THE USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES IN TEACHING PRACTICE

Abstract

The use of Assistive Technologies (ATs) in Specialized Educational Services (SEAs) represents an essential strategy to ensure the inclusion and full development of students with disabilities, global developmental disorders and high abilities/giftedness. These technologies include resources, services and tools that favor communication, mobility, learning and autonomy of students, promoting their active participation in the school process. However, their implementation in teaching practice still faces several challenges, such as the lack of ongoing training for teachers, the lack of adequate equipment in educational institutions, the absence of effective public policies and the difficulty of articulating regular education and SEAs. Many teachers report insecurity when using assistive technologies, especially when they do not receive technical or pedagogical support for this purpose. Despite these obstacles, the presence of ATs also reveals countless possibilities: it favors the adaptation of teaching materials, expands the forms of expression of students and strengthens the personalization of teaching, respecting the particularities of each subject. For these possibilities to materialize, it is essential to invest in critical and reflective teacher training, in accessible school infrastructure and in inclusive policies that value the AEE as a space for pedagogical innovation. In this way, the use of assistive technologies can cease to be an isolated resource and become an effective part of a truly inclusive education.