Assistive Technology Overview

What assistive technology (AT) is, how it shows up in IEPs, and the para's role in supporting students who use AT across the school day.

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| Audience | Paras supporting students with any type of disability; teachers whose students use AT devices or software. |

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| Why This Matters |

| Assistive technology is any device, software, or tool that helps a student with a disability access learning, communicate, or function more independently. It ranges from a pencil grip to a speech-generating device. The para is often the adult most consistently present when AT is used — making their understanding of the tool and their role in supporting it critical. |

What Counts as Assistive Technology

IDEA defines AT broadly: any item, piece of equipment, or product system — commercial or customized — that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a student with a disability. This includes:

Low-tech: pencil grips, slant boards, highlighted paper, fidget tools, communication boards, visual schedules.

Mid-tech: voice recorders, calculators with large displays, talking dictionaries, battery-operated communication devices.

High-tech: speech-generating devices (SGDs), screen readers, text-to-speech software, switch-access systems, eye-gaze technology.

If it is in the student's IEP as an accommodation or support, the school is obligated to provide it and ensure access. If a device is listed in the IEP, it must be available — the para has a role in ensuring it is present, charged, and usable.

AT in the IEP

An AT consideration must happen at every IEP meeting. When AT is included, the IEP will specify: what device or tool is provided, in what settings it is used, and what training the student and staff will receive. The para should know:

Which specific AT the student uses.

In what settings and activities it is expected to be used.

What their role is in supporting its use (set it up, prompt its use, troubleshoot basic problems, report issues).

Who to contact when the AT isn't working (AT specialist, SPED coordinator, OT, SLP, or teacher depending on district).

The Para's Role with AT

The para's role is to support the student's use of AT, not to use it for the student. This distinction matters enormously:

Support: Prompting the student to use the device, positioning it correctly, ensuring it is charged, helping the student navigate to the right screen or mode.

NOT support: Speaking for the student instead of waiting for the device, turning off the device because it takes too long, doing a task on the device that the student should do.

Paras sometimes inadvertently reduce AT use by compensating — speaking for the AAC user, handwriting for the student who uses a keyboard, skipping the switch for a student who needs it. Every time a para does something the AT is designed to help the student do, it reduces the student's opportunity to build independence.

Common AT Tools and What Paras Should Know

Screen Readers and Text-to-Speech

Tools like JAWS, NVDA, or built-in accessibility features (VoiceOver, Narrator) read text aloud from a screen.

Do not read content aloud for the student while the screen reader is available and working — this removes the independence the tool provides.

Know how to turn the screen reader on and adjust volume. Report if the student's preferred voice or speed settings have changed unexpectedly.

Word Prediction and Speech-to-Text

Word prediction (like Co:Writer) suggests words as the student types, reducing keystroke demands.

Speech-to-text (like Dragon or built-in voice typing) converts spoken words to text.

Give the student time to use the tool. Patience is a para skill with AT.

Switch Access

Students with significant motor impairments may use a single switch or multiple switches to control a device, communicate, or participate in activities.

Switch placement matters — do not move a switch without OT guidance.

Know how to reset a switch if it disconnects and who to call if it stops working.

Speech-Generating Devices (SGDs)

See also 10.02 AAC Overview and 10.07 Modeling AAC for detailed guidance.

Key para role: keep the device charged, available, and within reach. Prompt use rather than speaking for the student. Model using the device yourself.

Troubleshooting and Reporting

Paras are not AT technicians, but they should know the basics:

Charging: Know where the charger is and when the device needs to be charged. Most AT-dependent students need their device charged overnight.

Connectivity: Bluetooth disconnects, WiFi drops, and app crashes are common. Know the simple resets (turn it off and back on, reconnect Bluetooth) and when to escalate.

Reporting: If AT stops working and basic troubleshooting fails, document what happened and notify the teacher or AT specialist the same day. Do not leave a student without their AT for multiple days without escalating.

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| ✅ Try this | ⚠️ Watch out for |

| Prompt the student to use their AT device rather than doing the task for them. Keep devices charged and report malfunctions the same day they occur. Give the student time — AT often takes longer than doing things for them, and that wait time is the point. | Speak for AAC users, skip AT because it takes too long, or let a device sit uncharged for days. These habits, even well-intentioned, systematically reduce student independence and undermine the purpose of the AT. |

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| Bottom line | Assistive technology extends what students can do independently. The para's job is to keep it available, prompt its use, and get out of the way. Supporting AT means supporting the student's autonomy — not compensating for the device by doing things the device is designed to help the student do. |

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