Assistive Technology Utilization

Abstract

With the passage of federal laws, equal access to technology for all students has gained increased attention in the field of education. Although considering a continuum of assistive technology (AT) products and services for students with disabilities is a mandated practice, educators and related service professionals are faced with challenges of providing effective AT services due to lack of clear legal and practical guidelines and lack of training for the teachers to identify, obtain, and utilize ever-advancing AT. This chapter provides an overview of current AT utilization at schools and related service agencies. AT effectiveness, universal design for learning (UDL), service delivery models, recent trends in AT technologies, challenges in providing AT services for students with disabilities, and implications for preservice and in-service teachers are discussed.