Karen,
One of your own, at a recent
PATOSS conference in Bristol, specifically asked us not to specify the
technical equipment. I, however, always demonstrate Dragon NS preferred 10 to my
assessees if I am sure that they will be able to master it (i.e at least an
'average' s.w. reading recognition score) . I then give them details of the
package with their report. I think you are ignorant of how brilliant
the current DNS software is when properly trained - new words are picked up
automatically now, it's only obscure vocabulary that needs training i.e.
place names and surnames.Also the DNS' digital voice recorder which is
compatible with the software transcribes a lecture to a word document
virtually instantly with 95% accuracy- no student with processing difficulties
should be denied that surely? Retailing on Amazon at around £120 it must surely
be a viable option.
Jane Scaysbrook
PATOSS SpLD
APC
----- Original Message -----
To:
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
3:32 PM
Subject: Query about Educational
Psychologists and their remit
Apologies for cross-posting...
Can anyone please
tell me whether Ed Psych's who are members of PATOSS, BDO and NASEN are being
told to put technical recommendations into their diagnostic reports?
As a
needs assessor I am encountering problems as a result of one Ed. Psych adding
the following (or variations thereof) to their reports
"STUDENT is also
in need of a number of items of equipment to support him, including Dragon
Naturally Speaking. This software will allow him to transfer what he says speak
into text on his laptop/PC. It will also support him in composing emails and the
latest version will also assist him in researching on the Internet using his
voice..."
Of course, the student, knowing no different, accepts this
statement as gospel, and when I sit with them and explain the pitfalls and
limitations of Dragon NS (or any other voice recognition software), they either
think that I am being 'mean' in not recommending this modern miracle, or else it
undermines their faith in the Ed.Psych - which is not my intention, and I do
make sure to explain that it is not part of the EP's role to understand the
limitations of the technology whereas it IS part of mine.
Frankly, when
I meet someone who tells me that they cannot talk in a smooth sentence, has no
idea of where to place punctuation, and cannot differentiate between similar
looking words, then VRS would not be the first thing on my list of helpful items
for them. That and of course the need to constantly train new vocabulary
slows the creative processes to a crawl...
Note also that a great many
of these students do not already have a laptop/PC and the Ed Psych seems also to
be building the expectation in them that this will be forthcoming...
I
would dearly love to know how the EP thinks that having Dragon is going to help
with researching on the internet, or indeed why this particular student would
want to do this when the student is already a whizz touch-typist (far faster and
more accurate than I could ever hope to be)...
I am meeting students who
have been diagnosed by this person, and finding that the expectations being
built in them are not at all helpful - for any of us.
What I would
like to know from all of you is - is this person acting according to guidelines
from within their professional bodies (member of more than one) or not? And if
not, is there any professional way to request that they stick to doing their job
and not stray into mine (seemingly without the necessary experience to do it
right).
Regards
K
Karen Farmer
DSA Needs
Assessor
Professional & Academic Development (PAD)
University of
Bedfordshire
Park Square, Luton
LU1 3HZ
Tel: 01582 74 3422
Internal ext: 3422
Fax: 01582 489 349