ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
updated September 1, 2017
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Assistive technology helps persons who are blind or visually impaired (with and without additional disabilities) increase their access to the general curriculum, improve academic performance, and can also provide a means for job and career access. It is important to thoughtfully consider what devices, tools and technologies will be appropriate to meet the person's individual and unique learning and visual needs. When considering AT devices for students, keep in mind that AT devices should not give students an unfair advantage, but instead, should provide them with the independence to compete effectively with peers. 

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The majority of persons who are blind or visually impaired will need some form of assistive technology in order access print on paper as well as electronic forms. Assistive technology (AT) also provides a means for producing written information. Each person's unique visual and learning needs must be considered when selecting the appropriate technology. The purpose of the Assistive Technology Assessment is to determine which AT tools are appropriate for meeting the person's current and future needs. Conducting a comprehensive AT assessment should consider the range of tasks the person will be expected to complete in order to be successful in all areas of the educational program and prepare them for independent living and job/career success. 

For students, consideration of Assistive Technology (AT) is required during the development of every IEP to ensure the student receives a free and appropriate education. In order to address assistive technology devices and services, teams need to collaborate to determine whether or not an individual student requires assistive technology. If the team determines that the student needs AT, the school district must provide the necessary devices and services. ​​

What is the School Responsible for?

• ​Evaluating the needs of the student with a disability, including a functional evaluation in the student's customary environment.
• Purchasing, leasing or otherwise obtaining and providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices for students with disabilities.
• Select, design, fit, customize, adapt, and apply use of assistive technology equipment.
• Train or provide technical assistance to a student with a disability or, if appropriate, the student's family.
• Train or provide technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that student.
• Coordinate and use other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs.
• Maintain, repair, or replace assistive technology. ​

Questions to Ask Prior to Purchasing A.T.

1. Does the student have a visual impairment and require magnification in order to access print?
2. Is the student a visual, auditory, or tactile learner or a dual media learner?
3. Can the student use magnification?
4. Are motor skills or other disabilities important to consider?
5. How long will the piece of technology meet the student's educational needs?
6. What type of support and training will be needed?
7. What is the environment?
8. What are the environmental considerations (lighting, sound, space, positioning, electricity, portability, accessibility)?

Gather Background Information

Prior to conducting the Assistive Technology Assessment, it is important to gather background information on the student. This should include the following:

• A current eye report that identifies the student's visual diagnosis and prognosis, visual acuities and visual fields and whether the student has been prescribed glasses and for what purpose.
• A recent Functional Vision Assessment will provide information on how the student uses their vision to access information throughout academic and nonacademic activities. It will also identify the student's visual skills, preferred font size, comfortable reading distance, position of materials, lighting preferences and visual stamina.
• A Learning Media Assessment will provide information on the students primary reading/learning mode, what literacy tools the student is currently using and the student's efficiency in reading.
• Results of a clinical low vision evaluation to identify what near or distance optical devices have been prescribed and if any non-optical devices were recommended.
• The Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) should also provide information on the student's current use of assistive technology and the strengths and needs in accessing the curriculum as well as in completing activities of daily living, recreation and leisure, pre-vocational activities as well as mobility. Current classroom accommodations or modifications should also be included.​

​Assistive Technology Assessment

The Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) should conduct the initial portion of the assessment, looking at the student strengths and needs and identifying areas of concern. The TVI should provide input in the following areas:

• How does the student gain access to print information?
• How does the student produce written communication?
• How does the student gain access to computers or other types of technology?
• How does the student input information into computers or other types of technology?

Following the initial AT assessment, the TVI should collaborate with the assistive technology specialist and other team members to assess the student's potential to use more appropriate or sophisticated devices. If the student has additional disabilities, it will be important to include input and additional assessment results from other therapists. Recommendations should be practical, functional and appropriate to meet the student's needs. The team should review the information to determine the most appropriate device(s) for the student. A report should be written to summarize the reason why the student needs the technological tools, the skills the student will need to be instructed in to independently use the tools, and the skills the student needs to care for the tools. The report should also explain the benefits of the tools and how and where they can be obtained. Keep in mind that there is no one solution that will meet all the students needs. ​​

Assistive Technology Forms

Assistive Technology Form
This vision specific AT assessment was put together by the Georgia Project for Assistive Technology.

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Data Collection
As part of the Assistive Technology Assessment process, it is important to gather information on how the student uses the device. Is the student able to use it independently? Is it the right device? Does the team need to explore other options. This data sheet can assist you in gathering data. 

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     Assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device."

-IDEA, 2004, Part A, Definitions, 300.6

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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

$50.00

Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

• Object Characteristic Activities
• Quantity & Number Concepts
• Time Concept Activities
• Environment & Job Awareness Activities
• Listening Skills Activities
• Reading Foundation Activities
• Reading Fluency Activities
• Braille Basics Activities
• Writing Activities
• Tactual Efficiency Activities
• Developing Skillful Hands Activities
• Visual Efficiency Activities
• Optical Device Instruction Activities
• Recipe Activities

In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

• Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)
• Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)
• Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)
• O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)
• Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)
• Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)
• Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)
• Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements

$20.00

This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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The vendors on this page specialize in materials and equipment specifically for people who are blind or visually impaired. Some products are available exclusively by the vendor while other materials are available commercially. 

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