What does the process of choosing assistive technology look like?

Knowing that current teaching practices are not meeting the student’s needs, the IEP team must consider how AT can help him. The team might look at what activities the student can perform more independently if AT is provided. They also must consider the environments and methods for use of the technology. The AT team considering technology can consist of the IEP team, parents, students, an AT specialist, and other educational specialists and administrators. Updates made to IDEA in 1997 began requiring IEP teams to consider AT. The IEP must consider both AT devices and services. The team will identify a specific difficulty the student is having and determine the appropriate AT for the student. One type of AT to consider is automatic speech recognition. ASR is often built into a computer’s operating system. ASR can benefit many students including those who struggle with the mechanics of writing, or those with physical limitations.