The Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance ManualBrian W. Wojcik, Ed.D., ATPSpecial Education Assistive Technology (SEAT ) CenterIllinois State University

Overview• Welcome• Purpose of the Manual• Overview of the Manual• Foundations of AT• Definition• AT and the Law• AT and Other Initiatives

• AT Cycle• Building an Infrastructure

to Support AT Services

Welcome

• Post It Notes

IL AT Guidance Manual

• Background on the Manual• Grant awarded to Infinitec who extended a

subcontract to the Special Education Assistive Technology (SEAT) Center at Illinois State University• Manual was developed through• A series of focus groups with school administrators, school-

based AT service providers, special education teachers, school technology staff, policy makers, and preservice teacher education faculty

• An exhaustive literature review• A review of other state guidance documents

IL AT Guidance Manual• Purpose• The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance

to school systems regarding the processes associated with effective AT use by students with disabilities. The manual is intended to inform the practices of schools systems to promote successful outcomes related to AT use by students with disabilities and to serve as a point of reference for school administrators, teachers, related service personnel, students, and parents of students with disabilities.

Organization of the Manual• Understanding AT• Understanding AT and the Law• Understanding the Relationship of

AT to Other Initiatives• Understanding the AT Process• Understanding AT Consideration

• Understanding the Provision of AT

• Understanding AT Implementation

• Understanding Performance Monitoring of AT Use

• Creating an Infrastructure the Supports AT Services

FOUNDATIONS OF AT

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether

acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with

a disability.… (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether

acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with

a disability.… (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether

acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with

a disability.… (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether

acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain,

or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.… (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether

acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or

improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.… (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

When does technology become AT?• With regard to students receiving services under IDEA, there is

a two prong test:

When the technology is used as a compensatory intervention.

When an IEP Team decides that the technology is needed by the student.

Differences Between AT and Other Technologies

Assistive Technology vs

Instructional Technology

Educationally Necessaryvs

Medically Necessary

AT Continuum

LOW TECH HIGH TECH

• Availability• Complexity

AT Services• Assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a

child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, and use of an assistive technology device. The term includes— • (a) The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a

functional evaluation of the child in the child’s customary environment; • (b) Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of

assistive technology devices by children with disabilities; • (c) Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining,

repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices; • (d) Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with

assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;

• (e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child’s family; and

• (f) Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(2))

AT AND THE LAW

AT and IDEA• § 300.105 Assistive Technology • (a)Each public agency must ensure that assistive technology

devices or assistive technology services or both, as those terms are defined in §§ 300.5 and 300.6, respectively, are made available to a child with a disability if required as a part of the child’s— • (1) Special education under § 300.36;• (2) Related services under § 300.34; or • (3) Supplementary aids and services under §§ 300.38 and 300.114(a)

(2)(ii).

Key Concepts

AT AND OTHER INITIATIVES

How Does AT Relate?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• Proactively addresses learner variability through• Material Development• Curriculum Planning• Instructional Planning• Assessment

• Reduces Barriers

Assistive Technology

• Reactively addresses learner variability .• Overcomes Barriers

How Does AT Relate?

Common Core State Standards

• Provides guidance about content students are expected to learn and skills students are expected to develop

Assistive Technology

• Provides access to the content and experiences provided allowing the student to participate and perform at the expected performance level through compensation

How Does AT Relate?

Accessible Instructional Materials

• Mandates that school systems ensure that textbooks and related printed materials are provided in specialized formats to students with print disabilities in a timely manner

Assistive Technology

• Provides access to the AIM when appropriate• Used in conjunction with

AIM

How Does AT Relate?

Response to Intervention (RtI)

• General Education Initiative• Evidence Based

Interventions• Intensity of Interventions

Assistive Technology

• Students receiving services within an RtI framework may use AT tools at any tier

• If, however, the use of AT tools significantly alters the way an intervention is implemented, the effectiveness and fidelity of the intervention may be also altered.

BREAK

UNDERSTANDING THE AT PROCESS

AT Process

GROUP WORK

AT CONSIDERATION

What is AT Consideration in a nutshell?

What factors may disrupt AT Consideration and what should a team do to address the factors?

Is an AT specialist involved in AT Consideration?

What are the potential outcomes of AT Consideration?

What is the relationship between AT Consideration and AT Evaluation?

How is AT documented in a student’s IEP?

What are examples of AT-related goals that may be included in a student’s IEP?

Do schools have to respond to parental requests for AT Evaluations?

If an independent AT Evaluation is conducted, what should the team do with the results of the evaluation?

PROVISION OF AT AND AT SERVICES

How does FAPE influence the provision of AT?

Does a school need to maintain technology bought by a family?

Does AT have to be assigned to a particular student? Why or why not?

What happens to AT when a school leaves a school/district?

AT IMPLEMENTATION

What is AT implementation in a nutshell?

Who must be trained to use AT? Who provides te training?

What are some examples of good contingency planning?

Can AT always be used on Statewide Assessments? Explain.

PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF AT USE

What is Peformance Monitoring of AT Use in nutshell?

What are examples of variables that could be measured under the Time Series Concurrent and Differential Approach to AT Use monitoring?

Can AT always be used on Statewide Assessments? Explain.

As AT is used and monitored, what are the potential outcomes of monitoring process?

BUILDING AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT AT SERVICES

Understanding Complex Change

Professional Development

• Content Focused – Focused on developing competencies• Active Learning – Observation, Collaboration,

Reflection• Coherence – Related to recommended practices,

policies, and beliefs• Duration – Ongoing• Collective Participating – Engagement of whole

team in PD

A Possible PD Model

Building a Technological Infrastructure• Technology Acquisition and Procurement• Accessing and Leveraging State and Regional

Resources• Working with Vendors• Bulk Purchasing

• Building a Local AT Library• Working Collaboratively with Technology

Administrators and Support Staff• Evaluating Quality of AT Services

Your Questions