SPED 473 Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

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SPED 473Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

• Assistive Technology

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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.

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Legislation

• To develop an Individualized Education Program
  (IEP) for each child eligible for special
  education and related services plan is based on
  multi-disciplinary 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

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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.

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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.

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Legislation

• Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-394)
• 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.

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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).

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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 IEPs to
  assure FAPE inside and outside the school
  environment, including a child's home or in other
  settings.

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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)
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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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 case-by-case basis at no
  cost to the parents.

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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.

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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.