Getting Started

Identifying the Assessment Team

As required by IDEA, an AT assessment must be a functional evaluation that occurs in the student’s customary environment (IDEA, 2004; OAC, 2014). The assessment is typically conducted by the student’s IEP team but may include others who are significant in the student’s service provision (teachers, family members, paraprofessionals, related service providers such as the occupational therapist (OT), physical therapist (PT), speech and language pathologist (SLP), medical staff, community members and others who are knowledgeable about the student and assistive technology).

Generally, the IEP team should be able to conduct an AT assessment. However, an AT consultant may be needed if no one on the educational team feels knowledgeable about AT to facilitate the team in conducting the assessment process. Also, it may be helpful to include school technology staff to inform the team about technology already available in the school. Consult with your local education agency (LEA) for specific requirements. Contacting your local State Support Team or Educational Service Center is a good place to start when seeking support with the AT assessment process. Additionally, contact the OCALI AT&AEM Center for resources on resources available on how to build team members knowledge in AT as well as questions regarding equipment trials and types of AT available.

Identifying the Task

“What do we expect the student to be able to do within the educational program that they aren’t able to do because of their disability?”

If teams need more support with identifying the task, they can refer to step 1 of the AT Decision Making tool or Section 2: AT Consideration in the IEP.

Universal Tools

After the task has been identified, then the team considers universal tools and technologies. If the universal tools and technologies are needed throughout the day and the student is dependent on the tools to complete the identified tasks with them, those tools are now referred to AT. The AT Decision Making Tool (coming soon) can help guide the team through an appropriate process of first considering standard universal tools and technologies and then AT and accessible educational materials (AEM) as needed. However, if the universal tools and technologies are not meeting the needs of the student, then an AT assessment is needed.