SBIR-STTR Award

This research project is designed to evaluate the use of bar code technology for the education and habilitation of children with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Three areas of study have been chosen to accomplish this aim: (1) the use of bar code technology to teach initial reading skills to children with mild and moderate levels of retardation; (2) the use of bar code technology as an augmentative aid for speech-impaired children; and (3) the use of bar code technology as a technique for teaching Braille to children with multiple handicaps. These studies will serve as the basis for further development of bar code technology for educational purposes and the development of validated educational materials for children with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.The systems that will be studied are the Magic Wand Speaking Reader and Talking Track bar codes, developed by Texas Instruments. The Magic Wand consists of five basic components, including a fiberoptic reader, microprocessor, speech synthesizer, speaker, and power supply. The Talking Track bar codes contain coded instructions for producing words, sentences, sound effects, music, and instructions for a variety of educational tasks.National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

The purpose of this project is to translate the research findings concerning the demonstrated educational uses of bar code technology into validated curriculum materials and strategies for children with mild, moderate, and severe handicaps (e.g., learning disabilities, mental retardation, visual impairments, and communications impairments). Bar cod technology involves the use of portable bar code readers, consisting of hand held scanners, microprocessors and speech synthesizers, to provide auditory information, feedback, or instructions. The bar codes used by these devices are printed software which contain digital instructions for producing sounds, words or phrases, information concerning the accuracy of a response, or other instructions for the microprocessor. These bas codes can be printed on a wide variety of materials, including worksheets, flashcards, books, labels, pictures, and communication boards. The bar cod reader that has been used in educational settings in the Magic Wand Speaking Reader TM. The proposed project will accomplish the following objectives: 1) To further develop and evaluate bar coded materials and instructional strategies for improving reading skills, teaching sight words, and teaching braille to children with a wide range of disabilities; 2) To develop a microcomputer based software package for creating and printing bar codes in English and Spanish; 3) To develop a Magic Wand II that will incorporate modifications that have been identified by consumers and professionals; 4) To evaluate the modified Magic Wand II for use as an augmentative communication aid; and 5) To dissemintate research findings and developed materials nationally. The hardware and software products developed by this project will have an enormous market serving both Englis and Spanish speaking children.

Thesaurus Terms:
Biomedical Engineering, Technology Development Child Mental Development Disorders Children, Handicapped Children Computer Computer, Design And Evaluation Of Computers (Incl. Hardware) Computer, Man-Computer Interaction Computer Programming Education, Computer Assisted Instruction Education, Special (Remedial) Education Programs (Systems) Evaluation-Planning Eye Disorders, Aids For The Blind And Visually Impaired Human, Clinical Information And Communication, Voice Synthesizer Information-Communication Behavior,Reading Information-Communication Disorders, Aids Information-Communication Disorders, Language Disorders (General) Information-Communication Disorders, Reading Disorders Mental Retardation Mental Retardation, Education And Training Of Retarded Optics, Fiber Optics Optics, Image Processing Analysis And Display Social Groups, Ethnic, Americans, HispanicsNational Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD)