1. Assistive Technology in the Classroom

2. Session 3 Effective Implementation of Assistive Technology

3. Presentation Agenda Introduction to AT implementation Implementation Scenerios Steps for Effective Implementation Conditions that Foster Implementation Barriers to Effective Implementation Team Roles AT Implementation Resources

4. Introduction Effective AT implementation can be a complex and lengthy process Requires careful planning Effective AT implementation is… based on student need and curricular goals collaborative systematic recursive flexible

5. AT Abandonment Currently a high rate of AT abandonment Reported at 15 – 85% Causes include… Inappopriate match of technology features to student and program need Ineffective introduction of AT into student’s program Poor or ineffective staff training Missing or poorly established AT outcomes AT abandonment can be avoided by taking time to develop and follow an AT Implementation Plan

6. Think about this… Have you seen cases of AT abandonment in your classroom or school? What do you think caused the technology to fail? What could have been done by the school team to achieve a better outcome?

7. Implementation Scenario I Keith – 12 year old with ASD Difficulties with written output Teacher selected laptop and Intellitalk II Laptop was incompatible with school and took months to connect No IEP goals identified and team did not receive any training prior to introducing AT to Keith Team not able to reintroduce it – laptop was given to another student

8. Implementation Scenario II Caitlyn – 10 year old with CP After thorough assessment, team determines need for support for written output Based on OT recommendations, team conducts trials with computer and keyboards AT selected based on results Team trained on technology AT introduced slowly and data gathered Time was built into SEA schedule for planning, preparation, assessing and transitioning AT

9. Think about this… What was different? Brainstorm the differences between the two scenerios. Jot down all your ideas first and then group them – which of the differences related to the student, which to the technology, which to the environment and which to the team?

10. Effective AT Implementation Process 1. Gather relevant information 2. Establish IEP goals 3. Conduct AT trials 4. Identify AT solution 5. Develop Implementation Plan 6. Adapt lessons for AT integration 7. Follow up and plan transition

11. From: Making It Work (Introduction)Making It Work

12. Break Time!

13. Session Activity Watch the video showcasing Matt using Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech-to-text software) Matt and his Team While watching – think about what his EA, Lori, needed to do to ensure Matt was successful

14. Conditions that Foster Effective Implementation Student Motivated and interested in the process Family interested and supportive Team Motivated and collaborative Able to articulate specific IEP goals Understands the steps in an effective implementation plan Has access to necessary training and resources

15. Conditions that Foster Effective Implementation Environment School administration is supportive School or district IT department is supportive School has appropriate physical space Necessary auxiliary or peripheral technology is in place Technology Features match student needs and curricular goals Readily available to student Maintained in good working order

16. Barriers to Implementation Student Not motivated or interested in the technology Has not participated in the selection process Has not been adequately prepared or trained to use technology Team Does not have time to plan, prepare, or train for technology Is not technically ready to implement technology Not all team members involved in process Does not have a comprehensive implementation plan in place Is not aware or does not make use of available AT resources

17. Barriers to Implementation Environment Necessary auxiliary or peripheral technology not available School administration not informed or supportive Classroom setting inadequate School or district IT department not involved Necessary AT resources not available Technology Features do not match student need or curricular goals Does not function well in school environment Too complex to be implemented in reasonable time

18. Watch this… You may be feeling a bit discouraged – it seems AT implementation is very challenging! It can be challenging but the results can be life changing Not convinced? Watch this video and see how some of the successful technology solutions took time and effort but how the patience and persistence of the individuals and the teams changed lives. Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams

19. Break Time!

20. Team Roles Effective implementation requires involvement of the entire school based team Key members of the team Student and parents Teachers – classroom, learning support, district support Special Education Assistant District Support Staff – OT, PT, SLP School and District administration Team should work collaboratively Team requires a team leader to coordinate the implementation plan

21. Effective AT Implementation Resources Wide variety of resources available on internet Emphasis has changed from AT selection to AT implementation Challenge is to find tools that work for the student and the team Check to see what AT implementation resources are being used at school or in the district WATIWATI  TATN  Minnesota  NATRI  Zabala  SET-BCTATNMinnesotaNATRIZabalaSET-BC

22. Session Activity What role will you play in AT implementation? Think about your current role – as an educational assistant – and consider what you can do in this role to actively support AT implementation in your classroom or school. Look at each of the seven AT implementation steps and discuss how you will contribute to each step. You can use the Seven Steps to Success Form! to write down your ideas

23. Discussion Forum In your small group, you will be looking at your student’s profile and their daily activities so you can choose appropriate goals Your discussion task is to decide on three IEP goals which can be met by using assistive technology

24. To think about…  The successful assessment and implementation of AT requires more than organizing a group of professionals with an interest in assistive technology and providing them with information on a variety of hardware and software. A cohesive AT team is one that is highly functional and effective in assessing needs, matching the appropriate solution and strategies to the student, providing support for the implementation and measuring outcomes of the implementation.  John Laskarzewski, Spotlight on Learning

25. Session Summary Activity Link to Session 3 Summary Activity Session 3 Summary Activity Will be emailed to you after this session!

26. Any Questions? Ready to move on?