DRAFT

Assistive Technology Consideration Tools

Created by the Assistive Technology Educational Network of Florida
This handout is a proposed guide to Assistive Technology Screening Tools. The guide considers the
various competency levels of the members of the IEP teams. An internet and listserv search was done to
gather information on the range of tools available. The models were ranked in a matrix, with those found
to be the easiest to implement included, based on level of experience and knowledge in assistive
technology. This matrix is not conclusive nor necessarily considered best practice. Each tool should be
reviewed independently and considered based on your teams needs.
Tools Found
The Texas 4-Step Model
http://www.texasat.net/PDF/Resource%20Guide%2004-05.pdf
Assistive Technology Screening for Secondary Students
http://www.aea9.k12.ia.us/download/05/atscreening/at_screening_for_secondary_students.doc
The Assistive Technology Screener
http://www.taicenter.com/test_pretty/screeners/screener%20text.html
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide and Checklist
http://www.wati.org/bestpractices/pdf/Consider.pdf
http://www.wati.org/bestpractices/pdf/atcheck1.pdf
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide for IEP Teams
http://sweb.uky.edu/~jszaba0/ATConsiderationGuideADJZ.pdf
Assistive Technology Consideration Checklist
http://www.connsensebulletin.com/ConsiderationChecklist.pdf
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
Directly from Joy Zabala via QIAT listserv
Assistive Technology Screening and Initial Solution Toolkit
http://www.gatfl.org/ldguide/documents/screening.pdf
SET-BC District Screening Checklist
ftp://ftp.setbc.org/pub/SETflex/screenset.pdf
AT Trigger Assistive Technology Screening Document (modified by Kentucky)
http://kysig.louisville.edu/pdf/atguide.pdf (pg 71-75)
Assistive Technology Consideration
http://www.otap-oregon.org/ATC.pdf
Student Access Map (SAM)
http://www.boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/access.asp
AT Trigger: Screening Document for Potential AT Needs
http://www.ndipat.org/products/attrig/attrig.htm
Created 3/10/05 Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) of Florida (800) 328 3678

www.aten.scps.k12.fl.us

DRAFT
Summaries of Each Product Found
The Texas 4-Step Model
This model is a guide to standard tools, accommodations/modifications, and assistive technology solutions
sorted by instructional areas. This basic guide could be used to get intervention ideas when a problem in
an instructional area is identified. The interventions listed under the AT Solutions category are not selfexplanatory to a person with little knowledge in the field, but could be used to gain more information of
the range of options available, creating more awareness to beginning learners.
Assistive Technology Screening for Secondary Students
This model is an introductory guide to considering assistive technology across activities of daily living
and academic areas, with a secondary age emphasis. It is a simple yes/no questionnaire that follows the
WATI AT Checklist. It would guide a beginning team with little or no knowledge in assistive technology
to recognize functional tasks that might benefit from further consideration of assistive technology.
Attached to the form is the WATI checklist to provide some ideas of intervention. Further guidance
would be needed to implement most ideas depending upon the knowledge and experience of the team.
Assistive Technology Screener
This screening tool is a device based checklist, sorted by areas of intervention, but not academics. The
guide lists several types of technology interventions, from low to high tech under each category. The user
is asked to check off whether or not the idea has been tried and is successful or unsuccessful, not
appropriate, or suggested to be tried. This tool might guide a team at the beginner level to identify tools
that can be tried. However, it does not follow academic areas of intervention which means that
consideration across all academic areas might be missed.
WATI AT Consideration Guide and Checklist
This model is an intermediate level guide to assistive technology consideration. It uses an activity
analysis model to identify tasks where students are not functioning at their potential skill level. It then
guides the user through currently used strategies/tools/accommodations, followed by currently used AT
tools, followed by new technologies to try. The guide comes with a corresponding checklist of ideas to try
for each of the task areas identified.
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide for IEP Teams
This model guides the user through an activity analysis approach to assessment. It requires the user to
consider activities/tasks across several different domains and settings. It then asks the user to review the
currently used strategies, tools, and accommodations, followed by any barriers that are preventing the
student from accomplishing the task. The focus then shifts to looking at additional AT tools to be tried or
if further information is needed. The tool concludes with a summary of student considerations with areas
for agreement and disagreement, followed by an implementation chart to guide responsibilities and
timelines for implementation.
Assistive Technology Consideration Checklist
This model guides the consideration process for an advanced level team. It provides a structure for the
consideration process, including critical factors such as the instructional area, the setting where the
instruction takes place, the standard tools the students uses, followed by accommodations/modifications
and AT solutions the student is using or might need. The form comprehensively reviews most
instructional/access areas ensuring that assistive technology has been considered across all areas. The
tool concludes with a short summary checklist and a free response area to write suggested
implementation ideas.
Created 3/10/05 Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) of Florida (800) 328 3678

www.aten.scps.k12.fl.us

DRAFT
Summaries of Each Product Found (cont)
Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
This model guides the consideration process for an advanced level team. It structures the team through
considering areas of intervention, but not centered on academic performance. It asks the user to review
the currently used strategies, tools, and accommodations, followed by any barriers that are preventing
the student from accomplishing the task. The focus then shifts to looking at additional AT tools to be
tried or if further information is needed. It lends itself well to a task analysis approach to problem
solving the functional limitation preventing successful participation in desired activity. It has a short
summary checklist, followed by an area that guides implementation responsibilities and timelines.
Assistive Technology Screening and Initial Solution Toolkit
This model guides the consideration process for an intermediate level team, and focuses broadly across
many areas of intervention. It is setup identically to the GPAT assessment described above, except rather
than being empty boxes, it has specific tasks, tools, accommodations/modifications, and AT tools already
listed (in most parts ). The interventions listed under the AT tools category are not self-explanatory to a
person with little knowledge in the field but could be used to gain more information on the range of
options available. The tool appears to be friendly to non-school settings.
SET-BC District Screening Checklist
This model guides the team through considering different areas of impairment (physical, cognitive, and
psychological). These areas are reviewed for impairments, followed by completing questions concerning
restrictions to curriculum and then what strategies have already been tried. The guide then asks the
team to identify the goals the student will work toward and note how they will be monitored for progress.
AT Trigger Assistive Technology Screening Document (modified by Kentucky)
This model guides the team through considering different areas of task deficits and physical
impairments. It uses a check off method to determine whether the student is functioning equivalent to
his/her peers. No formal summary or recommendations are identified at the end. If yes is checked off,
further consultation with AT team is recommended.
Assistive Technology Consideration
This model is comparable to the AT Consideration Guide by Zabala. It lends itself well to a task analysis
approach to problem solving the functional limitation preventing successful participation in desired
activity. It does not provide ideas for possible solutions.
Student Access Map (SAM)
This model is based on the concept of the WATI consideration guide. It asks the user to identify the task
or goal that needs to be accomplished and then fill in information about the person including: strengths,
challenges, and barriers to performance. The team then identifies the entire range of tools and supports
that might help the student. Finally, a plan is made for each task/goal that was identified, including time
line, responsibilities, and criteria for success.
AT Trigger: Screening Document for Potential AT Needs
This model guides the team through considering different areas of task deficits and physical
impairments. It uses a check off method to determine whether the student is functioning equivalent to
his/her peers. No formal summary or recommendations are identified at the end. If yes is checked off,
further consultation with AT team is recommended.
Created 3/10/05 Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) of Florida (800) 328 3678

www.aten.scps.k12.fl.us