AT Assessment Process in the School Environment

Purpose of AT Assessment

“One component of the AT assessment process involves gathering information about the student, environment, and tasks, which is then used for feature matching (a process by which the student's specific needs are matched to equipment features) to select AT tools and services.”

The purpose of the assessment is to find the right tools and technology that would best fit and function for the child’s needs in their typical environments. The AT assessment process is initiated by the IEP team, which is responsible for considering AT for each student with a disability. Frequently, the IEP team is aware that a student's needs are not being met through current instructional practices and supports and that AT may be a possible solution. The question then becomes, what additional information is needed to make informed decisions about the student's need for AT?

Process of AT Assessment

“The AT assessment process is initiated by the IEP team, which is responsible for considering AT for each student with a disability. Frequently, the IEP team is aware that a student's needs are not being met through current instructional practices and supports and that AT may be a possible solution” 

From there the SETT, WATI, and ASNAT are implemented and used to gain more data of the student. AT Teams can vary across districts and schools. Some have AT specialists that are involved in IEP meetings. Some teams are made of the members in the IEP team. They are the ones to conduct the assessment and report back. One component of the AT assessment process involves gathering information about the student, environment, and tasks, which is then used for feature matching (a process by which the student's specific needs are matched to equipment features) to select AT tools and services. The process begins when the team identifies tasks and/or activities that the student might able to accomplish independently or with a greater level of independence if provided access to AT. Once the tasks are identified, the student's strengths and needs are documented in detail. Careful consideration must also be given to the environments in which the AT will be used.

Assessment Process

• Which tasks to target

• The environment(s) in which the tasks will be performed

• The evaluation of the student's needs and abilities

• Matching features of AT to the needs of the student

• Interpreting the information

• Narrowing the options to select and try

• Obtaining AT options

• Conducting trials

• Interpreting the data collected from the trials

• Selecting the AT tool or service that the student will use

• Progress monitoring to ensure the selected AT tool or service is effective and remains appropriate.

These steps should be carried out accurately, be well documented and be conducted in a timely manner.

Role of the AT Team and Identify Possible Team Members

Composed of individuals who have extensive knowledge about the student, the curriculum and the student's environment, the IEP team is responsible for initiating the AT assessment process. It is required by IDEA that the following individuals are members of the IEP team:

• Child's parents/guardians of the child

• General education teacher

• Special education teacher

• Representative of the local education agency

Other possible members of the IEP team include social workers, school nurses, related services personnel and school psychologists. If some members of the IEP team are knowledgeable about AT, the IEP team can serve as the team that conducts the AT assessment.

Example

Two Ponds Special Education Cooperative

Two Ponds Special Education Cooperative serves six rural school districts in a state located in America's heartland. In grades K-12, Two Ponds provides special education services to 600 students with disabilities. The administration at Two Ponds realizes that while they have a few people on staff who are knowledgeable about AT, these people have other primary job responsibilities. As a result, Two Ponds is trying to develop capacity in all teaching and related services personnel for the purpose of making decisions regarding AT. Currently, Two Ponds has an AT team with representatives from the administrative level, all building levels (elementary, middle, and high school), all related service areas (occupational and physical therapy, and speech-language therapy), district technology specialists, consulting teachers, and a school psychologist. This cooperative-wide team has such a broad representation that at least one AT team member is present on almost every IEP team. While the AT team member may be at the meeting in his/her primary role (teacher, related service provider, school psychologist, etc.), he/she can also serve as a person to guide the IEP team through the AT consideration process. If the IEP team determines that a student could benefit from AT and an AT assessment is needed, the AT team member can lead the team through the AT assessment process. For AT assessments that require more extensive information gathering, the AT team representative may take the IEP team's request back to the cooperative's AT team for assistance.

In this model, the IEP team members carry out those AT decision-making and assessment steps that they are comfortable handling. If they need expertise outside their realm of knowledge, the cooperative's AT team is there to assist. While the members of the AT team are knowledgeable in the area of AT, they all agree that to develop capacity within Two Ponds' staff, they do not want to be seen as the "experts." They provide support to help guide the members of the IEP team to find a solution that works for the student. As such, this resembles the coaching model that will be discussed later.

Identifying Resources for the Identification and Selection of AT Options

After the AT assessment has been completed and the recommendations have been made, the team must start to formulate a plan for AT implementation. Such a plan will help to ensure that supports are in place once the student begins using the AT.

AT implementation plans commonly include information related to: (a) training, (b) environmental considerations, (c) ongoing evaluation, and (d) the roles and responsibilities of team members. Many questions need to be answered to develop a thorough implementation plan. It is important to recognize that even though recommendations have been made and an AT solution has been selected, the evaluative process is ongoing.

The questions below are intended to serve as a planning guide for the implementation process.

Training Questions

• Who will be working with the student when he/she is using the AT?

• Who is responsible for training the student, staff, and family to use the AT?

• When will training be provided?

• Who will receive information about the AT implementation plan?

Environmental Questions

• During what times of the day will the AT be used?

• Where will the AT be used? Does software need to be installed?

• Where are the receptacles if the device requires an electrical outlet?

• Where will the AT be stored? Is there a place to keep the AT in the classroom?

• How will the AT be transported from class to class?

Data Collection Questions

• Who will be responsible for collecting data on the use of the AT?

• When will data be collected?

• What data will be collected on the use of the AT?

• How will efficiency, student preference, ease of use, student performance, student productivity, and quality of student product be measured?

Additional Questions to Consider

• Will the AT go home with the student?

• Who is responsible for maintenance of the equipment?

• Who is responsible for providing on-going modification, adjustments to the AT equipment on a daily basis?

• Who is responsible for integration of the AT with the curriculum?

Teams may find it beneficial to organize their implementation plans in one guiding document. For example, The University of Kentucky has created an AT toolkit consisting of documents that can assist teams in answering questions needed to design an implementation plan. 

Summary

AT assessment is a process that is completed by a team. Team membership may look different from district to district, but should include individuals who are knowledgeable both about the student and AT. The assessment process takes time and requires evaluation of the (a) student's needs, strengths, and preferences; (b) the environment(s) the AT will be used in; and (c) the tasks that the student needs to accomplish. Perspectives from all members of the team, including the family members and the student, are documented during the assessment process. Based on information collected, the student's needs and strengths are matched with the features of potential AT devices and services. Only after the student is able to interact with the AT, can the team begin to make informed decisions about options that may become permanent AT solutions. 

In summary, the AT assessment process includes the following components:

• Identification of the AT assessment team

• Gathering information (student, environment, task, tools)

• Matching features of the AT to student needs

• Making recommendations to the IEP team

• Acquiring and implementing AT

• Monitoring student progress