Assistive Technology
for Young Children
Assistive technology engages children with disabilities and their families in new
ways. It helps them participate in educational opportunities and community
activities that might otherwise be unavailable to them. When providers seek
creative solutions using assistive technology, they open up new opportunities for
children with disabilities and their families.
This module, Assistive Technology for Young Children, describes how assistive
technology (AT) facilitates child development and independence by increasing
participation in everyday routines and activities. Participants will learn the range
of AT available for infants, toddlers and children with disabilities and how to
select and use AT effectively. Current research focuses on:
 The benefits of using AT with young children
 Ways that AT can support individual children in inclusive settings
 When to consider using AT
 Strategies to determine solutions for embedded use in natural environments.
The best way to determine effective AT solutions involves a team decision
making process.
Topics covered in the module include:
• Definitions of AT devices and services
• Supporting inclusive practices
• Functional outcomes for participation
• Features of AT solutions
• Strategies to select, analyze, and customize AT solutions
• Routine + Activity AT matrices for infants, toddlers, and young children
Objectives
In completing this module, you will:
• Learn definitions, significance, and practice implications for AT
• Define issues related to using AT
• Identify the functional domains of participation
• Describe the features and characteristics of a range of low to high AT supports
• Apply a systematic activity-based approach for AT decision making
PART I: WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY?
Note the key elements of the definition for AT. Include examples if helpful.
Legal Foundations
Use this chart to note the key elements of legislation.
Legislation
Things to Remember
Civil Rights Laws
The Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, Section 504
The Americans with
Disabilities Act of
1990
Technology Laws
The Technology
Related Assistance for
Individuals with
Disabilities Act of
1988 (Tech Act)
Assistive Technology
Act (ATA) of 1998
Special Education Laws
The Individuals with
Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), formerly
Education for the
Handicapped Act
(EHA)
What is AT for Young Children?
Use this chart to describe AT.
Statement
AT is a physical item
AT can be found
anywhere
AT is defined by its
purpose
Description
Assistive Technology Categories
Using this chart, note some examples of low, mid, and high tech devices.
LOW-TECH
MID-TECH
HIGH-TECH
readily available, off-thespecial catalog, designed
shelf, low-cost, little
for disability, more costly,
training
training required
Combining AT Categories
Use the example provided in the module to determine how you could combine
high- and low-tech AT.
Non-Tech Strategies and Modifications
Note ways to add non-tech strategies of modifications to your work.
Using this chart, create a list of low-tech and high tech AT items for various
activities.
Activity
Low Tech
High Tech
Bath Time
Sitting on Floor
Eating
Communicating
Playing
Answer the following questions.
1. Compare your list to another member of your team or colleague.
2. Discuss your lists: Are there many similarities, differences. What other
AT could you add?
3. Did you include materials such as Velcro, non-slip or rolled towels? How
would you defend their use as AT?
Blowing Bubbles
Answer the question below:
1. How can a child with only the use of one hand participate in blowing
bubbles with his friends?
AT Continuum
Use the following activity sheet
(www.teachingei.org/technology/documents/1.2%20AT%20Continuum%20Exam
ples.pdf) to first review examples of AT options for painting a picture, reading a
book and communicating. Then work with your team to suggest a range of AT
options to help a child participate in three new activities.
LOW-TECH
readily available,
off-the-shelf,
low-cost,
little training
AT Supports for Sitting on the Floor
AT Supports for Taking a Bath
AT Supports for Cutting with Scissors
AT Services
Note the key ideas regarding AT services.
HIGH-TECH
specialty catalog,
designed for disability,
more costly,
training required
Federal Mandates
Using this chart, note the Federal mandates related to each column.
AT in the Natural Role of Family
Identification of
AT Consideration
Environment &
in AT DecisionFunding
the LRE Part C
making
Part C
Education
Medical
619
Technology
How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
1. What do you know about the AT services within your program?
2. How can you access these services to better include AT devices in your
planning?
3. How can you help families access AT services that will support them?
PART II: EARLY CHILDHOOD AND AT PRACTICES
Note the ways AT supports the concepts below.
Family-Provider Partnerships and Diversity
Naturalistic Model
Natural + Least Restrictive Environments
Note the ways AT supports inclusion, particularly related to the strategies listed.
Inclusion
Universal Design
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Technology Use
How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
1. How do you engage families in making decisions about technology?
2. When thinking about your own environment, what kinds of technology
do you encounter?
3. How does the technology available help the children you serve
participate and learn?
Benefits and Underutilization
Benefits
Note the benefits of AT.
Review the abstracts of articles
(www.teachingei.org/technology/documents/2.4a%20AT%20Mini%20Bib.pdf) in
the AT for Young Children Mini-bibliography. Select 2-3 articles and use the
activity sheet
(www.teachingei.org/technology/documents/2.4b%20Mini%20Bib%20Activity.pdf
) to identify purpose, population, intervention and results. Answer the following
questions.
1. What are the common trends of AT use?
2. What are the field’s approaches to selecting, acquiring, and/or using AT?
3. Did you discover new ideas or understandings? What questions to you
have?
Underutilization of AT
Note the causes of underutilization.
Review the Tots ’n Tech Research Brief on AT Training Practices
Use Assistive Technology Training for Providers & Families of Children in
Early Intervention, http://tnt.asu.edu/files/ATtrainingbrief2-8-05.pdf (Research
Brief Volume 1, Number 6, 2005). Answer the following questions.
1. How did providers primarily receive information and training about AT?
2. What was their preferred method of receiving training?
3. Does the training appear to be sufficient in building AT skills of
providers?
4. Based on the survey results how would you describe effective AT
training practices? How would you know if the training worked?
5. How do you receive your information on AT use with young children and
how to share the information with their families and teachers?
Practice Guidelines
Note the practice guidelines and how they are relevant to your work.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Why Low-Tech?
Note the key ideas for using low-tech AT.
Knowing each team member’s skills in using AT with young children is a valuable
way to understand their expertise and training needs. Take the AT Confidence
Scale
(www.teachingei.org/technology/documents/2.6%20AT%20Confidence%20Scale
.pdf) to define your current knowledge, skill, and training needs to provide AT
services. Although the scale is designed for providers of children birth to 3, it can
be easily adapted for those working with preschool children. Answer the
questions below.
1. What are your team’s training needs? How should they be prioritized?
2. What are your training resource options?
3. How does the team prefer to receive training and gain knowledge about
AT?
4. Do you have adequate access to AT devices to use with children? What
local resources are available?
5. Discuss how various members share information with families and
preschool teachers. What approaches are most effective?
PART III: USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Note the key routines where AT might assist your work.
Think about the children you work with and create a list of their environments and
routine activities on this worksheet (below). You will use this information for later
activities.
ACTIVITIES
ENVIRONMENTS
Participation Framework
Note the ways in which this framework supports your work.
How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
2. How do you plan AT strategies to help children and families engage in
home activities? In community activites? In early education activities?
3. How do these approaches support movement, communication, and/or
interactions?
Functional Areas
Note the resources most relevant to your services.
Movement Resources
Communication Resources
Interaction with Materials Resources
Products with Universal Design (UD) Features
Review the CONNECT Examples of Environmental Modifications booklet
from a preschool classroom (http://community.fpg.unc.edu/connectmodules/resources/handouts) (Winton, Buysse, Turnbull, Rous, & Hollingsworth,
2010). According to the AT definition, most of the modifications can be
considered AT.
Use the activity sheet (below), Identify AT Supports by Function, to identify AT
solutions on each page. Then identify how each supports one or more functional
area: Movement, Communication or Interaction with Materials. Think about the
purpose of the AT supports in each picture.
Identify AT Supports by Function Activity Sheet
Use the CONNECT handout on Environmental Modifications to look for ways AT can be used to
support MOVEMENT (positioning and mobility), COMMUNICATION and INTERACTION with
MATERIALS. Identify the AT in each picture and its functional area. What is the purpose of the AT?
How does it help a child to do something she couldn’t do before?
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Assistive Technology Used
M
C
I
How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
1. How does the AT support participation in the activity?
2. Which functional area was addressed most frequently?
3. Was low or high tech used more often?
4. What routine activities were the children participating in?
5. Do you agree with your colleagues as to the purpose of the AT in each
picture?
6. What non-tech strategies were also used?
7. Did the exercise change your perception of what AT is?
8. Did you see any uses of AT that were new to you?
Adaptive Material
Note the resources most relevant to your services.
AT Purpose & Participation in the Natural
Environment
Note the key ideas for using AT in natural environments.
1. Participating in Natural Routines: Using this activity sheet
(http://teachingei.org/technology/documents/3.14%20Participation%20actions
.pdf and below), identify two activities from your list of natural routines.
Describe the ways that children participate in the activity. Link each action to
movement, communication, and/or interaction with materials.
Ways of Participating in Natural Environments
What does a child need to do to participate? Select two routines from your list of
daily routine activities. Identify all of the ways that children participate in the activity.
Then identify whether each action relates to how children move, communicate and
/or interact with materials.
ACTIVITY 1
Participation
Actions
Move
Communicate
Interact
ACTIVITY 2
Participation
Actions
Move
Communicate
Interact
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2. Embedding AT Supports in Natural Routines:
After identifying what a child needs to do to participate in two activities, use
this form
(www.teachingei.org/technology/documents/3.15%20AT%20solutions.pdf and
below) to suggest AT supports for each functional area: Movement,
Communication or Interaction with Materials. Use the resources provided in
the module to identify supports. Ask: What will help the child to participate
more?
Activity 1
AT Supports to
Consider
What will the child be
able to do?
AT Supports to
Consider
What will the child be
able to do?
Movement
Expectations
Communication
Expectations
Interaction with
Materials
Expectations
Activity 2
Movement
Expectations
Communication
Expectations
Interaction with
Materials
Expectations
How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
1. Did you include a range of low to high-tech options? Did you have a
preference? Why?
2. Were the module resources helpful? Which ones?
3. Did you use any of the same AT solutions for both activities?
4. How can you best determine the level of a child’s participation? Or the
key actions of the activity?
5. Compare natural settings and routine activities for infants and toddlers
with those of preschoolers. What are the similarities and differences?
AT Toolkits
Note the resources most relevant to your services.
PART IV: AT DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK
Note the key ideas to help you make decisions about AT.
When to Consider AT
Observations: Consideration of AT
A Collaborative, Activity-Based Approach
Elements of the SETT Framework








How does this work for me?
Reflect on the question below:
1. How do you and your team make decisions about AT?
2. What considerations guide your decisions?
3. What are 3 things that work well? What 3 things will you do differently?
Six Steps to Finding AT Solutions
Note the key ideas about the SETT framework.
Ongoing Re-evaluation
Suggested Forms for Decision-making
Using this chart, describe each step in the SETT framework and note the forms.
Steps
Descriptions
Forms
1. Collect child
and family
information
2. Examine the
child’s natural
environments
3. Identify key
activities for
participation
4. Brainstorm AT
solutions
5. Create an
Intervention
Plan
6. Modify +
Recommend
Select a case study from the module: Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities,
which can also be found in the toolkit. Read the background about the child and
think about what the child needs to do to fully participate in the activity described
below and where AT supports are indicated. Use forms for each step of the
decision making process. Use the resources in this module to brainstorm AT
solutions. Identify a list of potential AT solutions; discuss and prioritize the most
effective ones and create an implementation plan. Review the statements and
answer the appropriate questions.
Allison wants to play with toys while on the floor, either sitting or lying down.
How can she comfortably and successfully interact with toys?
Jake has trouble remembering school routines with more than 2 steps such as
washing his hands, getting ready for departure, sharing at show and tell, or
cleaning up after choice time.
How can AT help him to independently complete each routine?
Kaila is now 2 years old and loves mealtimes with her family. She picks up and
eats food from her tray; her mother feeds her ‘spoon foods’ (for example, soup,
yogurt, and applesauce). She will be going to preschool in a couple of months
and needs to be able to independently feed herself when she is there.
How can AT help her get ready?
A special activity for Kavon is going to the playground then out for lunch with his
grandmother. He becomes frustrated when his grandmother doesn’t know what
he wants to eat. He also gets impatient when he finishes and wants to play.
How can AT help?
Walter wants to play outside with Emily who likes to kick, throw, and catch balls.
How can Walter be more successful in catching and/or kicking balls?
How can AT help?
Program Plans and Acquiring AT
Note the key ideas about the including AT in IFSPs and IEPs.
Acquiring the AT
Use this chart to note and plan funding to acquire AT.
Funding Consideration
Funding Question
Child data
IFSP or IEP
documentation
Device determination
Child outcomes
Funding Action
Learning environments
Device utility
Device longevity
Device appropriateness
Device availability
Device sources
Funding application
Funding appeal
Lending Libraries
Note ways you can access lending libraries for AT.
Next steps:
Once you have completed the module, use your responses to the reflection
questions and your notes to develop 1 or 2 goals for your professional practice.
Once you have selected your goal(s), complete the attached action plan to
outline the activities, necessary resources, timelines, and methods for assessing
whether you have met your goal. If you have more than one goal, create a
separate action plan for each.
Date:
Professional Goal:
Activity
Resources
Timeline
Measure of success
Contemporary Practices in Early Intervention for Children Birth to Five: A Companion Workbook to the Distance Learning Curriculum
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