To assist IEP teams with considering student needs for assistive technology (AT), the Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS) Consideration Guide and Resources is now available. These resources will help IEP teams increase consistency and comprehensiveness of AT considerations in your school division by providing a consideration and documentation process.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1990 (P.L. 101- 476) and 1997 (P.L. 105-17) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-446), each student with a disability must be considered as a potential candidate for using assistive technology (AT). IEP Team members, including the student, are often the most knowledgeable regarding the needs of the student and which tools can be helpful for their learning. Therefore, discussing and considering AT during the IEP meeting will be helpful when developing the student’s IEP.
The VATTS: Consideration Guide assists IEP teams with organizing a student’s needs and data for using assistive technology. Use it to provide a documented process for determining assistive technology to trial, use, or document not being needed. This guide also comes in an downloadable, interactive, fillable MS Word document version, VATTS: Interactive Consideration Guide.
The VATTS: Resource Guide is a collection of examples of instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications and accommodations that may be useful to help a student get over their challenges to learning. Use it after completing the VATTS: Consideration Guide to consider options to try based on the areas of identified need.
If your IEP Team is new to considering assistive technology for students, use the VATTS: Consideration and Assessment Guidance Document and the VATTS: Instructions and Definition documents for more information.
Also, an Asynchronous Virtual Virginia Course has been developed based on the VATTS: Consideration Guide and Resources 2022-2023. A certificate of completion can be earned by those completing the course.
