General Resources


Assistive Technology Resources and Edtech Tools

  • UDL Tech Toolkit - this is a great list of free edtech tools (note that some of the tools may have shifted to a freemium model)
  • Are you an auditory learner? Have you been looking for a great podcast to listen to? Check out Mike Marotta ATP's podcast Inclusive Technology 4 All.
  • Interested in Twitter Chats related to Assistive Technology? #ATChat is the place to start. You can find links to these #ATChat archives here.
  • Storyline Online - A library of books read aloud by celebrities that come with an Activity Guide for Teachers

Organizations, Associations, and Research Centers

  • QIAT - Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology ♦ If you work with Assistive Tech you will want to get familiar with this group. Join "the list" and participate in forums. Access the self-evaluation matrices for each of the eight Quality Indicators that are crucial to the development and delivery of assistive technology services. The mission of QIAT is to guide the provision of quality assistive technology services to improve the educational achievement of students with disabilities. The purpose of the site is to provide access to the work of the QIAT Community in the form of the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services and supporting documents. QIAT also offers forums for participation in the work of the Community and engagement in collegial conversations around the work.
  • ECTA - Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center Improving ♦ Systems, Practices and Outcomes ♦ ECTA is a program of the FPG Child Development Institute of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, funded through cooperative agreement number H326P170001 from the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Don't forget to check out their Resources tab.
  • CTD - Center on Technology and Disability. NOTE: Since 2013, the CTD team has been pleased to bring you a wealth of free, high-quality resources and events on all aspects of assistive technology. A U.S. Department of Education-funded project, CTD ended in May 2019. However, our resource-rich website will be available to you through 2021. You can download the Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition Planning here.
  • CAST is a nonprofit research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through Universal Design for Learning.
  • The IRIS Center - Resources, Articles, Learning Modules, Lists of Films and Children's books with portrayals of people with disabilities and so much more! Supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and located at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, the IRIS Center develops and disseminates free, engaging online resources about evidence-based instructional and behavioral practices to support the education of all students, particularly struggling learners and those with disabilities. Here is a simple PDF brochure if you need more info before visiting the site.
  • The Krieger Institute - Baltimore, MD
  • NASDSE - National Association of State Directors of Special Education based in Alexandria, VA. There is a great list of Technical Assistance Centers at the bottom of the Resource Links page.
  • TASH (Washington DC) - TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. The inclusive practices TASH validates through research have been shown to improve outcomes for all people.
  • MCIE - Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education - The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, Inc. (MCIE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the success of all children and youth in their school communities.
  • CATEA - Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access at Georgia Tech is a multidisciplinary research center devoted to enhancing the lives of people with all levels of ability.
  • Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research (ICATER)
  • AT3 Center - National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training (AT3) Center - our mission is to increase access to and acquisition of assistive technologies by individuals with disabilities across the lifespan.

General Special Education Resources

  • LD Online is the official website of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) is a national committee of representatives of organizations committed to the education and welfare of individuals with learning disabilities. LD OnLine seeks to help children and adults reach their full potential by providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice about learning disabilities and ADHD.
  • Understood for Learning and Attention Issues - 15 nonprofit organizations have joined forces to support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention issues throughout their journey.
  • National Disability Authority (NDA) - Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in the UK - Resources for asking questions and making purchasing decisions. This is a phenomenal resource. The location this link drops you to is the Software Application section of the IT Procurement Toolkit.
  • K-12 Leaders Unite for ‘Check the Privacy,’ a One-Stop Shop for Safe Classroom Tech (by EdSurge's Emily Tate on 5/1/19) -- "Check the Privacy contains a searchable library of more than 7,000 edtech products, with information about their privacy protections, compliance with major student data privacy legislation and endorsements by major organizations and privacy projects...The Check the Privacy website is up and running, but the library has not yet launched. It will be ready before the start of the 2019-2020 school year, Rectanus says. In the interim, edtech vendors are encouraged to update their privacy policies and terms of service, he says.

On top of those items, the searchable library will include a brief description of each product, a place for educators to write and read reviews, pricing information and additional privacy resources and snapshots from education privacy groups including Project Unicorn, Data Quality Campaign, Future of Privacy Forum and Student Data Privacy Consortium."

  • High-Leverage Practices in Special Education - In partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR), the Council for Exceptional Children has developed and published a set of High Leverage Practices (HLPs) for special educators and teacher candidates. The HLPs are organized around four aspects of practice: Collaboration, Assessment, Sicial/Emotional/Behavioral, & Instruction
  • National Center on Accessible Educational Materials - National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. We provide resources and technical assistance for educators, parents, students, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about AEM and implementing AEM and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS).
  • ADDitude Magazine - inside the ADHD mind
  • Do 2 Learn is the ultimate resource for people with special needs with access to songs, games, picture cards, and more.