What is Assistive Technology?

  • Assistive Technology is any item, or type of equipment, software, or system that is used to improve the functional capabilities of someone with disabilities.
  • AT can be low-tech: Pencil Grips, different types of paper, Different Textures of devices, communication boards made of cardboard or fuzzy felt.
  • AT can be high-tech: special-purpose computers.
  • AT can be computer software: screen readers and communication programs.
  • AT can be specialized curricular software.

Laws that support Assistive Technology

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Assistive Technology Act 1998
  • Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Amendments of 1998
  • Federal Government Procurement of Accessible Information Technology

How is Technology Assigned to Students?

  1. IEP team meets and indicates there is a need for a specific tool (try to encourage general need instead of a specific tool)
  2. Assistive Technology Person  or Access Specialist meets with the child and interviews them to see what tools might work best for their specific needs
  3. Assistive Technology Specialist makes recommendations to the team for the parents, child and ed team to decide what they will adopt
  4. They try it
  5. Modify as the needs of the student changes or needs supported

Top 6 Assistive Technology Tools in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (kpbsd) as interviewed by Dan Kasaa (Assistive Technology Specialist)

  • Word prediction devices
  • Dragon Speak
  • Smartpens
  • Augmented communication
  • Buttons
  • High Tech Devices (specialized keyboards, retinal/oral activated devices, apps)

References:

Kasaa, Dan. Personal Interview, March 2018.

Other sources linked in blog.

Center on Technology and Disability

Published by 02-Ed Tech Blog

Assistant Professor -Alaska Christian College Chair Paraprofessional Education MAT ECE - UAS 2012 Credentialed Montessori Directress (Owned: The Learning Tree Montessori 2003-2015) Mom, wife, volunteer, community member

4 thoughts on “Assistive Technology-Post 7”

  1. Nice blog. I think assistive technology will become more and more prevalent in schools in the future. It is just starting to impact classrooms, but will really kick in soon I think.

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  2. We have assistive technology available, but I rarely see students take advantage of it other than for standardized testing. I’d like to know more about “buttons” and “Augmented communication”. How are they advantageous to students?

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  3. I haven’t heard of some of the technologies that you mentioned, like Dragon Speak. I’ve seen buttons used for students who are non-verbal and wheelchair bound. Our district uses Read Write for Google. Coby blogged about it. All I have to say is it’s amazing!

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  4. Hi Katie informative post! I had an opportunity to work with ATLA in Anchorage when I was with Apple. I like your definitions of what AT is. I remember Mystie (ATLA director) showing me some of the different items and there was this iPad cover that looked like a brightly colored creature that was fun but also protected the iPad in case it was thrown across the room or dropped. The dragon software is powerful as well, at the time it was only available for a PC operating system so we would run windows on a mac and it could be used flawlessly. Great shot of some of the adaptive tech there is still a lot of room to innovate in that space. especially as the idea is to “adapt’ the interface to the need! https://www.atlaak.org

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