Assistive Technology
**I have a student with severe vision problems and she uses a magnifying dome and I have another
student with sever communication issues who has a communication board to help her. (please use these
two Assistive Technologies (AT’s)
***You don’t have to put it in an essay format. Just number them.
**I am also attaching the rubric that goes along with the project
AT Report Guidelines
Informed by course lectures, readings, and activities, candidates will develop the AT report in
stages/sections throughout the semester. The AT report should be submitted at the end of the semester.
The organization and main objectives of the AT report require candidates to demonstrate their
understanding of student diversity and knowledge of differentiated instruction and assessment by: (a)
writing two student profiles; (b) considering possible AT devices and selecting one AT device for each
selected student with exceptional learning needs ; (c) matching the AT devices with the students’
ELNs; (d) planning instruction and implementing evidence-based strategies while seamlessly
incorporating and using the AT devices; (e) self-assessing how they would monitor and evaluate the
implementation of the AT devices, including consultation/collaboration with families; and (f)
providing commentary on how the AT devices could improve the quality-of-life of the students with ELNs
and possible barriers associated with each AT device.
To complete the AT report, candidates will need to do the following:
1. Description of the students with exceptional learning needs (CEC Standard 1: ICC1K5, IGC1K1;
CEC Standard 2: ICC2K6; CEC Standard 8: ICC8S1; and CEC Standard 9: ICC9S10)
a. Candidates select and report on two students with significantly different ELNs (i.e., from two
different disability categories; one student’s ELN is associated with communication difficulties),
including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
b. Candidates’ student profiles must demonstrate their targeted understanding of the similarities
and differences in human development by describing issues in definition and identification among the
selected students with ELNs (i.e., the two different disability categories for the selected students)
—the background information clearly describes each student, the characteristics of their disability
category, and the individual characteristics each student exhibits.
c. Candidates’ descriptions of the two selected students in the AT report must indicate that they
researched/accessed/collected all relevant background data to describe the learning/social
characteristics of the selected students with ELNs and relationships between and among students with
and without ELNs.
d. The researched/collected data from letters a, b, and c above enable candidates to write a
profile of each selected student with ELNs in the AT report.
e. The description of the students with ELNs would benefit from additional commentary on how each
students’ profile would help form an individualized education program team specifically assembled
based on the academic/social learning needs of the selected students with ELNs (see statutory section
after the ninth guideline).
2. Description of the assistive technology devices (CEC Standard 4: IGC4K1; CEC Standard 5:
IGC5S2)
a. Candidates consider AT devices based on the written profiles of the selected students with
ELNs.
b. Candidates select AT devices based on each student’s ELNs (see table on page 1 for
examples/ideas).
c. Candidates must describe each assistive technology in detail (e.g., think of this as…being a
member of the marketing department charged with writing the descriptions of the selected AT devices).
d. Candidates describe where each assistive technology sits on the assistive technology continuum
(i.e., from low technology to high technology).
e. Candidates describe how they would use and maintain both assistive technologies within the
classroom(s) (maintain pertains to storing, accessing, servicing, etc.)
f. Candidates provide a picture and/or website address for both assistive technologies.
3. Match between the students with exceptional learning needs and the assistive technology
devices (CEC Standard 4: ICG4S7; and CEC Standard 8: IGC8S4)
a. Candidates use a reliable method(s) to assess the match between the selected students with
ELNs communication and/or performance responses.
b. Candidates analyze the individual features of both selected AT devices and report on how the
AT devices support the ELNs of the selected students.
c. Candidates make appropriate technological or non-technological adaptations or adjustments, if
applicable.
d. Candidates indicate how they collected data to determine the match between the selected
students with ELNs and the AT devices, including trial implementations of the AT devices.
e. After trial implementations of the AT devices, candidates make recommendations on how to
integrate the AT devices within learning environments (associated with guideline #4).
4. Integration of the assistive technology devices with evidence-based instructional strategies
(CEC Standard 4: IGC4S1; CEC Standard 6: ICC6K4, IGC6S5; and CEC Standard 7: IGC7S4)
a. Candidates explain in detail how they use/would use the AT devices in their classrooms to
enable the selected students with ELNs access the general education curriculum.
b. Candidates explain in detail how they use/would use at least three evidence-based
instructional strategies to enhance learning for the selected students with ELNs in conjunction with
the AT devices (Note. There should be a direct/obvious link in use between the AT devices and the
selected evidence-based instructional strategies—in other words, how would you use the AT device to
“increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability” along with
the evidence-based instructional strategies [i.e., “Why should I use these AT devices and evidence-
based instructional strategies to support the selected students]; associated with guideline #5).
c. Candidates’ explanations include detailed descriptions on the use of alternative, assistive,
and/or augmentative communication systems or communication strategies for at least one of the selected
students, whose ELNs interfere with communication.
5. Instructional planning and the implementation of the assistive technology devices (CEC
Standard 4: IGC4S10; and CEC Standard 7: ICC7K4, IGC7K3, ICC7S1, ICC7S9, ICC7S10, ICC7S11, ICC7S12,
IGC7S2, and IGC7S3)
a. Candidates match at least 3 evidence-based instructional strategies (include long-/short-range
goals/objectives) with the academic/physical abilities of the selected students (Note. The primary
focus herein is only on the appropriate match between the selected students with ELNs and evidence-
based instructional strategies, without specifically commenting on the AT devices).
b. Candidates identify and prioritize the critical areas of the general curriculum and possible
accommodations needed by the selected students with ELNs.
c. Candidates must demonstrate their full understanding of how evidence-based instructional
strategies and assistive technology devices were/could be used effectively within and across curricula
by including commentary on required and/or suggested training to successfully implement the AT
devices.
6. Assessing instruction with the implementation of the assistive technology devices (CEC
Standard 9: ICC9S9)
a. Candidates must provide commentary on how they would prepare for and conduct assessments to
determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the AT devices.
b. Candidates provide at least three specific examples and explain in detail how they would
conduct a self-evaluation of their instruction to monitor the effective use of the matched assistive
technology devices—the primary purpose is to identify where improvements in teaching and learning
could be made through evaluation, action, and reflection.
7. Enhancement in communication/collaboration with families due to the implementation of the
assistive technology devices (CEC Standard 10: ICC10K3)
a. Candidates must provide commentary on student personal resources and external supports to help
determine factors associated with the successfully implementation of the AT devices within their
classrooms.
b. Candidates identify, prioritize, and report on at least three possible concerns of the
families of the selected students with ELNs.
c. Candidates offer at least three targeted strategies to help address identified and prioritized
concerns.
8. The quality-of-life impact on students with exceptional learning needs who use assistive
technology devices (CEC Standard 3: ICC3K1; CEC Standard 5: ICC5S16; and CEC Standard 9: ICC9S5)
a. Candidates provide rich and detailed discussions on individual learning differences and the
impact of assistive technology devices in school, at home, and throughout life (include long-range and
short-range goals/objectives).
b. Candidates’ discussions on the quality-of-life include a complete description on how universal
design/universal precautions were used to improve the quality-of-life for each selected student with
ELNs.
9. Barriers to accessibility and acceptance of individuals with exceptional learning needs (CEC
Standard 5: IGC5K1)
a. Within the quality-of-life discussions, candidates’ well-developed commentary on three or more
barriers to accessibility and/or possible issues relating to acceptance of individuals with ELNs
demonstrates candidates’ knowledge and skills in designing high-quality individualized education
programs.
b. If prudent, candidates provide commentary/recommendations for professional
development/training for school personnel, related personnel, and/or parents.
