Sumter School District Two Assistive Technology Lab Valeska Gioia – Assistive Technology Consultant, M.S. Sumter School District Two 5415 Oakland Drive Sumter, S.C Ext. 525

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY?  A good assessment matches a person with a disability to the best assistive technology and usually requires more than one evaluation.

Team Members May Include:  Assistive Technology Consultant  Physical Therapist  Occupational Therapist  Speech Language Therapist  Special Education Teachers

We Cannot Forget to Include:  The Student  Family Member

Assistive Technology Loan Lab:  We currently have a loan lab and continually update equipment and software

We plan on adding various items for loan, such as:  Books on various disabilities  DVD’s on various disabilities

The referral source  This is the person that contacts the assistive technology assessment center. The referral source may be a family member, school teacher, employer, or anyone else who interacts frequently with the student and has specific information about the needs of the students.

Demonstration of Assistive Technology is constant …  Training of teachers is conducted at school in-service  Services are offered training on a daily basis  Teachers are trained on child specific devices/schedules

Everyone Benefits from AT Demonstrations…  Teachers, and school staff  Parents/caregivers  Students  Administration

Technical Support…  Is given as needed

Biggest Challenges in Developing an AT Team:  Funding

Special Service Funds AT Equipment, Other Options Include:  Grants  Fundraising

Successes:  Ability to get the students the help they need to have success in the classroom and to carry that success over in daily life  Our AT lab  Parent meetings  Teacher, parent, and staff trainings  Training special educators in the use of all technology

Future Endeavors: High school compute lab with assistive technology equipment and software for students in special services to use daily

Special Thanks To:  SCATP – The best resource that’s available to us  Our wonderful administrators that had the vision to make out AT lab a reality  To all the wonderful students that make our positions so worthwhile and rewarding