Section 3: AT Assessment Process

As an outcome of the AT consideration process, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team may decide the student needs an AT assessment. The need for an AT assessment may have also been generated as an outcome of using the AT Decision-Making Tool (coming soon) or it could also have been generated by a parent or an educational professional due to identification of a barrier the student is experiencing in their educational program. AT Assessment includes careful selection of devices and tools that match student needs to features of AT devices. The selected AT must be useful in the student’s environment to perform needed tasks. To make this type of recommendation, the student’s educational team must collaboratively identify the needs and generate solutions that will facilitate the identified goals.

Once the IEP team determines an assessment is needed, the district will obtain informed parental consent (Prior Written Notice to Parents) to assess for assistive technology and follow the evaluation process to determine the need for assistive technology (Refer to the assessment process documented in Adding and Removing a Related Service to an IEP).

The following is designed to guide educational teams in a systematic assessment process and determination of AT for individual students. First, an assessment team is formed and then the primary task is identified. After which, the specific steps of the AT assessment process may begin.