AT and Your Child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Under the law, Assistive Technology (AT) must be considered for all children with an Individual Education Plan. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) enacted into law by Congress in 2004 included a section devoted to special factors that must be considered when developing the (IEP) for each student (IDEA Sec. 614(d)(3)(B)(v)). Furthermore, assistive technology is part of the list of services that must be considered for early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities (IDEA Sec. 632(4)(E)(xiii)).
Specifically, IDEA requires that IEP teams consider all of the “academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child” (IDEA Sec. 614(d)(3)(A)(iv)). Teams must also specifically “consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services” (IDEA Sec. 614(d)(3)(B)(v)). This means that each IEP team must discuss and then determine whether or not assistive technology devices and/or services would help the child achieve FAPE, a free, appropriate public education.
In some instances, CCSU will implement a formal Assistive Technology Assessment Plan (ATAP) which provides the team with a blueprint for discussing assistive technology by focusing on the student’s high priority needs for technology and how the technology can best be implemented. For more on the ATAP, see our web page outlining the plan.
Last updated: Sep 27, 2011 at 9:04 pm
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