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Assistive Technology

What is Assistive Technology (AT)?

a young boy wearing a bright blue shirt looking down at his AAC device

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) defines Assistive Technology (AT) 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 (34 C.F.R. 300.5)."

IDEA requires that IEP teams consider whether a child needs AT devices and services as a part of the development of their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

AT provides the exceptional students at SEDOL with the opportunity to access the curriculum, demonstrate their learning, and meaningfully interact with their family, peers, staff, and larger community.   

In many ways, AT removes barriers and provides students with the opportunity to explore their potential both inside and outside of the classroom.   

AT can have an even more profound impact on relationships as it can open up pathways for communication that may not otherwise exist, affording students with the opportunity to express their love to a parent or guardian with their own voice.

What do AT services look like at SEDOL?

SEDOL uses a tiered model of AT consideration and service delivery for students enrolled in our programs.  Our AT facilitators are an important part of SEDOL’s tiered model of service delivery.  
SEDOL’s AT facilitators assist students, parents/guardians, educational teams, and our member districts by:

  • Consulting with educators on strategies, resources, and tools to help students access the curriculum, demonstrate their learning, and meaningfully interact with others;
  • Providing teams with access to trial devices available in SEDOL’s AT loan library to inform assessment activities in Tier II of SEDOL’s AT consideration and service delivery model;
  • Conducting formal evaluations in Tier III of SEDOL’s AT consideration and service delivery model to feature match, trial, and collect targeted information regarding a student’s performance while using trial device(s);  
  • A request for a formal AT evaluation can be found here.  
  • Providing training to the educational team, student, and parent/guardian on the use of AT equipment that has been purchased;
  • Providing technical assistance to students and teams to restore functionality when AT equipment that has been purchased is not working properly.

Meet the AT Team

  • Sandra Callahan B.A., COTA/IL

  • Rebecca Guagliardo M.S., CCC-SLP

  • Bonnie Grube M.S., CCC-SLP

  • Erin MacDonald M.S., CCC-SLP

  • Susan Richey M.S., OTR/L

  • Matt Barbini, Ed.D., Director of Innovation and Technology