- General
- Assistive Technology Law - Click HERE to Enter a List of Resources
Assistive Technology Law - Click HERE to Enter a List of Resources
"Assistive technology device means 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 a child with a disability (IDEA - Building).”
In Michigan, children with disabilities, ages birth through 26, must be considered for assistive technology use if it is needed in order to receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). These AT devices and services must be identified by their IEP team and their use determined within the natural environment; the one in which they will use the device.
These laws can be described as impacting the services that the students with disabilities receive, their educational setting, or both. IEP teams should be aware that "educational law and policy generated from these laws require that AT consideration be based upon evidence of AT effectiveness and that claims of effectiveness arise from scientifically-based research" (Peterson-Karlan & Parette, 2007, p. 130).
This link that MITS also lists is a comprehensive reference resource to the Federal laws and legislation impacting AT consideration.
By Penn State University: Assistive technology law including ADA, tech act, idea, and section 504 of rehab act. This slide overview was placed into this guide as an aditional resource for instructional purposes both for individual IEP team members and professional development activities where an overview of AT law is a part of the discussion.
This link provides the entire Federal Law Sec. 300.324 Development, review, and revision of an IEP. The language directing this guide is found within the regulation under Part 300/D/300.234 /a/2/v. The law is stated within one line of text. "Consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services."
This document is titled Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) Supplemented With Selected IDEA Federal Regulations: MARSE (September 2013) IDEA Federal Regulations (July 2010)
It provides specific language for special factor consideration with a focus on both laws and there relevant subsections especially in section 2 titiled R 340.1721e Individualized education program and § 300.324 Development, review, and revision of IEP.
In section 2
