This project will continue the development of Transition AbleAidetm, a needs-based system for assisting special educators and related service providers in matching students with disabilities with appropriate disability accommodations (including assistive technology, home automation devices, and other simple accommodations) to aid the transition form school to adult life. Technology has tremendous potential in facilitating the transition form school to adult life, but only if there are effective means to match the technology to specific student needs. The system developed in Phase I is based upon an innovative task-analytic methodology for matching students with disabilities with needed accommodations developed by Meeting the Challenge, Inc. under a National Science Foundation research project. This methodology utilizes a student capability assessment and task requirements analysis to direct the search of a comprehensive database of accommodations selected to specifically to meet the unique needs of students transitioning from school to adult life. Phase I successfully demonstrated the applicability and effectiveness of this approach for matching accommodations to specific students needs, and will be followed by research, development and testing of the complete Transition AbleAide system during Phase II. The ultimate goal of this effort is to develop a complete software package that can be used by special education professionals to determine needs of students transitioning from school to adult life, and then match those needs to the accommodations necessary to maximize successful transition.Summary Of Anticipated Results And Implications:Phase II will result in a fully functioning system that is ready for commercialization in Phase III. This tool will enable a special educator to determine the unique needs of a given student for successful transition and then identify the best and most cost-effective accommodations, without requiring the professional to maintain an expert knowledge of the thousands of accusative technology and home automation devices. This research will result in a tool that will ease the transition of students with disabilities from the school environment to adult life in the areas of education, employment and independent living by maximizing the use of appropriate assistive technology. The potential market includes all secondary schools, transition programs, youth agencies and vocational rehabilitation providers.
