The Arkansa - ADE Special Education

The Fayetteville Public School's
World of Assistive Technology
In a school district the size of Fayetteville,
technology is a full time job for many individuals.
Even just keeping track of it all is a
monumental task. As you cruise around the
fourteen buildings, you will see low tech to
high tech devices in all of the buildings.
Students in our district, like other districts,
obviously use equipment such as wheelchairs,
walkers, standers, computers, pencil grips,
Alpha Smart word processors, and many, many
other devices.
This somehow needs to become a more
manageable task. Fayetteville has created an
Assistive Technology Team to assist in
managing, recommending, manipulating and
following up on devices all over the district.
The use of assistive technology is plainly
stated in the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act and more technology is
requested and often required.
Like everyone else, Fayetteville Public School
employees know that, for eligible students,
assistive technology must be provided when
necessary:
To support placement in the least
restrictive environment
To ensure benefits from education, or
To implement IEP goals (and objectives)
However that may sound in theory, it is still a
monumental task. So, how are monumental
tasks best accomplished? That, of course, is
through teamwork. The team didn’t develop
and necessarily “get it right” over night. This
was and still is a work in progress. But, we do
now have a process to provide guidance and
direction.
When assistive technology is requested or
discussed, the Assistive Technology (AT) team
asks that the IEP/504 team meet to discuss the
options. The team will discuss what has been
tried, what might still need to be tried, and
when to meet again to discuss the trials. The
IEP/504 team might want a consultation with
an expert after some options have been tried.
They will obtain consent from the parent for an
AT consultation and complete a request form.
Each building has been assigned a point person
from the AT team. The point person processes
the request and consults with other team
members to achieve a recommendation. Prior
to implementing the recommendation, the
IEP/504 team will meet again to make this
request part of the student’s plan.
Of course, each case is considered individually.
Should equipment be necessary, so will training
and supervision for the student and staff.
Thus, the assistive tech. process is ongoing.
The Fayetteville Assistive Technology Team Members
Director of Special Services
Assistant Director of Special Services
Physical Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Speech Language Pathologists
District Visually Impaired Teacher
District Hearing Impaired Teacher
A district technology department employee