Effect of assistive technology in a public school setting

Area of Science:

• Special Education
• Assistive Technology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) mandates assistive technology (AT) consideration for students in special education.
• A lack of research exists on AT's effectiveness in public school settings.
• IDEA emphasizes AT implementation based on peer-reviewed literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the effect of AT on individualized education program (IEP) goal achievement in a public school special education setting.
• To investigate the impact of AT provided by a multidisciplinary team.
• To provide evidence supporting AT's role for occupational therapists in special education.

Main Methods:

• A repeated-measures quasi-experimental study design was employed.
• Participants included 13 heterogeneous students in special education receiving newly provided AT.
• The study spanned one academic year, focusing on academic and communication goals.

Main Results:

• Assistive technology (AT) provided by a multidisciplinary team showed a significant positive effect on IEP goal improvement.
• The findings suggest AT may be more effective than other interventions for these students.
• Statistical significance was observed for goal improvement (t[12] = 5.54, p= .00) and group effects (F[2] = 9.35, p= .00).

Conclusions:

• Assistive technology (AT) positively impacts IEP goal attainment for students in special education.
• Multidisciplinary team-provided AT may be a valuable intervention strategy.
• The results support the use of AT by occupational therapists in special education, aligning with IDEA directives.