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//What Qualifies as Assistive Technology?// //Assistive technology device// means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. Assistive Technology need not be high-tech electronics -- a paper-based graphic organizer is considered assistive technology. However, many students with language-based learning disabilities struggle to express themselves on paper, so to them the most exciting opportunities tend to be electronic!

The article// Assistive Technology for LD Overview// from LD Online provides an excellent introduction to Assistive Technology, particularly for students with language disabilities, and the forms it usually takes. Here it is in PDF form as well:



The LD Online site contains additional technology information here: //LD Online Technology Page//

//How Do I Find Out What Assistive Tech is Right for My Child?// Unless your child's school system is highly advanced when it comes to technology, you will want to request a formal Assistive Technology evaluation/assessment. The requirement that assistive technology be considered for all children who are eligible for an IEP is written into federal special education law, so if you make the request in writing, your system is likely to provide the evaluation. If they don't have a qualified evaluator on staff, they will contract with a private provider to do the evaluation.

//The Evaluator// The evaluator will review your child's records, paying particular attention to his or her IEP goals. He or she will also interview people at the school to find out what has been done before and what the primary goals of using assistive technology are. Good evaluators will usually interview parents as well, to ask about their concerns and questions. It's a good idea, however, to ask to be one of the people interviewed right in the letter requesting the evaluation.

//The Report// Many good assistive technology assessments use a relatively fixed format known as //SETT -- Student, Environment, Task, Tools.// Some evaluators add two more Ts -- //Training// and //Trials//. A solid professional assessment will include information about all six of these areas regardless of whether they use the fixed SETT (+TT) format. To provide slightly more detail -- the assessment should include information about the:

//S - Student --// especially the issues that are prompting the assessment, his or her strengths, current knowledge/ability to use technology tools

//E - Environment --// Places where the technology is expected to be used. This should include any details about the physical space or the people in it that may affect how a technology plan can be implemented. For example, if the plan calls for the student to be able to print out his or her work, but the only printer available is in the main office, the logistics of getting the printouts will have to be addressed for the plan to be successful.

//T - Tasks --// what the student needs to be able to do. This should be fairly specific -- a first-grader's needs around "reading" are different from a high schooler's. Often the IEP goals are a good source of information about the expected tasks.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">//T - Tools --// In the words of Joy Zabala, originator of the SETT framework, this section of the report should answer the question, //"What needs to be included when developing a system of assistive technology tools for a student with these needs and abilities, doing these tasks, in these environments?"//

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">//**+**//

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">//T - Training --// a good report will identify specific training needs for the student, staff, and family if the technology will be used outside the school setting. If the technology is poorly understood or implemented, it will create a problem, instead of solving one.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">//T - Trials --// the evaluator should include suggestions regarding what technologies to try, how to implement them, and how to assess their effectiveness. Preferably, he or she would set up and monitor any needed trials, and return to the team in a few months to review how well the assistive technology plan is going and suggest changes if needed.

//<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Sample Assistive Technology Assessment //


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Attached above is an example of an effective Assistive Technology Assessment. Note that the evaluator has not bothered to go into detail with irrelevant history, but does document the student's strengths and key IEP accommodations, as well as summarizing the primary impact of the disability on his ability to make progress.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">The evaluator worked with the student to determine what he already knows how to do with computers.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">While the description of environment was brief, it does identify that this student has teachers who job-share; this detail will be important when it's time to define what training is needed.

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 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">All the recommendations are clearly tied into the student's goal areas, which makes it easier to understand how they will contribute to his progress. Most of the recommendations are free or inexpensive. Some can be used as field-tests to see if this type of tool really helps the student, before money is spent to purchase more advanced or comprehensive versions. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">The evaluator also specifically comments on building independence, an important concern for a student entering 4th grade. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">The report includes recommendations regarding training time and assessing success using trials, and suggests a path forward to help the team address the most important considerations first.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">//When writing Assistive Technology into the IEP, be sure to...//
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This assessment is a particularly useful one because the evaluator demonstrates familiarity with the legal standards that apply to special education. Language such as, "Recommendations focus on the following areas...which are believed to be critical for supporting him in obtaining a free, appropriate education and ensuring that he is making effective progress..." connects unequivocally to special education laws. This makes it virtually impossible for the school to refuse to act on the recommendations.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">be specific about how the assistive technology will connect to the student's major needs or goal areas
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">include multiple settings, not just the classroom, if needed for full support and skill generalization
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">provide consultation time to train the student, school staff, //and family//, as needed
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">build in a follow-up from the evaluator to assess how well it's going and suggest changes if any are needed
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">identify someone in your child's school building to act as the go-to person for technology glitches

<span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">//**Helpful Links**//

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">//Teaching Every Student Wiki - AT Consideration Resources// <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Karen Janowki's Wiki including the text of key laws and many assessment guidelines

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">//State of Massachusetts Assistive Technology web page//

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">//State of Massachusetts Assistive Technology Guide (link to PDF)// <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">This is a 27-page guide that is still very useful even though it was written in 2002. It includes a nice resource section as well as a question-and answer section about how school districts should implement the laws.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">//Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative// <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">A useful site, overall. This link connects to the Free Materials page, which contains the PDF file for their full 64-page guide as well as each chapter individually

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10.2333px; text-align: left;">Mehrzad Araghi, creator of this Wiki, is a special needs advocate in the Greater Boston/Metrowest areas of Massachusetts and an ADHD coach, by telephone, worldwide. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10.2333px; text-align: left;">You can reach her at mehrzad@alignedconnections.com or 508.259.4660