WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS?
The purpose of assistive technology is to facilitate the student’s participation in his or her education program and to enable the student to benefit from that program. For example, the technology may provide an alternative means of completing work (e.g., word processing instead of writing assignments by hand) or an alternative means of learning, or it may provide access to the school program. Keeping the mandates of the 1997 reauthorized IDEA in mind, assistive technology should support the student’s inclusion in the general curriculum and in the least restrictive environment to the greatest extent possible. HOW MAY ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY DEVICES BE ACQUIRED? Acquisition includes purchase, lease, loan, or any other means of procuring a device. IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY INCLUDED IN THE IEP FORM FOR EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM? Assistive technology should be listed along with other educational and related services on the IEP. School systems already should have revised their IEP forms to comply
