Giving Children a Voice With Assistive Technology

  A child in the public school setting might benefit from various forms of assistive technology (AT). School-based SLPs should work as part of a team with parents, teacher(s) and private SLPs or other clinicians to determine the best use of AT in school as well as external environments like the home. So what is AT? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines AT as “any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.” IDEA also recognizes AT as “any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition or use of an assistive technology device.” In other words, it includes high-tech equipment like a device that speaks for the child or low-tech pictures the child can point to or hand to a communication partner to make a request. These both qualify as forms of AT. How does a professional or a parent request an AT evaluation? Each school district may do this differently but often a teacher or school-based SLP makes the request for an AT evaluation. A parent may make the request as well. Who is responsible for completing the evaluation? The student’s school-based SLP (if trained in AT) and/or an SLP serving as an AT specialist for the school system conduct these evaluations. For example, the county-wide school system where I live provi...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Tags: Audiology Speech-Language Pathology assistive technology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs