SPED 427
Instructional Strategies:
Preschool
Assistive Technology
Legislation
• The Education for the Handicapped Act
(EHA) (P.L. 94-142)
– To guarantee a Free and Appropriate Public
Education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities,
ages 5-21
– Special Education and related services must be
free, provided by the public agency at no cost to
the parents
– Appropriate education is the provision of regular
and special education and related services
designed to meet students' individual educational
needs.
Legislation
– To develop an Individualized Education Program
(IEP) for each child eligible for special education
and related services; plan is based on multidisciplinary assessment and includes a statement
of specific special education and related services
to be provided to the child
– To the maximum extent appropriate, all children
and youth with disabilities will be educated in the
least restrictive education (LRE) environment
Legislation
– Parents have the right to participate in
every decision related to the identification,
evaluation, and placement of their child.
Parents must give consent for any initial
evaluation, assessment or placement
decision. Due process procedures assure
parents rights to appeal.
Legislation
• Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with
Disabilities Act of 1988 (Tech Act - P.L. 100-407)
– provided federal funds to states to develop training and
delivery systems for assistive technology devices and
services
– required states and territories to develop statewide,
consumer-responsive programs of technology-related
services for individuals with disabilities of all ages
– first definition of Assistive Technology Devices and Services
– promoted the availability and quality of AT devices and
services to all individuals, including children.
Legislation
• Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105394)
– affirms that technology is a valuable tool that can
be used to improve the lives of Americans with
disabilities
– extends the funding of the 50 states and six
territories to develop permanent, comprehensive,
statewide programs of technology-related
assistance.
Legislation
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1990 (P.L.
101-476) and 1997 (P.L. 105-17)
– IDEA first outlined the school district's responsibility to
provide AT to students with disabilities.
• Each public agency shall ensure that assistive technology
• devices or assistive technology services or both, as those
terms are defined in 300.5 - 300.6 are made available to a
child with a disability if required as part of the child's
– Special education under 300.17
– Related services under 300.16
– Supplementary aids and services under 300.550(b)(2).
Legislation
• AT devices and services must be provided if
it is "required" for the student to receive a
free, appropriate public education (FAPE).
• AT must be "considered" on all student IEP’s
to assure FAPE inside and outside the school
environment, including a child's home or in
other settings.
Legislation
• The "consideration" mandate infers that the
IEP team has sufficient knowledge of AT
devices and services to make this
determination.
• The law encourages district personnel to
learn about AT and understand the demands
of the environment, the time available, or the
skills of the personnel in that environment.
(Reed, 2000)
Legislation
• 1986 Amendments (P.L. 99-457) Preschool
and Infant/Toddler Programs
– An amendment to the EHA - extended EHA rights
to children ages 0-5 and included:
• To extend the guarantee to a Free and Appropriate
Public Education (FAPE) to children with disabilities,
ages 3-5.
• To establish Early Intervention Programs (EIP) for
infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages 0-2
• To develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
for each family with an infant/toddler with disabilities
Legislation
• 1990 Amendments (P.L. 101-476)
– Renamed the EHA - Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA). The amendment also replaced the phrase
"handicapped child" with "child with a disability".
• To provide Transition Services for students by age 16
• To extend eligibility to children with autism and traumatic brain
injury
• To define Assistive Technology Devices and Services for
children with disabilities for inclusion in the IEP
• To extend the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to require
the child, to the maximum extent appropriate, be educated with
children without disabilities -- in the same class s/he would
have been but for the disability
Legislation
• 1997 Amendments (P.L. 105-17)
– To extend LRE as an assurance that all students would
have "access to the general curriculum"
– To "consider" Assistive Technology Devices and Services on
the IEP's of all students. Use of school-purchased AT in a
child's home or other settings is required if the child needs
access to those devices to receive FAPE.
– To include orientation and mobility services to the list of
related services for children who are blind or have visual
impairments, as well as for other children who may also
need instruction in traveling around their school, or to and
from school.
Schools and AT
• In IDEA, children with disabilities, ages birth
through 21, must be considered for assistive
technology use if it is needed in order to
receive a free and appropriate public
education (FAPE).
• These AT devices and services must be
identified by their IEP team and their use
determined within the natural environment;
the one in which they will use the device.
Consideration of AT
• Process, not an evaluation
• Research-based framework - based on the SETT
framework
– Student strengths, abilities, and skills
– Environments in which the student functions
– General education curriculum needs or tasks to meet IEP
goals
– Information regarding the features of AT options
Consideration of AT
• Required of all IEP/IFSP teams
• Must seek information relative to proper
decision-making
• Lack of understanding or training is not an
accepted excuse
• Must document consideration and outcomes
Outcomes of AT
Consideration
• AT is not needed
• AT is needed
• AT may be needed, but more
information is necessary for proper
decision
• Team is unsure what AT is and what
options are available
AT Process
• AT devices and services are to be made
available to a child with a disability if required
as part of the child's
– special education services
– related services
– supplementary aids and services,
• A statement of their use and required training
must be included on their IEP/IFSP.
AT Process
• School districts are responsible for helping
children with disabilities select and acquire
assistive technology devices and must assist
in training the child and the persons who
work with the child, how to most effectively
use it. This must be determined on a caseby-case basis at no cost to the parents.
AT Process
• School districts are developing new policies
concerning the use of assistive technology
devices and services. Some areas being
considered include: evaluation and use of
devices, informed consent and the
relationship of assistive technology and other
technology programs with the current
curricula offered and the development of
long-range technology plans.
AT Process
• School districts need to develop tracking
systems, make arrangements for
maintenance and repair of devices,
investigate sharing/loaning of equipment
within single and multiple districts and
developing assistive technology assessment
teams to work with individual student teams.