at Funding

IDEA requires school districts to provide students with disabilities with AT devices and services at no charge if AT is necessary for their receipt of free appropriate public education (FAPE) (Dell et al., 2017). It is noteworthy to mention that IDEA does not provide surgically-implanted medical devices or their replacements for students with disabilities. However, students, who are in a dire need of such devices, can acquire funding from others sources. These sources are:

(a) Medicaid: It is a federal-state program which offers funding for medical care, rehabilitation, and other services. Individuals, who meet Medicaid's eligibility criteria, can receive AT devices only if they are judged to be medically necessary.

(b) Private Health Insurance: Individuals, who do not qualify for Medicaid, can receive medically-necessary AT devices under their family's private health insurance.

(c) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies: VR agencies provide AT devices for high school students if these devices will further increase their chances for employment or postsecondary education.