Using AT in Schools

Assistive Technology are tools that serve a set of educational goals, making it easier and more efficient for students to achieve. There is now AT for virtually all disabling conditions and every possible task.

When used by students with disabilities, AT

• facilitates the use of classroom materials and technology so that all students (both identified and non-identified) can better access the general curriculum.
• offers alternate ways to participate in activities for all students, to move throughout the environment and to access and communicate information.
• provides the means to modify classroom tasks for students with varying abilities,
• can change a child's life by increasing learning opportunities and making it possible to demonstrate knowledge and skills

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes the definition of AT devices and services and specifically outlines the school district's responsibility to provide AT. As a public agency, the school district must ensure that both AT devices or services are provided if "required" for the student to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Often, the greatest challenge for schools is to determine whether or not the AT is, in fact, required. Given the growing success of technology to provide access to education, the reauthorization of IDEA in 1997 added a specific requirement for IEP teams to "consider" the AT needs of all students with disabilities:

Consideration of Special Factors:

"The IEP Team shall...consider whether the child requires
assistive technology devices and services".

Section 614(3)(B)(v)

Within this general statement, it seems reasonable to assume that each and every IEP team needs to be able to "consider" the child's need for assistive technology. In order to do so, at least one person on the team will need to have some knowledge about AT devices and services that might be appropriate and applicable for the student they discuss.