The ultimate goal of assistive technology is to ensure inclusion and promote independence. The three types; no tech, low tech, and high tech serve as a guide for the facilitator (teacher, EA, parent) to meet the learners needs and interests with the resources available. This helps with the planning process to properly implement the technology into daily living. When topics or examples and categorized into "themes" researchers and users can better explain what they need or what is available. Providing examples of AT into these three types also helps teachers to provide direct evidence of how they support the needs of their leaners in their classroom practice. Not all technology is considered "high tech".
The most common type of assistive technology used is "no tech". This is because teachers and students are often unaware these aids/ supports provide direct accommodations for students to overcome any limitations to be successful at learning and completing a task as independently as possible. "No tech" usually includes graphic organizers, visual schedules, white boards, velcro strips, reading strips, braille, canes, finger puppets, place value blocks or counters, fidget spinners (sensory), coloured paper, adapted pencils (different shapes and sizes) etc. These devices or aids do not often need a power source or have batteries to operate.
Low or "mid tech" is the least popular type of AT because they are often paired with high tech devices and powered by a battery. For example, printers, timers, typing devices.
High tech, the kind of technology we know as "plugging in"(computer, tablets, smart board, FM . This is the most expensive type of AT as it offers more personalized functions, technology, and has more maintenance.
The more advanced the tech (often power sourced) the more training required, the less "portable" or easier the tech is to use in different learning environments. For example, the gym or for SERT teachers going around the school to different classes and grades all day. Ultimately, the type of tech needs to match the learning environment as well as the learning goal/ what the teacher wants the students to achieve. For example, you might not need high tech for a dance lesson but you might for a social studies lesson where the student notebook is digital.
For most subjects, I often find myself using a combination of high tech and low tech to project my screen from our google classroom onto the smart board. My students often have the option to complete their work on their Chromebooks or on a provided graphic organizer (paper copy) or high lighters to as a writing tool depending on their learning style. My math lessons always include low tech aids (manipulatives) like counters, linking cubes, calculators, cards, dice, 2D shapes. I find that it is common for IEP accomodations to include all three types of tech in some way (i.e. bouncy band around the legs of their chair, a move and sit, visual schedules and timers for prompting, and various apps on their google suite accounts).
What type of tech do you use more in your class? Do you know of other teachers in your community that use one type of tech more than the other? What is the relationship between the type of tech used and the class dynamic? Does "high" tech mean the students benefit from more visuals, speech to type like apps, and prompting?
References