Go to previous article
Go to next article
Return to 2005 Table of Contents
Presenter(s)
Sharron Rush
Joy Zabala
Knowbility.org
3925 W. Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78759
512 305-0310
Email: srush@knowbility.org
Email: joy@joyzabala.com
Nationwide, the majority of public school systems employ an assistive technology service delivery model that utilizes a "District Level Assistive Technology Team" (DLATT). One benefit of this type of delivery system is the consistency of decision-making and program implementation across the district. Even so, when this type of model is the sole source of service delivery, the implied message to campus-level personnel is that a "team of experts" is needed in order to make assistive technology decisions. This perception can translate into a reduced incidence of AT use.
As more students with disabilities are included in general education settings, teachers are faced with increased expectations to make instructional accommodations for students with diverse learning needs. Technical advancements have created unprecedented opportunities to provide assistance to students with disabilities, yet training in the area of assistive technology is lacking. Educators cannot recommend tools and modifications that they do not even know exist. ATSTAR, a program whose acronym stands for "Assistive Technology: Strategies, Tools, Accommodations, and Resources," is a web-based, assistive technology curriculum for direct-service personnel and administrators. ATSTAR provides a just-in-time means through which educators can equip themselves with the knowledge necessary to effectively consider assistive technology for students with disabilities.
The ATSTAR mission is to ensure that students with disabilities and learning differences will have access to appropriate assistive technology to increase their integration into educational environments and provide them with equal access to learning opportunities that will prepare them for post-secondary education and competitive employment.
Preliminary results from pilots in the urban setting of Dallas, Texas and the rural setting of a statewide pilot in Montana, encouraged the collaborative to continue to gather data in preparation for national dissemination of the ATSTAR program. We identified areas requiring additional support for ATSTAR learners and added new tools. In 2004, with funding from the Meadows Foundation and partnership of the state of Texas Region XIII Educational Center, we launched the ATSTAR program in 29 school districts in Central Texas.
In March 2005, we propose to share the results of this effort. The purpose of the program is to build technology-enhanced learning environments for students with disabilities and to increase assistive technology expertise among educational professionals, parents and consumers. We will share our findings about how effective the ATSTAR model proves to be in:
- Building a replicable training model to be nationally deployed.
- Integrating the national quality indicators of assistive technology
- Targeting members of the student support team to increase the impact of services
- Providing effective just-in-time training and resources to parents and educational professionals.
- Improving teacher AT skills and confidence
- Fostering team collaboration through leadership and mentorship programs
- Empowering family members and consumers to participate in the team process
- Embedding technology into major curricular subject areas
- Improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities
In order to make Assistive Technology Integration effective and a national reality, there is a need to raise educator, parent and community awareness and to develop replicable training procedures for Assistive Technology assessment, integration and data collection. The ATSTAR program is addressing this need by using web-based methodology to implement assistive technology training and ongoing support for campus level educators.
Go to previous article
Go to next article
Return to 2005 Table of Contents