Duluth Schools has been working to increase awareness of Assistive Technology use in our school district.

Some things to remember regarding Assistive Techology (AT):

1. AT needs to be considered for every student on an IEP. Not every student will need AT, but it should be considered at Assessment Determination and IEP meetings.

2. Students who are having difficulty accessing the general education curriculum may need Assistive Technology, even if they have not received AT support previously. This includes students with learning disabilities that are having difficulty with reading and writing at grade level.

3. Assistive Technology assessments should be completed by the student's IEP team. Parents, teachers, and the student will all be able to provide information regarding the students needs and strengths, as well as the requirements of the environments the student functions in.

4. The AT evaluation forms are a framework or a guide for the assessment, each students' evaluation will be different, and may require more or less information to be gathered. It is up to the team to decide how much information is needed to find the best tools to meet the student's and environment's needs.

5. AT team members are available to help with evaluations, trials and trainings on AT. The goal is to find the best fit for technology, and support teachers, parents and students in using the AT effectively. We definitely need to avoid selecting technology to trial just because it may be available, if it isn't the best fit.

6. Teams need to consider the full range of options-from no tech, low tech, medium tech and high tech. Choosing the high tech option to trial first is often not the best fit for the student or the environment.

For assistance with AT concerns:

Mikey Horton - submit a helpdesk ticket for repairs or installations, or email with questions about hardware.

Julie Ray - AT evaluations, AT related IEP questions, trials and trainings; or for information about Universal Design for Learning