of universal design for learning. The findings showed that Google Classroom was perceived by both teachers and students as effective classroom technology in meeting the needs of each learner in the classroom.

Despite growing enrollment of university students with disabilities, they have not achieved academic parity with their non-disabled peers. This study matched 71 first-year university students with disabilities and students without disabilities on three variables: high school average when admitted to university, gender, and program of study. Both groups of students were compared on three measures of academic performance: GPA, failed courses, and dropped courses after first year of university. The relationship between accommodations and academic performance was also analyzed for students with disabilities. Even when matched on admission average, gender, and program of study, students with disabilities had a significantly lower GPA and were more likely to fail courses in their first year than their peers without disabilities. While note-taking in the classroom was associated with being less likely to drop a course, it was also associated with poorer academic performance, as was using a calculator or alternate format during exams. The more accommodations students lost in the transition from high school, the worse they performed academically at university. Students who lost human assistant support in the classroom and the use of a computer or a memory aid during exams had a significantly lower GPA and were more likely to fail courses in their first year of university compared with students who did not lose these accommodations. These findings have implications for accessibility offices and universities in supporting the access needs and academic success of students with disabilities.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a learning module we developed for planning students aimed to enhance their understanding for design issues in public spaces faced by wheelchair users. The module involves training of students to effectively navigate the environment in a wheelchair before they experience the real outdoor spaces. Through this evaluation study, we also attempted to add clarity to the problems observed from empirical studies about these 'try-it-yourself' exercises, such as potential stigmatisation and ableism. We employed a mixed-method study approach consisting of wheelchair skill tests, 'walkabout' audits, and a focus group, with 28 second-year undergraduate urban planning students. The cross-over design of the study involving two components of the module -- (wheelchair) Skill Learning Experience (SLE) and Real-World Experience (RWE) -- allowed us to assess the effect of the former on the performance of the latter and the module overall. The focus group also asked students' perspectives about the module. Our findings suggest that the wheelchair skills training component likely contributed to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of design problems, while also fostering respect for wheelchair users. We believe that careful implementation is key to addressing potential negative consequences while optimising the benefit of experiential exercises.

This study investigated writing achievement in a Canadian cohort of school-aged deaf learners (N = 64). In the current context, in which most students are educated in inclusive settings and use hearing technologies, the goal was to establish whether outcomes approach those of hearing-age peers and identify demographic factors (e.g., gender, grade, additional disability, home language, hearing loss, hearing technology, auditory perception) influencing performance. Results indicated that a high percentage of participants performed in the average range or higher on a standardized, norm-referenced assessment, the Test of Written Language--Fourth Edition (TOWL-4, Hammill & Larsen, 2009). Grade, type of hearing loss, higher auditory perception scores, and absence of an additional disability were identified as variables of significance. As auditory access continues to improve, additional investigations of writing achievement in this population will be essential to further inform educational policy and pedagogical practice.

Nursing, dance and studio-based arts, engineering, and athletic therapy are viewed as practice-oriented professions in which the teaching and situated learning of practical skills are central. In order to succeed, students must perform a series of performance-based assessments, which seemingly require an "able" body to enact complex tasks in situated and/or simulation-based contexts (for example, "safe nursing practice"). Our interdisciplinary research seeks to intervene within the culture of professional learning by investigating what we know about the use of smartphone video recording for situated, practice-based learning, and for supporting interactive video-based assessment as a means of accommodation and extending access for students, including students with performance anxiety,mature students, ESL learners, students with disabilities, and students in remote communities. In this paper we employ a scoping review methodology to present our findings related to students' and instructors' perspectives on the use of smartphone video to demonstrate and document practical knowledge and practice-oriented competencies across fields in the arts and sciences. We also examine broader research, as well as the ethical and design implications for the development of our technology-based toolbox project -- an online resource created to advance pedagogies deploying smartphones as tools for practical skills acquisition -- and for accommodation -- within multidisciplinary practical learning environments.

While it is recognised that the numbers of students needing accessibility supports and accommodations are increasing exponentially, research on accommodations during the COVID-19 pandemic is still sparse. The purpose of the current study was to explore special education teachers' accommodation practices at secondary schools before and during the unprecedented time of COVID-19. To better understand the experiences of participating teachers, we engaged seven teachers from a prairie province in Canada with one-on-one online semi-structured interviews. Teachers who offered accommodations to students before COVID-19 used a range of accommodations such as general technologies and assistive technology that fall into major categories of accommodations as defined by research. Evidence from this study indicates that some teachers delivered learning packages to homes or taught online classes during school closures, while some teachers did not. Teachers who taught remotely changed some of their accommodation practices during the school closures because in-person classes were switched to online learning. The implications for professional development are also discussed in this paper.

This study utilized the Simple View of Reading (SVR) model cognitive subtypes to determine the impact of text-to-speech (TTS) software on the reading comprehension of 94 grade 8 students with reading difficulties. Method: paired samples t tests for all four SVR groups were conducted to examine reading comprehension scores under TTS and no-TTS conditions. Results: only those participants with a dyslexic profile (listening comprehension greater than decoding skills), demonstrated significant gains in reading comprehension in the TTS compared to the no-TTS condition; a large effect size (1.58 grade level increase) was found. Furthermore, this group's literal comprehension improved much more than their inferential comprehension when utilizing TTS. Implications: a one-size fits all approach for the selection of TTS for struggling readers is not recommended. SVR subtyping incorporated into psychoeducational assessments can inform appropriate assignment of TTS to struggling readers.

Visual-verbal serial recall is disrupted when task-irrelevant background speech has to be ignored. Contrary to previous suggestion, it has recently been shown that the magnitude of disruption may be accentuated by the semantic properties of the irrelevant speech. Sentences ending with unexpected words that did not match the preceding semantic context were more disruptive than sentences ending with expected words. This particular instantiation of a deviation effect has been termed the semantic mismatch effect. To establish a new phenomenon, it is necessary to show that the effect can be independently replicated and does not depend on specific boundary conditions such as the language of the stimulus material. Here we report a preregistered replication of the semantic mismatch effect in which we examined the effect of unexpected words in 4 different languages (English, French, German, and Swedish) across 4 different laboratories. Participants performed a serial recall task while ignoring sentences with expected or unexpected words that were recorded using text-to-speech software. Independent of language, sentences ending with unexpected words were more disruptive than sentences ending with expected words. In line with previous results, there was no evidence of habituation of the semantic mismatch effect in the form of a decrease in disruption with repeated exposure to the occurrence of unexpected words. The successful replication and extension of the effect to different languages indicates the expression of a general and robust mechanism that reacts to violations of expectancies based on the semantic content of the irrelevant speech.

Science is a core curricular area of instruction for all students and the federal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and No Child Left Behind (2001) require that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment and have access to general education science content, based upon rigorous standards. While, most students with visual impairments are educated in the general science classroom, few studies have been done to determine whether appropriate accommodations and modifications are being made in those classrooms to meet the specialized needs of these students. A 35 question survey instrument was disseminated to teachers of the visually impaired through a Visual Impairments Listserve and Facebook group to help determine what pedagogical practices, accommodations, modifications, adaptive equipment and instructional practices are being used to educate students with visual impairments in the United States and Canada. This study helped inform how students with visual impairments are being educated in the science classroom.

Speech-related professionals such as speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists make use of neuro-advancements including neurotechnologies such as cochlear implants (CIs), brain-computer interfaces, and deep brain stimulation. Speech-related professionals could occupy many roles in relation to their interaction with neuro-advancements reflecting the roles expected of them by their professional organizations. These roles include: service provider, promoter of neuro-products such as CIs, educator of others, neuro-related knowledge producer and researcher, advocates for their fields and their clients in relation to neuro-advancements, and influencers of neuro-policy, neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Lifelong learning, also known as professional development, is used as a mechanism to keep professionals up to date on knowledge needed to perform their work and could be used to support the fulfillment of all the roles in relation to neuro-advancements. Using 300 English language Canadian newspapers and academic articles from SCOPUS and the 70 databases of EBSCO-Host as sources, we found that the neuro-advancement content linked to speech-related professionals centered around CIs and brain computer interfaces, with other neuro-technologies being mentioned much less. Speech-related professionals were mostly mentioned in roles linked to clinical service provision, but rarely to not at all in other roles such as advocate, researcher or influencer of neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Furthermore, lifelong learning was not engaged with as a topic. The findings suggest that the mentioning of and engagement with roles of speech-related professionals linked to neuro-advancements falls short given the expectations of roles of speech-related professionals for example. We submit that these findings have implications for the education of speech-related professionals, how others perceive the role and identity of speech-related professionals, and how speech-related professionals perceive their own role.

Introduction: Various retinal implants are being developed and appear to be a promising option for improving the visual capacities of individuals with retinal dystrophy. A multidisciplinary approach to both assessment of a candidate's factors and rehabilitation could contribute to improved activity and participation. The purpose of this study was (i) to document the approach taken by a multidisciplinary team in the candidate selection process and in training in the use of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system (RPS), and (ii) to examine the effects of the RPS on sensory and mental functions and on activity and participation. Methods: An A1-B1-A2-B2 experimental case report was used, with repeated measures pre- and post-rehabilitation program design. The A phases represent the periods with the system off, whereas the B phases represent the periods with the system on. A 65-year-old man with retinitis pigmentosa and total blindness was followed by a multidisciplinary team for over 18 months. After receiving the retinal implant, he benefited from a 10-week rehabilitation program (twice per week; B1 phase). Results: Globally, the RPS improved vision in the B phases when the system was on and visual acuity was stable at 2.3 logMAR (functional blindness). The participant's mental and neuromusculoskeletal function scores were generally stable throughout the data collection periods. Lower performance on some measures at the end of phase B2 coincided with a negative mood. Discussion: Use of the RPS improved activity, but this did not transfer into greater participation in the living environment. Despite efforts made by the rehabilitation team to manage the user's expectations concerning the RPS, the interventions reactivated his grieving over his vision loss. Implications for Practitioners: New technologies can make users dream of unrealistic possibilities, and managing their expectations requires problem solving supported by a multidisciplinary team.

Arts-based data from a theatre play, "Apple Time," are explored in order to disrupt binarized diversity discourses dominating deaf education in a diasporic community located in a small city in Saskatchewan. Deaf education is demarcated by two camps of professionals: those who promote the development of spoken English through the use of cochlear implants, therapy interventions, and placements in oral language learning environments only; and those who promote a bimodal bilingual approach in which children are taught two languages: English and American Sign Language (ASL). Currently, most deaf children are placed in schools in their home communities and are educated primarily in oral language environments. Stories composed and performed by the deaf youth are explored with a view to identifying the affects that arise from their intra-actions among animal, earth, and machine. Through the mapping of the affects that produce and are produced by animals, earth, and machine, the focus is on the intra-actions that concern diversity discourses, and the lines of flight for disruption of diversity discourses are discerned. The inner and outer journeys of four of the eight youth performers are traced; as deaf nomads, they traverse between the affects arising from intra-actions with humans, animals, earth, and machine. Since the deaf youth performers drew upon their personal histories in developing their scenes, the article demonstrates how such histories may disrupt diversity discourses pertaining to the education of deaf children and youth, thus contributing to more recent theorizing of language acquisition as distributed throughout an assemblage.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify common clinical practice patterns for providing advanced noise management features in children with cochlear implants (CIs) and evaluate trends in consideration of clinician experience and comfort with CI manufacturer-specific technology. Method: A mixed-model survey including quantitative and qualitative questions regarding providing advanced noise management features in the pediatric CI population was collected electronically via research electronic data capture. Survey questions spanned approach/philosophy toward provision of features, age of provision, and demographics of respondents. Descriptive statistics were completed to define common clinical practice patterns and demographic information. Results: A total of 160 pediatric audiologists from 35 U.S. States and five Canadian provinces completed the survey. Most audiologists (73.8%) reported enabling automatic directional microphones, and a vast majority (91%) reported enabling advanced noise processing features such as automatic noise cancellers, wind noise cancellers, and impulse noise cancellers in recipients' main programs. Audiologists ranked features in terms of importance for a school-age child with the top three ranked as automatic noise reduction, automatic directional microphones, and concha-level microphones. Importance of child-specific factors varied depending upon the specific feature of interest. Conclusions: Variability exists among providers in enabling advanced noise management features for pediatric CI recipients. Multiple factors, including patient characteristics, provider characteristics, and limited evidence-based guidance, could account for much of the variation. Overall, there is a trend toward automaticity for noise management. Additional studies are warranted to provide the evidence base for confidently programming advanced features for children using CIs.

In Ontario, as the number of students requiring special education support continues to rise, the transition to inclusive classrooms has become more challenging for teachers due to limited time and lack of resources and support in the classrooms. However, this study explored how eight elementary school teachers addressed these obstacles in their successful transitions to inclusion through the integration of technology, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks in both online and physical classrooms. Through online interviews and classroom observations, the teachers orally shared and demonstrated how technology could increase student engagement, differentiate instruction, provide students with alternative instruction and assessment methods, and build teacher capacity within the classrooms. Despite this successful integration of technology and instructional frameworks, inefficiencies were revealed in screening approaches and teachers' access to streamlined assessment resources to identify the needs of students. A discussion examined the teachers' barriers in supporting the needs of all learners with proposed technology-based considerations that may assist other teachers in their transitions to inclusive classrooms.

This study explored performance on expressive and receptive graphic symbol tasks and spoken comprehension by individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) as well as the relationship of performance with participants' skills and characteristics. Participants were 19 children and youth (aged 5- to 18-years-old) who used aided communication. Four experimental tasks were administered, with either speech or symbols as input (stimuli) and symbols or choice from an array of pictures as output (response). Symbols were not accompanied by written or spoken labels in the tasks. Measures of receptive vocabulary, receptive syntax, memory, and visual cognitive skills as well as information regarding participant characteristics were collected. There were strong relationships among all experimental tasks. Cluster analysis revealed different response patterns that may suggest a progression in expressive and receptive performance with graphic symbol sentences. Individual differences in receptive language, particularly receptive syntax, were related to task performance. The findings suggest that different ways of experiencing symbols, in addition to spoken comprehension of the sentences and receptive spoken language more generally, may contribute to expressive graphic symbol sentences. Performance on receptive symbol tasks may uncover a level of facility with the graphic-symbol modality not observed through expressive symbol use in communicative situations.

Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs in many Ontario colleges offer adult learners who have low literacy and basic skills with opportunities to improve their employment skills as well as results on prerequisite courses for entrance into post-secondary education. LBS students encounter many challenges and require extra interpersonal instructional support, which may be overcome through a blended learning approach. Due to limited access to technology in LBS programs, little is known about adult learners' attitudes toward online learning. This study investigates learners' attitudes and perceived success in blended learning, and key factors contributing to individual differences. A survey was administered to 149 LBS student participants at three Ontario community colleges, along with interviews conducted with 37 students. The results of correlation and thematic analysis have shown that differences exist in their attitudes between face-to-face and online learning environments, 90% versus 40% positive respectively. Individual differences in their perceptions were found to be associated with their age, time out of formal education, education levels, and computer skills.

Sound levels and acoustic characteristic information was obtained in classrooms serving children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) in grades K-2 in a variety of settings across the United States and Canada. Sound levels were easily measured using iPads, and acoustic characteristics were documented. Noise levels exceeded the American National Standards Institute standard for all 38 unoccupied classrooms. Classrooms in general education settings were significantly quieter than classrooms where children who are DHH received separate instruction, although significant differences did not emerge for occupied classrooms. Remote microphone technologies (such as personal-worn FM/DM systems or classroom sound field systems) were used significantly more in general education than separate instruction classrooms. Results indicated an unfavorable environment for children who are DHH to successfully access spoken language communication. This information about classroom noise levels, combined with knowledge of standards, acoustic characteristics, and sound abatement strategies is essential for parents, teachers, and administrators to secure acoustically favorable classrooms for children who are DHH.

Ontario's colleges accept learners with many backgrounds, experiences, and academic needs. Students with disabilities are a growing and diverse population. Is the Ontario College system providing efficacious and responsive support to these learners?

This study examined the perceptions of teachers in rural Newfoundland (NL) about their current ability to support the use of assistive technology (AT) in their classrooms, and identified possible training needs that could be accomplished remotely. Thirty-two educators from rural areas of NL completed an online survey with a mix of closed- and open-ended questions. Five dimensions were explored for this needs assessment including: current beliefs, skills, use, comfort level, and perceptions of AT; identification of specific service needs; learning preferences; available technology; and potential barriers. Results reveal that teachers had positive attitudes about the utility and use of AT in their classrooms, yet were not fully implementing AT with their student's due to a variety of perceived barriers. The study identified a clear need for AT teacher training. Based on the results and the research, literature recommendations are made for teacher training to address the need identified by this study.

Introduction: In addition to optical devices, closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and eccentric viewing training are both recognized interventions to improve reading performance in individuals with vision loss secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Both are relatively expensive, however, either in the cost of the device or in the amount of time personnel need to provide training. In this randomized trial, we compared the effectiveness of these two interventions. Methods: Participants with age-related macular degeneration and visual acuity between 6/48 (20/160) and 6/120 (20/400) first received basic low vision care, including optical devices. At the subsequent baseline visit, they undertook a battery of measures including logMAR visual acuity; reading speed and accuracy for text in 1.3M and 1M fonts; reading information on medicine bottles, utility bills, and food packages; the NEI-VFQ; the Geriatric Depression Scale; and a reading inventory questionnaire. They were then randomized to either obtaining a CCTV for home use or eccentric viewing training over the following six weeks. Results: Recruitment was more difficult than expected for this population. Of 145 patients referred, 29 met the inclusion-exclusion criteria, 14 were willing to enroll, and 10 completed the trial. For the primary outcome (reading speed for 1.3M print), there was a significant improvement between baseline and outcome for the CCTV group (p 0.005), but not for the eccentric viewing training group (p 0.28), and the CCTV group showed significantly greater change (p 0.04). There was a nonsignificant improvement in reading speed for 1M text and a decrease in the amount of time taken to read utility bill information in the CCTV group. There was a significant improvement in near visual acuity with current glasses with eccentric viewing training. The other measures did not reach statistical significance. Discussion: Randomized clinical trials for low vision rehabilitation, particularly in the elderly population with vision loss, are challenging, but such trials are important for the allocation of resources. This trial showed early indications of more impact on reading performance from CCTV than eccentric viewing training.

Understanding the needs of parents with children with hearing loss (HL) is necessary to best support both the children and their families beyond what they have received in early intervention programs. The objective of this paper is to present the perspective of parents regarding their participation in a group intervention with their child and the impact this had on them as the parent of a child with HL. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews completed after the group intervention. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Two main themes emerged: (1) opportunities and the need for continued support, and (2) connections and joy. These results support the need for programs that offer ongoing strategies, resources, and connectedness for families beyond early intervention initiatives.

Children with autism spectrum disorder have a high risk of vision problems yet little is known about their vision care. This cross-sectional survey study, therefore, examined vision care among 351 children with autism spectrum disorder ages 6-17 years in the United States or Canada who were enrolled in the Autism Treatment Network Registry. Vision care variables were vision tested with pictures, shapes, or letters in the past 2 years; vision tested by an eye care practitioner (e.g. ophthalmologist, optometrist) in the past 2 years; prescribed corrective eyeglasses; and wore eyeglasses as recommended. Covariates included sociodemographic, child functioning, and family functioning variables. Multivariable models were fit for each vision care variable. Though 78% of children with autism spectrum disorder had their vision tested, only 57% had an eye care practitioner test their vision in the past 2 years. Among the 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder prescribed corrective eyeglasses, 78% wore their eyeglasses as recommended. Multivariable analysis results demonstrated statistically significant differences in vision care among children with autism spectrum disorder by parent education, household income, communication abilities, intellectual functioning, and caregiver strain. Overall, study results suggest many school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder do not receive recommended vision care and highlight potentially modifiable disparities in vision care.

Specialized assessments, including the learning media assessment (LMA), are essential in appropriately planning and implementing instruction for students with visual impairments (Holbrook et al., 2017; Lusk et al., 2013). The LMA, first introduced by Koenig and Holbrook in the early 1990s, was designed to be an "objective process of systematically selecting learning and literacy media for students with visual impairments...regardless of level of vision or severity of additional disabilities" (Koenig & Holbrook, 1995, p. 17). Through the LMA process, teachers of students with visual impairments systematically gather data about how students use their senses and efficiency with print, braille, or auditory information (Ferrell et al., 2014; Holbrook et al., 2017; Koenig & Holbrook, 1995). In addition to sensory learning channels, the LMA process for academic students also includes the collection of data to document reading rates, reading accuracy, reading comprehension, reading fluency, and reading efficiency (Holbrook et al., 2017; Koenig & Holbrook, 1995; Spungin et al., 2016). For students who are print readers, additional data are collected on the student's distance. from the reading materials and their visual stamina (Holbrook et al., 2017; Koenig & Holbrook, 1995; Spungin et al., 2016). For students with multiple disabilities, the LMA process considers all literacy options, including communication devices, calendar systems, or tactile or picture symbols so that the educational team can make decisions based on the student's unique needs and determine functional literacy goals (Bruce et al., 2016; Holbrook et al., 2017; Koenig & Holbrook, 1995). The LMA process for students who are emergent readers includes the selection of a literacy medium and literacy tools (Holbrook et al., 2017; Koenig & Holbrook, 1995; Lusk et al., 2013). This current study reports the results of a survey administered to teachers in the United States and Canada. Through the survey, the authors gathered information about the procedures and forms the teachers use in the LMA process. Three questions guided the study: (1) What are the current practices of teachers of students with visual impairments who conduct LMAs? (2) What assessment instruments are being used by teachers of students with visual impairments who conduct LMAs? and (3) How are the results from LMAs used in the practice of teaching individuals with visual impairments?

Despite the rapid growth in development of technology, such as software or hardware devices, its implementation among stakeholders working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is slow. This suggests that there might be a number of challenges that hinder technology adoption or its continued usage. The current project aimed to investigate stakeholders' perceptions on potential barriers in adopting technology. We involved 17 stakeholders, including parents of children with ASD, service providers, and administrators of ASD organizations, in interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three themes: (a) making the right choice, (b) apprehension and concern about uptake, and (c) external obstacles to implementation. This project was the first study to involve key stakeholders to determine components that take place in utilization and adoption of technologies in the field of ASD.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the achieved audibility with clinically available, modern, high-end, behind-the-ear hearing aids fitted using the Desired Sensation Level v5.0 child prescription for a clinical sample of children with hearing impairment and the effect of the extended bandwidth provided by the hearing aids on several outcome measures. Method: The achieved audibility was measured using the maximum audible output frequency method. Twenty-eight children (7-17 years old) with mild to severe hearing losses completed this study. Two hearing aid conditions were fitted for each participant: an extended bandwidth condition, which was fitted to targets as closely as possible, and a restricted bandwidth condition, for which aided output was restricted above 4.5 kHz. Consonant discrimination in noise, subjective preference, aided loudness growth, and preferred listening levels were evaluated in both conditions. Results: The extended bandwidth hearing aid fittings provided speech audibility above 4.5 kHz for all children, with an average maximum audible output frequency of 7376 Hz (SD = 1669 Hz). When compared to a restricted bandwidth, the extended bandwidth condition led to an improvement of 5.4% for consonant discrimination in noise scores, mostly attributable to /s/, /z/, and /t/ phoneme perception. Aided loudness results and preferred listening levels were not significantly different across bandwidth conditions; however, 65% of the children indicated a subjective preference for the extended bandwidth. Conclusion: The study suggests that providing the full bandwidth available, with modern, behind-the-ear hearing aids, leads to improved audibility, when compared to restricted bandwidth hearing aids, and that it leads to beneficial outcomes for children who use hearing aids, fitted to the Desired Sensation Level v5.0 child prescription, without causing significant increases in their loudness perception.

Purpose: This study compared the performance of three amplification devices hypothesized to improve speech communication in individuals with hypophonia (HP), as well as to identify individuals' device preferences. Method: Twenty-two individuals with HP and their primary communication partners participated in a cross-over design study comparing three different speech amplification devices--a wired portable amplifier (Device A), a wireless stationary amplifier (Device B), and a one-way personal communication system (Device C). Participants attended one laboratory visit followed by 1-week trial periods with each device. At the first visit, HP participants completed speech tasks with and without the devices, in quiet and in noise. Following the in-laboratory test period, participants trialed each device at home for approximately 1 week per device. Following completion of the study, participants indicated whether or not they would like to continue using a device. Results: Overall, in the presence of noise, all three devices demonstrated significant improvements in speech-to-noise levels and speech intelligibility compared to no device. A clear device hierarchy emerged such that the personal communication device (Device C) was associated with significantly better speech outcomes compared to the other two devices. The majority of participants elected to continue using a device at the completion of the study. Device preferences, however, did not clearly reflect the objective device hierarchy that was found for the objective speech measures. Each of the three devices was selected as a preferred device by at least three participants at the completion of the study. Conclusion: Results from this study demonstrated clear differences in device performance in three distinct forms of amplification devices for individuals with HP. Findings suggest that amplification device use may be beneficial for this clinical population and underscore the potential to improve device availability and device selection criteria in future research.

This research examined Grade 6-10 Ontario Certified Teachers' (n = 24) perceptions of assistive technology (AT) and the factors correlated with perceived usefulness of AT. A mixed methods design that included a survey consisting of open- and closed-ended items elicited information about teachers' AT knowledge and training, their basic computer literacy, their perception of administrative support for access to and implementation of AT, the usefulness of AT, and the factors that encourage or discourage AT use in the classroom. Results of correlational analysis suggested that computer literacy and AT knowledge were significantly positively correlated with perceived usefulness of AT, and a thematic analysis further identified that training and student factors may influence AT use. Implications for preservice and professional development teacher training are discussed, given the consistency of teacher-reported need for greater training opportunities for both students and teachers.

In children with a hearing loss who receive cochlear implants (CIs) under the age of 2, regular assessments are conducted to monitor auditory and linguistic progress. However, the collection of authentic, representative, and reliable expressive language data on young children with CIs remains a challenge. The purpose of the study was to determine whether data from parental report, language diary, and spontaneous language sample are equally representative of the development of expressive vocabulary over the first 12 months of CI use. Nine French-speaking children and their families participated in the study. We collected data at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-implantation, and we measured parental satisfaction regarding the use of a language diary. All three methods showed a progression in the total number of different words expressed over time and captured grammatical diversity. The findings suggest that when vocabulary size is still small, the diary might provide a more comprehensive picture of development than a vocabulary checklist.

Drawn from an investigation of the emergent technological practices of post-secondary students with mathematics learning disabilities, this case study employs an enactivist framework in considering the bootstrapping processes our participants report engaging in when using personal electronic devices for academic support. Video-recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine post-secondary participants with mathematics learning disabilities in two western Canadian urban centres. Findings suggest that participants used technology to control and improve sensory input in order to better access mathematics course content and monitor the accuracy of their work, engage with alternate presentations of mathematical concepts to enhance their level of understanding, reduce workload, and improve organization. We discuss how their strategies in using technology relate to Bereiter's categorization of bootstrapping resources (1985), including imitation, chance by selection, learning support systems, and piggybacking. Grounded in a "learner's perspective," this case study identifies technological adaptations and strategies that may be helpful to others with mathematics learning disabilities.

Introduction: Audio description (AD) in museums is crucial for making them accessible for people with visual impairments. Nevertheless, there are limited museum-specific AD guidelines currently available. This research examines current varied international practitioner perspectives on museum AD, focusing on imagery, meaning, emotion and degrees of objectivity, and the regional differences (Europe and United States) in AD traditions, in order to better understand how AD can be used to enhance access to museums. Methods: Forty-two museum describers from 12 countries responded to a questionnaire requiring fixed-choice and free-text responses about the purpose and construction of museum AD. Results: Inference tests showed that European describers agreed more strongly than American describers that AD should "explore meaning" (U = 91.00, N1 = 24, N2 = 14, p = 0.03), and "create an emotional experience" (U = 89.50, N1 = 24, N2 = 14, p = 0.03), rating the use of cognitive prompts as more important (U = 85.50, N1 = 21, N2 = 14, p = 0.04). Qualitative data enriched this understanding by exploring participant responses on the themes of mental imagery, objectivity and interpretation and cognitive prompts. This highlighted broader agreement between regions on mental imagery, but more acceptance of interpretation in AD from the European respondents. Discussion: American and European describers' opinions differ regarding the purpose of AD: whether it is about conveying visual information or whether broader interpretations should be incorporated into descriptions for audiences with visual impairments. Implications for practitioners: These findings indicate that further discussion is needed regarding the purpose of museum AD and, in particular, the way in which objectivity is contextualized. They raise questions about AD providing visual information and/or seeking to address a wider museum experience, including the stimulation of curiosity or emotion.

This paper investigated teachers' and educational consultants' perceptions of ICT integration in Québec English Schools, specifically with regards to the benefits and challenges of ICT integration therein. 23 teachers and educational consultants from seven different school boards participated in the focus group sessions. Results revealed higher student engagement levels, glocalization of the 21st century education and enhancement of the learning process as the main benefits of integrating ICT in English Québec Schools. In addition, participants highlighted the following challenges: lack of supporting school leadership, inconsistent investments in ICT equipment, infrastructure and resources, inflexibility of funding, the need for additional professional development and support and incorporation of technology in evaluations and curricular plans.

This article briefly reviews the history of assistive technologies in American and Canadian postsecondary education starting in the 1990s, discusses the accessibility of e-learning and information and communication technologies (ICTs) currently popular in postsecondary education, and highlights emerging trends. Increasing use of universal design principles--in particular, ensuring the accessibility of digital technologies in the emerging stages, at the inception of development--continues to be recommended.

Introduction: This study analyzed the responses of a survey of students with visual impairments in Canada and the United States about their use of tactile and print graphics. Demographic, Likert scale, and open-ended questions focused on perceptions of quality, preferences, instruction, and strategies. Methods: Percentages of agreement for tactile and print graphic users are reported. Comparisons were made between the two groups. Results: Students felt positive about the quality of the graphics, but density and complexity were identified as challenges. Students varied as to whether they felt graphics supported their understanding of concepts. Both groups indicated that written descriptions were helpful. Students in this survey were positive about knowing how to use strategies that help them access graphics. Discussion: Tactile graphics appear to play an additional role in inclusion for some students. Attention to instructional needs should not overlook students with visual impairments who use print graphics. Additional inclusion of quality written descriptions may support understanding of graphical information. Implications for practitioners: Conceptual understanding would be supported by helping students recognize where graphics and descriptions are useful. Timeliness of access to graphics in the classroom and attention to quality graphics that reduce complexity and clutter remain important.

This article reports the perceived learning of a group of Chinese teacher candidates who audited an ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) literacy course while participating in an exchange programme between Southwest University in China and the University of Windsor in Canada. Data were collected through (1) reflective notes written by visiting students and (2) semi-structured interviews conducted with them towards the end of their visit. The majority of participants stated that the learning experience helped them to realise the important role theory plays in the learning of ICT and to seek ideas of how to creatively integrate ICT in their future classrooms. Participants with limited ICT knowledge and skills reported that by being exposed to various functions of frequently used programmes and many free software programmes, they felt more confident in using ICT in their own teaching. Furthermore, those with strong ICT backgrounds found that the course helped them to understand the relationship among ICT, society, and pedagogy. The teacher candidates' perceived learning included aspects of culture and pedagogy in addition to ICT knowledge and skills. Coming to know in ways like this is critically important to international partnerships and foundational to reciprocal learning where each learns from the other.

Some new and envisioned technologies such as brain machine interfaces (BMI) that are being developed initially for people with disabilities, but whose use can also be expanded to the general public have the potential to change body ability expectations of disabled and non-disabled people beyond the species-typical. The ways in which this dynamic will impact students with disabilities in the domain of special education is explored. Data was drawn from six special education school teachers from one school in Calgary, Alberta. Five sub-themes (social acceptance, not adding to the impairment, fear of judgement by society, pursuing "normality" and meeting the demands of society) were identified that fit under the main identified theme of "fitting in by not standing out". Findings demonstrate a dichotomy in participant views of non- or socially acceptable communication devices. The perception of BMI technology was also explored among special education school teachers, revealing benefits and challenges with the uptake of this technology for students with disabilities. Perceptions of people with disabilities and ableism are presented as conceptual frameworks to interpret the influence and impact of the findings.

This case study uses interviews and participant observation to study how teachers negotiate inclusion policy in their everyday classroom interactions and strategies. Interviews consisted of two teachers and an educational assistant from one Northern Ontario classroom while participant observation was conducted for a period of seven weeks. Drawing from the framework of loose coupling and inhabited institution, this study finds that teachers actively negotiate policy in the face of classroom reality by drawing upon personal and social resources. Drawing from their previous experiences and some of their educational training they create, and implement strategies in dealing with learning diversity. Teachers felt enthusiastic about inclusion but their ideas ranged as to what it looked like; on top of their creativity in strategy making they also expressed the need for more resources and support to ensure the success of inclusion within their classrooms.

This article describes a case study involving an assistive device that aided a student with low vision registered in the introductory physics course at Trent University in the fall of 2009. His Snellen visual acuity fluctuated significantly, with an average acuity of about 20/400. This low acuity presented obvious difficulties for him with the laboratory component of the course. To participate fully in an undergraduate experiment, he was required to see well enough to do all of the tasks while having his hands free to manipulate the equipment. An assistive device was required that would assist the student to meet the lab requirements. The student chose the Acrobat Panel and Long Arm (Enhanced Vision Systems, United States) for assessment. The student has used it for 2.5 academic years of study. The assistive device allowed the student with low vision to participate almost fully and independently in a regular, experimental physics program that is so visually complex that it has hitherto been inaccessible to such students. Not only did it enable the student to set up the laboratory apparatus himself, it enabled him to read fine measurement devices, such as gauges, micrometers, and burettes. With this device, the student could read from a chalkboard or projection screen and record data or notes from a chalkboard on a computer while viewing the camera output on the same screen.

The academic performance of many international students admitted to Canadian universities is undermined by the students' English language proficiency. The goal of this study was to improve English language proficiency of post-secondary second-language learners (SLLs) through the use of literacy-based assistive technology. Fifty-four participants (32 SLL, 22 non SLL) enrolled in a cross-section of Cape Breton University's Shannon School of Business courses participated in the investigation. Results determined a significant effect (9%) of the use of screen-reading software on academic performance of SLLs and a positive but insignificant effect (3%) of the use of screen-reading assistive technology on academic performance of non-SLLs. The article concludes with a discussion on the responsibility of educational institutions to provide additional language support services to international students studying in their non-native language. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)

In 1993, the first study of outcomes of auditory-verbal graduates was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology (JAAA). The stated purpose of the research at that time "was to document the status of graduates of one aural habilitation option; auditory-verbal" (p. 190, Goldberg & Flexer). A follow-up study was published in 2001, also in JAAA, and findings of both studies revealed that the majority of the participants were integrated into regular/typical learning and living environments. The latter study suggested that the early fitting of sensory aids and cochlear implant technology, coupled with family-focused early intervention emphasizing auditory learning, helped to provide for even greater independence and community participation of these later graduates. Now, over 25 years after the initial auditory-verbal graduate study, this current research project replicates and provides an update of graduates of auditory-verbal teaching from around the world. (Participants in the earlier studies were solely from the United States and Canada.) Results from over 200 graduates continue to reinforce the positive outcomes reported in the earlier studies.

As technology becomes a larger part of people's everyday lives, it is logical to think that it should also become a part of the learning process. The use of tablets in classrooms is becoming an area of interest as researchers are trying to understand what the benefits are--if any--to using these devices. This article gives an overview of some of the recent literature related to the benefits and challenges associated with the use of tablets with students in middle schools. Prevalent themes include the benefits of using tablets with students who have learning disabilities, and the challenges that can arise in the classroom, specifically issues of safety and security, access to apps and disruptive behaviours when using these devices. The authors share qualitative case studies of two teachers who have used tablets extensively with their students and discuss how their experiences resonate with the literature. The authors conclude with a summary of the affordances and constraints of using tablets with students who have special needs and offer workable solutions for some of the challenges educators face when using these devices.

As children are receiving cochlear implants at younger ages, benchmarks in speech, language, and auditory development can assist auditory-verbal therapists in setting expectation levels. Therapists can then counsel parents who often inquire how their children are progressing compared to peers with the same amount of listening experience. This article describes the second phase of development of the Children's Hospital (of Eastern Ontario) Inventory of Skills in Audition, Language, and Speech (CHISALS). This 25- item checklist examines the development of audition, speech, and language in children up to 2 years post cochlear implantation whose cochlear implant(s) were activated by age 18 months. It also describes the construct validity of the CHISALS compared with standardized tests used to evaluate speech and language. In this pilot phase with 10 children, results indicate moderate-to-high correlations with these evaluations as well as with time.