Assistive technology prescription for students with physical disability: a research with multifunctional resorce classes teachers

Abstract

The Special Educational Service (SES) is performed in Multifunctional Resource Classes (MRC), which are equipped with Assistive Technology features (AT). For effective use of these resources, it is necessary that the SES teacher has the knowledge that supports its use with the students with disabilities. The objectives of this study were to identify the degree of the SES teacher satisfaction regarding their participation in the process involving the AT resource use and the existence of partnerships with professionals from other fields of knowledge in the process. The study included nine MRC teachers, all of them with prior contact with students with physical disabilities (PD). For data collection was used a questionnaire, constituted by three parts. The results indicate that for AT use on a PD student, the majority of teachers maintain partnerships with other professionals like physical therapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists. The lack of knowledge and the lack of continuous training about features of AT, as well as the absence of feedback from some professionals that maintain partnerships are the main reasons that negatively impact on AT use satisfaction. The results of this study contribute to the comprehension of aspects which can improve the efficiency of AT use in the educational context. Furthermore, it arises reflection about which way is more appropriate to carry effective collaborative partnerships in the educational scope, which may intensify their benefits for students with disabilities.