1342.12 Companion

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1342.12 Companion
July 12, 2017 Page 148
 The assistive technology consideration process and results are documented in the IEP Meeting
Minutes and include a rationale for the decision and supporting evidence.
Assistive Technology Documentation within the IEP
The purpose of documenting AT and AT services on a student's IEP is to ensure that there is a clear
understanding of the AT and AT services that have been identified by the IEP Team for a student.
Several sections within an IEP may contain information related to AT and/or AT services, including:
 Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance : If the student is already using AT
and/or receiving AT services, it is appropriate to document the AT that is being used in the
present levels of academic and functional performance section. An IEP Team explains what AT is
being used, how, for what reason, and the impact the AT has on the student's performance.
 IEP Goals and Objectives: AT is directly tied to support the achievement of a student's
measurable IEP goals and objectives. There are two ways in which this may be done. First, if the
student is learning how to use the AT (i.e., developing operational competency), then goals and
objectives may be written to address the necessary special education services that may be
provided to help the student become a competent user of the AT. When a student has
operational competence using the AT, a goal is written embedding the AT within the measurable
goal.
 Consideration of Special Factors: An IEP Team must consider and document whether or not AT
is needed for a student.
 Accommodations and Modifications: AT may be included under accommodations and
modifications. For example, a student may be allowed to use a digital calendar instead of an
assignment notebook for recording assignments, school events, and other tasks. For another
example, a student may be allowed to use a word processor with text-to-speech features when
composing their own work for assignments and assessments.
 IEP Meeting Minutes: IEP team discussions related to the AT consideration process and
inclusion of AT services including potential AT trials, trainings, procurement of items,
troubleshooting or other supports needed by the student or members of the IEP team are
documented within the IEP Meeting Minutes.
 Listing specific names of AT within the IEP: General descriptive terms are documented in all
areas of the IEP (example: text to speech, word prediction, voice recognition, language based
communication device with synthesized speech).
NOTE: When considering any technology that is not readily available/identifiable, a
consultation should occur between the AT ISS, District SPED ISS and Administrator to discuss
possible options to guide the CSC. A specific brand name should not be used but rather a
description of what the does that the student requires and why the student requires this
technology.
Assistive Technology Evaluations
An AT evaluation is the formal process by which an IEP Team collects information to determine a
student’s individual needs for AT and AT services. AT consideration is the process that occurs during an
IEP meeting where an IEP team determines whether or not a student needs AT to receive a FAPE and
documents the decision within the student’s IEP. As part of an AT consideration process, IEP Team
members present all available data regarding student performance as well as any data collected
regarding AT that has been used by the student or has been tried with the student.