Abstract
Original, self-made teaching materials with “post-it-like” sticker icons overlaid with dot codes, which can link multimedia such as voices and movies, were created to be used by a third-grade elementary student with speech and language disorders overlapped with moderate intellectual disabilities. The linked voices were replayed by using a speaking pen to touch the sticker icons pasted on the created contents. The speaking pen enabled the student, who found it difficult to express her will and desires to others because of her ambiguous pronunciations, to join class activities in inclusive settings. The simple and handy speaking pen worked well as an indispensable communication aid for her. This chapter briefly presents basic information on multimedia-enabled dot-code technology and describes in detail a case study of its effective use in inclusive settings.
TopIntroduction
A communication disorder is an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. A communication disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language, and/or speech. A hearing disorder is the result of impaired auditory sensitivity of the physiological auditory system. A language disorder is impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol systems. A speech disorder is an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds, fluency and/or voice. A communication disorder may range in severity from mild to profound. It may be developmental or acquired. Individuals may demonstrate one or any combination of communication disorders. A communication disorder may result in a primary disability, or it may be secondary to other disabilities (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1993).
The loss of language due to various disorders described above is a major impairment in some children, whose inability to communicate their will and desires often leads to unbearable frustration, which, in many students suffering from severe cognitive disabilities, causes temper tantrums, screaming, biting, and self-abusive behavior in schools. Students with autism spectrum disorder are also troubled by some problematic core verbal and nonverbal communication symptoms (e.g., delay in learning to talk or a complete lack of verbal ability) (National Institute of Mental Health, 2022). Students who are “reading-impaired” also experience difficulty learning sound–symbol correspondence, sounding out words, and spelling words (Moats & Tolman, n.d.; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2020).
An inclusive education setting is usually defined as a place, such as a school or college, where all children learn together in the same classroom (Koenig, n.d.). In Japan, inclusive settings at public schools are still not widespread; in the 2022 academic year, it still has 1,171 separated schools for special-needs with 148,633 enrolled students and 86,818 permanent teachers. Almost half of these schools for special-needs cater to students with intellectual disabilities (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science, and Technology, Japan, 2022).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Classroom for Special-Needs: This classroom, established in public schools in Japan, is for students with relatively mild intellectual or physical/motor disabilities; autism/emotional disturbance; or health, visual, hearing, or speech/language impairment. It has a limit of eight students per class.
“Post-It-Like” Sticker Icon: This sticker icon, overlaid with multimedia-enabled dot codes, can be removed from a sheet and pasted to any items. Each sticker icon can link up to 10 media, such as video clips, in addition to 10 voices/sounds.
Dot-Code Reader: With a handy aid such as G-Pen Blue, touching a “post-it-like” sticker icon overlaid with multimedia-enabled dot codes replays video clips, photos, music, and web pages on devices with macOS, iPadOS, and iOS.
Speaking Pen: With this handy aid, such as G-Speak or G-Talk, touching a “post-it-like” sticker icon overlaid with multimedia-enabled dot codes replays the linked voice/sounds.
School Activity: Each student has a different learning style, and school activities, especially for students with disabilities, should be conducted using self-made teaching materials suitable for each student.
SoundLinker: This easy-to-operate software helps users easily create contents to replay voices/sounds with a speaking pen; it can handle a maximum of 1,000 “post-it-like” sticker icons and link a maximum of 10 audios to each sticker icon.
Self-Confidence: Schoolteachers should help students with various disabilities build self-confidence during school activities using self-made contents.
Multimedia-Enabled Dot-Code: Two-dimensional codes composed of tiny dots can link multimedia such as audio files, photos, web pages, and video clips. These dot codes are analyzed with an internal infrared camera in a speaking pen and/or dot-code reader.
BlueLinker: With this easy-to-operate software, users can create self-made contents to replay multimedia such as video clips, photos, music, and web pages on devices with macOS, iPadOS, and iOS using a dot-code reader, G-Pen Blue.
Inclusive Education: In Japan, students in special-needs classrooms at the public schools join many lessons and activities at a corresponding regular classroom in inclusive settings. Students at separated schools for special-needs participate in exchange activities at their regional public school in inclusive settings several times a year.