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- Hi, my name is Chris Bugaj,
and I'm a specialized
instructional facilitator
for assistive technology in Virginia.
I am here today to talk to you
about assistive technology.
Assistive technology is something
that's defined in the law
and it needs to be considered
in every individualized
education program meeting.
Really, the basics of what
assistive technology is
and what it means to you as a teacher
in the educational environment.
In order for you to effectively
consider assistive
technology at those meetings,
you kinda need to know what it is.
So, let me start with the definition
of assistive technology.
The definition of assistive technology
is broken down into two parts,
the AT device and the AT service.
An assistive technology device is used
to increase, maintain, or improve
the functional capabilities of
a student with a disability.
The term includes the evaluation
of the needs of such a child,
including a functional
evaluation of the child
in the child's customary environment.
Purchasing, leasing,
or otherwise providing for the acquisition
of assistive technology devices,
selecting, designing,
fitting, customizing,
adapting, applying,
maintaining, repairing,
or replacing assistive technology devices.
Coordinating or using other therapies,
interventions, or services
with assistive technology devices,
training, or technical
assistance for such a child,
or, where appropriate,
the family of the child,
and training or technical
assistance for professionals.
An assistive technology device
excludes medical devices
that are surgically implanted,
like a shunt, or a cochlear
implant, or a pacemaker.
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I get to work with teachers all the time,
and one of the things they ask me
is what assistive technology
can they use in the classroom,
what are some things they need to know
when they go into the classroom.
The first thing you really need
to understand about assistive technology
is that it's anything.
So students could be using their phones,
or a device like a Chromebook,
or a laptop, or a iPad.
Those are all examples of items
that could be considered
assistive technology.
But it could also be low-tech things, too,
like a slant board,
or folding the piece of
paper in a certain way
to help them better remember the content.
As a teacher working in the schools,
you're going to be
sitting in IEP meetings.
Just remember that in
every single IEP meeting,
assistive technology
needs to be considered.
If these items are necessary to ensure
a free, appropriate public education,
then they get listed in the students' IEP.
So let's take a practical example.
Imagine you have a student
with a reading disability,
and that student has an
individualized education program
that has a goal that has to do
with improving his or
her reading abilities.
You might look at the different barriers
that are existing for that student,
and then come up with technology
that might help them meet
those educational goals
and be rid of those barriers.
So, if in the case of the student
with a reading disability,
maybe the student would
need text to speech,
where the text on the screen,
or the text that they're reading
is read aloud to them so
that they can hear the text
instead of relying on the reading ability.
The process of choosing, providing,
and then training the student
and every person who
works with the student
on the assistive technology device
is an assistive technology service.
One example of a service
would be the training involved
in teaching a student, the teachers,
the other professionals, the parents,
or anyone else working with the student
on how to use an assistive
technology device.
There are books, and podcasts, and videos,
and so many different places
to learn about assistive technology,
but one great place to learn
about assistive technology
is the Center on
Technology and Disability.
They have a fantastic website
that has many different resources.
That website is CTDInstitute.org.
I hope this brief introduction
helps you better understand
what assistive technology is
and how it can be used to help
people with disabilities
achieve their goals.
