Assessing Student's Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT)

Chapter 9 – Documenting Assistive Technology into the IEP
300.308 Assistive Technology
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 a part of the child’s
(a) Special education under 300.17;
(b) Related services under 300.16; or
(c) Supplementary aids and services under 300.550(b)(2).
In the 1997 reauthorization of IDEA, added a more specific requirement for Individualized Education
Program (IEP) teams to consider the assistive technology needs of students with disabilities:
Section 614(d)(3)(B) Consideration of Special Factors.--
The IEP Team shall --
(v) consider whether the child requires assistive
technology devices and services.
It is probably most logical to complete this “consideration” after the goals and objectives are established.
Since assistive technology by definition is something that helps a child to “increase, maintain, or
improve a functional capability” it is important to know what specific tasks the child will be expected to
be able to accomplish in the next year. This information will make “consideration” more focused and
concrete. The decision to provide assistive technology would logically be based on the recognition that
the student is struggling to complete one or more specific tasks, is not able to access specific aspects of
the curriculum or environment, is not able to communicate effectively, or is not as productive as will be
needed over the course of the next year.
The IDEA amendments also state that the IEP include "a statement of measurable annual goals,
including benchmarks or short-term objectives related to -
(i) meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the
child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum;
In Wisconsin the progress in the general curriculum is measured by standards, so where the IEP goal is
related to progress in the general curriculum (i.e. standards) it should reflect the standard to which it is
related. This is most apparent in academic goals. However, there may also be goals on the IEP that
address the student's educational needs that result from their disability which are not academic, and
hence there would be no reference to the general curriculum (i.e. standards). While it is important to
show involvement and progress in general curriculum, it is important not to forget the "I" in the IEP,
which specifically references the child's individual needs.
Previously policy letters from the US Office of Education, Office of Special Education Programs have
clarified a variety of assistive technology issues, the 1997 reauthorization
incorporated many of these policies and specifically stated that policy letters may no longer be used for
this purpose. One of the issues originally addressed by a policy letter and now included in the
reauthorization is the requirement that the school district send assistive technology home if needed for
the child to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
Assessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology (2004) 231