Assistive Technology & Transition Planning

Youth learn in all environments, not just in school. Therefore, it's critical to consider utilizing assistive technology in all the youth's environments including, home, schools and in the community. For example, independent living skills include tasks such as turning on lights, calling for assistance, changing the TV channel or talking on the phone. Typically these are more frequently part of home life, not the school day. However, often the expertise on how assistive technology could be utilized to develop these skills exists with the school and community based assistive technology professionals. Successfully combining assistive technology considertations in all youth enviroments requires communications between the family,school and community agencies which allows everyone to share their perspectives and expertise.

Let's Start Planning for Transiton with Assistive Technology

The steps below do not always occure in the same order and sometimes you have to go back and try again. But, they provide a starting point for evaluating how assistive technology can benifit youth in school and beyond into adult life:

• Establish an understanding of the youth's present level of academic performance by utilizing your state’s standardized grade level student's expectations to identify both areas of strength and where additional assistance may be needed.
• Develop a written vision of life after high school in a detailed post-school outcome statement.
  
• Consider whether assistive technology can help achieve the outcomes.
• Identify who’s going to do what in acquiring the technology, providing training in its use if needed, and funding it. Also determine whether the funding source will allow the technology to go with the student into post-high school education and work.

Finally, as the old saying goes, “The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get.” Good luck.

For more information go to Impact: Assistive Technology and Transiton Planning