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The most exciting thing for me after nearly 20 years of being involved with kids and computing is still witnessing the immense sense of empowerment that kids receive as they learn to use the computer as a partner in the learning process. Computer tools for quickly, easily, and efficiently researching, analyzing, writing, communicating, drilling, practicing, organizing and synthesizing information help them become "masters of the universe", if you will. First graders are equipped with the same tools for presenting information (i.e. PowerPoint) as the presidents of large corporations and often are much more facile with those tools.

Children with special needs are no exception to this phenomenon. They, too, can be similarly empowered. Like most everything in life, though, that empowerment takes two important things — knowledge and experience. So what does your child need to take full advantage of the capabilities of the computer?

Know Your Child

Obviously parents and teachers are often only too aware of their children's learning differences, be they learning disabilities, developmental delays, visual or hearing impairments, or other physical challenges. But each one of these situations requires a different set of solutions. Before diving into any one, it pays to spend some time observing and thinking things through.

For example, something as simple as how kids interact with the computer by inputting information using the capabilities of a computer mouse (i.e."clicking") can be handled in many different ways. Perhaps a regular mouse works, but maybe a mouse like the new KidzMouse (see the Gadget Gals section of this site for a write-up) where kids squeeze the mouse (a more intuitive approach for young children) rather than click it might work better. These inexpensive mice built for smaller hands also have bigger buttons that can be very helpful. Maybe an add-on touch screen that adheres to a regular monitor might be useful. Or a mouse that works more like a touch pad, joystick, or a track ball might do the trick. There are a hundred different variations on the computer mouse out there, but first you need to think about what might work for your child.

Take some time to watch your child as he or she interacts with the computer and take some notes. That way you'll better understand what modifications or materials may be necessary and be able to verbalize it to someone who knows more about what different technologies are available. And you may be pleasantly surprised - somebody else may have already devised a gadget that exactly fits your needs.

Next: Getting Your Computer Ready for Your Special Needs Child