By Roba Hrisseh, Ph.D., OSEP Scholar, OSEP Intern

What is assistive technology?

Assistive technology (AT) includes two main components:

• AT devices, and
• AT services.

AT devices are defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.”

AT services consist of “the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.” AT services include the evaluation of a student with disability for AT, the provision of the AT for the child, the designing or customizing or adapting of AT devices, and the training about how to use the AT, among other items.

AT can range from low-tech (easily attainable, do not require batteries, and inexpensive) to high tech (not as easy to obtain, usually computer-based, and expensive to attain).

What are some examples of AT?

Some examples of AT that are low tech include pencil grips, visual schedules, slant boards, graphic organizers, modified scissors, page holders, communication boards.

Some examples of AT that are high-tech include screen readers, speech generating devices, eye-gaze devices and specialized learning software.

What is the AT guidance?

Recent excitement has emerged about the newly released AT guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. But what is the AT guidance?

The AT guidance is a document jointly released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and the Office of Special Education Programs that aims to increase understanding of AT for students of all ages.

To notify the release of the guidance, a Dear Colleague Letter was published from Glenna Wright-Gallo, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and Roberto J. Rodríguez, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.

There are two parts to the AT guidance:

• the Dear Colleague Letter, which aims to introduce the guidance to everyone, and
• the AT Myths and Facts document, which aims to make an easier understanding of AT rules in IDEA, clear up common misconceptions about AT, and share examples of AT device and service use for children with disabilities.

Why is this important?

Technology is continuously developing and progressing. Specifically, assistive technology, which is designed to support students with disabilities is also constantly evolving. The AT guidance helps to increase understanding of AT in education, which can help educators better support all students in accessing high-quality education.

Where can I learn more?

Several technical assistance (TA) centers are available to help, who are funded by the Office of Special Education Programs. These TA centers provide technical assistance about AT to schools, individuals, families, districts, states, and other stakeholders. Some of those of those TA centers that offer support specifically about AT are outlined in the table below:

TA Center Name		Supports
Bookshare	—	Supporting students with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers through accessible educational reading materials.
Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL)	—	Supporting the use of educational technology for educators, related services, or preparation programs. Building capacity for higher education faculty to use educational technologies in personnel preparation.
Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES)	—	Supporting school districts to create systems that can include all students with disabilities with a focus on assistive technology and accessible materials.
Audio Description and Captioning Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP)	—	Supporting individuals through a robust library of audio description and captioning resources, accessible education videos, teaching tools, and professional development opportunities.
Use of Technology for Early Childhood Assessment Innovative Technology for Early Childhood Assessment (INTECA)	—	Supporting stakeholders in early intervention in using technology to administer assessments remotely
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials	—	Providing technical assistance, coaching, and resources of accessible educational materials and technologies for individuals with disabilities.
National Instructional Materials Access Center	—	Supporting the production of accessible educational materials in Braille, large print, and digital text.
STEMIE: Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education	—	Support the development and enhancement of engagement in STEM for students with disabilities.