Hannah has always been “tech-heavy,” relying almost solely on computers for her learning and communicating. Following her premature birth and subsequent complications, she learned to walk and talk almost as well as other children, though somewhat late. But by kindergarten, she had been diagnosed with a host of learning disabilities, including dysgraphia, which necessitated her use of a laptop for writing. Then it turned out she needed programs to learn and communicate effectively. Without these supports, it was as though part of her was trapped on the inside. This was more than 10 years ago and in our area, the schoolteachers who felt comfortable with technology were few and far between. She was the only one in any of her classes who used a laptop.
Her reliance on technology grew with the increasing demands of the classroom, and in the intervening years society’s acceptance and interest in technology likewise grew. Still, schools had a lot of competing priorities and they always seemed to be just a step or two behind in their complete acceptance of technology. In order for Hannah to attend college after high school graduation, we knew we might have a struggle on our hands. What was the state of technology in the real world, outside of the school system? How would a possible lack of understanding from service providers impede Hannah’s ability to be whatever she could be?
Not only were we pleasantly surprised at the response from V-LINC representatives, but we were jubilant. They were invested in Hannah’s potential, not in her limitations. She was assessed thoroughly for any technology needs, and soon we were loading software that was going to enable Hannah to take the next steps into her future with some degree of confidence. Instead of growing fatigued with the physical effort to track tiny text on worksheets and in textbooks, she can use Kurzweil to help with the mechanics of reading and note-taking – allowing her to turn her focus on understanding the material. She has other software that allows her to digitally record lecture notes in class and edit them for later study. Still other software allows her to dictate short writing assignments so she can focus on communicating her thoughts. Instead of stumbling through the mechanics of learning, she is able to spend time on “learning to learn” and developing the self-advocacy skills she will need the rest of her life.
We don’t know what the future holds for Hannah. But what we do know is that tech support has made the difference between a future limited by a severe disability and a future full of choices that she will make herself. It’s this support that will ready her to contribute something to the world someday – at work, at home, in her personal life.
-- Written by Hannah's mom, Teresa.
