IEP & AT Advocacy

During an individualized education program (IEP) meeting, parents or guardians can be instrumental in advocating for their child's AT needs. Yet, parents or guardians, who are not abreast of the latest AT devices or who are reluctant to voice their suggestions, can hire an IEP advocate. An IEP advocate is an individual who has profound knowledge of IEPs, special education, and AT (IN Source, 2023). If the IEP team acknowledges the AT suggestions of a parent, a guardian, or an IEP advocate and determines the child's need of an AT device, the selected AT device must be documented in the IEP (Dell et al., 2017). 

Although the selected AT device may be documented throughout the IEP, it must appear in three particular places (Dell et al., 2017). These places are:

(a) Specially-designed instruction: AT is often documented in the goals or objectives of a student's IEP if AT is "the means by which they will be able to demonstrate they have successfully accomplished their objectives" (p. 307).

(b) Supplementary aids and services: AT is included in the IEP section of supplementary aids and services. In effect, supplementary aids and services are products and services that are provided to students with disabilities as a means of enabling them to be educated with their non-disabled peers.  

(c) Related services: AT is integrated in the IEP section of related services. Related services are supportive or rehabilitative services that enable students with disabilities to access the general education curriculum.