Contact: Maridith Geuder
A recently launched project at Mississippi State will work with area school districts to develop assistance for students with communication disorders.
The university's T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability and the College of Education are collaborating with schools in Starkville, Tupelo, West Point, and Webster County.
The project designs technology-based approaches that enable students to fully participate in classroom activities. More than 500 will receive assistance over a two-year period.
Titled "Steppingstones from Technology to Action and Results"--STAR--the two-year project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools in Louisville and Choctaw County will participate during the second year.
Janie Cirlot-New, Martin Center speech pathologist, and Kent Coffey, professor of curriculum and instruction, co-direct the effort, which targets students with expressive communication disorders.
"The disorders may involve written or oral communication skills, anything that prevents a student from being able to express needs or desires," Cirlot-New said. "Assistive technology can be a vehicle to help students meet their goals and improve literacy skills."
Assistive technology may include high-tech equipment such as computers that speak, or low-tech assistance such as pictures that communicate expressions or phrases.
"Part of our project will involve training for teachers to help match the appropriate technology for reaching educational goals," she said.
Students with language-based disorders often do not have access to the subjects taught in a general school curriculum. To deal with that, MSU researchers will develop a process to identify communication goals, select appropriate technology, and teach students to use assistive technology effectively to expand educational opportunities.
When completed, the assistive effort can be replicated at other schools.
"Our goal is to increase access for individuals with expressive communication impairments to educational, vocational, recreational, and social opportunities," Cirlot-New said.