AT Documentation in the IEP

The purpose of IEP documentation is to ensure continuous access to the assistive technology tools required by the student and to clearly communicate those needs across environments. This is essential to ensure that AT is implemented across classroom settings, across teachers, and across buildings when students transition.

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

In the section "How the student's disability affects his/her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum", include the where, what, when and why of AT usage.

• Describe the features of the assistive technology e.g., word prediction, text-to-speech, text reader, word bank, sentence frames, symbol support, PDF annotation tools. 

• If your student requires a tool to access/participate in the environment/curriculum and/or to allow the student to make meaningful progress toward their IEP goals that would otherwise not be possible, then the tool would be considered assistive technology. For more information to determine what tools may be considered AT, click HERE.

 Click HERE for how to describe specific AT tools

• Describe all elements of a student's multimodal communication system i.e. uses verbal approximations, 7-10 signs, some gestures, a low tech core board, and a dynamic display communication device to communicate throughout the day.

• Explain why the technology is utilized e.g., to make progress on IEP goals, to complete written work, to listen to grade level text, to read assignments independently,  to support progress with reading comprehension skills, to overcome barriers to ____.

Click HERE for PLAAFP statement examples

• Example of AT trial period statement (post-AT facilitator consult or AT facilitator consult is not required): Student is trialing the use of structured writing supports. This AT tool allows the teacher to create scaffolded supports to help progress from building sentences word by word with/without a model to using provided vocabulary and word prediction to expand their writing. The team is collecting data to ensure that this tool is helping X to make progress on his written expression goal and to increase his independence during writing tasks. If this tool is not supporting progress on this IEP goal the IEP team will consult with the computer access facilitator to determine appropriate action steps and make adjustments to X’s AT tools. 

Insert this PLAAFP statement if adding Consult with CAF or ACF under Supports for School Personnel

The Computer Access Facilitator consultation may include virtual or onsite collaboration with IEP team members on an as needed basis by request regarding assistive technology tools, devices, and strategies. This may include student observations, team meetings, trainings, tool recommendations with team input, and specific tool technology support. 

The Augmentative Communication Facilitator consultation may include virtual or onsite collaboration with IEP team members on an as needed basis by request regarding communication systems, devices, and strategies. This may include student observations, collaborative decision making re: AAC tools, team meetings, district-wide or site-based training, technical support for apps and devices, as well as guidance with AAC implementation in the classroom setting.

Goals

It is crucial to set SMART goals.  When Assistive Technology enables the student to progress on a goal you may include the features the student uses to achieve the outcomes. Remember, the goal is what you what the student to do, not the tool.

Goalbook 

Please reference the Assistive Technology Subject Area within Goalbook to explore the entire collection of learning goals, objectives, and progress monitoring resources @ https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/v/browse?subject=Assistive%20Technology. You will need to login with your SSD credentials.

Goalbook AT Example Goals

Classroom Accommodations

Assistive Technology can be documented in this section by checking the AT accommodations and/or describe that the student will have access to the tools under “other”.