Assistive Technologies for Inclusive Education

About

This guide was developed to support specialists in inclusive education, including teachers, support teachers, speech therapists, psychopedagogues, and specialists from the Republican Centre for Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance (CRAP) and the territorial Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance Services (SAP), in assessing, prescribing, distributing and making effective use of assistive technologies for children with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

The guide aims to strengthen specialists’ competencies, facilitate the integration of assistive technologies into the educational process, and contribute to a key objective of inclusive education: ensuring equitable access to education and active participation in learning for every child.

The guide is also designed to be updated regularly as new assistive technologies and digital solutions relevant to inclusive education become available. Rapid technological change and the development of new support tools require educational and methodological resources to be adapted continuously.

What are assistive technologies?

Assistive technologies are any item, piece of equipment, service or system of products, including software, used to develop, maintain, compensate for or improve the functional abilities of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They include devices and support solutions for hearing, vision, communication, cognitive development, mobility and behaviour. These help reduce barriers to education and enable children to participate actively in learning.

Structure of the guide

The guide is divided into seven thematic modules and provides practical information and recommendations on using assistive technologies to address the diverse educational needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The modules cover support solutions for hearing, vision, cognitive development, speech and communication, motor skills and coordination, as well as technologies with multiple applications. They also include digital tools and information technologies that facilitate the use of assistive technologies and help create an accessible, inclusive learning environment.

Each module includes descriptions of assistive equipment and solutions, examples of how they can be used in educational activities, practical tasks, reflection questions, recommendations, additional resources and self-assessment exercises. These give specialists practical guidance for identifying children’s individual needs, selecting appropriate technologies and integrating them into the learning process.

Through the information and recommendations it provides, the guide encourages collaboration among specialists and the adoption of solutions tailored to each child’s needs. This helps reduce barriers to education and promote active and equitable participation in learning.

General principles

The integration of assistive technologies into education is based on the following principles:

Accessibility and equity – ensuring that every child has access to assistive technologies suited to their needs, and equitable opportunities to learn and participate.

Individualised approach – selecting and using assistive technologies according to each child’s needs and abilities, identified through multidisciplinary assessments.

Effectiveness and sustainability – integrating assistive technologies into educational activities, maintaining equipment properly and providing specialists with ongoing training.

Collaboration and shared responsibility – cooperation among teachers, specialists, parents and authorities to identify and use the most appropriate support solutions.

Respect for the child’s rights and dignity – ensuring that the child participates in decisions that affect them, respecting their dignity and protecting their personal data.