Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology

1. Step 3: The Individualized Education Program Team (IEP Team)

1.1. 1. This multidisciplinary team will make decisions based on the report from the AT specialist

1.2. 2. The team will carefully take into account the student’s learning goals and determine how the AT would help achieve the goals the student wants to meet

1.3. 3. The IEP team also takes into account any training needs that the student or those helping the student might need for the AT. They will also research any devices they are considering in order to get a better sense of what the devices might provide

1.4. 4. The team might do a trial period with a specific AT device and then collect data on how well it is helping the student meet their goals

2. Step 4: Implementation of the Assistive Technology Device

2.1. 1. The student might still need initial assistance and monitoring to ensure correct use of the device

2.2. 2. It is crucial that the IEP team supports the student, teacher and family during the initial implementation phase

2.3. 3. The special education teacher plays a huge role in that they are responsible for making sure the student is a successful learner with the AT device. They also will be assessing whether or not the device is helping the student achieve their goals

2.4. 4. People that are in regular contact with student will use a checklist to determine how the student is progressing. The checklist allows teachers and IEP team members know if there are any problems or concerns that need to be addressed. If there are problems or concerns they are addressed immediately, hopefully without interrupting the student’s learning

3. Reference: Beard, L. A., &Carpenter, L. B., &Johnston, a. L. Assistive Technology: Access for All Students (2nd ed). Pearson Learning Solutions. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781256502302/id/ch02lev1sec5

4. More on STEP 4: All of these steps are definitely important, but I wanted to touch on why step 4 is so crucial. If we do all of the work to get a student the proper AT device, then it is imperative that we follow through and continue supporting the student during the implementation process. If we do not follow through, then all of the time that countless people spent ensuring the correct AT device was chosen, will be wasted. If we truly want a student to succeed in a regular classroom we need to be there for them all of the time - even once they have an AT device to help them.

5. Step 1: Referral for Assistive Technology Assessment

5.1. 1. A Team Gets together to consider the request for an assessment

5.2. 2. The team then needs to consider a student’s personal information as well as information about any previous AT devices or services used by the student

5.3. After assessing all aspects of a student's situation, the team makes an educated decision about an assessment for the student

6. Step 2: Conducting an Assistive Technology Assessment

6.1. 1. The assessment is based on a variety of sources and interactions

6.2. 2. An AT specialist conducts the assessment with help from team members

6.3. 3. The AT specialist will be observing a student’s cognitive skills, any current use of AT devices, motor skills, sensory skills, social skills, and communication skills. The observations will ideallly take place in different environments at various times

6.4. 4. After all of the various observations and assessments, the AT specialist will be able to create a comprehensive picture of what the student needs to succeed