Ryan Tracey
Policy Brief
11/19/2014
Implementation of Assistive Technology: Policy Brief
Assistive Technology is one of the most important factors in the development and
the success of students with special needs in modern classrooms. Assistive
Technology (AT) is defined by the government as “any item, piece of equipment, or
product system,either acquired commercially off the shelf,modified, or customized, that
is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with
disabilities”. 1 This means that anything that can be used to help a student with
disabilities perform in the classroom is AT. Additionally access to AT is a right, and the
schools have a mandate to provide AT to students who require it. Yet this mandate
does not always adequately transfer into the actions of the school system and many
times students who could benefit from AT are left without it. The implementation of AT
in the classroom is an issue facing the modern American classroom, and one that
needs to be solved in order to help all students achieve to their highest potential.
Introduction
In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education and Improvement Act passed.
This act stated that when a school created and Individualized Educational Plan or an
Individualized Family Service Plan the needs of any individuals for Assistive Technology
would be considered. If any AT is documented as needed by the child, the school is
required to provide that AT for that student.2 The issue with this is the wording. By
including needs in the wording of the law, interpretation is often the deciding factor in
1
2
Dove, 26.
Dove, 27.
each case. This can lead to more liberal approaches and more strict approaches to the
distribution of AT.3 This means that not every school district is approaching AT is a
similar manner, and this leads to ineffective implementation.
One of the primary issues with AT in the classrooms is that there is little
formalized method for assessment. By law, when a student gets their IEP, they should
be assessed to determine if that student requires AT in order to help them perform in
the classroom. This method of assessment is not made explicit by the law and is
therefore up to the schools discretion. In the past this has led to poor assessment. 4
This poor assessment means that the students are not receiving the ATs that they
need to succeed because it has not been identified. In addition in many cases the
schools realize that the student needs AT to succeed but do not attempt to find the right
AT for the students needs. This has led to underutilized AT in the classroom and many
students abandoning possibly beneficial AT all together.5
Another issue with AT is training. Many teachers, students, and parents to not
get any type of formalized training when new AT is introduced into their classrooms.
Often times the students and the teachers have to rely on their own intuition and on the
fly experience to adequately operate any device given to them by the school to improve
student performance. If this fails, the teachers and students are left without a safety
net, and have no way to learn the technology and how it operates. Since ease of
operation is one of the primary predictors of whether or not a device will be used, a lack
of training is a serious issue which can lead to the abandonment of the AT.6
3
Dove, 27.
Judge, 126
5
Philips, 37; Judge, 126.
6
Philips, 37.
4
A third issue with AT in the classroom is funding. Although AT is mandated in
the classroom by state and federal law, this does not necessarily translate into the
budget for the optimum AT for all students with disabilities. Lack of funding can lead to
students receive AT which is less than optimal for their disabilities, and is a contributing
factor to the lack of assessment and training noted earlier in this brief. Without
adequate funding for AT, many schools are forced to act through external agencies to
get the AT needed for their students.7
Approaches and Results
One of the primary solutions for the lack training and high rate of abandonment of
AT devices is in depth work with the student to get them accustomed to using their
device. This has shown high levels of success in students who receive this type of
training. In one case study, this type of intensive training lead to highly motivated
student use and a high rate of success in an inclusive classroom.8 It was the
combination of a good fit of AT to student needs and the preparation of the teacher in
the use of the technology that allowed the student to flourish due to the incorporation of
the assistive technologies. Without the high levels of assessment and training it is
unlikely that the student would have benefited as much from the inclusion of AT in his
classroom experience.
Another approach to the improvement of AT implementation in schools is
increased focus on AT as an integral part of the education system. Increased focus on
assessment and training on the part of the school system has shown benefit in students
continued use of AT devices which increase their functional capacity. In addition, there
7
8
Judge, 126.
Lindsey-Glenn, 9.
are many source for funding AT that school might be unaware of or do not take
advantage of. Greater familiarity with these resources could increase funding for AT,
therefore increasing the school capacity to provide for its students. This would allow
student to reap the rewards of properly applied AT in the classroom.9
Conclusion
AT is a difficult concept to discuss within the school system because so much
work has already been done towards its implementation in the classroom. The Tech
Act and IDEA ensured that AT is a right of every student with disabilities and that
necessary AT will be provided for these students. Yet despite these advances, there is
still lots of work to do to properly implement AT in an effective manner in all classes.
That is why it is still vital that the education system considers the issues surrounding AT
that have been highlighted by this paper, and act on them to ensure the proper support
for special needs students in the modern classroom.
Implications and Recommendations
If the issue with AT are as significant and widespread as the research suggests,
then several steps should be taken to ensure that students who require AT recieve the
proper equipment for their disabilities. I think that many of the issue surrounding AT
could be solved through the implementation of an AT specialist within the school
system. This individual would be in charge of assessment, training, and funding of AT
within a school. By having a dedicated individual who is familiar with the different types
of AT and best practice in assessment, students would be matched better with devices,
leading to lower levels of abandonment.10 Similarly with training, if an individual trained
9
Judge, 128-129.
Philips, 37.
10
of the device was available to work with the students and teachers, achievement would
go up due to the increasing in functionality of the device. Finally many issue with
funding are rooted in the ability of the schools to find sources.11 Having an individual
familiar with the funding sources would allow the school better access to these sources
and devices. Having a dedication AT individual would prevent many of the issues
surrounding AT and it implementation in the classroom, leading to better access for
students with special needs.
Bibliography
● Alnahdi, G. (2014). Assistive Technology in Special Education and the Universal
Design for Learning. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology, 13(2),
18-23.
● Coleman, M. B. (2011). Successful Implementation of Assistive Technology to
Promote Access to Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Physical
Disabilities. Physical Disabilities: Education & Related Services, 30(2), 2-22.
11
Judge, 126.
● Dove, M. K. (2012) Advancements in Assistive Technology and AT Laws for the
Disabled. Educational Technology. Summer, 2012. 23-28.
● Lindsey-Glenn, P. F., & Gentry J. E. (2008). Improving Vocabulary Skills Through
Assistive Technology: Rick's Story. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus 5(2). 111.
● Judge, S.L. (2000). Accessing and Funding Assistive Technology for Young
Children with Disabilities. Early Childhood Education Journal, 28(2). 125-131.
● Phillips, B., & Zhao, H. (1993). Predictors of assistive technology abandonment.
Assistive Technology, 5(1), 36-45.