To assist IEP teams with considering student needs for assistive technology, the Virginia AT Consideration Resource is available! This document will help to increase consistency and comprehensiveness of AT considerations in your school division.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, PL.101-476), each student with a disability must be considered as a potential candidate for assistive technology (AT). Although there are several different ways to assess the need, the most popular tool is the SETT Framework developed by Dr. Joy Zabala at the University of Kentucky (http://www.joyzabala.com). Using this framework, the evaluator, or IEP team, gathers specific information on the Student (S), the Environment (E), the Tasks (T), and the Tools (T). Once the infor mation is compiled, suggestions can be made that could include no tech, low tech, and/or high tech options that will increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of the student.
Once assistive technology systems have been matched to a student’s needs, ongoing assessment is necessary to determine when and if needs have been met or have changed. Ongoing assessment can assist the teacher and student to share understanding of what is expected and to periodically celebrate success.
To assist IEP teams with considering student needs for assistive technology, the Virginia AT Consideration Guide is now available. This document will help to increase consistency and comprehensiveness of AT considerations in your school division. Look for it soon at TTAConline under the Resources tab. The full title of the document is Assistive Technology: A Framework for Consideration and Assessment.
For more information on assessing student needs for Assistive Technology read about the SETT Framework (S for the Student, E for the Environment, T for the Tasks, and T for Tools needed for the students to address the tasks).
