Chapter 11: The Use of Technology by Leaders to Improve Special Education Services

This chapter views technology as ever present in everyone’s life whether one is writing with a pencil or dictating a text on a smartphone. As a microcosm of society, technology is ever present in schools as well. Students in pK–12 education are exposed to various types of technology—referred to as educational technology—throughout their schooling (Blackhurst, 2005a, 2005b). Students with disabilities are exposed to the same types of educational technology as students without disabilities (e.g., computers, the Internet, and Smartboards). However, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) students with disabilities can also receive another type of specialized educational technology: assistive technology.