The purpose of assistive technology (AT) assessment is to identify technology options that will accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. Such options should increase, improve, or maintain student functioning in educational, vocational, and community environments. When functional capabilities are enhanced, individuals with disabilities (a) experience greater control of their lives; (b) can contribute more fully to the environment around them; and (c) are better equipped to participate in home, school, work, and/or community settings. AT helps support individuals with disabilities and assists with achieving the four outcomes outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004): equal opportunities, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and independent living. An AT assessment can facilitate the selection of AT options that will contribute to these outcomes.

During this module, we will (a) provide guidance on how to initiate the AT assessment process, (b) identify potential members of the Assistive Technology assessment team and their roles, (c) provide examples of AT assessment frameworks, and (d) walk you through the process of AT assessment from feature matching to AT acquisition and progress monitoring.