1. Impact of The Tech Act YEvonne Thompson EDU620: Meeting Individual Student Needs With Technology Instructor: Tamera Carter November 9, 2014 1

2. Description of Assistive Technology Act According to( What is assistive technology and how is it used in schools?), Assistive Technology act was first passed in 1988, but it was known as the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act. It provided students with special needs with the ability to receive any and all assistive technology to improve their functional capabilities. It has been reauthorized several times, but continues to assist students with disabilities in furthering their education. assistive Technology Act According to " The Assistive Technology Act was first passed by Congress and signed by the President as the Technology- Related Assistance Act of 1988. It’s often called the Tech Act for short and has been reauthorized in 1994, 1998, and 2004. The most current version of the Act is authorized through 2010. The Tech Act is intended to promote people’s awareness of, and access to, assistive technology (AT) devices and services.

3. Description of Assistive Technology Act According to (What is Assistive Technology), the Act seeks to provide AT to persons with disabilities, so they can more fully participate in education, employment, and daily activities on a level playing field with other members of their communities. The Act covers people with disabilities of all ages, all disabilities, in all environments. Early intervention, K-12, post-secondary, vocational rehabilitation, community living, and aging services. Under the law, each U.S. state and territory receives a grant to fund an Assistive Technology Act Project (ATAP). These projects provide services to persons with disabilities for their entire life span, as well as to their families or guardians, service providers, and agencies and other entities that are involved in providing services such as education and employment to persons with disabilities.

4. Description of Assistive Technlogy Act According to (What is Assistive Technology), the Tech Act Legislation (P.L.100-407), which has been adopted in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), defines an assistive technology device as: any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. (20 U.S.C. Chapter 33, Section 1401 25).

5. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (the impact of technology on education has been profound), computers have become an essential literacy tool in our society. When assistive technology is appropriately integrated into the classroom, students are provided with multiple means to complete their work and focus on achieving academic standards. In South Carolina’s schools, assistive technology can provide accommodations, modifications or adaptations made to the environment, curriculum, instruction, or assessment practices. As inclusive schools become the norm, creative curriculum design may depend on assistive technology. According to (The impact of technology on education has been profound), computers have become an essential literacy tool in our society. When assistive technology is appropriately integrated into the classroom, students are provided with multiple means to complete their work and focus on achieving academic standards.

6. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (Assistive Technology), assistive technology is the key to making educational environments inclusive for individuals with significant disabilities. This type of technology is considered a powerful tool for inclusion. This statement is supported by (Rocklage, Gillett, Peschong, and Delhorey 1995), who state technology in the area of assistive technology is critical and can facilitate the support and full participation of an individual in daily tasks and activities."(1995, p.3). The primary aim should be to allow children with disabilities access to assistive technology which meets their needs and provides for maximum participation in social and educational environments (Wilds, 1989, p.6).

7. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (Assistive Technology and Inclusion),when augmentative communication devices or strategies are placed in the classroom, not only do they provide vehicles for children who are minimally verbal, but they facilitate meaningful participation and communication for all students" (Sheets and Wirkus, 1997, p.8). They believe that by creating user-friendly environments the following benefits will occur: Increased self-motivation, increased independence, integrated and required participation, accountability, expanded learning and life experiences, new opportunities for interactions and communication.

8. Assistive Technology Impact on Education (According to Assistive Technology and Inclusion), assistive technology (AT) devices can decrease students isolation and allow them to become part of regular subject area classrooms. Assistive technology then becomes a tool that provides a method for an individual who is experiencing a disability or other issue to still participate in a classroom. The application of assistive technology in schools for students classified as having a disability is required through laws such as Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As the inclusive education of all students occurs more frequently within the standard classroom, then it becomes important that the knowledge/experience base for all teachers needs to be expanded to incorporate assistive technology approaches and accommodations. The changes in the student population of special needs students, such as students with disabilities and language issues, that have occurred in schools in recent years are having a major impact of changing the learning goals, the teaching methods, and the means of assessment for all students.

9. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (Assistive Technology and Inclusion), teachers today, more than ever before, are teaching more students with special needs, such as students with physical or learning disability, emotional disabilities and English as second language students. These teachers working with these populations are not just the special education or special English language acquisition teachers, instead more and more of these students are placed in the general student population with regular teachers. Teacher preparation programs then need to ensure that teachers are educated in special needs pedagogy and assistive technologies as they relate to general education. The educational environment needs to be designed or adapted for all students have the opportunity for success, even those students who may need modifications and accommodations.

10. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (Assistive Technology and Inclusion), assistive technology has the capacity for increasing student independence, increasing participation in classroom activities and simultaneously advancing academic standing for students with special needs, providing them the ability to have equal access to their school environment. Assistive technology is often discussed by technology levels as being high, middle, or low tech. A low tech assistive technology option is usually easy to use, has low cost (under $200 US), and typically does not require a power source. Mid tech assistive devices are also easy to operate but typically require a power source. The high-tech device is usually complex and programmable, and usually includes items that require computers, electronics or microchips to perform a function. An example of the application of technology could range from having a voice input word processor (high tech) to a student using an adapted pencil grip (low tech) to assist during writing (ATEN, 2002). Another view of assistive technology focuses on the levels in applying the assistive technology personally, developmentally, or instructionally necessary (Judd-Wall 1999). Of these three the most important to the general teacher is instructionally necessary level.

11. Assistive Technology Impact on Education As pointed out by, according to (What is Assistive Technology and How it is Used in School), (Fischer, Pumpian and Sax), who say, "Although many educators are utilizing a range of 'supplementary aids and services' necessary to educate students with disabilities with their non-disabled peers, many are not sufficiently familiar with assistive technology to use it effectively." They further report that many professionals have limited experience with the use of assistive technology. Those who attempt to acquire it for their students rarely consider applications of technology beyond computers, wheelchairs or commercially available communication devices (Fischer, Pumpian and Sax, 1995).

12. Assistive Technology Impact on Education The exceptional education teachers are not the only ones who need awareness of assistive technology, all teachers are now likely to encounter mainstreamed special needs students, and the purpose for using the technology ideally is to allow and support the student in the general student population. As the education of all students occurs more frequently within the standard classroom in the inclusion environment, the concepts of teaching and learning that incorporate assistive technology approaches and accommodations become more important. An added benefit of integrating assistive technologies is that the tools can also make information and resources more available even to those who don’t have a disability or have not yet been identified as having a disability. In order for the learning, language and technology gaps to be closed, teachers of special needs children need effective integration methods along with expanded access to technology equipment and resources for the specific needs of their students.

13. Assistive Technology Impact on Education According to (Assistive Technology and Inclusion), assistive technology provides an educational resource that must be considered for any student classified with a disability and must be included on that students individual education plan (IEP). Current and future teachers then "..need to be focused on classroom-wide and building wide contexts, reflecting an alignment within special education as well as between special and general education” (McGregor & Vogelsbert, 1998). General teacher education programs then need to evaluate themselves and redesign their programs to include content for those teachers concerning special education methodology and pedagogy along with student modifications, accommodations, and assistive technology.

14. The Current State of the Assistive Technology Act According to (Assistive Technology), The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) is a federally funded program concerned with getting technology into the hands of people with disabilities so that they might live, work, learn and be a more independent part of the community. As part of a national network of technology-related assistance programs, our goal is to enhance independence, productivity and quality of life for all South Carolinians through access to assistive technology devices and services. We provide an device loan and demonstration program, an on line equipment exchange program, training, technical assistance, publications, an interactive CDROM, (SC Curriculum Access through AT), an information listserv and work with various state committees that affect AT acquisition and IT accessibility. We link people with technology and work with consumers, service providers, state agencies and policy makers.

15. The Current State of the Assistive Technology Act According the (The State Assistance Program),the National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership is a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Education and RESNA. The grant (Grant #H224B050003; CFDA 84.224B) is funded under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended and administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education.

16. Influences the Assistive Act Have on Students With Disabilities According to (ATAP), technology has opened many educational doors to children, particularly to children with disabilities. Alternative solutions from the world of technology are accommodating physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments in many ways. Currently, an estimated 15.6 million people in the U.S. either use some type of specialized assistive technology or have reported they would benefit if they did use assistive technology (LaPlante et al, Technology and Disability, vol 6, pp. 17-28, 1997). The Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (Tech Act), facilitates the development, evaluation, application and delivery of assistive technology devices and services. It is a unique and critical legislative measure, that through monetary assistance to States and Territories, embodies several features that positively impact on the lives of persons with disabilities. These core features of the Tech Act, as exemplified in State & Territory initiatives, include: *See next slide*

17. Influences the Assistive Technology Have on Students With Disabilities According (Technology Supporting Curriculum Assess for Students), to Assistive technology may be virtually any device that increases, maintains, or improves a functional capability of a student with a disability. The functional capability may be related to any task the student needs to do such as communicating, moving throughout the school environment, seeing, hearing, reading, writing, and so on. For any one of those capabilities, there may be anywhere from several dozen to several hundred items that could enhance the students functional ability. Assistive technology is not about creating a separate curriculum; rather, it is about giving students with special needs access to the general curriculum (Purcell & Grant, 2002). Special education reform, headed by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1975 and followed by the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 and 1997, is closely aligned with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The second IDEA reauthorization is anticipated to be approved by Congress in 2004. According to U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, the new IDEA bill reflects the president's commitment to apply the same rigorous accountability standards of NCLB to IDEA (U.S. Department of Education, June 2003).

18. Fostering Assistive Technology According to (Benefits of Assistive Technology), assistive technology provides creative solutions that enable individuals with disabilities to be more independent, productive, and included in society and community life. Technology and inclusion go hand in hand. Without technology supports and accommodations, many significantly disabled students cannot take full advantage of their education. Without the opportunities for interactions found in inclusive settings, students cannot truly demonstrate their abilities (Rocklage, Gillett, Peschong, and Delohery, 1995). Today many people with disabilities are breaking barriers through the use of technology. For some individuals with disabilities, assistive technology is a necessary tool that enables them to engage in or perform many tasks such as; have greater control over their own lives; participate in and contribute more fully to activities in their home, school, work environments, and in their communities; interact to a greater extent with non- disabled individuals. The benefits that assistive technologies have for individuals with significant disabilities are enormous. Not only the impact of being included in a regular classroom environment will be felt, but also being included in life is now a reality where in the past it was not even a remote dream. Life is all about communicating and interacting with one's environment.

19. Fostering Assistive Technology According to (Promoting Inclusive Practices for Per services Teachers), teachers must analyze their content to determine the performance indicators they expect students to achieve prior to assistive technology selection. Teachers must be able to articulate to an IEP team the exact tasks and outcome measures students will be expected to complete to demonstrate mastery of the course objectives. In addition, teachers must reflect on their pedagogical practices and understand how assistive technology might enhance their instruction, increase access to the learning environment, and improve the student's performance. Baseline performance assessments, task analyses, and pedagogical practices are teacher and content area specific and should be embedded in methods and learning theory courses throughout the teacher's pre service program.

20. Fostering Assistive Technology According to the (Benefits of Assistive Technology),The benefits that assistive technologies have for individuals with significant disabilities are enormous. Not only the impact of being included in a regular classroom environment will be felt, but also being included in life is now a reality where in the past it was not even a remote dream. Life is all about communicating and interacting with one's environment.

21. Assistive Technology Act Impact Changes To Teaching and Learning According to (Assistance Technology in Education), National Standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the learned community for special education, identify knowledge and skills that all beginning special education teachers should possess as part of their Common Core of Knowledge (Council for Exceptional Children, 2000). Teacher preparation programs in special education, with the implementation of IDEA 1997 Amendments, are beginning to review professional development sequences for the inclusion of assistive technology knowledge and skill competencies in programs and professional trainings. It is notable that the education-related professions of occupational therapy and rehabilitation have established competency guidelines for assistive technology knowledge and skills expected within their fields (Hammel and Angelo, 1996; Spencer, 1997; Weber, 1998). National technology standards identify the need for teachers to learn and apply strategies using technology to support learners with diverse needs and backgrounds, however, they do not specifically define assistive technology competencies for teachers, nor are the special needs of students with disabilities ever referenced in the student standards.

22. References Assistive Technology (2009, December 15). Center for Parents Information. Retrieved from: www.parentcenterhub.org Assistive Technology In Education Benefits of Assistive Technology. Retrieved from: www.csun Dalton, M.Ed. Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs What is assistive technology and how is it used in schools?(2012, October 9). University of South Carolina. Retrieved from; Promoting Inclusive Practices in Per services Teachers. Retrieved from: www.citejournal.org