Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
Introduction
Assistive technology (AT) devices and services are a means of insuring that children with disabilities are
able to access their free and appropriate public education (FAPE). IEP teams are required to consider if a
student needs AT devices or services. If the team determines that the student needs an AT device or
services, it is included in the IEP and the school district has to ensure that the device or service is
provided. Augmentative Communication is a type of AT, but will be discussed separately because of it’s
unique requirements.
What Are The Legal Requirements For AT?
Part B of the IDEA states that the IEP team shall "consider whether the child needs AT devices and
services."i In addition, the AT act of 2004 states that AT services and devices are used to “maximize
accessibility for children with disabilities.”
AT Device:ii
AT 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. The term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted such as
cochlear implants, or the replacement of such device.
This definition is very broad and can include anything from a pencil grip to an electronic augmentative
communication system.
Basic Categories of AT devices:
1. Low tech tools: basically things that don't require electricity. These can include slant boards,
pencil grips, footrests, pictures and symbols.
2. Mid-tech tools: these can include switches, environmental control, or static display
communication devices.
3. High-tech tools: these tools are more complex than the previous categories and can include
computers, tablets, software/apps, and communication devices with dynamic displays, etc.
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
AT Serviceiii:
AT service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or
use of an AT device. This includes:
a. The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the
child in the child’s customary environment;
b. Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of AT devices by children with
disabilities;
c. Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing
AT devices;
d. Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with AT devices, such as those
associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;
e. Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child’s family;
and
f. Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or
rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are
otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child.
Examples Of AT Services:
1. Evaluating a student to determine if an AT device would help improve their ability to access their
education.
2. Working with the student’s IEP team to determine how to implement using an AT device for
writing.
3. Modifying a computer so that a disabled student can access it.
4. Programming an augmentative communication device or app so the student can use it across
different environments.
Documenting AT Devices And/Or Services On The IEP:

IDEA requires us to “consider whether the child needs AT devices and services”. This doesn’t
necessarily mean that an evaluation needs to be performed. “Consider” means that some
discussion and examination of AT options took place at the IEP meeting. From that discussion
there are four possible outcomes:
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
1. The student’s current interventions are working and no AT is needed.
2. AT is already being used and is working fine.
3. The student requires some trials of new types of AT devices which may require an AT
consultation.
4. The team needs more information to make a decision and the student will require an AT
evaluation.
If the student needs an augmentative/ alternative communication (AAC) evaluation, see “How do I refer
for an AAC evaluation” below.
Because an accommodation is whatever the special education student requires to ensure FAPE, AT
devices, should be documented in the Supplementary Aids/Services; Modification; Accommodations
section of the IEP service summary. Only an AT or AAC evaluation should be listed under related service.
In the new Oregon IEP (2015), the need for AEM, or Accessible Educational Materials will be documented
in separately in the special factors section of the IEP.
Writing Goals For Students Using AT Devices:

If the student is using AT devices or is starting a trial of AT, try not to include the devices in IEP
goals. Goals should describe the educational or functional outcome that the student produces, not
the method the student uses to achieve them. This is consistent with best practice on writing IEP
goals/objectives, where we list the outcome, not the specific curriculum used to work on it.
Consulting with a Teacher on Using AT to Help a Student Meet Their IEP Goals:

A student needs AT when that student is struggling to meet educational goalsiv. If the
teacher requires assistance determining if AT would benefit the student, the teacher can request
an AT consultation from the district’s A-Team. The AT consultant will meet with the teacher to
review the IEP goals, discuss the difficulties that have occurred, and what has already been tried to
improve the student’s performance on their IEP goals. The AT consultant may need to schedule
additional time to perform student observations, or meet with the student’s family to determine
how best to proceed.
Evaluating A Student For AT Devices Or Services:

Who can perform an AT evaluation? Special educators and related service providers such as
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
Occupational Therapists (OT), Physical Therapists (PT), Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) and
graduates of accredited AT programs may be qualified to provide AT evaluations.

Who Should Review the AT evaluation? The IEP team reviewing the evaluation should include
people who are knowledgeable about the student, about the curriculum, about language (if there
are communication concerns), about motor (if there are mobility, or fine motor concerns). The
team will also need to include an administrator who can authorize uses of school district
resources.

How do I refer a student for an AT evaluation? Fill out the Request for AT Consultation on our
district web site. The information on this form is vital and will help the district A-Team determine
which service provider will perform the consultation.

How do I refer a student for an AAC evaluation from WESD? Our current (2014) AAC specialist
from WESD prefers to be contacted to discuss students as the initial part of the referral process.
Please contact the special education secretary to request a referral for AAC consideration to put
this process in motion.
Additional Questions:

Do you have to consider AT when an IEP is reviewed or changed? Yes, the IEP team must
reconsider the special factors, including AT, when reviewing the IEP. v

If we list an AT device on the IEP will our district have to pay for it? If the student’s family has
the AT device, and will allow it to be used at school, the district will not have to provide it (see
further discussion below). Otherwise, the district will need to provide the device either by
borrowing, renting or purchasing it.

What if the device the student requires is expensive? If the student requires the device to
receive FAPE, the device must be provided regardless of cost. The district cannot reactively deny
AT based on the cost of the device. However, this does not mean that a less expensive alternative
that achieves the same result cannot be used.
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14

Who owns an AT device when the district or ESD purchases it? The AT device belongs to the
agency that purchased it. If the student changes districts, it does not go with him or her. The
exception would be if the device belongs to the ESD, and the student moves to a district that is also
served by that ESD.

Can we use outside funding to pay for AT? Yes, there are no restrictions in the IDEA to prevent a
district from using outside funding to purchase AT.

Can an AT device go home with the student? The district cannot refuse to let students use AT
devices at home if it is required to implement the IEP. The IDEA states that on a case-by-case basis,
the use of school purchased AT devices in a child’s home or in other settings is required, if the
child’s IEP team determines that the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.vi
If this is the case, please contact the special education secretary for an equipment loan form. The
form is a contract with the student’s family, and requires them to be financially responsible to
replace it, if lost, stolen, or broken while it is outside of the school.

What do we do if the parent already has recommendations for AT from an outside
evaluator like a speech therapist or hospital that the IEP team doesn't agree with?
According to the IDEA, school districts are not required to implement all recommendations
provided by an independent evaluatorvii. If the parent obtains an independent educational
evaluation at public expense or shares with the public agency an evaluation obtained at private
expense, the results of the evaluation must be considered by the public agency, if it meets agency
criteria, in any decision made with respect to the provision of FAPE to the child. If the IEP team
can show using appropriate procedures for evaluation, IEP development, and placement, that the
student does not require the recommended AT to receive FAPE, then the district does not have to
provide the AT.

If the family owns the AT device needed for the students IEP and it breaks do we need to
pay to have it repaired if the family can't? If the family owned device becomes unavailable, the
district must continue to implement the IEP by providing a substitute device, or by reviewing the
IEP with all team members to determine if the device is still needed. In some cases the district may
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
choose to pay for the repair of the device because it continues to be needed to fulfill the IEP.

Can AT be used during State-Wide Testing? As of 2014, we are in transition from our previous
state testing methods to Smarter Balanced testing in the Spring of 2015. This page
http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/announcements/announcement.aspx?=10020 lists the interim
state standards. This page, http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2014/08/SmarterBalanced_Guidelines.pdf has the accommodations for the
Smarter Balanced test. There are wide ranging changes in the type of accommodations that are
available in the Smarter Balanced test compared to previous testing. But, as before, the
accommodations that the student requires must be listed on the IEP, and the district testing
specialist must know what they are before the student takes the tests, otherwise they won’t be
available. For a broad overview of Smarter Balanced accommodations see pg 4 in the Smarter
Balanced Guidelines PDF listed above.

If students need accessible educational materials (AEM), previously called accessible
instructional materials (AIM), how do we make sure they have access to them? Accessible
educational materials are needed for students who are blind or students who cannot hold a book
or turn its pages or cannot decode the text or cannot comprehend the syntax. For those students
accessible formats including Braille, large print, recorded books, or electronic books may be
needed. The Center for Accessible Instructional Materials (CAST) has an AIM Navigator that can
help you determine if your student needs these materials. The Navigator is found at:
http://aim.cast.org/experience/decision-making_tools/aim_navigator
For assistance determining if AEM is required and how to access it please contact the A-Team by
filling out a referral for AT consultation on the district web site. viii
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Woodburn School District Special Education Manual-AT revised 12/14
i
ii
Part B of the IDEA Sec. 300.324(a)(2)(v)
Federal Registry Department of Education 34 CFR Parts 300 and 301 (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1)
iii
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(2))
The practical and fun guide to AT in public schools pg. 136
Sec. 300.324[b][2]
vi Section 300.105(b)
vii 300.502c(1)
viii Accessible Materials (1) School districts must ensure the timely provision of print instructional
materials, including textbooks that comply with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standards (NIMAS) for students who are blind or print disabled, in accordance with OAR 581-022-1640.
(2) School districts must ensure the timely provision of instructional materials in accessible formats to
children who need instructional materials in accessible formats, including those who are blind or print
disabled.
iv
v