Assistive Technology Evaluation

Purpose of Assessment

• To identify required assistive technology devices
• To identify required assistive technology services

When is an assessment conducted?

• When the current student can not perform tasks within his or her curriculum independently or with accommodations, modifications, or assistive technology that is currently in place and the student’s IEP team can not identify any devices that would meet his or her needs
• Upon parent request

Assessment Process

• Identify and define the problem

-What is it that we want the student to do that he or she is unable to do independently or with current modifications, accommodations, strategies, and/or tools?

• Analyze the problem - SETT Framework

- Student

• Background Section of the Assessment Protocol
• Additional case history information
• Interview and observation

- Environments

• GPAT Assistive Technology Consideration Checklist

- Tasks

• Additional information from the Consideration Checklist

- Tools

• Assistive Technology Assessment Protocols
• Consider low technology as well as high technology solutions
• Consider strategies, accommodations, and modifications

• Generate and prioritize intervention solutions

- Identify potential tools and strategies to meet student’s needs
- Focus on the features of required tools not the names of tools
- Provide for extended trial use if needed

• Develop an intervention action plan

- Determine what needs to be done
- Determine who will be responsible for doing it
- Determine how effectiveness will be monitored

• Implement the intervention plan

- Document results

• Monitor effectiveness of the intervention

- Evaluate outcomes
- Determine what is working
- Determine what is not working and start process over
- Summarize effectiveness here
 

Adapted from Region IV Educational Service Center, Houston TX