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Why Consider Assistive Technology During Transition?

“As the student approaches graduation from high school, the Transition Plan should include information about the types of assistive technology devices that are required in the post-secondary environment. The plan should also address any assistive technology services such as training and supports that are needed for the student’s continued use of assistive technology.- Georgia Dept of Ed
What does CONSIDER actually mean?

Why is consideration of assistive technology important during transition assessment and planning?  First, Merriam-Webster defines consider as "to think about (something or someone) carefully especially in order to make a choice or decision."   By replacing the word, the IDEA itself states that assistive technology must be thought about carefully at each IEP.  The Family Center on Technology and Disability summarizes that it "needs to be more than a mere “check box” on a form. The IEP process should include thoughtful weighing of potential advantages and disadvantages of specific AT devices and services."

 

It is important to understand how the impact and availablity of technology influences a person's ability to respond to their environment (Blackhurst et al, 1999).   To do so, the team should think about carefully the use of assistive technology during the transition assessment process to determine if the AT will improve the student's response to the post secondary environment.   

What factors influence careful and thoughtful consideration?

"There is a misconception that providing assistive technology is giving students and edge.  Assistive technology does not give knowledge, it not produce knowledge, but is simple a tool to allow true demonstration of and engagement with content."- Sharon Plant, Director of Technology EHSSouthport

 

How someone thinks about assistive technology for students with disabilites carefully is influenced by many factors.  Both familial and educator cultural beliefs and experience can impact positively and negatively the accommodation is viewed.  Family and cultural perception of disability and independence impact how assistive technology is viewed and therefore data should incorporate values, experience and culture (Parrette, VanBiervliet, and Hourcade, 2003 ).  The teacher's comfort, belief structure, and competency level impacts the pereception of the role of a device in the classroom.   "In most special education certification programs, coursework in assistive technology is generally an elective rather than a required course" (Edyburn, 2004).

 

School system construct and policy and procedure can also impact how consideration is completed. Nam, Bahn, and Lee describe barriers for educators such as inadequate training and support, self confidence, and lack of physical support to maintain the use of the assistive technology (2013).  Lack of technological infrastructure, ie connectivity, can also play an impact in the ease of use and therefore consideration of use of a specific device (Herrity, 2013).    

Why consider assistive technology at all?

Optimizing student indepedence and success in postsecondary ventures is the goal of transition planning.  In 1993, "The National Council of Disability suggests that 58% of those who are not using AT could become less dependent on personal care assistants and 37% could benefit economically on the job as the result of using AT" (Houchins, 2001).  By taking the time to identify the need for A.T. early, the student has time to practice with assistive technologies before the transtion to post secondary setting (Shaw, Madaus, and Banerjee, 2009).  

 

Considerations are important to identify funding that impacts postsecondary outcome including if assistive technologies are required for access to post secondary education or work.  Furthermore, the consideration A.T. as an independence helps to promoting self determination (Sheldon and Halger, 2000). An example of this includes using augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) for adolescents during transition planning since they are attempting to communicate their wants and needs (Parrette, 1999).    

 

Ultimately, assistive technology helps to improve quality of life, improve the extent to which someone can participate in daily work and play activities, and provide people with disabilties with the environmental modification needed to take advantage of the opportunites and at some point in the educational process the team should consider it (Edyburn, 2006; Houchins, 2001).

 

Tools and Resources teams can use to improve consideration of assistive technology

Since many of the afformentioned available transtion assessment tools do not outright identify the current or potential use of assistive technology for transition goals, it is relied upon the team members to have a knowledge base or awareness to ask such questions. But without proper guidance to ask these questions, available assistive technologies could be missed, impacting the level of independence achieved by students with disabilities.  The following provides a brief description of two tools that are available to advise team members through the consideration process during transition assessments and IEP planning.


 

1. Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology

The Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology, developed by a dedicated group of assistive technology service providers, provides guidelines for compliance in the Individualize Education Plan as they relate to eight areas:

  1. Consideration of AT Needs 

  2. Assessment of AT Needs 

  3. AT in the IEP 

  4. AT Implementation

  5. Evaluation of Effectiveness of AT 

  6. AT in Transition 

  7. Administrative Support for AT 

  8. AT Professional Development 

 

taken from Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology

Each of the indicators has an available matrix to inform educators if they are meeting expectations in relation to assistive technology.  Section 6, AT in Transition, specifically identifies six statements in which assistive technology should be addressed during the transition planning process:

 

1. Transition plans address assistive technology needs of the student, including roles and training needs of team members, subsequent steps in assistive technology use, and follow-up after transition takes place.

 

2. Transition planning empowers the student using assistive technology to participate in the transition planning at a level appropriate to age and ability.

 

3. Advocacy related to assistive technology use is recognized as critical and planned for by the teams involved in transition.

 

4. AT requirements in the receiving environment are identified during the transition planning process.

 

5. Transition planning for students using assistive technology proceeds according to an individualized timeline.

 

6. Transition plans address specific equipment, training and funding issues such as transfer or acquisition of assistive technology, manuals and support documents.

 

A full PDF and word version is available here

 

The matrix, available here, provides users to scale the efficiency on how they answer each of the statements above.  By comparing the quality indicator statements to the current assessment and IEP plan, the matrix can provide feedback to educators to what extent their considerations are acceptable.  Ultimately, demonstrating Promising Practice in each of the sections implies that the team was thoughtful, thorough, and not only involved the student but empowered them, in the transition process.  This tool could be used to guide districts and educators to becoming more aware of best practices in the area of assistive technology and transition.

 

2. Wisconsin Assistive Technology Teacher Resource and Transition Portfolio

 

Though created with the needs of Wisconsin based students in mind, the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) serves as a platform of information for people working in the field of assistive technology and special education.  WATI developed an extensive free guide for their districts Assessing Students' Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT) 5th Edition.  In it, WATI describes the importance of asking the quesitons during the IEP, or in circumstances related to this research, transition.

 

1. What task is it that we want this student to do, that s/he is unable to do at a level that reflects his/her skills/abilities (writing, reading, communicating, seeing, hearing)?

 

2. Is the student currently able to complete tasks with special strategies or accommodations? 

 

3. Is there currently assistive technology (devices, tools, hardware, or software) used to address this task? 

 

4. Would the use of assistive technology help the student perform this skill more easily or efficiently, in the least restrictive environment, or perform successfully with less personal assistance?

 

In applying these questions during transtion assessment and planning, WATI went further to develop both a Student Resource and Transition Portfolio and Teacher Resource and Transition Portfolio.  Both the Teacher and Student guides are meant to be used in tandom as the they work together to develop relevant and meaningful postsecondary goals.  Besides demographics, the portfolio gathers data on skills, interests, self determination, vocational and volunteer experiences, and assistive technology.  Questions specific to assistive technology include reflection like how a device works for the student as well as with how much assistance does a student need to access and use the devices.  The teacher's guide provides a three-part Summary of Performance form in which post secondary goals, summary of academic and functional performance, and recommendations to assist student in meeting the postsecondary goals (which may detail the use of assistive technology) are addressed.  Overall, this portfolio system helps both students and teacher reflect on the strengths and needs of the student, and could be used in conjunction with formal assessements, depending on the student.

 

What to take from all of this?

These tools are not intended to replace the need for a formal assistive technology evaluation.  Each team is still responsible for referring a student for an evaluation if they are unable to support the student's needs based on the knowledge of the team members.  It is important to follow the district's regulations when an assessment is recommended.  Each state has an assigned Assistive Technology Act Program that can support family members, service providers, and educators in the assessment and procurement of available technology.

 

Both the WATI and the QIAT tools guide professionals and students to ask the question: How would assistive technology be relevant now or in the future?-  A question that is not formally addressed in many marketed transition evaluations.  Since they are both free and available for download from the web, districts, teachers, students, and other team members could easily obtain the materials to guide the consideration process.

 

"A national longitudinal study from the United States Department of Education found that 87% of students with learning disabilties receive some kind of support at the K-12 level, but when these students moved on to college only 19% coninuted to get support" (Pierce, 2015).  Data was unable to be obtained on the rate of which students with disabilities use AT in the middle and high school settings, and to what extent AT is considered.  It will be important to school districts to support students with disabilites learn how to ask the right questions to access and utlize tools such as assistive technology. As technology becomes more infused in education, it will be interesting to see how self, peer and educator perception on the use of assistive technology are thoughtfully documented.  Future areas of research may include reported use of assistive technology of in self advocacy and self determination in attaining post secondary educational, vocational, and independent living goals during anaysis of Indicator 13 for state performance in transition planning.

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