Assistive Technology

According to IDEA ( Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), any student in school with an IEP is legally required to be recommended for use of assistive technology in the classroom. IDEA is a federal law that legally requires schools to serve educational needs to students who have been evaluated for learning disabilities and are eligible for additional services. FAPE ( Free Appropriate Public Education), is an educational right to all students in the educational system which allows for individualized needs in the general or special education curriculum, meets the grade level standards established, and provides educational benefits that fit the child's unique educational needs. LRE ( Least Restrictive Environment), allows for student's with a disability to have the opportunity to be educated in combination with peers who do not receive special education services. Student's should learn in the least restrictive environment or in other words should be accepted in the general curriculum classroom.

TTAC ( Training and Technical Assistance Center), is a center that provides quality training and technical services to local, regional, and state needs. It's purpose is to improve educational opportunities and contribute to the growth and success of children and youth with disabilities. There are 8 TTAC regions across the commonwealth of Virginia, that serve professionals in their local areas. TTAC works with the schools to incorporate beneficial services to students in need of technical services. Some examples of what TTAC provides are assistive technology devices such as switch boards, the live-scribe pen, and pencil grips. Other examples of what TTAC provide are resources in behavior, curriculum and instruction, and professional resources.

The AT continuum, is a system of sorting assistive technology devises based on their level of sophistication, amount of training required, and relative cost of the device. Devices can range from low-tech to high-tech devices. The six levels include inexpensive, requires less training to use, greater sophistication, broader utility, requires more training, and more expensive. Examples of a low-tech device found on the lower levels of the AT continuum include pencil grips, velcro, magnets, large text books, slant boards, and multimedia books. Examples of high-tech devises found on the higher levels of the AT continuum include talking calculator, switch with scanning, powered wheelchairs, and remote controlled appliances.

SETT, is a framework that promotes collaborative decision-making in all stages of assistive technology services integration. It is a four set model that helps teams gather and organize information that can be used to service students with disabilities. This framework evaluates the student, the environment surrounding the student, the task the student needs assistance in, and the tools that could help this student function in their environment. The originator of this framework is Joy Zambala and below is a link to more information on this framework and an example of what the framework looks like:

• http://www.joyzabala.com/

AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication which is a way for individuals to communicate when they are not physically able to communicate verbally or through writing themselves. Benefits of these systems allow for people to express their thoughts, needs, and ideas through a wide range of ways including picture sets, communication boards, and computer systems programmed to speak with words.