{"id":23498,"date":"2024-02-05T13:59:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T18:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/edhd\/?p=23498"},"modified":"2024-02-23T14:06:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T19:06:19","slug":"govtech-com-interviews-archer-and-howorth-about-technology-for-neurodivergent-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/edhd\/2024\/02\/05\/govtech-com-interviews-archer-and-howorth-about-technology-for-neurodivergent-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Govtech.com interviews Archer and Howorth about technology for neurodivergent students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent article on\u00a0Govtech.com<\/a>\u00a0about educational technology for neurodivergent students featured interviews with\u00a0<\/strong>Connor Archer, self-advocate advisor to\u00a0Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources<\/a>\u00a0(MAIER), and\u00a0Sarah Howorth, associate professor of special education and MAIER\u2019s director. Archer was diagnosed with autism at age three and remained nonverbal until he was five. Growing up, his mother encouraged him to type on a laptop. Archer embraced the challenge and gradually wrote a collection of short stories. During high school and college, digital translation tools helped him with foreign language assignments. Now 25, he has an MBA from Husson University and is CEO of a nonprofit he founded, the\u00a0Courageous Steps Project<\/a>, which supports inclusive learning projects in Maine.\u00a0\u201cUsing a pen and paper was never my strong suit. Keyboarding worked for me, but everybody\u2019s different,\u201d Archer said. \u201cResults may not show in\u00a0the\u00a0minute, but they will eventually. It takes time and patience. I wouldn\u2019t be successful without the presence of technology in my life.\u201d Howorth says communication tools that give students a voice have been game changing. She said it\u2019s exciting to think about the role artificial intelligence will play in assistive technology, though she cautioned that any new tool, no matter how impressive, must be a good fit with the student\u2019s individualized learning plan and not a shortcut to achievement. \u201cThink of the learning objectives first,\u201d she said. \u201cIs it [the AI-powered tool] helping the student, or just doing the work for them?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent article on\u00a0Govtech.com\u00a0about educational technology for neurodivergent students featured interviews with\u00a0Connor Archer, self-advocate advisor to\u00a0Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources\u00a0(MAIER), and\u00a0Sarah Howorth, associate professor of special education and MAIER\u2019s director.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"A recent article on\u00a0Govtech.com\u00a0about educational technology for neurodivergent students featured interviews with\u00a0Connor Archer, self-advocate advisor to\u00a0Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources\u00a0(MAIER), and\u00a0Sarah Howorth, associate professor of special education and MAIER\u2019s 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