How to Assess Student Needs for Assistive Technology

Assistive technology allows students to accomplish things that their own bodies do not allow. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, an assessment must be done to determine whether there is a need for assistive devices in order to reach educational goals. When making that decision, consider what the student is trying to accomplish and what is required for him to be successful. This will normally occur in a group setting including the student, the student's parents, educators, therapists and anyone else who has a stake in the student's education.

Instructions

• 1

  Define what the student's goals are based on her individual situation. The student should be the largest part of this discussion. Make sure that the immediate educational goals are helping the student work toward her long-term goals.

• 2

  Discuss what difficulties there will be for the student when trying to reach his goals. This can be in terms of physical barriers in the environment or issues that are related to the student's disability. Be as specific as possible. Doing this allows the group making the decisions to begin envisioning solutions.

• 3

  Figure out which problems can be solved by assistive technology. Assess the potential problems and come up with possible solutions. Consider what type of equipment would work. When deciding on a specific type of equipment, try to find something that will solve more than one problem. By choosing something that works in a variety of settings, you are decreasing the amount of new equipment the student must learn to use.

• 4

  Make a plan for how to get the needed equipment. Assign tasks to specific people so everyone knows who is responsible. Plan time for the appropriate people to learn how to set up and work with the assistive technology along with the student.