at for paraprofessionals whats my role?

Assistive Technology:What is my Role?

Brian W. Wojcik, Ed.D., ATPUniversity of Nebraska at Kearney

FOUNDATIONS OF AT

Assistive Technology

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))


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))


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))

So…

AT is a tool or system of tools that allows a student to increase his or her performance on

a task to an expected level that he or she would not be able to do without the AT.

When does technology become AT?• With regard to students receiving services under IDEA, there is a two prong test:

When the technology is used as a compensatory intervention.

When an IEP Team decides that the technology is needed by the student.

AT Services• Assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in

the selection, acquisition, and use of an assistive technology device. The term includes— • (a) The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of

the child in the child’s customary environment; • (b) Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices

by children with disabilities; • (c) Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or

replacing assistive technology devices; • (d) Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology

devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs; • (e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child’s

family; and • (f) 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 that child. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(2))

AT and IDEA

• § 300.105 Assistive Technology • (a)Each public agency must ensure that assistive technology

devices or assistive technology services or both, as those terms are defined in §§ 300.5 and 300.6, respectively, are made available to a child with a disability if required as a part of the child’s— • (1) Special education under § 300.36;• (2) Related services under § 300.34; or • (3) Supplementary aids and services under §§ 300.38 and 300.114(a)(2)

(ii).

UNDERSTANDING THE AT PROCESS

AT Process

AT CONSIDERATION

AT Consideration• Section 300.324(a)(2)(v) of the IDEA 2004 regulations states that IEP teams must

“consider whether the child needs AT devices and services” when developing a student’s IEP

• The AT consideration is a purposeful process that involves • collaborative decision making, • reviewing existing information about a student, • potentially collecting additional information about a student, • deciding whether or not a student needs AT, and, • ultimately, if a student does need AT, identifying the AT needed for a student to receive a

FAPE. • The onus for AT consideration falls upon the entire IEP team and is not relegated to

an individual or an outside evaluator

AT Consideration vs. AT Evaluation

AT Consideration

• Brief discussion at the IEP team that determines need for AT• Should consider existing data

about student and determine if more data is needed

AT Evaluation

• Process for collecting additional data about a student• May involve:• Task Demand Analysis• Feature Match Analysis• Tool Demand Analysis• AT Trials and Data Collection

Documenting AT in a Student’s IEPPresent Levels of Academic and Functional PerformanceIEP Goals and ObjectiveConsideration of Special FactorsRelated ServicesAccommodations and ModificationsAdditional InformationSupport for School Personnel

What’s my Role?

Contribute to Decision

Process

Help Implement Trials and Take Data

Know How AT is to be

Used in Student’s

IEP

AT IMPLEMENTATION

AT Implementation

AT Implementat

ion

On What?

When?

How?Where?

With Relation To?

Care?

What Happens if?

What’s my Role?

Know When, Where, and How AT is to be Used by

Student

Ensure AT is Ready for Student

Know How to Troubleshoot

AT Issues

Know What to Do When

AT Breaks Down

Monitor and Give

Feedback of AT Use to

Team

PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF AT USE

Why Performance Monitoring of AT Use?

AT, like any other intervention, needs to be monitored to ensure that the intervention is working in the way that it is intended. The goal of monitoring a student's performance while using AT is to determine whether the AT continues to be needed and/or whether the AT continues to be meeting the needs of a student.

Time Series Concurrent Differential Approach (Smith, 2000)

Measurement Questions

•On what tasks will the student be using the AT?•What is the behavior to measure?•What is the unit of measurement?•What is the frequency of measurement?

Developing the Variable to Measure

Behavior (Observable, Measureable)

Some Common Denominator

Progress Monitoring AT Use

• Is the AT still needed?• Is the AT still working?•Are there any anomalies or concerns? Are the

anomalies/concerns explainable or acceptable?

What’s my Role?

Know What is Being

Measured

Know How it is

Being Measured

Take Data and

Report to Team

Your Questions

at for paraprofessionals whats my role?

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