Develop An Implementation Plan

In my last blog post I talked about the process the IEP team goes through when considering to integrate assistive technology (AT) into a child's IEP. If an IEP goes through the AT consideration process and they decide that AT IS necessary for the child to be able to participate in the classroom and master his or her IEP goals and objectives, than the next step for the IEP team is to develop an implementation plan. It is important to develop an implementation plan so that the everyone knows the steps that need to be taken to not only smoothly integrate the AT device into the classroom, but to have the AT device smoothly used by the child. That being said, the purpose of this blog post is to help educators and parents know how to develop an implementation plan so that the AT device makes a smooth transition into a child's life and classroom!

Successful Implementation Plans Include:

• Equipment Support Tasks:
• Proper equipment setup



Charge AT device!

• Arrange where AT device will be in the classroom.
• Put security measures into place (ex: where the device will be stored).
• Install and register any software that comes with the AT.
• Install any scanners or printers.
• Establish network connection (ex: set up account, e-mail and internet access).
• Charge device.
• Test the equipment. 
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
• Proper Equipment Maintenance:
• Daily maintenance (ex: charge batteries, clean screens and replace ink cartridges).
• Minor equipment repairs (ex: printing problems or reinstallation of software).
• Major equipment repairs (ex: failures, screen damages or lost parts).
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
• Staff and Student Training:
  
• Decide/Consider the following:
• What training is required? 
• Who will provide the training?
• Who will attend the training?
• Will the student be trained to use the AT device in or outside of the classroom?
• What activities will be used to train the student?
• How will the student's performance be evaluated during AT training?
• (Special Education Technology British Columbia).

• Methods for Integrating Technology Into The Student's Program:
  
  
  
  • Consider what activities challenge the student the most.
  
  
  
  • "As the technology is integrated into the student’s program, the implementation plan is adjusted to help move the student along the continuum to full integration" (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
    
    
    
• Techniques for Assessing The Effectiveness of the AT Implementation:
  
• "Meet regularly to discuss a student’s IEP and these meetings provide an opportunity to review AT implementation" (Special Education Technology British Columbia).
  
  
  
  
  As educators, it is so important that if we decide to integrate AT into a child's routine, that the implementation is SMOOTH! Teachers and other staff need to work together as a team to decide what steps they need to take to enable the AT implementation goes smoothly and that both the staff and the child are able to use the device properly! The IEP team also needs to be collaborative in deciding how effective the AT has been in helping the student succeed. SUCCESS is what we're all aiming for!!!!
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Special Education Technology British Columbia. (2007). Section Five: Develop Assistive Technology Implementation Plan. Retrieved from: http://www.setbc.org/download/LearningCentre/Topics/MakingItWork_Section5.pdf.