Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and assistive technology are two key ways to educate students with special needs. An IEP is developed by parents and educators to set goals and identify resources to help a student succeed. Assistive technology promotes independence by enabling students to perform tasks they were unable to or had difficulty with previously. Teachers, parents, and professionals work together to determine a student's needs, brainstorm assistive technology solutions, implement them, and ensure modifications are made if needed. IEPs and assistive technology have a duty to enhance the educational experience of special needs students.

1. Educating Special Needs StudentsUsing IEP’s and Assistive Technology

2. “Special Needs” defined:Learning disabilitiesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Emotional disordersCognitive challengesAutism Hearing impairmentVisual impairmentSpeech or language impairmentDevelopmental delay

3. Two ways to educate students with special needs:Use Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s)Use Assistive Technology

4. Description of an IEP:Parents work with educators to develop a plan (IEP) to help students succeed in schoolIEP details goals set by parents, educators and other professionalsIEP identifies resources that will be used to assist student in accomplishing educational goals

5. Determining if an IEP is necessary: Teachers, parent or medical professional is concerned about academic performance. Information is gathered by:a conference with parentsa conference with the studentobservation of the studentanalysis of the student's performance (attention, behavior, work completion, tests, classwork, homework, etc.)

6. Implementing Assistive Technology to support special needs students

7. What is Assistive Technology (AT)? “Assistive technology or adaptive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish such tasks.”

8. Choosing the right AT for the right studentCollect child and family information. Discuss child’s strengths and weaknessesIdentify activities for participation. Discuss the various activities within the environments that a child encounters throughout the day. What is preventing him/her from participating more? What can be observed that indicates the intervention is successful?Brainstorm AT solutions. Do the child’s needs include supports for movement, communication and/or use of materials? Try it out. Determine when the AT intervention will begin and create an observation plan to record how the child participates with the AT supports.Identify what worked, what didn’t work. Make modifications as needed.

9. Types of AT devices/interventions“Special Need” for AT deviceApplicable AT deviceListening2. Note taking3. OrganizingReading WritingH.A.T. (hearing assistive technology)Web Cam technologyLCD projection systemsAudio BooksWord prediction Software

10. In Conclusion . . . . . Parents, teachers and other school leaders have a duty to enhance the educational experience of special needs students by effectively utilizing IEP’s and appropriately leveraging assistive technology.