What Does the Law Say About Assistive Technology?

The Federal government is fully aware of the potential of assistive technology for students in the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates that assistive technology devices and services be considered for each child with a disability. The 1997 amendments manifest a shift in focus about how assistive technology is to be used. Instead of it being considered as just a rehabilitative or remedial tool, assistive technology is now reflected in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) as a method for general curriculum access. Rather than just specifying a student’s special education services, the IEP must include information about a student's current abilities and how his or her disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum. The IEP must also include the program modifications and supports the school and teachers will provide to help a student’s involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

The use of Assistive Technology is supported by other federal laws. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 0f the Rehabilitation Act requires schools to provide assistive technology for students with disabilities. This is to assure equal access, and remove barriers to programs and services.

Instructional issues are at the heart of this challenge which requires that educators should look at the curriculum, and then ask how assistive tools might assist students in achieving the outcomes. The remedial approach combined with traditional assistive technology applications is no longer the main goal in finding appropriate assistive technology for the students. This change in focus on assistive technology in the IDEA shows what school-based professionals have found after years of experience.

In any situation, when considering assistive technology for a student, the focus should be on what the device does for that person, and not on the device or the technology itself. Assistive technology is merely the support to get the job done more independently. It can reduce a student’s reliance on parents, siblings, friends and teachers, helping in the transition into adulthood, and fostering self-esteem and reducing anxiety.

What is the Legal Definition of Assistive Technology

The Technology Related Assistance Act of 1988 (P.L. 101-407) and the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-394) provide a standard definition of assistive technology as “any item, piece of equipment, or product, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

Assistive Technology Service

An assistive technology service is any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. The term includes:

• The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment
• Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities
• Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices
• Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs
• Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family
• Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of children with disabilities

Learn more about Assistive Technology Services by visiting www.PracticalATSolutions.com.

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What Is Assistive Technology?

How Do Teachers and Students Benefit from Assistive Technology?

A lot of students with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities face barriers to learning every day. Those with motor disabilities may not be able to hold a pencil to write answers on a test, or lack the adroitness to use the compass for a math lesson. And they may not also be able to decipher words in printed text.

Teachers of students with learning difficulties have been working to provide alternative ways for their students to learn in different ways. Technologies have been developed with far reaching impact on the learning capability of the students in special education. Computers have become an essential literacy and enabling tool in all levels of society. When Assistive Technology is integrated into the classroom, students are given multiple means to complete their work, and focus on achieving academic standards.

Any device and program of Assistive technology is an indispensable tool that assists students with disabilities to accomplish things more quickly, easily and independently. It can be elaborate and expensive, or it can also be simple and with low-cost. Assistive technology services are also available for support in the use of assistive technology devices, such as:

• ·         assistive technology evaluations,
• ·         equipment maintenance,
• ·         technical assistance,
• ·         demonstration or training.

In any special education schools, Assistive Technology is able to provide accommodations, modifications or adaptations made to the learning environment, curriculum, instruction, or assessment practices. With inclusive schools becoming the norm, the creative design of the curriculum may depend on the Assistive Technology in place.

The flexibility of an Assistive Tool enables a student with poor vision to use or see enlarged texts. If a student has motor difficulties, he can overcome it by allowing him to use enlarged and simplified computer keyboard. Even non-verbal students can be made “callers” for a game of “Red Light/Green Light” by using a talking switch. There may be a case when a student can comprehend history at the upper grade level, but can read only at the lower grade level, he can be made to read a textbook with the help of a computer that scans and reads texts. Assistive Technology allows teachers to address students’ strengths as well as their weaknesses by helping the teachers easily organize and build educational tools and materials.

Assistive Technology can support the students’ participation in their learning experiences in the least restrictive environment. This is especially true for students with disabilities that interfere with their communication, learning, social relationships and interactions, or active participation. Assistive Technology can therefore be considered the lifeline that increases a special education student’s opportunities for learning, social interactions, and meaningful employment.

To learn about trainings on Assistive Technology, visit www.PracticalATSolutions.com.