Acceptance of AT in the Schools

Getting Assistive Technology into the Mainstream the EASY way -
http://www.closingthegap.com/lib/pdf/2007/Feb-Mar/ATinDepthMar07.pdf

The article I chose to discuss this week is all about getting AT tools into the classroom & helping teachers accept their use & existence within the curriculum. Although it seems that teachers would be more willing than not to accept a new device into their classroom if it helps their student/s to succeed, it is sometimes NOT the case. In this article, an extreme case is presented in which a teacher refuses to allow a severely physically disabled student (born with no arms or legs) to utilize a trackpad & onscreen keyboard to complete classroom activities. In my opinion, the reason for this phenomenon is that some teachers don't understand the implications of allowing devices into the classroom. This includes the benefit to their students with disabilities as well as their normally functioning students, the ability to use devices that already exist within the classroom as assistive devices, and the ability to reformat assignments so that they are "do-able" by all students.

I chose this article in particular because I aspire to be an OT in a school system. I feel that one of my jobs in this capacity will be to help train teachers to use and become comfortable with AT devices within their classroom, so that this phenomenon will no longer occur and hender the learning of students with disabilities. The author of this article (Judith Sweeney) presents a way to get AT tools into the classroom & get them used by explaining the benefits of assistive technology in schools. The acronym EASY is used to illustrate the Economy of cost & time when using AT, the Additional uses of devices that teachers already have within their classroom, the selection of AT tools based on the Standards & curriculum of the school, and the fact that once an AT device is within the classroom, it is Yours (the teacher's). I feel that the EASY way is a wonderful method to stress to teachers that AT is beneficial not only to the students but to their accomplishment as a teacher. Using AT tools in their classrooms, for example, will allow students with disabilities to succeed at a level acceptable by national or local standards (ie: EOG tests, SAT exams, etc.). This inevitably will look good on the teacher!

I have not had any experience with AT devices in the schools, but I did work with a client (CAP work) that had trouble securing assistive services (from a teacher's assistant) on an individual basis. This particular little boy needed full one-on-one attention at all times during the school hours because of attention deficit problems as well as an inability to verbally communicate. This assistant was needed to help him learn to use his PEC cards to communicate his wants/needs in the classroom. After the aid was secured for him, the teacher of his particular classroom started delegating many of her tasks to the aid, which took away from her time with the student. Ultimately, this caused the student to be behind on meeting the state's educational standards & it also caused a lot of anxiety and frustration for the parent. I feel that explaining AT to the teacher using the EASY way, may have helped the teacher understand that taking the AT service away from the student may not have been the best solution. I'm sure that there were issues that I will never understand being that I was not in that environment, but I hope one day to help resolve issues such as these!