2001 Conference Proceedings
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Tools to Help IEP Teams Consider the Need for Assistive
Technology
Penny Reed
IEP teams in school districts across the country are
struggling to appropriately "consider" each student's need for
assistive technology. There are several issues that perpetuate
this struggle. They are (1) lack of information about the
assistive technology itself, (2) lack of knowledge about matching
the assistive technology with the specific student need, and (3)
lack of a process for "consideration".
The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative has addressed
these issues with several specific products that are available at
no charge. These include the AT Consideration Guide, the AT Quick
Link for Considering the Need for Assistive Technology and the AT
Consideration Wheel.
The AT Consideration Guide is a form that the IEP team can use
to guide them through the consideration process. It asks specific
guiding questions and provides space to answer them. The
questions are:
- What task(s) is it that we want this student to do, that s/he
is unable to do at a level which reflects his/her skills and
abilities?
- Is the student currently able to complete those tasks with
special strategies or accommodations? If yes, describe them for
each task.
- Is assistive technology currently being used? If yes,
describe it.
- Would the use of assistive technology help the student
perform this task more easily or efficiently, in the least
restrictive environment, or perform successfully with less
personal assistance? If yes, list potential assistive
technology.
- Are there assistive technology services that this student
needs? If yes, describe.
Answering these questions can help the IEP team to focus on the
specific tasks, the current intervention and services, and the
potential assistive technology that might be tried. It is
available to download as a pdf file from the Wisconsin Assistive
Technology Initiative's web site, www.wati.org.
There are basically only four outcomes that can result from
consideration of the need for assistive technology:
- The student is doing fine, therefore no assistive technology
is needed.
- The student is already using assistive technology, therefore
it should be continued and documented in the IEP.
- The student is not using assistive technology and may benefit
from it, therefore some should be tried, (or it is being used,
but is not effective or not working, and something different
needs to be tried). The need for trial use of AT then must be
documented in the IEP. When this is done, a specific piece of
hardware or software is NEVER listed in the IEP, but rather, the
needed features are described.
- There is not enough information therefore an
evaluation/assessment is needed. The Assistive Technology
Consideration Guide can also be used to document each of these
situations for future reference.
The AT Quick Link is an interactive PowerPoint slide show mounted
on the WATI web site that also directs the IEP team through a
process and provides lists of the types of assistive technology
that may need to be considered by the IEP team for each of the
following areas: Mechanics of Writing, Computer Access, Composing
Written Materials, Augmentative Communication, Reading,
Learning/Studying, Math, Recreation and Leisure, Activities of
Daily Living, Mobility, Control of the Environment, Positioning
and Seating, Vision, and Hearing. Users can click on hyperlinks
to move around within the AT Quick Link program to find assistive
technology suggestions that will help them move forward with
their consideration process.
The AT Consideration Wheel is a low tech aid, similar to the AT
Quick Link. The AT Consideration Wheel is a wheel made out of
card stock that the IEP team members can physically turn to view
the same lists as stated above. The advantage of the wheel is
that it is portable and can be stored in a calendar or notebook,
taken to IEP meetings, and passed around the group. The AT
Consideration Wheel was designed in response to a request from
national groups of non special educators including building
principals, who are involved in IEP meetings and are very
uncomfortable trying to "consider" the need for assistive
technology.
All three of these items will be presented and discussed.
Examples of their use will be provided along with the opportunity
for the participants to discuss the potential use in their
respective situations.
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