Documenting Assistive Technology in the IEP

Documenting AT Consideration and Determination in the IEP

As required in the IDEA, ARD committees must document their consideration of assistive technology in the IEP. Once the ARD committee determines if Assistive Technology is necessary for student to participate in the educational program or make reasonable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives, the outcomes will be documented in the IEP.  The section entitled Communication/Physical/AT Needs of Student is the required component of the IEP in which to document the consideration of assistive technology. 

This section includes the following statements:

In reviewing the student's needs, the ARD Committee considered assistive technology needs and determined that:

_____(AT=No) The student will be able to participate in the educational program, accomplish expected tasks, and make reasonable progress toward mastery of his/her IEP goals and objectives with typically available supports and services. No assistive technology, devices and/or services are recommended at this time.

_____(AT=Yes)  Select one or both of the choices below: 

(Option 1) The student will NOT be able to participate in the educational program or make reasonable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives WITHOUT assistive technology, devices and/or services. The specific devices and/or services are documented in the IEP.

(Option 2) Additional information is needed to decide whether or not the student requires assistive technology, devices and/or services to participate in the educational program and make adequate progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives. An AT evaluation is recommended to assess the specific educational needs of the student.

  Explain (AT=Y or N) ________________________

• If the student does not require assistive technology, the ARD committee should check “No”. 

• If the student does require assistive technology the ARD committee should check “Yes” and Option #1, then explain the assistive technology that is required by the student. 

The ARD committee should include a description of the required assistive technology, without naming a specific brand name.  Unless the ARD committee has determined that a particular make and model of a device is required, it is best to describe features of the required technology. 

For example, the ARD committee may use the description of a talking word processing application with a built-in spell check: rather than the name of a particular program.  

If the ARD committee determines that only one particular model will meet the student’s need, then the specific model should be listed by name.

• If more information is needed before deciding if the student requires assistive technology, the ARD committee should check "Yes" and Option #2, then explain how the additional information will be acquired (AT consultation, AT trial usage period, AT assessment).

• If the student does require assistive technology that is already in use by the student, and the ARD committee also requires additional information regarding new AT needs, other than those identified in the most recent evaluation, the ARD committee should check “Yes” and both Option #1 and #2. The ARD committee should then describe the assistive technology that is required and already in use by the student, and how the additional information will be acquired (AT consultation, AT trial usage period, AT assessment). 

Checking yes or no to the above consideration question (and if yes, describing the technology required or type of assessment needed) is considered MINIMAL COMPLIANCE to the requirement for considering assistive technology.

However, it is best practice to document the decision making process used to consider the student’s need for assistive technology. It is our policy that the ARD committee must make a consideration statement AND a determination statement (does not need AT, needs AT, or needs further evaluation) when documenting consideration of AT services. 

• For example, a statement such as “Assistive Technology has been considered for this student in the following areas: Reading, Written Expression, Math, Communication, Recreation, Daily Organization, Seating/Positioning, Hearing, Vision, Self-Care and Mobility. It has been determined that ____ does not require assistive technology devices to participate in his/her educational program, accomplish expected tasks, and make reasonable progress toward mastery of his/her IEP goals and objectives with typically available supports and services” could be used to document that assistive technology was considered, but determined to not be required. 

• For a student requiring assistive technology, a statement such as “Assistive Technology has been considered for this student in the following areas: Reading, Written Expression, Math, Communication, Recreation, Daily Organization, Seating/Positioning, Hearing, Vision, Self-Care and Mobility. It has been determined that ___will not be able to participate in his/her educational program or make reasonable progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives without assistive technology devices. The specific devices recommended at this time are indicated below for each area considered. (List required AT supports and services)” could be used to document the consideration process for a student who requires assistive technology.

• When the ARD committee requires more information before determining the need for Assistive Technology, a statement such as, "Assistive Technology has been considered for this student in the following areas: Reading, Written Expression, Math, Communication, Recreation, Daily Organization, Seating/Positioning, Hearing, Vision, Self-Care and Mobility. It has been determined that additional information is needed to decide whether or not _______ requires assistive technology devices to participate in the educational program and make adequate progress toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives. An AT consultation/evaluation is recommended to assess ___________ specific educational needs. Parent Consent for a(n) consultation/evaluation will be requested." could be used to document that assistive technology was considered, but AT assessment is needed. 

These statements may be copied from the included Assistive Technology Consideration and Determination Documentation Guidelines. 

Consideration and Determination of AT devices and services may also be documented in one or more of the following components of the IEP: 

1.     Transition Services:  This component of the IEP is the place to address Assistive Technology that may be required by the student in post-secondary environments.  When addressing Assistive Technology for students transitioning out of the school system, it is important to address required Assistive Technology devices and funding for Assistive Technology devices.  It is also important to address training and technical support for the student and family, if appropriate.

Example:

[The Student’s] school staff, vocational rehabilitation counselor, and family will contact public and private agencies to assist him in obtaining funding for an augmentative device that can be used after he graduates from school.  They will begin contacting agencies at the beginning of his senior year.  The vocational rehabilitation counselor will identify potential sources for technical support that will be available to the student after he graduates.

2.     Deliberations:

Example:

Evaluation Results:  The 10/19/05 Assistive Technology evaluation revealed that [The Student] demonstrated difficulty completing all writing assignments using standard classroom tools such as pencil and paper.

Academic, Developmental and Functional Needs: [The Student] demonstrates deficits in spelling grammar, and punctuation errors.

Assistive Technology Devices/Services:  [The Student] should have access, within the classroom setting, to a hand-held spellchecker to aid him in editing his hand written communications and computer-based word processing program with built-in spell check, grammar, and punctuation check.

Accommodations:  Due to her severe visual impairment, [The Student] requires that all testing materials including directions and, if appropriate, answer sheets should be provided for her use in Braille.  Her answers will be transferred onto a scorable answer document as written by [The Student]. 

3.     Development of the Individual Education Program:

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance:  This component of the IEP includes statements regarding the student’s current level of functioning across curricular areas.  This is an appropriate place to discuss how Assistive technology will be used to remediate deficits and to provide compensatory technology for enhancing access to the classroom curriculum.

Example:

[The Student] demonstrates difficulty completing all writing assignments, using standard classroom tools such as pencil and paper.  His writing samples are characterized by spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. [The Student] demonstrates proficiency in manipulative devices, such as a keyboard/calculator.  [The student] has access to a hand-held spell checker and a computer-based word processing program to aid him in editing his hand written communication.

4.     Measurable Annual Goals:  Typically, if a student is using Assistive Technology, it is addressed in the goals and objectives.  The Assistive Technology is simply a tool that assists the student in accomplishing these goals and objectives.  The ARD committee should determine IEP goals and objectives first, and then decide how technology will be used to accomplish them.

Example:

[The Student] will write a three to five sentence paragraph with less than two misspelled words when using a hand-held spell checker to correct misspelled words. 

 5.     Accommodations: Assistive Technology must be documented in this section of the IEP if the student is using the technology in the school setting. This technology must agree with what is justified in the Deliberations and determined necessary for participations in statewide and district-wide assessments on the STAAR Accommodations page.

6.     eStar Related/Other Services:

Descriptor of Related/Other Services:  This section provides the place to document consultation and training needed in Assistive Technology and identify the discipline responsible for the training (OT, SLP, PT, Regional center for Assistive Technology, etc).

Example:

The Speech Language Pathologist will consult with instructional personnel and provide training, if needed, in the use and programming of [The Student’s] voice output device.

7.     STAAR Accommodations/District Wide Assessment:  Assistive technology that the student requires to participate in statewide and district-wide assessments should be documented in these components of the IEP. The type of technology that is used by the student may determine that additional STAAR accommodations are needed.

Example (for a student who uses Braille):

Braille and Transferred Answers would both be indicated in addition to any other accommodations needed.

AT Consultation

If the IEP team has difficulty determining the most appropriate means of addressing Assistive Technology in the IEP, they should seek consultation from the HCSSA Assistive Technology Coordinator/Team.