AT Problem Solving Across the Lifespan

In my last blog post, I talked about the process of deciding if a student needs assistive technology and how to choose what assistive technology device to use. In this blog post, I'm going to talk about how educators can assess the AT tools that they have decided to implement to help a child succeed in the classroom.

The purpose of this blog is so that educators understand the importance of assessing any AT device they have chosen for a student and also understand the importance of finding out how the student feels about the device.

FREE Assessment Tools: 

HAAT

• Student, Environment, Tasks and Tools Framework (SETT):  As the name may imply, SETT asks the team to consider the Student, Environment, Tasks, and Tools when making AT decisions.
• Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT): Originated from the Human Performance Model."The HAAT model demonstrates the interaction among assistive technology and three other components: human (the human's abilities and skills), activity (the activities the person engages in), and context (the environments - social, physical, and attitudinal - in which the activities occur)"  (Assistive Technology Internet Modules).
• WATI/ ASNAT: "This manual, including forms, was designed to guide the team through the process of AT assessment by addressing common difficulties and specific AT-related issues" (Assistive Technology Internet Modules). 
• Three main components are information gathering, decision-making and trial use.
• Georgia Project for Assistive Technology (GPAT): "Created a comprehensive set of forms designed to guide the team through the assessment process from consideration to feature matching and implementation" (). 
• Protocol For Accommodations In Reading (PAR): "A formative assessment tool that may be used by educators to determine the most appropriate reading accommodation for a student" (Assistive Technology Internet Modules) .

PAR

Commercially Available AT assessment Tools 

• Functional Evaluation technology (FEAT): Uses ecological, practical and ongoing assessments to collect data about AT.
• Stages: "A computer-based assessment tool designed for individuals with known developmental delays. As such, assessments are based on developmental sequences rather than chronological ages or grades. The seven areas include Cause and Effect, Language Readiness, Emerging Language, Early Concepts, Advanced Concepts and Communication, Functional Learning, and Written Expression. Automatic data collection capabilities are a part of the program. The data may be used to develop a student's IEP as well as chart progress toward IEP goals and state standards" (Assistive Technology Internet Modules).
• If you are interested in purchasing the Stages assessment tool, but want to know more, here are some "how-to" videos on the assessment process.
• AT Assessment: Developing a Written Productivity Profile: Used to assess a student's handwriting abilities and then to determine which AT is appropriate. "The four areas that are critical to writing success, and are discussed in the manual, include handwriting - with a specific focus on productivity and speed, keyboarding, spelling, and written expression. The manual presents four ways of obtaining data regarding handwriting: (a) writing the alphabet, (b) copying a sentence, (c) writing a dictated sentence, and (d) composing a sentence to determine the student's ability to convert oral language to written language. The same four tasks may be performed on a keyboard and the results may be compared" (Assistive Technology Internet Modules).

Assessments Used To Assess A Student's Satisfaction With AT:

• Canadian Occupation Performance (COPM): This assessment detects a users self-perception of AT over time in the areas of self-care, productivity and leisure. 
•  Matching Person and Technology (MPT)- In order to match a user with the most appropriate AT, this assessment takes into account "(a) the environments in which the person uses the technology, (b) the individual's characteristics and preferences, and (c) the technology's functions and features. This tool focuses on the user's goals and preferences" (Assistive Technology Internet Modules)
•  Psychosocial Impact Of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS): PIADS is a "self-report questionnaire consisting of 26 questions related to the impact of AT device use on a person's functional independence, well-being, and overall quality of life." (Assistive Technology Internet Modules).
•  Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0): QUEST 2.0 is used to evaluate a person's satisfaction with a wide range of AT. 

Using the ATIM website, I learned that the assessment process does not stop once the assistive technology device has been chosen. This blog post relates directly to the classroom because educators need to makes sure that they are assessing the AT devices that they have chosen for their students. Educators have access to several free and commercially available  assessment tools to use to make sure that the AT device is benefiting the user. Additionally, educators can also have the student using the AT take one of the above satisfaction assessments to find out just how happy they are with the AT chosen. It is important to not only make sure that the AT is helping the individual become more independent in the classroom and more successfully, but also that the student likes using the AT! 

Assistive Technology Internet Modules. (2013). AT Problem Solving Across The Lifespan. Retrieved from: http://www.atinternetmodules.org/mod_intro.php?mod_id=102.