IRIS Center
Module 1: Assistive Technology—An
Overview
Initial Questions
• What should Ms. Adelaide know about
assistive technology and how it is used by
students with disabilities?
• What are the school's responsibilities
regarding assistive technology?
• What can classroom teachers do to help their
students fully succeed in their use of assistive
technology?
After reviewing the Perspectives and Resources section
and after completing the accompanying activities, you
should be able to:
• Define assistive technology
• Differentiate between assistive technology devices and
assistive technology services
• Understand how assistive technology helps students
with disabilities gain access to the curriculum
• Understand that the IEP team is responsible for
considering assistive technology for students with
disabilities
• Access resources that support the use of assistive
technology for students with disabilities
What is AT?
AT is any device or service that helps a student with
a disability to meet his or her individualized
education program (IEP) goals and to participate in
the general education setting to the greatest
possible extent. More simply, AT improves the
functional performance of an individual with a
disability.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA '04)
What is AT?
Assistive technology, therefore, might be
something as complex as a hand-held electronic
magnifying instrument or as simple as a
specialized rubber pencil grip.
Students can utilize assistive technology to:
• Communicate
• Perform academic tasks
• Participate in social and extracurricular
activities
• Move or travel around the school
• Use proper seating and positioning
• Access materials
Our Old Friend Access
Though assistive technology has the potential to
improve both their quality of education and
their quality of life, many students with
disabilities simply do not have access to it.
In order for school personnel to consider
assistive technology, they must first understand
assistive technology can come in the form of:
• Devices
• Services
Assistive technology supports and services that are
specified in the federal definition of assistive
technology services include
• Evaluating the student's need for a device
• Buying, leasing, or acquiring the device
• Selecting, fitting, adapting, repairing, or replacing
the device as needed
• Coordinating the services for a student who uses
a device (e.g., therapies, education)
• Providing training or technical assistance to the
student, family, teachers, or others involved in
the use of the device
These include training on:
• Using software and hardware across all
environments (e.g., school, home,
community)
• Arranging the physical environment (e.g.,
ensuring that the physical space is set up to
facilitate the most effective use of his AT)
• Troubleshooting and making minor repairs to
AT devices, including who to contact for
technical support
What are the school's responsibilities
regarding assistive technology?
Students must have access to needed AT if they
are to ensure that all students have access to a
free appropriate public education (FAPE).
IDEA '04 requires IEP teams to
consider…
…whether AT devices and services are needed to
accomplish the individualized goals and
objectives for students with disabilities.
Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative
(WATI) Assistive Technology Consideration
Guide
One of the most commonly used or adapted AT
consideration guides is the Wisconsin Assistive
Technology Initiative (WATI) Assistive
Technology Consideration Guide.
Implementing AT
•
•
•
•
Who is the contact person for coordinating efforts
Who is on the Implementation Team and what are their roles
What AT devices and services will be used
How AT will be used across home, school, and community
environments
• How the student, teachers, and parents will be trained on AT
• How AT will be monitored and evaluated
Click to view or print the National Assistive Technology Research
Institute's Assistive Technology Implementation Plan.
As soon as the implementation of AT has begun, it is
critical that information be gathered so the team
can make informed decisions about what is working
for the student. Some of the information that
should be collected includes:
• Student feedback to determine whether the
student likes the AT and feels that it is helpful
• Observations to establish whether the student
uses the AT and appears engaged and interested
in using the device
• Performance data to determine whether the AT
helps the student to perform the intended task(s)
Some Reasons for AT Abandonment
The student was not appropriately involved in the AT process (e.g., identifying or
selecting the device).
The AT is not supported in the environment.
The device is too difficult to manage or use.
Teachers think AT takes too much of their time.
The AT does not do what it is expected to do.
The AT device interferes with another AT device or some other task.
The AT device is inflexible and not suitable for changing needs. That is, it does not
grow with the student.
The student is embarrassed or doesn't want to use something that makes him or her
seem different from his or her peers.
The device is not cool enough. The student may have a preconceived idea about the
device.