Assessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT) A Resource Manual for School District Teams 5th Edition June 2009 Jill Gierach, Editor Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative CESA #2 448 East High Street Milton, WI 53563 www.wati.org Acknowledgments The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) has been around for the past 16 years. Throughout those years it has been through the support and tireless efforts of many WATI consultants that we have been able to create, pilot, implement, and revise the Assessing Students Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT) resource manual. This family of assistive technology consultants grows and grows. It includes people from around the state who selflessly donated time and talent to write, edit, or make suggestions for inclusions within this manual. Each person contributed to the overall product that is in your hands. A big thank you to the current WATI staff and Milwaukee Public School representatives which includes : Laura Comer, Judi Cumley, Patti Drescher, Cindy Nankee, Marcia Obukowicz, Diane Rozanski, Lillian Rider, Karen Stindt, Kim Swenson, Shelly Weingarten, and Mary Beth Werner. This is an amazing, talented group of professionals. Additional input and review was provided by Jaroslaw Wiazowski, Stacy Heckendorf, Sue Loesl, Kay Glodowski, Stacy Grandt, Chris Hudson, Lori Lindsly, and Sheryl Thormann. We also thank Paula Walser for her work on previous versions. We appreciate everyone’s willingness to share their expertise. There are so many others that we remember and to whom we owe a debt of gratitude; they have inspired us throughout the years. They include Gayle Bowser, Linda Burkhart, Joanne Cafiero, Diana Carl, Karen Kangas, Patti King‐DeBaun, Denise DeCoste, Dave Edyburn, Karen Erickson, Kelly Fonner, Don Johnson, Jane Korsten, Scott Marfilius, Carolyn Musselwhite, Lisa Rotelli, Judith Sweeney, Richard Wanderman, Joy Zabala, and so many more. It is through your work that we move closer to the goal of universal access for all students. The fact that this manual is in its fifth revision is testimony to the visionary leadership of Dr. Penny Reed. It was through her leadership that this project was brought to life. She will always be known as Dr. WATI. WATI wishes to recognize the commitment that the Wisconsin Department of Public instruction has made to providing assistive technology tools and services to Wisconsin students through the funding of this project and their support over the past 16 years. Finally, we wish to thank Peggy Strong for spending countless hours organizing and formatting all our work to present it to you in this present edition. It couldn’t have happened with out her. It has been our pleasure to provide this 5th edition to you, Jill Gierach, Editor June 2009 This manual was made possible by funding from IDEA grant number 9906‐23. Its content may be reprinted in whole or in part, with credit given to the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) acknowledged. Reproduction of this manual in whole or in part for resale is not permitted. Introduction This fifth edition of the ASNAT manual continues to follow essentially the same format created by Dr. Penny Reed and the original team of WATI consultants 16 years ago. Many of the supports we created or adapted for AT assessment of students with disabilities can be used effectively when looking at the technology needs of other unidentified students who struggle with school demands. At this writing there are several forces that are in play that will continue to affect students. They may also impact how we deliver assistive technologies. This is not a manual that will provide information specific to any of these topics. We stay focused on assistive technology tools and services. But we dream of the day that all students are supported with the tools and instruction that meets their unique learning style. For the application of technology to do its work to support students in understanding, using and demonstrating knowledge we need to understand these supports. They are: • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) ‐ A set of strategies that can be employed to overcome the barriers inherent in most existing curriculum. Curriculum that uses current brain research to understand learning and apply teaching and technology tools to support all learners. • Response to Intervention (RtI) ‐ Integrates assessment and intervention within a multi‐level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. It emphasizes that learning environment and teaching strategies must be based on research models and adjusted to fit the needs of children. Technology, including assistive technology, supports access to curriculum for many students. • National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) – This is a technical standard used by publishers to produce source files (in XML) that may be used to develop multiple specialized formats (e‐text, audio or brailed books) for students with print disabilities. Assistive technology runs the file formats. We believe these supports are critical to the success of students. For information on: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Read: Providing New Access to the General Education Curriculum by Chuck Hitchcock • Anne Meyer • David Rose • Richard Jackson. Access via websites http://www.cast.org/publications/UDLguidelines/version1.html#go or http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/UDL/index.asp Response to Intervention (RtI) (The Federal regulations at 34 CFR §300.307‐309). The National Center on Response to Intervention site: http://www.rti4success.org/ National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard information may be accessed at: http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/UDL/index.asp (Continued on next page) What’s the same in this fifth edition: The format for group decision‐making and the emphasis on utilizing the decision making process for AT assessment based on Joy Zabala’s SETT frame work. What’s new in this edition: We have additional chapters. Often these were a result of breaking out multi‐topic chapters. Example: AT for Reading, Studying and Math in the fourth edition is now three distinct chapters. We added a chapter for students with multiple challenges, not because the process is different, but to assist teams to ask different questions and to provide other resources. We made each chapter a stand‐alone chapter. We would hope each reader would always begin with Chapter 1 of the manual. This gives you an overview of the process; from there go to the chapter that meets your immediate need. Many of the chapters have a short power‐point presentation that can be found at the www.wati.org or http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/at‐wati‐resources.html. You may find an icon next to a form. This indicates we feel that the form or technique may apply to universal environments and may help more than students who have specific disabilities. We have expanded the continuums. In some chapters the AT continuum of tools may be represented by two or more continuums in that category. We feel this will better assist teams to sort through the continually growing field of options. Each chapter ends with its own resource section. Chapter 1 – Assessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT) Process Overview of Assessment and Planning Process .................................................................1 Using the AT Consideration Guide ....................................................................................7 WATI AT Consideration Guide .........................................................................................10 AT Assessment .....................................................................................................................12 Assessing a Student’s Needs for AT – Where to Start? ....................................................15 Gathering Information about the Student .........................................................................18 WATI Student Information Guide (Sections 1-13) ...........................................................22 Gathering Information about Environments and Tasks ..................................................45 Using the AT Decision Making Guide ................................................................................52 Using the AT Checklist ........................................................................................................60 Additional Tools ...................................................................................................................63 Implementing Trials with AT .............................................................................................64 Products ................................................................................................................................68 Chapter 1 – Assistive Technology Assessment Overview of the Assessment and Planning Process Penny Reed, Ph.D., Updated by Jill Gierach, MSE ATP This chapter provides an overview of the assistive technology consideration, assessment and planning process that has been implemented throughout Wisconsin and in hundreds of school districts across the country. The term “assessment” is being used rather than “evaluation,” except when specifically quoting IDEA. IDEA states that one of the assistive technology services that a school district must provide is an “assistive technology evaluation”. However, throughout this manual, we will use the term “assessment” rather than “evaluation”,