The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • The Edvocate
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

  • Mixing And Matching: How To Blend Online Learning And AI

  • Understanding Institutional Reasons to Move to Cloud

  • How to Get Your Educators Excited About Using Edtech

  • Teaching Intelligence: Digital Literacy In the ‘Alternative Facts’ Era

  • The Digital Revolution in Schools: It’s Not Just Remote Learning

  • 3 Perks of Network Management on a University Campus

  • How To Secure Distance Learning Information In The Hacking Prone Environment

Special Education
Home›Special Education›Special Needs Kids Get A Voice of Their Own

Special Needs Kids Get A Voice of Their Own

By Matthew Lynch
July 21, 2020
Spread the love

Not being able to communicate is frustrating. It’s especially exasperating for special needs children who can’t speak at all. These kids have plenty to say, but they aren’t able to make themselves understood.

 Technology may be able to change that.

Thought translation software is about to give special needs kids who can’t speak a voice of their own. They will be able to articulate what they’re thinking.

Columbia University researchers have developed a thought-to-speech translator that’s already 75% accurate. The algorithm they’re building is still in its infancy. It currently can only extract  “thoughts as a person listens to speech, but the researchers plan to see if they can replicate the study while having a person speak or think about speaking — no listening involved.” Called a vocoder, the algorithm analyzes brain waves for specific patterns. Machine learning converts these patterns into speech.

Of course, Columbia University isn’t the only higher ed institution working on this development. Other universities and even Facebook are developing similar programs.

The braintech science behind thought-to-speech communication

The software for converting thought-to-speech is similar to the interfaces used for communicating with Alexa or Siri. Algorithms scan for neural activity in the brain and then translate their findings into speech. Machine learning is making it possible for the algorithms to predict thought process concepts. It’s not quite mind-reading, though. Thought-to-speech communication is based on intention. The “speaker” must first want to say something for the algorithm to respond.

Elon Musk expects that in 2020, his company Neuralink will implant devices that can read brain activity and be able to tell what someone is thinking.  Musk predicts that the devices will have all sorts of uses. For example, these brain activity decoders are expected to keep employees, such as truckers and pilots, safe because the artificial intelligence used can predict fatigue even if the person won’t admit it.

The impact for special needs students

For several years, the education community has had access to a variety of tools to help children make their voices heard in school. Apps like Voice4U and Dragon Dictation have made it possible for special needs children to express their feelings and communicate with those around them. The output depended on the input, which usually happened by typing messages. However, the newer technology devices that use thought process prediction will be game-changers for children who haven’t been able to speak at all. They will be able to think it, and the machine will say it.

Advanced technology has always been welcome in special education classrooms. New innovations, like thought-to-speech communication algorithms, provide equitable access in the classroom. Students who would otherwise be left out of a conversation or slowed down by using visual boards to express themselves will be able to express their needs and have instant access to conversations.

Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of thought-to-speech communication for special needs kids is that it will empower them. By being able to express themselves, disabled children will find themselves competing with their non-disabled peers in ways never imagined.

Fortunately, the algorithms are already doing the imagining for them.


Spread the love
Previous Article

DIY Hacks for Your Old Laptop

Next Article

Safer School Buses, on the Roads and ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Assistive TechnologySpecial Education

    Apps and Tools That Will Help You Develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

    May 22, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechSpecial Education

    Edtech Innovations for Special Populations

    June 4, 2019
    By Matthew Lynch
  • DisabilitiesEdTech & InnovationSpecial Education

    Using Technology to Empower Students with Special Needs

    October 27, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Adaptive LearningAdult EducationClassroom ManagementEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechElementary EducationElementary SchoolHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Matthew LynchMiddle SchoolMiddle School EducationOnline Learning & eLearningPreK-12Secondary EducationSpecial EducationStudents

    The Two Main Barriers Against Deep Learning

    October 23, 2020
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Getting Edtech and Educational Resources List Approval in Each State in the U.S.

  • Curriculum & InstructionEdTech & InnovationK-12Online Learning & eLearningPreK-12

    How to Create Beautiful Online Courses: Layout

  • Teachers

    Laser Light Show: Classroom Edition

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 25, 2021
  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 24, 2021
  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 23, 2021
  • Mixing And Matching: How To Blend Online Learning And AI

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 22, 2021
  • Understanding Institutional Reasons to Move to Cloud

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 19, 2021
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • What is the Future of Online Learning in Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 2, 2018
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 25, 2021

    Virtual Learning Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

    […] applications and platforms ...
  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 24, 2021

    How Can We Use Chatbots in Education?

    […] chatbot is any ...
  • Let’s talk Tech – Sine up for Math
    on
    February 23, 2021

    7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    […] Lynch, M. (2017, ...
  • Promoting Literacy In Early Education - The Edvocate
    on
    February 23, 2021

    Top 7 Education Apps for the Classroom

    […] of the best ...
  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 23, 2021

    Good News Stories About Edtech From Across the Globe

    […] the past twenty ...

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...
  • EdTech FuturesEdTech Policy & Reform

    3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st ...

    Spread the loveAccording to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How Does Technology Immersion Shape the Brain?

    Spread the loveDo you wonder what all of the screen time we have is really doing to our brains? As edtech continues to rise in prominence throughout the world, this ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesOnline Learning & eLearning

    Using Nudge Theory in Your Corporate Online Learning Classes

    Spread the loveAfter reading this headline, you may be asking yourself, what is nudge theory? Nudge theory centers on positive reinforcement and inferred suggestions to motivate a person to complete ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Bringing Education into the Business World

    Spread the loveU.S. businesses spent nearly $20 billion on training in 2019. That number decreased by roughly half from the year before. Companies aren’t providing fewer professional development opportunities for ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    You Must Include These 3 Things in Your Edtech Business Plan

    Spread the loveDo you have a business plan? It’s the one question you’re going to be asked a lot as you begin your edtech business. The reasons to write a ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Edtech Marketing Ideas to Implement Right Now

    Spread the loveEven if you do have the most exceptional edtech product or service in the world, you’ve still got to market it. Your sales and your success depend on ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How Your Edtech Startup Can Make the Leap from Failure to Funded

    Spread the loveThe best ideas in edtech are often only ideas. They never become a reality because they lack the funding they need to get off the ground. Taking an ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2021

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...
  • EdTech Futures

    Top Edtech Trends for 2021

    Spread the loveAre you ready to look ahead? Schools will soon be reflecting on what’s been working this year and what’s not. They’ll also begin thinking about their budgets for ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Futures

    In the Wake of Teacher Shortages, Schools are Turning to Virtual Teachers

    Spread the loveTeaching was once a greatly respected position, and today, morally it still seems to be of high value to many Americans. Institutionally, however, teaching no longer seems to ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
advocatefored@gmail.com

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.