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ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY MODULE
FOR PERSONNEL PREPARATION PROGRAMS
THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
There are more than 6.7 million students ages 3–21 who receive special education services. That represents 13 percent of all public school students. That number does not include the additional millions with undiagnosed disabilities and/or those with diagnoses who do not receive formal special education services. It also does not include students in private schools. A small percentage of these students currently have access to assistive technology (AT). A far greater number would benefit from AT if it were made available to them.
In the past, the term “assistive technology” referred to a limited range of specialized, often expensive items that were designed to help students with relatively severe disabilities perform tasks that they could not otherwise do. In recent years, developments in technology have changed all that. Assistive technology now refers to a wide range of devices, software, apps, and services that are widely available at lower cost. Many items that you might not think of as AT, are. They can be as basic as a magnifying glass or as complex as a robot. They range from no-tech, do-it-yourself items to programmable software programs that can be readily customized by a teacher, therapist, or parent.
If an item allows a student with disabilities to perform a task that he or she could not do otherwise, it can be considered assistive technology. That makes it subject to the laws governing public education, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Whether you choose to teach in a public or private school, in a general or special education classroom, you will almost certainly have students in your class with a range of abilities and disabilities. Some of those students will have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), some will not. Both groups, however, will benefit greatly from your knowledge of assistive technology devices and services.
The materials in this module, will help you:
- Understand the basic concepts underlying the use of assistive technology
- Become familiar with the words and terms associated with AT
- Understand your role as a teacher in helping to identify and integrate the use of appropriate AT in your classroom
- Learn about the laws governing AT in public schools
- Participate as a knowledgeable professional in the IEP teams to which you will be assigned
- Become a role model, peer mentor, and school leader in the use of AT
- Change the lives of students with physical, sensory, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral disabilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In the past, the term “assistive technology” referred to a limited range of specialized, often expensive items that were designed to help students with relatively severe disabilities perform tasks that they could not otherwise do. In recent years, developments in technology have changed all that. Assistive technology now refers to a wide range of devices, software, apps, and services that are widely available at lower cost. Many items that you might not think of as AT, are. They can be as basic as a magnifying glass or as complex as a robot. They range from no-tech, do-it-yourself items to programmable software programs that can be readily customized by a teacher, therapist, or parent.
If an item allows a student with disabilities to perform a task that he or she could not do otherwise, it can be considered assistive technology. That makes it subject to the laws governing public education, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Whether you choose to teach in a public or private school, in a general or special education classroom, you will almost certainly have students in your class with a range of abilities and disabilities. Some of those students will have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), some will not. Both groups, however, will benefit greatly from your knowledge of assistive technology devices and services.
The materials in this module, will help you:
