Statewide Assistive
Technology Training Approach for Providers of Young Children with Disabilities
Presenter
#1
Kathleen
Sadao, Ed.D.
Saoramento County Office of Education Street Address:
Day Phone: 916 228—2396
Fax: 916 228—2311
Email: ksadao@scoe.net
PRESENTER #2
Nancy Robinson, Ph.D. CCC—SLP
San Francisco State University Street Address:
Country: USA
Day Phone: 415 405—2170
Fax: 415 338—0916
Email: nancyr@sfsu.edu
Presenter
#3
Deborah
Grant
Santa Barbara County Office of Education Street Address: Sonata School
Buelton
CA
USA
Day Phone: 805 688—4060 ex 30
Fax:
Email: debgrant@sbceo.org
The presentation reviews a statewide technical assistance model to increasing
access to information and training materials for providers and families of citizens
with disabilities.
Statewide Assistive Technology Training Approach for Providers of Young
Children with Disabilities
The presentation reviews a statewide training and technical assistance model to
increasing information access and training materials for providers of young
children with disabilities and their families. The Supporting Early Education
Delivery Systems (SEEDS) is a training and technical assistance project at the
Sacramento County Office of Education supported by the California Department of
Education, Division on Special Education. SEEDS mission is to provide support
to local education agencies (LEAs) in their efforts
to develop, implement and enhance early childhood special education programs
for young children with disabilities and their families. SEEDS staff,
visitation sites and consultants provide training and technical assistance to LEAs serving infants and toddlers as well as preschoolers
with disabilities. This program year, SEEDS staff created a work group on
assistive technology to develop a product that would support the infusion of AT
use in early intervention programs throughout the State. The SEEDS Workgroup
for Early Education Technology (SWEET) focused on developing a strategy for
increasing access to and use of assistive techno) for infants/toddlers with
disabilities and their families. The SWEET workgroup modeL
including the process, product and outcomes will be reviewed with participants
to inform them of parenthood for increasing the knowledge base of provides
in4the field of early intervention that will support more global use of AT for
young children.
Principles
The SEEDS workgroup on Early Education Technology (SWEET) supports Assistive
Technology, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication, for young
children with disabilities and their families. The implementation of AT and AAC
includes both high technology and low technology opportunities for young
children as vehicles to enhance access to communication and learning in natural
environments. Technology applications for young children and their families are
effective tools that enrich learning environments. Further, early opportunities
for technology can provide a gateway for children with disabilities to
experiences that they may not have adequate access to due to their inability to
connect with the environment through typical sensory/physical ways. The
principles that SWEET espouses include:
1. A focus on family involvement in all aspects of the
formulating and employing the
use of assistive technology devices both high and low technology (Parette & Brotherson,
1996)
2. The participation of the families in the use of assistive technology devices
are in
the child’s daily routines taking place in the home and child care settings
(Dugan,
Millbourne, Campbell, & Wilcox, 2DD4; Judge,
2001; Mistrett, 2001; Stremel,
2005)
3. The tools must be user friendly and easily adapted to the environments of
the child
and family (Judge, 1996)
4. Families are able to access the devices readily from providers, a lending
library,
and/or information sheets that are readily available and provide simple directions
on
using the equipment or activity.
5. Assistive technology assessment and intervention is addressed in a
team-based
collaborative manner with the family as an integral member of the
decision—making team
(Judge, 2DD2; Long, 2003)
6. AT is a consideration for every child during the development of the IFSP/IEP
(Stremel, .2005)
7. AT is a strategy to foster learning and independence (Long, 2003;. Sullivan 6 Lewis,
1995).
SWEET recognizes the DEC Recommended Practices on Technology Applications and
promotes
best practices when considering the use of AT for young children and their
families. The
following headings organize the DEC Recommended Practices on Technology
Applications
(Stremel, 2005) and provide a guide for the
development of the SWEET resources on AT:
1. Professionals utilize AT in intervention programs for children
2. Families and professionals collaborate in planning and implementing the use
of AT
3. Families and professionals use technology to access information and support
4. Training and technical support programs are available to support technology
applications
The primary purpose of the SEEDS website on AT is to help providers access up
to date information, links, materials, and training modules on how to use AT
with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The group
recognizes the issues with underutilization of AT for young children due to
lack of knowledge about its use by parents and providers as well as limited
opportunities for providers to access training to increase their background and
skills in incorporating AT strategies in the individualized educational plans
of very young children who may benefit from AT support (Sawyer, Milbourne, Dugan, & Campbell, 2005; Weintraub,
Bacon, & Wilcox, 2004). Studies have demonstrated that young children’s
learning and development can be enhanced by the use of AT as a vehicle for
accessing activities in their natural environments (Langone,
Malone, & Kinsley, 1999; Mistrett, 2001; Sullivan
& Lewis, 1995) . The AT website will increase the
knowledge base of parents.
ideas concerning AT use with very young children and provide training
opportunities that will offer them ways to provide AT for infants and toddlers
from a best practice perspective highlighted in the current AT literature and
research.
The SWEET Workgroup Process
One of the SEEDS Program Specialists took the lead in creating a work group of
experts in the field of assistive technology for young children with
disabilities. Experts were selected from their visitation sites where they
participated in exemplary assistive technology projects. A specialized
consultant with background in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
was selected to represent the higher education perspective. SEEDS covered the
costs of travel and per diem for work group participants.
• The work group met monthly over a six month period to develop and implement
action plans.
The following steps in the process were undertaken:
• The facilitator conducted a thorough review of the literature, projects and
websites
on the topic and compiled a handout on AT information
• The group identified the AT product (a SEEDS web based training and
informational
product)
• The group developed an action plan for accomplishing the product development
and
implementation
• The group identified venues where the product would be introduced to
consumers
(SEECAP among others)
• The facilitator developed a set of guiding principles that were used as a
criteria
for assessing the appropriateness of websites on AT for young children that
would be
included as part of the SEEDS product
• The group assessed the appropriateness of existing websites on AT for young
children
• The facilitator worked with SEEDS staff in the development of the web pages
added to
an existing SEEDS website and acted as a conduit of information for the
workgroup
• Training modules were designed based on best practices and current research
in the
field
• Training modules and the web based technical assistance on AT was introduced
through
existing statewide conferences and meetings
• Core and specialized consultants in AT were trained on accessing and using
the web
based product for training and technical assistance opportunities.
Website
Development
A thorough examination of existing websites on the area of assistive technology
for infants/toddlers was completed by the facilitator
and verified by work group members using guiding principles as a guide for
measuring the appropriateness of each website. The links were divided into five
categories:
a. Training
h. Advocacy/information
c. Best practices
d. Assessment
e. Resources
The SEEDS facilitator worked with the existing SEEDS
staff on the design and development of the pages on the website. The workgroup
considered the product as an evolving set of materials in order to create
materials that would be readily available for providers before the training
modules were completed. The links were offered to providers as a first glimpse
of currently available resources and materials in the field. The web pages
continued to grow as the work group identified more links and began the
creation of individual training modules. This developmental process allowed for
formative evaluation to occur as providers accessed the site and provided
feedback to the work group on the ease at which they were able to access the
information and use the materials. The work group established a focus group of
SEEDS consultants and site visitation representatives that provided a second
level of critique to help guide the group in the development of the product.
Summary
The SWEET model employed consensus-building arranged work group members through
the use of a facilitative group approach to identifying, researching,
developing, and implementing an assistive technology website to inform and
train early interventionists in how to promote AT uses with young children with
disabilities and their families. The SEEDS statewide training and technical
assistance system was used as the vehicle for developing a workgroup that
focused on one of the seventeen topical areas of training and technical
assistance needs identified by SEEDS constituents and highlights best practice
in assistive technology for young children. Training modules available on the
web are then easily accessed by individual providers, school district administrators,
SEEDS core and specialized consultants to improve their AT skills and increase
their information on how to implement AT use in the natural environments of
young children. The SWEET model as presented here is offered as a method for
other technical assistance and training programs to apply in their efforts to
infuse technology in early education systems throughout the nation.
References
Dugan, L., Millbourne, S.,
technology with infants and toddlers: evidence—based practice. Research Brief
Volume 1,
Number 6. Tots n Tech Research Institute. Available
from: http://tnt.asu.edu. Retrieved
August 16, 2005.
Judge, S. L. (1998) . (Computer applications in
programs for young children with disabilities: current status and future
directions. Journal of Special Education Technology, 16 (1), 1-12. Available
from: http://jset.unlv.edu/16.l/Judge/html.
Judge, 5. (2002) . Family—centered assistive technology assessment and intervention
practices for early intervention. Infants and Young
Children, 15 (1), 60—68.
Langone,
J., Malone, D. N. & Kinsley, T. (1999). Technology
solutions for young children with developmental concerns. Infants and Young Children, 16(4), 272—283.
Long, T., Huang, L.,
Mistrett,
5. (2001) Synthesis on the use of assistive technology with infants and
toddlers (birth to age two) . Final Report to OSERS,
Contract No. H5970l7002.
Parette, H. P. & Brotherson,
N. J. (1996) . Family—centered
assistive technology assessment. Intervention in
school and clinic, 32 (2), 2—15.
Sawyer, B., Nillbourne, S., Dugan
L. & Campbell, P. (2005). Report of assistive
technology training for providers and families of children in early
intervention. Research Brief olume
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http://tnt.asu.edu. Retrieved August 16, 2005.
Stremel, K. (2005). DEC Recommended Practices: Technology.Application. In Sandall,
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Sullivan, N. W. & Lewis, N. (1995) . Contingency, means—end skills and the use of technology in
infant intervention. Infants and Young Children, 5 (4), 58-77.
Weintraub,
H., Bacon, C., & Wilcox, N. (2004). AT and Young Children:
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Experience and Education of Early Intervention Providers, Research Brief Volume
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http://tnt.asu.edu. Retrieved August
30, 2005.