Considering Your Child's Need for Assistive Technology
The 1997 revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
included many new
requirements for school districts. One of those new requirements is the group
of "special factors" which
each IEP team must consider. Assistive technology is one of those special factors.
The requirement
states simply, "…the IEP Team shall…consider whether the child
requires assistive technology devices and
services." Although school districts have been required to provide assistive
technology devices and
services if they are needed for a child to receive a free and appropriate public
education (FAPE) since
1990, in many cases assistive technology was treated as a "special"
area that was separate from the
general delivery of services. In some cases assistive technology was only thought
about for children with
very severe disabilities or only for those with physical and speech disabilities.
The passage of IDEA ’97 is
the first time that each IEP team in every school district has been specifically
required to focus on the
need for assistive technology. This is the first time that every IEP team developing
programs for children
with learning disabilities must ask the question, "Does this child need
assistive technology in order to
accomplish the educational goals we have set?" So what is assistive technology?
How can it help children
with learning disabilities?
Assistive Technology for Children With Learning Disabilities…
Assistive technology is defined in IDEA as follows:
§300.5 Assistive technology device.
As used in this part, Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment,
or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf,modified, or
customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities
of a child with a disability.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))
Students with learning disabilities most often have difficulty with functional
capabilities such as writing, reading, studying, listening, accessing the curriculum
and organizing. While this is a fairly long list of very important skills, the
list includes tasks for which most of us already use some kind of technology.
The assistive technology devices that might help a student with learning disabilities
are often not specialized devices designed for people with disabilities, but
are simply readily available technology that might not be commonly used in classrooms
or technology that might not be introduced as early as it is needed by a student
with learning disabilities. Because the legal definition of assistive technology
is very broad, there is sometimes confusion about what is assistive technology
as opposed to what is instructional technology. Assistive technology is not
technology that helps students practice new skills they are learning. It is
not software to practice spelling words or math facts. However, if the child’s
problem is handwriting, assistive technology might be technology that allows
him to keyboard to produce more legible spelling tests or math problems. When
technology is used as assistive technology, it helps a child to do a task that
he either cannot perform without it or cannot perform as well without it. Assistive
technology often can be used in a variety of environments and can help a child
with a task that might be done at school, at home or out in the community. Technology
that can be used by students with learning disabilities to compensate for their
skill deficits is the most rapidly developing area of assistive technology today.
There are literally hundreds of products available. In addition, more products
are coming out of the general technology realm with built in accessibility features.
Products with voice output or voice recognition such as Microsoft Word and Dragon
Dictate are being purchased for general use in school districts and can become
assistive technology for a child with a learning disability. The inclusion of
these accessibility features is called "universal design". Any product
with universal design features
• Provides multiple representations of the information being presented.
• Provides multiple or modifiable means of expression and control.
• Provides multiple or modifiable means of motivating and engaging students.
For more information on universal design, you can go to http://ericec.org.
This site provides an ERIC topical brief. If you are using items with universal
design features, you need to know which features could help to meet the special
needs of your child.
A Historical Perspective
The field of assistive technology is a relative newcomer in education. As soon
as electronics and home computers came on the market, people began to see ways
that these technologies might help children and adults with severe disabilities
to do things that most of us take for granted. They saw that technology might
help to overcome the barriers of hands that could not write or voices that could
not speak. The problems to be solved were complicated and so was the technology,
so many school districts set up specialized services which required referral
to assistive technology specialists in order to identify and access needed assistive
technology. The problem with the specialized or "expert" system is
that it only allows the IEP team to do two things; 1) decide that there is no
need or 2) make a referral to an expert. With this model, children with learning
disabilities were often left out of the assistive technology assessment system
because their problems didn’t seem as critical as those of children who
could not walk or see or hear. One other historical factor has limited the use
of assistive technology for children with learning disabilities. The families
and teachers of children with learning disabilities were sometimes unwilling
to allow them to use assistive technology tools to help compensate for a problem.
They worried that if a student used a calculator to do math assignments, they
would never learn math facts and processes. They worried that if a student used
a computer to produce written work, they would never learn to spell or write
with a pencil. The focus was on teaching the child compensatory skills to overcome
the disability. Today, research tells us that assistive technology can be a
tool to help children acquire the more difficult concepts which they can understand,
but which their deficits in reading, writing or processing
have prevented them from learning.
The assessment systems developed to take advantage of the skills of experts
are often closed systems. They require that if you have an assistive technology
question, you go elsewhere to get an assessment. If an expert system is used
exclusively, it can sometimes actually make it harder to address the needs of
students with learning disabilities. A more open system in which the student’s
educational team works together to identify problems and look for assistive
technology tools makes it easier to address the needs of students with learning
disabilities. You and the other members of your child’s educational team
can probably already identify some tools that are appropriate to your child’s
educational needs and useful in overcoming the limitations caused by your child’s
learning disabilities. An open system provides on going information and training
about the myriad of assistive technology devices and the rapidly appearing new
additions to the field.
Common Uses of Assistive Technology for Students With Learning Disabilities
The assistive technology devices that are most often needed by students with
learning disabilities fall into five categories. The categories include the
following.
Writing: Handwriting and written communication
goals are the most common goals found on IEPs across the nation. When a child
has been unsuccessful in learning to put thoughts and words on paper using a
pencil or a pen, the IEP team may decide that an assistive technology tool is
needed.
Reading: When a student with learning disabilities
has difficulty reading, there are many tools which can help to identify single
words, phrases or even read an entire document to the child.
Math: If your child is having trouble with calculations
but understands how math may can be used to solve problems, there are a variety
of tools which may make calculation easier or may even do basic calculations
for him.
Studying/Organizing: Many students with learning
disabilities have difficulty keeping track of assignments, identifying the most
important information to learn and/or organizing thoughts to show what they
know.
Listening/Note Taking: When writing is difficult,
a student may have a great deal of trouble getting notes on paper. When students
are distractible or especially sensitive to noise, even listening can be a problem.
Access to the Curriculum: For some students with
learning disabilities, reading can be such a problem that reading difficulties
keep the child from getting information that is available to other students.
Sometimes an alternative to reading is needed.
What to Expect When Assistive Technology Is Considered
What should be different in your IEP meeting now that your IEP team is required
to consider your child’s need for assistive technology? Here are some
things that you can expect.
In your IEP meeting at some point there should be a discussion about assistive
technology. Generally, this should come after you have agreed upon the goals
that your child will be expected to attain in the next twelve months. It is
really not possible to make a decision about assistive technology until you
can talk about the specific tasks that your child will be trying to accomplish.
Remember, the definition of assistive technology is, "any item, piece of
equipment, or product system, whether acquired off the shelf, modified, or customized,
that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of children
with disabilities" (20 USC, 1401, Section 602 (1)). The functional capabilities
of the child in any situation are directly related to the tasks that he or she
is trying to accomplish. There may be different assistive technology to be considered
for your child in meeting an arithmetic goal than in meeting a writing goal.
When you do "consider" assistive technology, the consideration should
involve some discussion and examination of potential assistive technology tools.
Consideration should not be someone saying, "Assistive technology? No,
he doesn’t need that." with no discussion. Consideration is defined
in the American Heritage Dictionary as "to think carefully about, to form
an opinion about, or to look at thoughtfully." We believe that Congress
did not choose that word by accident, but clearly intended that there would
be some thought about whether assistive technology may be needed by each child.
So one thing that should be different, is that assistive technology should be
discussed from now on at each IEP meeting.
This "thoughtful look" should certainly include at least a brief discussion
of which assistive technology devices are useful for children with disabilities
like the ones your child experiences and whether your child needs tools like
those. Someone on the IEP team will need to be sufficiently knowledgeable about
assistive technology to help lead the discussion. So another thing that may
be different in your child’s IEP meeting is that someone may bring along
specific resource information about assistive technology to help all of you
focus on what assistive technology exists for the tasks that are challenging
to your child. That information might be books, catalogs, printouts from a web
site, or actual hardware or software for you to see. Whether they bring something
or not, one thing that you should expect is a brief discussion of assistive
technology during which at least one person displays some knowledge about relevant
assistive technology.
During an IEP meeting, this discussion should be brief. It should last at least
a minute or two, but no more than 15 to 20 minutes. Congress intended that we
could do this within the confines of an IEP meeting, so it should not add appreciably
to the length of that meeting. If understanding and agreement cannot be reached
in twenty minutes, then it is possible that there are questions that need to
be addressed at another time. Your IEP team may decide to complete an assistive
technology assessment if you feel that you do not have enough information. If
that is the decision, it should be written into the IEP with an anticipated
date of initiation and completion.
If your IEP team decides that your child will be using assistive technology,
you should also expect to talk about assistive technology services. The "consideration"
requirement requires IEP teams to consider the support services a student will
need in order to use assistive technology which has been included in the IEP.
Specific assistive technology services may include:
• an evaluation of your child’s need for assistive technology;
• training of your child, members of your family or staff on how to use
the assistive technology;
• technical assistance about its operation or use;
• modification or customization of the assistive technology; and
• other supports to the school personnel that might be necessary for the
assistive technology to be
appropriately used.
The supports your child might need are not specified in the law. They could
include anything that is needed, for example, printing assignments your child
has completed on a portable word processor, scanning new materials into a software
program that reads the text or the planning about how and when these things
will happen.
Finally, you should expect that someone on the IEP team will know how to locate
assistive technology devices and services within your school district. In a
small district it may be that the direct service providers who work with your
child (i.e. the teachers, therapists, and aides) will need to provide all of
the services themselves. In a larger district, there may be individuals whose
entire job is assistive technology. They may need to be contacted through appropriate
channels so they can help become a part of your child’s educational team.
Preparing for the IEP meeting
A lot of information should be collected before assistive technology is actually
included as a part of your child’s daily educational program. If questions
of assistive technology are raised for the first time during the IEP meeting
and you feel your child might need assistive technology, it is a good idea to
use the time during the IEP meeting to begin to plan trial periods or an assistive
technology assessment rather than to make a final decision. Including assistive
technology that your child has never tried in an IEP is very likely to create
frustration for you and for your child.
Once evaluation and trial period data has been collected, the team probably
has enough information to develop a plan that can succeed. Sometimes the data
shows that the assistive technology you tried is not an appropriate solution
to the problem. If this happens, your child’s team might decide to try
other things.
When assistive technology will be considered during your child’s IEP meeting,
you can prepare for the meeting by asking yourself questions like these.
• Do I feel that we have information that points us in the direction of
assistive technology that might help my child?
• If I believe that assistive technology that can help my child has been
identified, do I believe that my child needs to use this assistive technology
at home as well as at school? For what specific tasks would it be used? If I
believe my child needs assistive technology at home to accomplish IEP goals,
how will the use of assistive technology at home impact our family?
• Do I need to know how to use the assistive technology my child is using?
How much do I need to
know?
Using a Form to Guide Consideration of Assistive Technology
Many school districts and other groups have developed specific forms to assist
the IEP team as they
consider each child’s need for assistive technology. One example is the
Assistive Technology Evaluation
Guide for Students With Learning Disabilities (PDF format, 3 pages, 25K, available
at www.ldonline.org)
This form was developed as a tool that IEP teams could use to guide them through
the consideration process. It asks the team to answer these questions:
• What difficulties is the student experiencing in the school environment
for which assistive technology intervention is needed?
• What strategies, materials, equipment and technology tools has the student
already used to address the concerns?
• What new or additional assistive technology or accommodations should
be tried?
• What will the criteria be for determining whether or not the students
needs are being met while using assistive technology during the trial period?
Your role as a parent in developing the assistive technology portion of the
IEP is to express your ideas and feelings about the assistive technology being
considered. You can contribute information about what you see at home and bring
up any concerns you have. It is important that every IEP team member keeps in
mind the long-term vision for your child and takes steps toward that vision.
When assistive technology is included in the IEP, you can help clarify the specifics.
You can ask questions like the following as the team develops a plan.
• For what specific tasks will my child use the assistive technology at
school?
• When and how often will my child use the assistive technology during
the school day?
• How long should I expect to wait for the assistive technology to be
provided?
• What related services, if any, will my child need in order to use the
technology effectively?
• What other support services will my child need in order to use the technology
effectively?
• When my child uses this assistive technology in school, what will I
have to do to support him/her?
• If my child uses assistive technology only at school, how will I know
if it is working?
What About Skill Development ? A Note of Caution
When you have the computer speak the text, the child is not necessarily reading
along. When you have the computer write through word prediction or voice recognition,
the child is no longer writing in the same way. Even when you decide to use
assistive technology, it is important to make sure that the focus doesn’t
get pulled totally away from skill development. In other words, don’t
stop teaching and holding the child accountable to learn new skills.
What About Statewide Assessments?
Assistive technology is a major issue in accommodating for the disabilities
of students with disabilities in statewide and district wide assessments. Each
state varies somewhat in its guidelines. It is important to know the rules related
to using assistive technology in assessments and how that use will impact your
child’s assessment scores. More important, assistive technology should
never be used during assessment until it has been proven effective during routine
class assignments. It’s unfair to a child to add a new tool to the stresses
involved in a testing situation.
What About Assistive Technology Use At Home?
IDEA ‘97 guarantees that AT must be sent home if it is needed. However,
the determination of need is based on its relationship to goals and objectives
in the IEP. It is within the rights of the school district to provide arrangements
to complete tasks at school if they can be completed at school. For example,
if your child has social studies homework, the school district could provide
extra time on a computer at school so there is no need for your child to do
homework. The school district could provide an Alphasmart 2000 or some other
less expensive portable word processor. There is never a specific requirement
to provide a computer for your home unless there is no other way for your child
to do something required on the IEP.
If assistive technology is sent home with your child, it is your responsibility
to ensure that it is used appropriately and kept in good condition. Be prepared
to report technical problems and any difficulties you experience to your child’s
teacher as soon as you can so that the use of assistive technology at home does
not become a barrier to your child’s achievement rather than a help.
Summary
The requirement for every IEP team to consider the need for assistive technology
is a step forward. In many cases a giant step forward, because it has caused
school districts to "break out of the box" and begin to think about
assistive technology for many children who had previously been overlooked in
the provision of assistive technology. It is also an opportunity. It is an opportunity
for parents to encourage a thoughtful discussion of the potential use of assistive
technology for their child.
It’s important to remember that the development of a plan is only the
beginning of your child’s journey with assistive technology. Learning
to use the technology is just like learning to read. It takes time and effort
and support from you and your child’s teachers. As you begin the journey,
we hope the information contained in this article provides you with a useful
road map.
Resources
Bowser, G. and Reed, P. , Education Tech Points; A Framework for Assistive
Technology Planning,
Winchester, OR: Coalition for Assistive Technology in Oregon,(for information
contact Gayl
Bowser-541/440-4791 or email at gayl.bowser@douglasesd.k12.or.us.
Council for Exceptional Children, Ensuring Access to the General Education
Curriculum
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Amendments of 1997, Public
Law No. 105-17, § 602, U.S.C.
1401
Reed, P. and Bowser, G. Assistive Technology Pointers for Parents,
Winchester, OR: Coalition for
Assistive Technology in Oregon, (2000) (for information contact Gayl Bowser-541/440-4791
or email at
gayl.bowser@douglasesd.k12.or.us.
Reed, P. (ed) Assessing Students’ Need for Assistive Technology,
Oshkosh, WI: Wisconsin Assistive
Technology Initiative, 1998
Cumley, Judi and Marcia Obukowicz-Science for Everyone: It Can Be Done,
conference reference CTG,
1999 (To be published in the next CTG.)
© Copyright 1996-2003 WETA.
Reprinted with permission from LD Online.
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