Although school districts have been required to provide assistive technology devices and services since 1990, in many cases assistive technology was treated as a "special area that was separate from the general delivery of services." In some cases assistive technology was only thought about for children with very severe disabilities or only for those with physical and speech disabilities. The 1997 revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ’97) included many new requirements for school districts.

One of those new requirements is the group of "special factors" which each IEP (Individual Education Plan) team must consider. Assistive technology is one of those special factors. The requirement states simply, "In developing each child’s IEP, the IEP team shall consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services." Now each IEP team in every school district is specifically required to focus on the need for assistive technology. So what should be different in your IEP meeting now that your IEP team is required to consider your child’s need for assistive technology? You can request that the IEP Team consider assistive technology for your child.

What to Expect on Assistive Technology Consideration in the IEP Meeting

Generally, the discussions about assistive technology should come after you have agreed upon the goals that your child will be expected to attain in the next 12 months. It is not possible to make a decision about assistive technology until you can talk about the specific tasks that your child will be trying to accomplish. According to IDEA ’97, an assistive technology device is defined 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 a child with a disability." The functional capabilities of the child in any situation are directly related to the tasks that he or she is trying to accomplish. There is different assistive technology in be considered for your child in meeting a goal in arithmetic than in meeting a goal in writing.

"Considering" assistive technology should involve some discussion and examination of potential assistive technology. It should not be someone saying without discussion, "No, he doesn’t need ‘assistive technology.’" Consideration is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as "to think carefully about, to form an opinion about, or to look at thoughtfully." Congress did not choose that word by accident, but clearly intended that there would be some thought about whether assistive technology may be needed. Even though assistive technology may not have been discussed for your child in the past, it should be discussed from now on at each IEP meeting.

A brief discussion of which assistive technology might be useful and whether it is needed should be included in the consideration. In order to do that, someone on the IEP team will need to be sufficiently knowledgeable about assistive technology. This person may bring along specific resource information about assistive technology to help the team members focus on what assistive technology exists for the tasks that are challenging to your child. That information might be books, catalogs, printouts from a Web site, or actual hardware or software for you to see.

The discussion should be brief, lasting at least a minute or two, but no more then 15 to 20 minutes. Congress intended that we could do this within the confines of an IEP meeting, so it should not add appreciably to the length of that meeting. If understanding and agreement cannot be reached in 20 minutes, then it is possible that there are questions that need to be addressed in another forum such as an assistive technology evaluation.

After discussing the use of assistive technology itself, you should then talk about assistive technology services. School districts are required to provide both the devices and the services. Specific assistive technology services may include:

What those other supports might be is not specified in the law. It could include anything that is needed, for example, putting new vocabulary in an augmentative communication device, or scanning new materials into a software program that reads the text, or the planning of how and when these things will happen and who is responsible.

You should expect that someone on the IEP team will know how to access assistive technology services within your school district. In a small district it may be that the direct service providers who work with your child, (i.e. the teachers, therapist, and aides) will need to provide all of the services themselves. In a larger district, there may be individuals whose entire job is assistive technology and they need to be contacted through appropriate channels so they can help your child’s service providers.

Indicators of Appropriate Assistive Technology Consideration

Using Quality Indicators in Your IEP Meeting

Quality Indicators are somewhat general. However, they provide guidance for the IEP team as they reflect on their own processes and what they might do to improve those processes. They give you some idea of what your IEP team might need to do to appropriately consider your child’s need for assistive technology. One of the most common results of consideration is the decision to try some things to see if they work. This trial period or extended assessment, is one of the key factors in successful and effective decision making about assistive technology. No IEP team should ever write down the name of any assistive technology as the specific item a school district will provide, unless that assistive technology has been tried first to determine that it performs as intended and has the desired effect for the child.

Using a Form to Guide Consideration of Assistive Technology

First Steps

The requirement for every IEP team to consider the need for assistive technology is a step forward. In many cases this is a giant step forward, because it has caused school districts to "break out of the box" and begin to think about assistive technology for may children who had previously been overlooked in the provision of assistive technology. It is an opportunity for parents to encourage a thoughtful discussion of the potential use of assistive technology for their child. From these first steps, the road to success may be much more accessible.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) made several important revisions of telecommunications relay service (TRS) rules on February 17. Some of the changes:

• Requires a minimum typing speed of 60 wpm for communication assistants.
• Requires TRS providers to automatically and immediately transfer emergency calls to the appropriate 911 operator and relate the caller’s numbers to the operator orally (Note: in Iowa areas having enhanced 911 access, it is still better to dial the 911 number directly via one’s TTY without calling Relay Iowa.)
• Requires that common carriers provide STS (speech to speech) and interstate Spanish relay services by March 1, 2001.
• Requires relay services to provide the ability to make pay per call calls.

The FCC also encourages provisions for video relay interpreting services utilizing communication assistants skilled in sign language to relay conversations for users of American Sign Language. The FCC continues to seek comment regarding relay services (Web site: http://www.fcc.gov).

Relay Iowa

1-800-735-2942 TTY

1-800-735-2943 Voice

Spanish services also available

Relay Iowa 900 Service

1-900-230-3031 TTY/Voice

www.relayiowa.com

As the weather warms, many of us renew outdoor activities that take us out into sunshine and fresh air. As trees, shrubs, and plants begin to bud, gardening can be just the right activity after a long, dreary winter. Gardening provides many benefits, including healthy physical exercise, a challenging education experience, and a source of enjoyment and relaxation. It can also expand your sphere of friends and contacts, and increase your self-esteem as you successfully grow and share flowers and vegetables with others. Since gardening is a typical daily activity for many, it can and should be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The Gardner

First and foremost, to be a gardener you have to be interested in gardening. If you feel that gardening is tedious and time consuming, don’t even bother. But, for those of you who are still interested, read on! Remember that gardening should be fun, not a job.

When planning a garden, be sure to consider your abilities, realistically determining what may be difficult for you because of limitations in energy, flexibility, or mobility. Set small tasks or goals, and be careful not to work beyond your physical limits. Try not to do too much at one time, and stop before you reach exhaustion. Change tasks frequently so it isn’t necessary to stay in one position for a long time.

Consider having seats near the garden, like benches or lawn chairs. Stopping every now and then to sit and look at your garden and see the progress you’ve made gives both pleasure and the motivation to continue. Always avoid working in extreme weather. For example, work in the morning or evening to avoid the worst of summer heat. Be sure to protect yourself against the sun. Wear hats, sun glasses, and appropriate sun block. Take frequent breaks and cool off by moving to a shaded areas. Be sure to have plenty of cool liquids on hand. Depending on the temperature, you can wear long sleeved shirts and pants as sun screen. They also work to protect you against insects and plants that might scratch.

When planning a garden, consider how much determination you have, the materials you will need and how readily available they are, the cost of the materials and plants, and the space, soil, and drainage you have to work with.

The Garden

As they say in real estate, location, location, location! Obviously, a garden on your own property, just out your back door, is the best possible location. Even if you rent, though, many landlords are willing to let tenants put in a garden. If you don’t own property, check with friends or relatives that do; they may be willing to share space. You might even know someone who wants to put in a garden but doesn’t feel they can do it alone. Offer to garden with them!

Many communities make rental space in community gardens available, and private individuals may also consider such arrangements. If you go this route, be sure it is close enough and you have the transportation means to go to it regularly. Also be sure that the approach is accessible given your mobility needs. Gardens tend to be on flat surfaces, but there might be steps, or hills, or other rough terrain between you and your plot. Or you may go and find that your plot is a greater distance from parking then you feel comfortable walking. If you do decide to garden at another location, think about combining efforts with friends. Group or team gardening can make the work easier and be greater fun.

As you plan the layout of your garden, pay careful attention to the location and design of the paths and the planting areas. Design the garden so that no part is difficult to reach and all parts can be reached from the edge. If you use a wheelchair or have other mobility concerns, such as you use a walker, try to make paths at least 4 feet wide and if possible, pave the surface of the paths. Crushed gravel makes a fairly flat, hard surface once it has been packed down. You can also use paving stone or bricks. On the other hand, if you are digging up a new space in the lawn, consider leaving grass paths between the planting beds. If the ground is smooth and the grass is kept short, this may be a simple, cheap, and easy alternative to paving. Grass can also help prevent mud after watering or rain.

You may have limitations other than mobility to consider in the design of your garden. For instance, if you have a visual impairment, put in guides or markers to distinguish plot edges, paths, and plants. If you have weakened muscle strength or problems grasping or bending, consider adapted gardening tools. There are a variety tools to make gardening easier and more accessible, for instance, you can get back-saver rakes, spades, and pitch forks. There are hand tools with special handles to support arms, wrists, and hands. There are a variety of garden carts and kneelers to alleviate strain on knees and backs and eliminate bending. They also are a handy source to carry your tools and supplies, eliminating repeated trips to garden sheds.

If you are interested in seeing what types of adapted tools might be available – please call us at InfoTech 1-800-331-3027. We can search catalogs and other resources looking for the right equipment for you.

Container Gardens

Not all gardens are conventional plots in the ground. You might choose to put your garden in containers. Containers have a number of advantages. They can be built on porches, decks, or around the yard. You can also use pots, hanging baskets, or window boxes. Containers can be purchased or created from a variety of discarded materials, like sewer sections, bushel baskets, tubs, or pots. If you decide to construct your own containers, other materials that can be used are lumber, bricks, concrete blocks, paving stones, or railroad ties. Rectangular boxes are the easiest to build.

Any type of raised bed or container should be at least 2 feet high. However, determining the best height for your needs should be part of the construction process. A raised garden shouldn’t be wider than 2 feet when it’s against a wall, or 4 feet if you can approach it from each side. Don’t use plants with extensive root systems in containers. Remember that containers dry out easily and need to be watered frequently.

The Plants

Another critical part of the planning process is deciding what type of garden interest you – flowers, vegetables, or herbs (combining elements is also a possibility as you gain experience and nerve). Be sure to consider climate and the length of your growing season when picking plant varieties, and make certain to use plants that genuinely interest you. If you intend to plant a vegetable garden, think about vegetables that you enjoy eating. Why plant something you’ll never eat? Also, consider the amount of produce you want. If done well, even a small garden can produce a lot of vegetables. It may be too much for you to eat alone but you can always distribute your abundance among family and friends.