Tech boost for disabled students

A school in Ennis, Co Clare, is leading the way in demonstrating adaptive technology for children with special needs. The school, St Clare's, has won a "best practice" prize from the Ennis Information Age Town (EIAT) project.

As part of the £15 million project, the Ennis school was provided with 19 PCs along with adaptive software and programmes to cater for the special needs of its 52 children aged between four and 18. According to teacher Claire McInerney: "For both teachers and children, it has given us a new approach to teaching." Principal Eileen Jones says that the installation of the technology "has been wonderful for us".

The strides made at St Clare's coincide with an initiative by the National Centre for Technology and Education (NCTE), which has identified 12 special needs schools throughout the State as part of its Schools Integration Project (SIP).

The co-ordinator at the NCTE for special-needs education, Anne Phelan, readily admits that the level of technology at St Clare's is not seen anywhere else in the State. However, she says the 12 schools involved in the SIP project will identify the best technology for the special-needs sector, which will get "a consideration allocation in IT over the next three years".

The chief executive of EIAT, Michael Byrne, says: "I believe that the adaptive technology can offer disproportionate help to children with special needs. This is evident from Ennis, where children's speech and self-confidence has improved."

One child at St Clare's was able to speak his first words as a result of a multimedia software package designed by St Clare's teacher, and co-ordinator of Ennis's SIP project, Anne Walsh. The programme uses photographs of the pupils and sound files containing voice exercises, allowing students to interact with the programme by using a mouse or touching the screen.

"There are huge benefits and it would be great if the technology available to St Clare's could be replicated at other special needs schools," Walsh says. "I believe we are only at the tip of iceberg of the potential."