IDEA mandates that the IEP team consider Assistive Technology during the development of an IEP. During the IEP development, the team determines the student’s goals and benchmarks and discusses the need for supplementary aids and services to support and implement those goals and benchmarks. Utilization of usual and customary supports should be considered. If the usual and customary supports are not sufficient, the IEP team should consider site based technologies (Tier 1) to support the student’s needs. After implementation of site based technologies (or, if implementation of site based technologies is not deemed sufficient to address student needs), teams may also consider Equipment Loan (Tier 2) or Referral for Assessment (Tier 3) as appropriate.
Any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.
The term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device.
(Authority 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))
Any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, and use of an assistive technology device. The term includes –
(Authority 20 U.S.C. 1401(2))