Student’s needs and abilities,
Environment in which AT will be used
(classroom, cafeteria, bus, playground, and
the physical arrangement of each area),
Tasks your child will be doing, and
Tools that will enable your child to learn
and grow.
When the team decides that AT is re-
quired for educational purposes, the details
should be written into your child’s IEP.
(See Tech-Friendly IEP sidebar.)
Funding
Your school district is responsible
for funding the purchase, maintenance,
and replacement of any assistive technol-
ogy written into the IEP. That also means
the district owns the equipment. Usually
(but not always), your child will be able
to take equipment home during off-school
hours and breaks. But if you move out-of-
district, your child will not be able to take
the AT with him; it stays with the district
for use by another child.
If you are interested in owning the
devices, computer programs, and other AT
your child needs, options include:
Health insurance or Medicare. May
partially or fully cover cost if the
equipment is medically necessary.
Online marketplaces. Pre-owned
equipment is bought and sold by
private parties. Visit www.tinyurl.
com/STCATReuse for an example.
Computer refurbishing. Organiza-
tions accept donated computers
and software, refurbish them, and
distribute them to school programs
and individuals with disabilities.
Visit
www.freebyte.com/free_
computers/ for an example.
Loans and grants. Many founda-
tions and service clubs offer funds
to individuals for assistive technol-
ogy. Check with groups like Ki-
wanis, Lions, and the Association
of Blind Citizens.
Cool Stuff
Here are just a few samples of recent tech
innovations:
Sesame Enable — touch-free app en-
ables the user to operate a smartphone with
head movements.
Kurzweil 3000 — text-to-speech soft-
ware reads digital and print formats aloud.
Talkitt: This Is My Voice — enables
people with severe speech disabilities to
communicate by converting the user’s vo-
cal patterns into recognizable verbal out-
put.
Livescribe Echo Smartpen — pen with
microphone, camera, and speaker enables
those with a visual impairment or learning
disability to take audio notes, record lec-
tures, and store docs digitally.
Ashley Talmadge is a freelance writer and
mom to a child with special needs. As a
former teacher of the visually impaired she
enjoyed finding technology that helped her
students communicate and learn.
These uplifting stories beautifully illustrate how technology can open
doors for kids with special needs.
To Siri with Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, and the Kind-
ness of Machines by Judith Newman (2017) • In this hu-
morous and very touching memoir, Newman describes
how her autistic son’s conversations with Siri (Apple’s vir-
tual personal assistant) helped him develop face-to-face
communication skills.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (2010) • Eleven-year-
old Melody has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk, speak,
or write. When she is finally given a device that allows her
to communicate, everyone is surprised at how much she
has to say.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (2015) •
Ally struggles to hide her learning difficulties and is embar-
rassed to ask for help. A caring, observant teacher helps
her see that she’s bright and creative… and that dyslexia is
nothing to be ashamed of.
RESOURCES
These reliable resources
provide a wealth of
information on assistive
technology and other
topics of interest to
special needs families:
Local:
New York’s Technology
Related Assistance for
Individuals with Disabilities
(TRAID) Program
Center for Assistive
Technology (CAT)
www.cat.buffalo.edu
716-836-1350
Local lending library of
assistive devices.
National Disability Institute
— Assistive Technology Loan
Program (for NY residents)
www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/
financial-wellness/assistive-
technology-loan-program/
****
AbleData
www.abledata.acl.gov
Unbiased detailed product
information. Searchable
database.
Center on Technology
and Disability
www.ctdinstitute.org
Up-to-date webinars and
other resources.
PACER Center
www.pacer.org
Downloadable print materials
and informational videos.
Assistive Technology
Industry Association
www.atia.org/at-resources/
what-is-at/resources-
funding-guide/
Comprehensive list of
funding options.
April 2019 WNY Family 37