The Old Bridge Board of Education identifies students in need of assistive technology through evaluations by the Child Study Team. They recommend appropriate technologies to the Director of Special Services, who works with supervisors to purchase software like JAWS, Co-Writer, and speech evaluation programs as well as hardware including switches, monitors, and Braille devices. Funding comes from IDEA and local budgets. Technicians install the technologies and provide initial training, with ongoing support available from vendors and supervisors.
2. IDENTIFICATION/ACQUISITION OF
TECHNOLOGY
• Assistive Technology is decided upon in the
following way:
• The Child Study Team
• Identifies children in need of extra support.
• Makes recommendations based on the needs of individual
students to the Director of Special Services, James Tuohy.
3. IDENTIFICATION/ACQUISITION OF
TECHNOLOGY
• The Director of Special Services
• Works with the Supervisor of Special Education (Melanie Minch-
Klass) and Supervisor of Technology (Karen Venezia-Hicks) to
• identify the correct resources,
• make the purchase
• foster the implementation of the technology.
• If further clarification of the recommendations is needed,
additional evaluative services from independent providers
are purchased.
4. BUDGET
• The purchase of
• Assistive technology devices
• Software
• Professional development training to support the
implementation of these devices
• The purchase of additional evaluative services from
independent providers (if needed) comes from:
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Local budget special education funds
5. SOFTWARE EXAMPLES
• EXAMPLES of software implemented to help our
special needs students include:
• JAWS – software which relays audio translation as student
accesses
7. SOFTWARE EXAMPLES
• Other software examples include:
• CELF – speech testing and evaluation software
• Vantage Plus – a communication assistant
• Zoom Text 9.0 – a desktop enlargement software
8. HARDWARE EXAMPLES
• EXAMPLES of hardware implemented to help our
special needs students include:
• ASL Microlight Switch – It adapts computer mouse control
onto a wheelchair. It is a switch which can be activated
with an extremely light touch by a finger, chin, or other
body part.
9. HARDWARE EXAMPLES
• Other hardware examples include:
• Large display monitors,
• Special keyboards
• Books on CD
• Individual laptops
11. HARDWARE EXAMPLES
• For the use of Braille, the district has purchased
• A Braille printer and reader
• Braille equipped keyboards
• A Braille writer (See video)
12. GETTING STARTED
• Once the technology has been purchased, the
Supervisor of Technology works with technicians to
install the hardware and software as well as assisting
with initial orientation training.
• If further support is needed, it can be provided by
the hardware or software providers.
13. MONITORING
• There is regular monitoring of assistive technology.
• The Supervisor of Special Education regularly works
together with the Supervisor of Technology to monitor the
use of assistive technology devices.
• They also are available to offer support and help to correct
any issues in the implementation of the technology.
14. CONCLUSION
• The Old Bridge Board of Education has a clear plan
of:
• Identification of students
• Identification of assistive technology needed
• Purchase
• Implementation
• Follow-up