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Assistive Technology: An Overview - Coggle Diagram
Assistive Technology: An Overview
Assistive Technology
Teachers who use only traditional classroom instruction and materials may find that students with disabilities often have difficulty accessing the general education curriculum.
AT is any device or service that helps a student with a disability to meet his or her individualized education program (IEP) goals and to participate in the general education setting to the greatest possible extent.
When AT is appropriately integrated into the general education classroom, students are equipped with multiple means to complete their work and meet their educational goals.
Assistive Technology Devices
Assistive technology devices can be viewed along a continuum from simple items that address problem areas to high-tech devices or equipment that solve problems
Teachers may find that they already have many items in their classrooms that could be considered AT. Click on the arrows or thumbnails below to see a sample of AT devices.
Assistive Technology Services
Whether a student is able to succeed using assistive technology depends not only on the student’s having access to a device but also on having access to the necessary supports or services.
Assistive technology supports and services that are specified in the federal definition of assistive technology services include:
Evaluating the student’s need for a device
Buying, leasing, or acquiring the device
Selecting, fitting, adapting, repairing, or replacing the device as needed
Coordinating the services for a student who uses a device (e.g., therapies, education)
Providing training or technical assistance to the student, family, teachers, or others involved in the use of the device
In a study by the National Assistive Technology Research Institute, only 40% of the reviewed IEPs documented AT services that adhered to federal guidelines (i.e., training, technical assistance, fitting or adapting, coordination with other service providers and families).
Considering Assistive Technology
The selection of appropriate AT devices and services is critical to a student’s success and necessary if the student is to benefit educationally.
Though teams are required to consider AT, unfortunately there is no federally designated process for them to follow.
IEP Team should discuss: Remediation—providing additional instruction, training, or coaching to help a student improve his or her performance. The goal is to reach a specified level of mastery in a certain skill (e.g., memorizing multiplication facts).
IEP Team should also discuss: Compensation—using technology or other strategies to make up for difficulties performing specific tasks (e.g., providing a calculator for a child who cannot learn multiplication facts). The emphasis is on functional performance rather than instruction.