Kurzweil could be considered both an adaptational form of technology as well as an instructional form of technology. It could be considered adapatational because it could be used for one student as an aid, if that particular student has problems reading aloud. It could also be used as an instructional tool for a class of students that have severe and multiple disabilities, many of which that include expressive language disabilities.
As for the student learning profiles, there are a few for which Kurzweil would benefit. First, it would benefit Sarah, with ataxic cerebral palsy. Because Sarah loves impressing her teachers and is excited to try new things, learning how to use Kurzweil could extremely benefit her. Additionally, because she might have difficulty with balance or fine motor skills, Kurzweil could assist her by actually reading aloud the text. She would not have to actually hold the material or book, and it would be displayed on the screen for her. Additionally, text could be highlighted for her so that she would not have to use a highlighter when thinking that certain things are important. Furthermore, because she is non-ambulatory, Kurzweil would allow her to read the material without her having to hold the material and trying to use her wheelchair to navigate. Last, she already uses SmartScan, so she is already familiar with adaptive communication devices, and uses them successfully.
It would also benefit Michael, with Aspergers and SPLD. It would benefit him because he is a visual learner and really enjoys visual presentations. This is exactly what Kurzweil would provide for him. Although reading material could sometimes be difficult or abstract for Michael to understand, the teacher would be able to highlight certain pieces of the text in order to signal to him that she is aware of those parts and will explain it to him. She could also include a text bubble that re-words the text in more literal terms for Michael. He also adapts well, so being introduced to a new form of technology, would be received well by Michael.
Last, it would greatly benefit Luke, who has Dyslexia and Executive Function Difficulty. The text would be read aloud to Luke so if he did not read them correctly (or backwards), the program would read aloud the text correctly. Additionally, his Executive Functioning Difficulty might make it hard for him to read texts and focus, but perhaps if the text was presented in a different format and read to him (which is different from which he used to), it might be more entertaining.
Overall, Kurzweil is a great program and I plan to use it in my future classroom!
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