Keys to Success:
Assistive Technology Overview
For SEPAC
Jeff Crockett
Assistive Technology Coordinator
Northville Public Schools
October 18, 2013
What is Assistive
Technology?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act IDEA ‘97 (Public Law 105-17) mandates
the provision of assistive technology and
offers clear definitions of assistive technology
devices and services.
Legal Definitions
Assistive Technology Devices
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 children with
disabilities. (Section 300.5)
Legal Definitions
Assistive Technology Services
Any service that directly assists an individual with a
disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an
assistive technology device. (Section 300.5)
•Evaluating
•Providing devices
•Selecting, Designing, Customizing
•Maintaining, Repairing
•Coordinating
•Training/Technical Assistance –student, family and
school service providers
IDEA Facts
•Schools are required to provide AT at no cost to
the parents if it is needed for a student to receive a
free appropriate education.
•The IEP team is responsible for determining
whether a child requires assistive technology to
benefit from their educational program
•IDEA ‘97 requires IEP teams to consider the
assistive technology needs of students during the
development of an IEP
Assistive Technology Consideration
Where do we start?
A Team Approach
•
Multiple perspectives from a number of disciplines will
ensure that the needs of the student will be addressed
and services are provided across all environments.
•
Members may include: Student, Parent(s), Assistive
Technology Specialist, Special Education Teacher,
General Education Teacher, Occupational Therapist,
Speech and Language Pathologist, School Administrator,
Physical Therapist, School Psychologist, Para-Educator
•
The IEP team is responsible for determining whether a
student requires AT to achieve goals and objectives.
Assistive Technology Consideration
•Student centered focus
•Multidisciplinary team approach which
includes the student and family
•Provides information about the student from
multiple perspectives across all environments
•IEP team is empowered to make decisions
regarding AT devices and services
Consideration Process
Features of a consideration process:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Identifies area of concern
Identifies barriers to learning and participation
Explores potential solutions
Implements solutions
Gathers and documents information
Tracks and monitors progress and adjusts
plan as needed
Example of a Framework for AT Consideration
SETT
Student Environment Tasks Tools
by
Joy Zabala
www.joyzabala.com
SETT is a framework that assists teams in the consideration
process.
Critical elements of SETT:
•Process
•Communication
•Multiple perspectives
•Collaboration
•Flexibility
•Pertinent information and resources
SETT
By Joy Zabala (1994)
What does the student need to be able to do
that is difficult or impossible to do
independently at this time?
What are the students special needs
and abilities?
STUDENT
What are the functional areas of concern?
What are the students current abilities?
Where will the student participate- classroom, home,
community, therapy?
What activities take place in the environment?
What materials, equipment,
supports, resources are available?
What specific tasks occur in the environments which
enable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and
objectives?
Tools are devices and services- everything
that is needed to help the student succeed.
ENVIRONMENT
What is the physical arrangement?
TASKS
What activities is the student
expected to do?
Tools must be student centered.
TOOLS
Describe tool features that are needed.
Tools are on a continuum
from no/low, mid, high.
Documenting Assistive Technology
•
IDEA regulations do not identify how or where to
address assistive technology in the IEP however
they do specify that “consideration” is
documented somewhere in the IEP
•
AT should be identified in the part or parts of the
IEP that best fit with the type of assistive
technology provided and correspond to the
areas addressed by IEP goals and objectives.
•
Describe the type of assistive technology,
include enough detail of features, and device
categories without specifying the brand name.
Data Collection and Documentation
Data collection and documentation is an ongoing
process that is used to review and revise a
student’s plan. This includes:
– Formal or informal assessment data identifies
baseline performance, specific needs, and initial
assistive technology implementation.
– Performance data supports or disproves solutions
tried (tool trials).
– Performance data evaluates outcomes and measures
student performance toward goals.
Assistive Technology Continuum
Assistive Technology is a continuum of
tools, strategies, and services that match
a student’s needs, abilities and tasks.
Explore possible solutions needed to meet goals
Low Tech Strategies
Mid Tech Strategies
High Tech Strategies
Pencil grips
Color coding
Highlighters
Study guides
Reading and writing guides
Enlarged worksheets
Notes provided
Etext
Talking spell checker, dictionary
Word processor
Word predication
Bookshare
Online courses
Text readers
Voice recognition
iPads
Augmentative communication device
Laptops/Notebooks
Electronic books
Resources
Local
Northville
AT
Coordinator
Northville
Public
Library
National
Regional
Wayne RESA
Assistive
Technology
Resource
Center
(ATRC)
http://www.resa.net/
specialeducation/sp
ecialed/assistivetech
nology/
State
Michigan
Integrated
Technology
Supports
(MITS)
http://mits.cen
mi.org/
Center for
Applied
Special
Technologies
(CAST)
www.cast.org
Our NPS Assistive Technology
Learning Community
Students
Teachers
Administrators
Parents
Parapros