Implementation of Technology in the Classroom

							  ATIP in Every Classroom
(Assistive Technology Implementation Plan)


      Prekindergarten Program for Children
                with Disabilities
          Objectives
Know when and why an ATIP should be
written
Know how to choose appropriate tasks
and tools for the ATIP
Know how to implement the ATIP and
when/how to obtain assistance
WHY an ATIP?
        WHY an ATIP?
All students should make good progress
in all areas
If the regular classroom supports clearly
are not helping a student perform as
s/he should, additional supports or
accommodations are needed to be
successful
        WHY an ATIP?
Documents the efforts of the
school/family team and tracks student
progress over time
Facilitates smoother transition to
another pre-k class or kindergarten by
documenting successful strategies for
the next teacher to use
          WHY an ATIP?
Parents/caregivers need to be aware that their
child is not making adequate progress in
certain areas and that additional support or
accommodations are necessary
Parents should be a part of the process and the
use of AT should carry over to the home
Sometimes parents do not realize the extra
lengths teachers go to in order for their child to
be successful
        WHY an ATIP?
It WORKS!
Students show progress
You will be a better, more prescriptive
teacher
WHEN should you write an
       ATIP?
         WHEN an ATIP?
When a student you have had in class for 1-3
months is not showing adequate progress with
regular classroom materials/strategies
If it is documented in the student’s IEP that one
needs to be completed
Before an Assistive Technology Assessment or
a FAB is requested from the Pre-SPED staff
BEFORE January if a student is transitioning to
kindergarten
 WHERE to start an ATIP?
Observe, observe, observe...
...even if you think you know what the
problem is!
Take time to observe (and ONLY
observe) the child in the problem task
   WHERE to start?

Observe
Observe
Observe
 WHO is available to help you
        get started?
“SWAT” Team (Success with Assistive
  Technology):
  Pre-K Tech Team: Tina McAlpin and
  Sheila Miguel
  Pre-K Multiply Impaired Specialist:
  Laura Seminario
  Pre-K Autism Support Teachers: Kathy
  Velazquez and Claudia Monsalve
  HOW will they help you?
Email - answer questions or direct you to
helpful web resources
Over the phone
Classroom visit to guide your
student observation
Attend your first ATIP meeting and guide
you through the process
Email - give feedback on draft ATIP
HOW to write the ATIP
   Think of the ATIP as an
   investigation
   Tasks should be related to IEP
   goals, but broken down to a first
   step or first manageable piece
   ATIP should be a fluid document,
   results change strategies, etc.
     HOW to write the ATIP
The ATIP is completed by the
teacher with team members,
including the parent in an
informal meeting - no formal
notification is needed since
the IEP will not be amended
After implementation, an IEP
meeting should be held to
document results and add
accommodations to the IEP
Question #1 - What does this
    student like to do?
Helps you choose motivating activities
Helps you choose communication topics
that interest student
Helps you choose more
 effective reinforcers
Question #2 - What does this
      student do well?
Use this as a base to begin intervention
so you will build on the student’s
strengths
   Question #3 - What task(s) do you want this
student to do that s/he is not presently able to do

A task ...
  is functional
  has a beginning and an end
  can be visualized
  needs to be stated using action verbs
  regarding behavior needs to be stated
  in positive terms
              BE SPECIFIC
Instead of:               draw/paint
                          sing along with songs
                          at Greeting Time
“play” or “participate”
                          join in play with a peer
                          ride a trike
                          use materials
                          purposefully during
                          Work Time
              BE SPECIFIC
Instead of:          stay at the table for
                     Small Group Time
“attend” or “stop    complete a multi-
  hitting”           step fine motor task
                     follow verbal
                     directions
                     calm when upset
Question #4 - Describe materials/strategies that
   have been used already and the results

 Documents your efforts
 Helps rule out tools/strategies already
 tried
 May help you decide to refine tool or
 strategy already tried
 Gives SWAT team background info in
 order to assist you
       Adaptation Station
The Adaptation Station (pages 2 & 3) is a
foundation of the Assistive Technology
Implementation Plan (ATIP) document
It is a compilation of classroom materials,
instructional strategies, and assistive
technology devices that are recommended
for use with young children with disabilities
to access the curriculum.
              Adaptation Station:
       http://prekese.dadeschools.net/
            adaptationstation.html
Each entry corresponds
to an item on the
Adaptation Station
pages of the Pre-K
SPED website. It is
essential to become
familiar with the
resources in the
Adaptation Station in
order to write a
comprehensive ATIP for
a student.
       Adaptation Station
On pages 2 & 3, use only the sections that
correspond to the tasks you have chosen
This is not a shopping list - the idea is to
focus on the one or two “best” tools for
now
Indicate (checks, highlighting, etc.) items
that have been tried and items that will be
tried, skip items if N/A
      Adaptation Station
If you choose a tool for Communication
- you must choose one or more
strategies from the AAC Strategies
section
Devices are not magic! Appropriate and
consistent strategies are what make
communication experiences meaningful,
not just devices or pictures.
Question #6 - Make a Plan!
              No ATIP is complete
              until at least one
              table is filled in,
              including
              documentation of
              results after an
              appropriate
              implementation
              period.
         Writing the Plan
WHAT: Fill in the task directly from Question
#3. Fill in the tool(s) you chose on the
Adaptation Station
WHERE: Check off where the tool will be
obtained - if “Tech Team” be sure to request
item(s) by contacting us
WHEN: Think about the student’s needs
throughout the daily routine and check off the
times that this task will naturally occur
         Writing the Plan
HOW: Describe specific instructional
strategies for the use of the tool
Be detailed enough that someone can get a
picture of the interaction just from reading it
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP in a
successful ATIP! When progress is not
made, this is the first stop in looking for
revisions - ESPECIALLY for Communication
and PBS tasks
       Writing the Plan
RESULTS: What does “appropriate
implementation period” mean?
Document (on the original) how the
tools/strategies are working
          Writing the Plan
What if it is working?
– GREAT!
– Keep it up or fade if not needed over time (PBS)
– Expand the use if appropriate (AAC) to other parts
  of the daily routine
– Contact Tech Team if student will need more
  comprehensive AAC
– Send materials or arrange for similar AAC device
  if student changes class or transitions to
  kindergarten
          Writing the Plan
What if it is not working?
– Make sure your tool does what it is you thought it
  would do for the particular task; if not, change tool
– Make sure you are consistently providing the tool and
  using the strategies
– Give it time, especially with Comm. and PBS
– Observe (and only observe) with an eye toward
  revising the strategies
– Try different strategy, repeat
– Contact (email) SWAT Team ANYTIME to ask for help
Communication, Behavior &
    Physical Access
Very common areas of need for our
students in Pre-K SPED
Very common reasons for writing an
ATIP
Let’s look at these areas in more
depth...
      Communication
A child has been in your class 1-2 months
and demonstrates:
  receptive language difficulties
  expressive language difficulties
  reduced participation in oral activities
  difficulty with concept development
  (cognitive issues)
Does “cognitive” really belong
with Communication / AAC?
If you have a way to talk about what you
are learning, you are more likely to learn
When you see it, hear it, do it, practice
it, you can learn more
 – EX: difficulty with shapes, colors,
   matching/sorting, number concepts, multi-
   step tasks, etc.
Can every child communicate
        and learn?
Yes.
If we believe they can, they can
Yes!
Usually more than we give them credit for
Yes!!
If given the support and understanding
they need
Communication - Why is language support so
 important for a child who is minimally verbal?

Typical children learn to
talk and then talk to learn.
If learning to talk is too
difficult and has not been
very successful, they are
not able to talk to learn
without some form of
AAC.
Communication - Why is language support so
 important for a child who is minimally verbal?

 Lack of opportunity to
 participate verbally (even via
 AAC), may keep a child from
 showing what they know as
 well as learning what they
 can. It is through meaningful
 interaction that children learn
 how the world works and
 begin to understand what
 words mean.
Communication - Why is language support so
 important for a child who is minimally verbal?

                          Lack of verbal
                          language does not
                          indicate lack of
                          intelligence.
                          Presence of verbal
                          language does not
                          necessarily indicate
                          higher intelligence.
Communication - Why is language support so
 important for a child who is minimally verbal?


Children who have
language difficulties are
at risk for social-
emotional difficulties
 Communication - Why is language support so
important for a child who is talking, but does not
           understand what you say?
                          A child who is talking
                          can be very social and
                          appear like s/he is
                          learning when s/he is
                          not taking in the
                          higher level academic
                          information or is
                          struggling with
                          comprehension in pre-
                          academic tasks
 Communication - Why is language support so
important for a child who is talking, but does not
           understand what you say?


 Children who do not
 understand what you
 are saying may
 appear as behavior
 problems
 Communication - Why is language support so
important for a child who is talking, but does not
          understand what you say?``
                          Children who do not
                          understand may fail to
                          make connections
                          between oral
                          language and the
                          activities in which they
                          participate and may
                          fail to gain even basic
                          concepts
   Positive Behavior Support /
 Organizational Strategies (PBS)
A child has been in your class for 1-3
months and still has difficulty with:
  self control
  following routines
  staying with the group
  maintaining attention to activities
  playing (purposefully) alone or with others
  interacting with peers in socially appropriate
  ways
 Behavioral - Why is PBS important for a child
         who has little self-control?

The child will...
  learn what is expected
  learn how to regulate him/herself when
  feeling out of control
  need less verbal attention from the teacher,
  resulting in fewer interruptions of the class
  will develop positive self-esteem
 Behavioral - Why is PBS important for a child
     who has trouble following routines?

PBS...
 gives the message that you believe they can
 do it!
 decreases classroom disruption for redirecting
 or helping children
 builds receptive language skills
 helps child learn to attend and seek out
 supports when needed
 Behavioral - Why is PBS important for a child
       who can’t stay with the group?

PBS...
 make expectations clearer and more
 understandable
 keep teachers from having to stop so often to
 physically redirect
      With the group = available to learn
      With the group = awareness that there
      is a place and time for everything
 Behavioral - Why is PBS important for a child
         who has difficulty playing?

PBS helps child ...
  learn how to join ongoing play with others
  follow group rules/expectations
  learn what to do with materials
  learn to play independently or in groups
  understand that the teacher believes they
  are capable!
Behavioral - Why is PBS important for a child who
      has difficulty interacting with peers?


PBS gives the child tools to...
 accept and respond to social greetings
 to greet and engage peers
 to ask for and give toys/materials
 express frustration (and other feelings) in
 social situations
       Physical Access
Positioning/Seating/Mobility
Play/Participation
Pre-Writing/Creative Representation
Activities of Daily Living/Self-Help
Computer Access
Vision
Hearing
    Physical - WHEN do I write an ATIP for
          Physical Access needs?

A child has been in your class for one day - 2 weeks and:
   what you are doing in class is not helping them to
   participate actively
   you think they should be able to do more, but you are
   just not sure how
   child cannot sit, stand, or move independently/safely
   child has difficulty grasping/using writing tools or fine
   motor toys
   child cannot access playground equipment or outdoor
   play
   child has a visual or hearing impairment
Physical Access - WHO can help?

Pre-K Tech Team if there is no OT/PT on the
case
OT/PT
Vision/Hearing Itinerant
Parent of the child will know what is being
used at home or what has been used in the
past
The “I” is for Implementation!
It’s time to get in the classroom and give
your plan a try...