Assessment

Rather than a one-time “event” conducted by a specialist, AT Assessment is best thought of as a collaborative process by which an IEP team determines what technologies would improve a student's performance, participation, and independence.

Accomplishing this relies on the collective knowledge and skills of the individual IEP Team members, each of whom has a unique perspective of the student and his/her abilities, level of performance, curricula, etc. both in school and at home.

Adapted from Shelley Haven’s ‘Tech Potential’ http://techpotential.net/assessment

An assessment of a student's need for assistive technology (AT) is conducted:

  • When the IEP (or IFSP) team is unable to reach a decision during the AT Considerations process; when universal tools are not sufficient to meet students need; or when selection requires ongoing trials / troubleshooting. An AT assessment would only occur after the IEP team has completed a consultation with the AT Team.

  • Or when requested by any member of the IEP/IFSP team, including the parent if the needs cannot be met through a consultation.

AT Assessment involves:

  • gathering info about specific skills in order to match needs to tools

  • trialing one more options for extended period of time

  • working together with the team to gather specific data to assess AT impact

It is not part of the evaluation process for eligibility.

AT assessment IS NOT a group of evaluative activities conducted by specialists to determine a student’s eligibility for special education.

AT assessment IS a group of activities conducted by an IEP Team to determine a student’s specific technology-related needs.

AT Consideration vs. Assessment

“AT consideration and AT assessment can be differentiated by duration, complexity, and the need for additional information.”

Penny Reed, Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI), 2002

“While AT consideration is generally a brief process, an AT Assessment implies a more in-depth look at the student’s abilities and needs for AT."

Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), 2013

AT Consultation vs. Assessment

AT consultation is usually brief, but can be prolonged if ongoing support is needed, such as when the student is using more specialized technology, when implementation is complicated, and ongoing training or modifications are required.

AT consultation is intended to assist in identifying or obtaining technology that is not currently available or to address challenges associated with implementation. Consultation could lead to AT assessment, but it may not. In many cases, concerns can be more quickly addressed via ongoing consultation rather than an assessment.

AT assessment, which involves a "functional observation in the student's customary environment", results in a report that the team then uses to make decisions.

After all, AT considerations are a team responsibility and a team decision.

AT needs can be considered by any member of the team, at any point in time, without an AT consultation or AT assessment. In fact, "ongoing AT considerations" occur throughout the year. Therefore, "AT considerations" refers to an ongoing process AND an annual event, which must be documented at least annually for each student with an IEP or 504 by that student's team.