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Every IEP Team is now required to "consider" the child's
need for Assistive Technology for every child in special education,
as part of the new Special Factors requirement in IDEA '97. IDEA '97
states:
(3) DEVELOPMENT OF IEP-
B) CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL FACTORS-
(v) consider
whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services.
(emphasis added)
This requirement leaves us with several questions, such as: What does
it mean to "consider"? How will every IEP team do that?
What is the difference between consideration and assessment? The Wisconsin
Assistive Technology Initiative has been working to try to answer
these questions and to help Wisconsin school districts as they implement
this requirement.
In thinking about "consideration" some things are pretty
clear. One is that consideration is a brief process, one that can
take place within every IEP meeting. The other is that in order to
consider the need for assistive technology, at least one person on
the IEP Team must have some knowledge about assistive technology.You
cannot "consider" something about which you know nothing.
When considering a child's need for AT, there are only four general
conclusions that can be reached.
1). The first is that current interventions
(what ever they may be) are working and nothing new is needed, including
AT.
2). The second possibility is that AT is already being used (or there
has been a trial with AT) so that we know that it does work. In that
case the IEP Team should write the specific AT into the IEP to insure
that it continues to be available for the child.
3). The third possibility is that the IEP Team may conclude that new
AT should be tried. In that case, the IEP Team will need to describe
in the IEP the type of AT to be tried, including the features they
think may help, such as "having the computer speak the text as
the student writes".
4). Finally, the last possibility is that the IEP Team will find that
they simply do not know enough to make a decision. In this case, they
will need to gather more information. That could be a simple process
of calling someone for help, or going to get some print, disk, or
online resources to help them better "consider" what AT
might be useful. It could also be an indication that they need to
schedule (or refer for) an evaulation of the child's need for assistive
technology.
A worksheet to help IEP teams insure that they address all of the
Special Factors is included in the new IEP forms developed by the
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (A similar question or
worksheet is included in forms developed in other states.) The Special
Factors worksheet requires the IEP Team to respond to several questions,
including:
Does the student need assistive technology services or devices? __Yes
__No
If yes, specify particular device(s) that were considered.
The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative has also developed a
tool to further guide the IEP Team. It is called the AT Consideration
Guide. The AT Consideration Guide leads the IEP Team through a series
of questions designed to help them determine whether the student does
or does not "need" assistive technology devices or services.
Those questions are:
1. What task is it that we want this student
to do, that s/he is unable to do at a level that reflects his/her
skills/abilities (writing, reading, communicating, seeing, hearing)?
On the AT Consideration Guide, document by checking each relevant
task. Please leave blank any tasks which are not relevant to the student's
IEP.
2. Is the student currently able to complete tasks with special strategies
or accommodations? If yes, describe in column A for each checked task.
3. Is there available assistive technology (either devices, tools,
hardware, or software) that could be used to address this task? (If
none are known, review WATI's AT Checklist.) If any assistive technology
tools are currently being used (or were tried in the past, including
recent assessment), describe in column B.
4. Would the use of assistive technology help the student perform
this skill more easily or efficiently, in the least restrictive environment
or perform successfully with less personal assistance? If yes, complete
column C.
Column C can also be used to explain briefly why something is not
going to be tried, even though it is being considered. For instance,
the child may recently have begun receiving new direct intervention
through therapy services and the IEP Team wants to wait and see what
the outcome is or the student has made recent improvements and they
feel nothing different is needed. Documenting what was discussed and
why it is not being implemented is often important here for review
in the future, if someone does not remember clearly what was "considered."
If it is decided to try assistive technology which has not previously
been used by the student, column C provides the place to describe
what will be tried. NOTE: It is important here to plan one or more
formal trials. Only a well designed trial will actually determine
what assistive technology will work for a specific student. Only after
successful trial use, should the permanent use of assistive technology
be written into the IEP.
AT Consideration Guide |
AT Checklist
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