Software for Students with Special Needs

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Resources Supports NCTE Department of
Education and Science (DES)
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Issues for the SEN teacher

• Matching technology with needs/students
• Training in ICT and SEN
• Acquiring hardware/getting funding
• Choosing software (tools content)
• Getting support/helping yourself
• Using software/ICT in the classroom
• NCTE is an important source of support in most of
  these areas, as follows

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NCTE/DES Technology Support

• Grants for ICT use in special needs, issued by
  DES (without application) to the school
• DES funds for integrated individual special needs
  students (application-based)
• Laptops for visiting teachers
• Providing special needs advice e.g. through
  booklets, websites, etc.

4
Grants for Individual Students with Special
Needs

• Primary / Special Education
• Provision is available to cater for individual
  students with specific assistive technology needs
• Application-based procedure administered by the
  Special Education Section of the DES
• Schools apply through their local inspector and
  make the relevant reports available (no special
  application form)

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Grants for Individual Students with Special Needs

• Post-Primary
• Application-based procedure for individual
  students with specific assistive technology needs
• The eligibility criteria, application form and
  procedure under the terms of Memo 11/95 
• Applications and queries should be directed
  to The Secretary General, Department of
  Education and Science, Post Primary
  Administration section 2, Floor 3, Hawkins
  House, Dublin 2

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NCTE Software Support

• Software evaluation activity -involves special
  needs teachers/titles
• Much of the software evaluated relevant to
  special needs . . . evaluations available via
  NCTE/ScoilNet websites
• UK special needs publishers doing demos/
  workshops, often resulting in free software
  donations to education centres
• Guide to software evaluation published

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NCTE SEN/ICT Training

• Training starts with basic training introductory
  phases 1 and 2
• Special needs and ICT courses
• Special Needs ICT The Basics
• Learning support
• Specific special education target groups
• Support groups through education centres

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NCTE SIP and other innovative projects

• Projects looking at
• use of specific software
• different uses of ICT with students with special
  needs
• support provision
• Raising awareness of inclusion
• See NCTE website for project summaries and
  resources

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NCTE ScoilNet Support

• Special needs section
• Advice and information sheets on disabilities
• Special needs technology section
• Message boards set up. Facilitators support
  message boards.

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Other SEN activities

• Working with European Agency for Development in
  Special Needs Education research on ICT
  sharing web resources
• Identifying support issues - regional and local
  support
• Working to build knowledge of 20 regional ICT
  advisors
• Looking at SEN project proposals

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General Support Sources

• Support Groups via Ed. Centres
• On-line message boards
• Schools Integration Projects
• Other schools / teachers
• NCTE special needs staff
• ICT Advisors
• Publications, talks, conferences
• Referrals to other services, e.g. special needs
  and ICT advice service- DES

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ICT Advisor Network

• ICT Advisors located in full-time education
  centres - work with NCTE to provide advice and
  training to schools

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NCTE Contacts (for SEN)

• Address National Centre for Technology
  in Education, DCU, Dublin 9
• Ph 01-700 8200
• Fax [phone]
• Email specialneedstechnology_at_ncte.ie
• Web www.ncte.ie www.scoilnet.ie