Assistive Technology for Students Who Need Additional Access
Special education teams evaluate technology according to the needs of individual students.
Scanmarker may be considered when a student’s difficulty accessing printed text creates a barrier to participating in educational activities.
What Scanmarker Can Provide
Depending on the model, Scanmarker may provide OCR, text-to-speech, dictionary functionality, translation, text storage, and connectivity.
The Important Distinction: Access vs. Instruction
Assistive technology can provide access. It does not replace instruction designed to develop phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, or other reading skills.
The two can coexist.
Questions for an IEP or Support Team
What task is difficult? Is the barrier printed text? Does the student need occasional or continuous support? Can the student operate the device independently? Which features are actually necessary? When should the device be used? How will its effectiveness be reviewed?
Student-Specific Implementation
There is no universal "special education configuration." The appropriate device and implementation depend on the student’s age, reading profile, motor skills, language requirements, classroom environment, independence, and educational goals.