Illinois Assistive Technology
Guidance Manual
2020 Edition
This manual was created in collaboration with Infinitec
and made possible through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education.
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Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual, Lecture notes of Local Area Network (LAN)
SETTING THE VISION FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS. ... QUALITY INDICATORS FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN 504 PLANS.
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Illinois Assistive Technology
Guidance Manual
2020 Edition
This manual was created in collaboration with Infinitec and made possible through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education.
Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual
WHAT AT AND AT SERVICE COMPONENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS IN TRANSITIONS FROM ONE EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT TO ANOTHER?
- Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual | 2019–20 Edition Page
- SETTING THE VISION FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS.......................................................................................... Table of Contents
- CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
- WHAT IS THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF AT?
- WHAT IS THE GOAL OF AT?
- WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT AT IS A COMPENSATORY INTERVENTION?
- WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF AT?
- WHAT IS THE AT CONTINUUM?........................................................................................................................................
- HOW IS AT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TECHNOLOGIES USED IN SCHOOLS?
- WHAT ARE SCHOOLS’ RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROVIDE MEDICALLY NECESSARY AT?
- WHAT ARE AT SERVICES?
- Summary
- CHAPTER 2 UNDERSTANDING AT REQUIREMENTS WITHIN IDEA
- WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF AT SPECIAL EDUCATION, RELATED SERVICES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS AND SERVICES?
- WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AT AND FAPE?
- WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AT AND LRE?
- WHAT IS THE LEA’S RESPONSIBILITY TO DEVELOP PERFORMANCE MEASURES WHEN THE IEP TEAM DETERMINES AT IS NEEDED?
- WHEN SHOULD PARENTS BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE IEP TEAM’S REQUIREMENT TO CONSIDER AT FOR THEIR CHILD?
- CHAPTER 3 UNDERSTANDING HOW AT RELATES TO OTHER EDUCATIONAL MANDATES AND INITIATIVES
- HOW DOES AT RELATE TO THE ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS?
- HOW DOES AT RELATE TO ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS (AIM)?
- HOW DOES AT RELATE TO UNIVERSAL DESIGN?
- HOW DOES AT RELATE TO DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION?
- HOW DOES AT RELATE TO MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT?
- HOW IS AT ADDRESSED UNDER SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973?
- How can an IEP team judge its Section 504 processes for including AT?
- Summary
- CHAPTER 4 UNDERSTANDING THE AT PROCESS
- CONSIDERATION OF AT
- PROVISION OF AT........................................................................................................................................................
- IMPLEMENTATION OF AT
- PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF AT USE
- Summary
- Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual | 2019–20 Edition Page
- CHAPTER 5 AT PROCESS: UNDERSTANDING AT CONSIDERATION
- A MODEL FOR AT CONSIDERATION
- Review current information about student
- Develop IEP goals and objectives.
- technology-based compensatory supports? Can the student meet IEP goals and objectives and make reasonable progress in the curriculum without any
- Does the IEP team have the knowledge and skills necessary to make this decision?
- STUDENT DOES NOT NEED AT AT THE TIME OF THIS IEP MEETING. DOCUMENT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION AND ANY ACCOMMODATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY OR WHETHER THE
- Collect more information or seek assistance from person or team with necessary knowledge and skills.
- Is the student currently using AT?
- Is the AT working?
- Document AT in the IEP
- Conduct an AT evaluation
- WHO IS INVOLVED IN AN AT CONSIDERATION?
- WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AT CONSIDERATION, AT ASSESSMENT AND AT EVALUATION?
- WHO MAY CONDUCT OR BE INVOLVED IN AN AT ASSESSMENT OR AT EVALUATION?
- WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE PART OF AN AT ASSESSMENT AND AN AT EVALUATION?
- Task-demand analysis
- Feature-match analysis
- Tool-demand analysis
- AT trials and data collection...............................................................................................................................
- WHAT ARE CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC FACTORS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN AN AT ASSESSMENT?............................................
- HOW IS AT DOCUMENTED IN A STUDENT’S IEP?................................................................................................................
- SHOULD COST BE A FACTOR WHEN CONSIDERING AT?.........................................................................................................
- CAN PARENTS OR GUARDIANS REQUEST AN INDEPENDENT AT EVALUATION?
- What components might be included in an independent AT evaluation?
- Must schools consider parents’ AT evaluations?
- HOW CAN A TEAM JUDGE THE QUALITY OF ITS AT PROCESSES?
- Summary
- A MODEL FOR AT CONSIDERATION
- CHAPTER 6 AT PROCESS: UNDERSTANDING THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY’S REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE AT
- WHO OWNS THE AT WHEN IT IS PURCHASED BY THE SCHOOL?
- CAN SCHOOL-OWNED AT BE USED IN HOME SETTINGS?
- CAN FAMILY INSURANCE BE USED TO PAY FOR AT?
- WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS DO IF A FAMILY CHOOSES TO PURCHASE AT FOR USE IN A CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM?
- CAN A SCHOOL SEEK OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING TO PROVIDE AT DEVICES AND SERVICES THAT ARE PART OF A STUDENT’S IEP?
- CAN TECHNOLOGIES ALREADY IN A CLASSROOM BE USED BY STUDENTS AS AT?
- ARE SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO INSURE THE AT PROVIDED TO A STUDENT?
- IF AT IS REPEATEDLY DAMAGED, HOW SHOULD THE DISTRICT RESPOND?.................................................................................
- ARE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AT TO STUDENTS AT CHARTER SCHOOLS OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
- Summary
- CHAPTER 7 AT PROCESS: UNDERSTANDING AT IMPLEMENTATION
- WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF AT?
- PROCESS FOR AT IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING
- Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual | 2019–20 Edition Page - Tasks................................................................................................................................................................... - Tools/Strategies - Where is it used? - Additional Comments - Related IEP Goal(s) - Routine Maintenance, Training and Customization - Repairs and Contingency Planning
- WHAT TRAINING NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED TO IMPLEMENT AT EFFECTIVELY?.............................................................................
- WHAT DOES ‘CUSTOMIZATION OF AT’ MEAN?
- CAN AT BE USED ON STATEWIDE ASSESSMENTS?
- HOW CAN A TEAM JUDGE THE QUALITY OF ITS AT IMPLEMENTATION?....................................................................................
- Summary
- CHAPTER 8 AT PROCESS: UNDERSTANDING CONTINUOUS PROGRESS MONITORING OF AT USE
- WHAT IS INVOLVED IN PROGRESS MONITORING FOR AT?
- WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF PROGRESS MONITORING OF AT USE?
- Summary
- CHAPTER 9 UNDERSTANDING AT SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF TRANSITIONS
- WHAT AT AND AT SERVICES COMPONENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS DURING A STUDENT’S TRANSITION?
- HOW ARE TRANSITIONS THAT INCLUDE AT ADDRESSED IN AN IEP?
- CAN A STUDENT TAKE SCHOOL-PROVIDED AT TO A NEW PLACEMENT?
- WHAT AT AND AT SERVICE COMPONENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS WHEN PREPARING FOR POSTSECONDARY TRANSITIONS?
- PERFORMANCE? HOW CAN IEP TEAMS DOCUMENT AT SERVICES AND DEVICES IN A STUDENT’S POST-SECONDARY TRANSITION PLAN AND SUMMARY OF
- CAN AT BE TRANSFERRED TO A STUDENT UPON GRADUATION OR TRANSITION TO ANOTHER PLACEMENT?
- HOW CAN A TEAM JUDGE THE QUALITY OF ITS AT TRANSITION PLANNING?
- Summary
- CHAPTER 10 CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS EFFECTIVE AT SERVICES
- WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS HIGH-QUALITY AT SERVICES?
- WHAT ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN TO BUILD VISION AND SET DIRECTION FOR AN AT PROGRAM?
- Questions about students’ use of AT
- Questions about staff members’ knowledge about and use of AT
- Questions about agency or district resources
- WHAT ASPECTS OF MANAGING A PROGRAM CAN BE APPLIED TO AN AT INFRASTRUCTURE?
- Operating guidelines
- Resource management
- AT device infrastructure
- Accessing and leveraging state and regional resources
- Working with vendors
- Purchasing in bulk to provide large-scale access
- Building a local AT library...................................................................................................................................
- WHAT ASPECTS OF DEVELOPING INDIVIDUAL EDUCATORS CAN BE APPLIED TO AN AT INFRASTRUCTURE?
- Illinois Assistive Technology Guidance Manual | 2019–20 Edition Page
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE AT SERVICES
- TPACK Model for AT Professional Development
- WHAT ASPECTS OF REDESIGNING THE ORGANIZATION CAN BE APPLIED TO AN AT INFRASTRUCTURE?
- What should school systems do to plan for ensuring effective AT services?
- Summary
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE AT SERVICES
- APPENDICES
- APPENDIX A:
- QUALITY INDICATORS FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
- Quality Indicators for Consideration of Assistive Technology Needs
- Quality Indicators for Assessment of Assistive Technology Needs
- Quality Indicators for Including Assistive Technology in the IEP
- Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Implementation
- Quality Indicators for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Assistive Technology
- Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Transition
- Quality Indicators for Administrative Support of Assistive Technology Services
- Quality Indicators for Professional Development and Training in Assistive Technology
- QUALITY INDICATORS FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN 504 PLANS.................................................................................
- (QIAT-504)
- QUALITY INDICATORS FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
- APPENDIX B: FORMS FOR TEAM PROCESS USE
- SETT SCAFFOLD FOR TOOL SELECTION
- ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
- SAMPLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARENT AND DISTRICT FOR PRIVATELY OWNED EQUIPMENT
- QIAT TRANSITION PLANNING WORKSHEET
- SETT SCAFFOLD FOR TOOL SELECTION
- ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
- SAMPLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARENT AND DISTRICT
- QIAT TRANSITION PLANNING WORKSHEET FOR AT USERS
- REFERENCES
Chapter 1
Understanding Assistive Technology
Assistive technology (AT) is a classification of technologies specific to individuals with disabilities. In schools, classifying technology as AT is important. It allows that technology to be documented as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 504 plan or other accommodations for a student with a disability. This section covers basic AT information school teams need to understand, and how it applies in school settings.
What is the legal definition of AT?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) provides a legal definition of AT. The definition at 34 C.F.R. § 300 .5 reads: 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 ]) “ Any item” can be interpreted broadly. AT ranges from more complex items such as computer-based technology and software to everyday items like small balls that can be used to modify pencils for alternative grasps. “Product system” refers to the idea that an AT solution often requires multiple technologies working together to benefit a student with a disability. The concept of a product system is analogous to a computer and software. Software alone cannot run without a computer, and a computer is unable to provide much benefit without the software. An example of this concept in application is a student who requires an augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) device mounted to his or her wheelchair, as well as a switch to activate the device. All the technologies must work in concert for the student to benefit from the AT system. “ Whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized” means that commonly available technology may be used as AT tools or AT systems purchased and used as AT to increase functional capabilities. Often, however, they need to be adapted to a student’s individual needs. This idea is similar to buying a car. Before driving it, the buyer will most likely adjust the seat positions, mirrors, tilt of the steering wheel and so forth. The buyer may even add a wrap to keep the steering wheel from getting hot in the summer. All those changes make the car better for the driver who bought it. The same is true of AT. Once out of the box, AT may need to be modified or customized for the individual student. Support personnel may need to adjust the device or system programming or alter the way the student physically interacts with it. “ That is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability” relates to the reason the AT tool or system is provided to the student. Functional capabilities are the
skills and activities students must perform effectively to succeed in school. Among them are eating, drinking, toileting, seeing, hearing, communicating, reading, writing, paying attention and getting to and around school. The paragraph of IDEA that defines AT also limits its definition with this statement: The term [assistive technology] does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401 ( 1 )) In effect, AT considered for students with disabilities in school settings should not include items inserted below the skin by a medical doctor. A cochlear implant, for example, would not be considered AT.
What is the goal of AT?
The goal of AT is to enhance students’ performance on specific tasks (Edyburn, 2005) or to allow students to maintain performance levels that allow them to succeed in their instructional programs. Lewis (1993) noted that AT can:
- augment strengths that counterbalance the effects of any disabilities; and
- allow for performing a task in a way that compensates for or bypasses disabilities. Edyburn (2000) further suggested that AT can act as a cognitive prosthesis , replacing an ability that is missing or impaired, or as a cognitive scaffold, providing the support needed to accomplish a task.
What does it mean that AT is a compensatory intervention?
Two primary types of interventions are used in school settings. Instructional interventions are procedures or strategies educators use to teach academic or social skills. Instructional interventions help students learn new skills. Compensatory interventions are procedures, tools and strategies that allow students to perform better on a task without necessarily improving the underlying skills associated with it. AT provides a compensatory benefit to a student with a disability, according to Edyburn (2000), Lewis (1993), Parette, Peterson-Karlan, Wojcik and Bardi (2007), and Wojcik (2005). All proposed that AT is any tool (or system of tools) allowing a person to complete a task at an expected performance level when that would not otherwise be possible. In short, AT helps students show what they know and compensate for a barrier posed by their disability.
What are the categories of AT?
No categories of assistive technologies are defined in legislation; however, the AT field has developed a number of taxonomies to help classify assistive technologies. The AbleData ( http://www.abledata.com) database resource sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has developed 20 different categories to classify AT by function.
For some students, however, a Chromebook may be classified as AT. For instance, a Chromebook may offer students with reading and writing disabilities alternative ways to encode and decode printed text. Enlarged text, text-to-speech, different contrasts and alternative readability levels are all available. A Chromebook can even produce printed text through speech recognition. Having access to such technologies provides a compensatory benefit, minimizing the impact of a learning disability. A Chromebook can allow a student to perform tasks in ways he or she could not otherwise. The fact that the Chromebook and associated applications provide such compensatory benefits for an individual student would support the designation of AT for that student and should be documented in the student’s IEP. Any student, with or without disabilities, may use readily available technologies that have accessibility features such as text enlargement or text to speech. These technologies are identified as AT for a student with a disability if they are used as a compensatory intervention and an IEP team determines that a student needs them to receive FAPE. Additional AT may be needed to help a student with disabilities access readily available technologies used by all students. Once such a need is determined, it must be documented in the student’s IEP.
What are schools’ responsibilities to provide medically necessary AT?
Surgically implanted medical devices—including those used for breathing, nutrition and other bodily
functions—are excluded from the definition of an assistive technology device in section 602(1)(B) of
the IDEA. The exclusion applies to the implanted component of the device as well as its external
components (71 Federal Register , 46,547 (August 14, 2006)).
Under IDEA, therefore, schools are not responsible for purchasing surgically implanted devices,
optimizing their function (e.g., mapping cochlear implants), or maintaining or replacing them. (See
also: Letter to Gregg, 48 IDELR 17 (ED 2006); Petit v. U.S. Department of Education , 58 IDELR 241
(D.C. Cir. 2012); A .U. v. Roane County Board of Education , 48 IDELR 3 (E.D.Tenn. 2007); 71 Federal
Register , 46, 570 – 71 (August 2006).)
Nevertheless, schools must conduct routine checks to ensure that the external components of
students’ surgically implanted medical devices are functioning properly. The 2006 IDEA regulations
state that schools must “appropriately monitor and maintain medical devices that are needed to
maintain the health and safety of the child, including breathing, nutrition, or operation of other
bodily functions, while the child is transported to and from school or is at school.” (34 C.F.R.
§300.34(b)( 2 ) (ii)).Education agencies are not responsible for providing personal medical devices
such as eyeglasses or hearing aids that a child with a disability requires, regardless of whether the
child is attending school. If a child’s IEP team determines that such a non-implanted device is
required for a student to receive FAPE, the public agency must ensure that it is provided at no cost
to the parents, according to 71 Federal Register , 46, 581 (August 14, 2006).
If an IEP merely refers to a medical device, hearing aid or eyeglasses, it does not mean that the
school has assumed responsibility for the device. The IEP has to incorporate the device as necessary
for implementation of the IEP and receipt of FAPE for the school to take responsibility for the
personal device.
What are AT services?
IDEA 2004 provides a definition of AT services at 34 C.F.R. § 300.6. It states:
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)) Summary AT service delivery involves more than simply providing AT. It is a process , recorded in a student’s IEP, by which AT is considered, selected, provided, supported and periodically evaluated to determine its effectiveness for a student.
(b) Exception; services that apply to children with surgically implanted devices, including cochlear implants. (1) Related services do not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of that device’s functioning (e.g., mapping), maintenance of that device, or the replacement of that device. § 300.42 Supplementary aids and services. Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate in accordance with §§ 300.114 through 300.116. For a more complete IDEA definitions with additional explanations, visit the IDEA Website, https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/b.
What are examples of AT special education, related services, and
supplementary aids and services?
AT and AT services may be provided as part of special education to a student if the IEP team deems it necessary and develops related goals within the IEP. In this context, specially designed instruction may be provided to help a student understand how to use AT. For example, a special education teacher may provide instruction on how to use speech recognition effectively when composing print. The instructional goals would define key performance outcomes in using speech recognition for writing. Alternatively, AT may be provided along with specially designed instruction to meet a student’s individual needs and to ensure free appropriate public education (FAPE). As an example, a student may use speech recognition while receiving instruction on specific writing strategies. Using speech recognition helps the student generate printed text. This AT compensates for the impact of a disability that affects how the student applies the writing strategy being taught through individualized and specially designed instruction. The IEP team would generate goals for using specific writing strategies and may identify goals for learning how to use speech recognition. AT and AT services also may be provided as part of a related service. For example, a student who has difficulty communicating may receive AT services to learn to use an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) system from a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Finally, AT and AT services may be provided as a supplementary aid or service. In this scenario, AT and AT services are provided in regular education classes and other education-related settings, as well as in extracurricular and nonacademic school settings. The intent is to enable students with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled students to the maximum extent appropriate. For example, a slant board may be provided as AT to help a student with motor difficulties more effectively engage in handwriting in a general education classroom. The general education teacher may provide AT services to ensure that the slant board is available when the student needs to use it. The teacher also may help the student set up the slant board so that it may be used effectively.
What is the relationship between AT and FAPE?
IDEA requires that students who are aged 3 – 21 and receiving special education services be guaranteed free appropriate public education (FAPE). According to IDEA 2004 (34 C.F.R. § 300.17): Free appropriate public education or FAPE means special education and related services that— (a) Are provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge; (b) Meet the standards of the SEA, including the requirements of this part; (c) Include an appropriate preschool, elementary school, or secondary school education in the State involved; and (d) Are provided in conformity with an individualized education program (IEP) that meets the requirements of §§ 300.320 through 300.324. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(9)) Providing AT may serve as an element of a school’s obligation to provide FAPE to students. The “ free” in FAPE means that all special education and related services (including necessary AT tools and services) should be provided to students with disabilities at no cost to the parents. This rule prohibits schools from refusing to provide AT or AT services in a student’s IEP because of expense. The only time schools may consider cost of AT in making a consideration determination is when two equally effective alternatives cost different amounts. The “ appropriate” portion of FAPE refers to the degree of impact the equipment and services provided may have on students’ progress in school settings. In the landmark case of Board of Education v. Rowley , the Supreme Court established a two-pronged test (458 U.S. 176 (1982)) that an appropriate education:
- complies with the procedural requirements set out in IDEA; and
- provides students with a substantive education. The Supreme Court emphasized that, to be substantively appropriate, students’ education programs should be “reasonably calculated” to ensure students’ educational progress. The goal of FAPE, according to the Supreme Court, is not to maximize students’ potential but to guarantee that schools offer them a “basic floor of opportunity.” Day and Huefner (2003) pointed out that the Rowley decision regarding FAPE applies to the consideration of AT. AT should be provided to students with disabilities to confer an equitable opportunity in educational settings and to ensure that their educational program is “reasonably calculated” to ensure educational progress. Recently, in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District , the Supreme Court further defined the concept of “appropriate” with regard to the education of students with disabilities under IDEA. In the Endrew F. case, the court stated that each child’s educational program must be appropriately ambitious in light of his or her circumstances, and every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives (U.S. DOE, 2017); therefore, when AT is considered for a student with a disability, the IEP team should “be able to offer a cogent and responsive explanation for its decision that shows the IEP is reasonably calculated to enable the child to make progress appropriate in light of his circumstances.” (Moore, 2019)
much as appropriate. Local Education Agencies are responsible for developing ways to measure how well students perform with AT. Parents are to be notified in writing about their child’s requirement for AT at the first and each annual IEP meeting.
Chapter 3
Understanding How AT Relates to Other
Educational Mandates and Initiatives
IDEA and Illinois statutes mention additional legal and educational mandates that may influence whether a team decides to provide assistive technology for a student. It is important to understand how the provision of assistive technology devices and services relates to each of the following mandates.
How does AT relate to the Illinois Learning Standards?
The Illinois Learning Standards provide guidance about the content students are expected to learn. The standards shape the development of curricula and associated experiences. AT provides a means for individual students with disabilities to access and engage in curricula when they could not otherwise perform the curricular tasks.
How does AT relate to Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)?
IDEA requires school systems to ensure that textbooks and related printed materials are provided in specialized formats to students with print disabilities in a timely manner (34 C.F.R. § 300.172). The Illinois State Board of Education has provided guidance on this matter, which can be referenced at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Special-Education-NIMAS-NIMAC-Information.aspx. While students with print-related disabilities may be provided with specialized formats (e.g., Braille, electronic text, enlarged text or audio), students may need to use AT tools in conjunction with these specialized formats to effectively access the materials. For example, if a textbook were provided as electronic text, a student may still need to use a text-to-speech program or a refreshable braille display to access the digital textbook file. In this instance, it would be insufficient to provide only the electronic text.
How does AT relate to Universal Design?
The Disability Act 2005 defines Universal Design (UD) as:
1. The design and composition of an environment so that it may be accessed, understood and used 1. To the greatest possible extent 2. In the most independent and natural manner possible 3. In the widest possible range of situations 4. Without the need for adaptation, modification, assistive devices or specialised solutions, by any persons of any age or size or having any particular physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual ability or disability, _and
- Means, in relation to electronic systems, any electronics-based process of creating_ products, services or systems so that they may be used by any person.
How does AT relate to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support?
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a general education initiative with the goal of increasing individual students’ rates of progress in school settings. Students receiving services within an MTSS framework may use AT tools at any tier to gain access to core instruction, and to receive evidence-based interventions matched to their needs. If, however, using AT tools significantly alters how an intervention is implemented, the effectiveness and fidelity of the intervention may be altered as well. Take the example of a student receiving an intervention to improve oral reading fluency. The use of a text-to-speech program that reads text passages for the student may reduce the overall effectiveness and fidelity of the intervention. In this case, the school team should determine whether the student will use the AT device while receiving the intervention. This does not mean that school teams should avoid using AT tools to allow students with disabilities on curricular tasks. Interventions and supports provided in the context of an MTSS framework can and should be used along with AT tools to increase students’ successes.
How is AT addressed under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a U.S. civil rights statute prohibiting agencies and programs that receive federal funds from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Because public schools receive federal funds, they are subject to the provisions of Section 504. The law states: No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps in the United States ... shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. (34 C.F.R. §104.4(a)) Note that the definition of disability is different under Section 504 than it is in IDEA. Section 504 defines an “individual with handicaps” as a person who: (i) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment. (34 C.F.R. §104.3(j)(1)) Among “major life activities” are walking, sleeping, seeing, hearing, learning, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, speaking, breathing and working. Thus, the definition of “individuals with handicaps” under Section 504 is broader than the definition of children with disabilities under the IDEA. Some children who are not eligible for special education services may be able to receive them under the protections of Section 504. For example, some students who have a physical disability, are able to benefit from the curriculum provided to students in general education classes. For these students, AT my be provided to help them write or read the same material other students use. They do not need specially designed instruction, but do need AT to have access to their educational program. Section 504 applies to preschool, elementary and secondary schools that receive or benefit from federal financial assistance. These programs are required to provide a free appropriate public education to
students with disabilities. Section 504 defines “appropriate” as providing regular or special education, and related aids and services, designed to meet the individual educational needs of persons with disabilities as adequately as the needs of persons without disabilities. Programs subject to Section 504 must ensure that students with disabilities are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in all academic and extracurricular school programs. Benefits and services provided to students with disabilities must be equal to, and as effective as, the benefits and services afforded to other students. Schools may have to make special accommodations, such as providing AT devices and/or services, so that students with disabilities can access the full range of programs and activities. The key here is the equal opportunity to participate required under Section 504. More information about Section 504 and AT is available from: Chicago Office U.S. Department of Education John C. Kluczynski Federal Building 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor Chicago, IL 60604 Telephone: (312) 730- 1560 Facsimile: (312) 730- 1576 Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov How can an IEP team judge its Section 504 processes for including AT? A list of 10 quality indicators for AT devices and services, as applied to students served under Section 504 , is available in Appendix A and at https://www.natenetwork.org/forms-and-tools. These indicators can serve as overarching guidelines for quality AT services required outside the special education process. They are used to help schools and districts develop systems ensuring that students with disabilities who do not qualify for specially designed instruction have full access to the general education curriculum and other school-related activities. Summary State and federal mandates speak to a variety of educational tools and approaches. These mandates may shape the decision to use AT. It is important that educators and parents understand how each of these requirements is related to an educational agency’s responsibility to provide AT.