Assistive Technology Interview By: Becca Crusselle

 I interviewed Diane Williams  Head Start in Great Falls, Montana for about 7 years  Started off working in the classroom  Switched to a Special Needs Assistance  Special Need Coordinator

Choice of Technology  Her choice of technology for the children enrolled in Head Start would be the tablet/iPad.  She said the reason she like this type of technology is the ease of transportation it has between home, school, and Head Start.  Families are allowed to check out the device to assist the child at home.

Implementation  Head Start provides trainings and workshops to teach the staff how to use the device.  Head Start also teaches the parents how to use the device with their children.  Head Start then sends special needs assistants to the home of the child to follow-up and answer any questions the family might have.

Funding - Federal  Head Start is a federally funded program. Out of all of the grants that this Head Start applied for, all was approved except for one (did not meet the timeline).  These grants are used for major purchases since what they are to be used for is written on the grant itself.

Funding - Federal  Pay for special needs assistants  Purchase iPads/tablets  Purchase desktop computers  Supplies  Safety seatbelts  Extra staff of special needs buses  Pay for outer agency assistance

Funding - State  They also receive grants from the state. These grants are more lenient on what they can be used on. There is no detailed explanation of what the money is used for.  Variety of parent involvement activities for the families

Population Served  Head Start services all the children enrolled into their program as well as their family.  They service families from ten % above the poverty guidelines and below.  If a child has parents that are incarcerated and the child resides with their grandparents, they too will receive services (respite care assistance and whatever else they might need).

Impact  When it comes to using this technology within the classroom, children needing the assistive technology will be using the iPads/tablets.  The children in the classroom that do not require assistive technology have access to desktop computers within the room.  Even though the one or more students are affected by this device, the whole class gets to use some form of technology.

Curriculum  After a meeting with the Great Falls Public School (GFPS) staff, the speech pathologist, and Head Start staff, the plan is developed to meet the child’s needs.  Activities are loaded onto the device.  The lesson plan reflects the activities loaded on the device.

Training for the Device  Head Start offers training for this device to their special needs teachers and anyone else who might have contact with the child  Head Start also offers training to the parents so that they can off assistance to their child about the device.  Head Start send special needs assistants to the child’s home to follow-up on the training.

Maintenance  The devices come with a one-year warranty. If anything happens within the one-year, it is sent to the manufacturer for repairs.  After the one year warranty expires, if the device becomes damaged, then it is swapped out with one in stock.  When Head Start applies for grants for technology, they order enough devices that they think will last them until they apply for a new grant.

Likes and Dislikes  The one thing that Diane likes about this device is that when she or the speech pathologist is working with a child, they can work one-on-one with the child to improve the speech by mimicking the device.  They can also work with two students at once to promote sharing and problem solving.

Likes and Dislikes  One thing that Diane does not like about this device is when the device goes home consistently with they child, they become possessive of it. They feel as if it is their personal device and it is hard for them to return it.  Another dislike Diane has is when the parents download materials on the device.

Tracking  Teachers are able to tracking the students progress.  There is a program on the device that allows the GFPS staff, the speech pathologist, and the special needs staff at Head Start to monitor the child’s progress.  They each can access the program and communicate with each other.

Resources for Head Start  Within Great Falls, Montana, the resources that are available to children are:  Head Start  Family Connections (daycare assistance)  Department of Family Services (DFS)  Opportunities Inc. (housing and utilities assistance)  Community Library  GFPS

Additional Devices While interviewing Diane, I asked her about any other devices that could/should be purchased. She said that when she went to a conference at the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. A staff member had a device around her neck that amplified her voice. They had children enrolled that used hearing aids and this device would have been perfect.

Additional Device  I asked her if she was able to obtain the device (amplifier) and she responded that they were not.  The grants had already been sent off. There was not enough money left over from the grant to support such a request.  She stated that the device was very expensive.

Application  I can use the information gained from this interview to assist me when contacting outside agencies to get them involved.  I also learned about the abilities to put activities on portable devices to assist children better.  I learned that grant writing can mean the difference when it comes to purchasing devices.