By , Edudemic.com

One of the more niche areas of education where technology is really making a huge difference for students is in special education. With adaptive and assistive technologies, more students have the ability to better communicate and learn than ever before. So how is technology really shaping education for students with special needs? The handy infographic below takes a look at what types of technologies students are using and for what, what types of special needs these students have, and some interesting information on what some of the popular technologies are. Keep reading to learn more!

  • The federal government covers about 15% of the cost of educating a special needs child.
  • 6 Million students (or about 10%) receive special education services.
  • About 86% of the cost of education for a special education student falls to the local government and school district.
  • The cost to educate these 6 Million students? Approximately $51 billion dollars.

What Types of Special Needs Do Students Have?

  • Specific Learning Disability -51%
  • Speech Impairment – 21%
  • Mental Retardation – 10%
  • Emotional Disorder – 8%
  • Other (multiple disabilities, Autism, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, etc) – 8%
  • Hearing or Visual Impairment – 2%

What Types Of Tools Are Being Used?

  • Digital Textbooks
  • Text To Voice
  • Voice Recognition Technology
  • Netbooks and Laptops
  • Touchscreen devices
  • Screen Readers
  • Digital Note Takers