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Web Posted on: December 31, 1998


Providing Assistive Technology in a Rural Setting: Steps to Success

Sue Murn Assistive Technology Teacher
ONC BOCES-Innovative Programs
Cyr Center
Stamford, NY 12167
Email: Smurn@aol.com

David Mitchell
Director, Innovative Programs
ONC BOCES
Cyr Center
Stamford, NY 12167
Email: dmitchell@mail.oncboces.org

Otsego-Northern Catskill BOCES, or Board of Cooperative Educational Services, is part of a co-op that provides shared services in public schools throughout New York State. Located about 2 hours southeast of Syracuse, and three hours north of Manhattan, ONC BOCES serves 19 school districts with a total population of approximately 12,000 students with a geographical area of 1500 square miles. Of the 12,000 students, over 1500 are students with disabilities which represents 13% of the total population.

Our BOCES region includes most of Otsego County, northern Delaware County, southern Schoharie County and western Greene County in New York State, an area larger than Rhode Island. Predominantly rural, with many pockets of poverty, 17 of the 19 schools are K-12 with total populations of approximately 500 students per district. All of our schools face financial constraints and have to make difficult decisions in program offerings to their students. Although financial resources are limited, we are still able to convince schools of the importance of Assistive Technology


Evolution

Prior to our Assistive Technology (AT) services, any student for whom AT was a consideration had to make the trip to Utica, NY where our state's Alliance for Technology Access center, Techspress was located. For some students, that trip was 3 hours each way. It also involved sending teachers and therapists so coverage had to be provided for these people while they participated in the technology consultation. In some cases, the district would send everyone on a school bus. This took the student and the team out of their familiar environment and put them into a strange setting at great cost.

The Assistive Technology program began in 1993 when a small grant was written by our Special Education Training and Resource Center Director. This grant provided for a group of four volunteers to receive training at our state Alliance for Technology Access Center for a week. The team then had $10,000 to spend to begin developing a library of hardware and software to be used in evaluation of technology tools for learning by students and their educational teams.

New administration was very supportive of the program beginnings and worked with the SETRC Director to offer to the component school districts free evaluations for the remainder of the school year by the recently trained team members. A referral process was developed and the team handled 25 evaluations in the first three months. Team members were still volunteers as there was no formal program at this time.

Evaluations resulted in reports; recommendations included equipment, setup, training, and direct support for students over a period of time. School districts were billed for setup, training and student support. Consultants were able to guide districts in finding funding, when possible.

Fees for service and writing grants at the local and state level enabled the program to continue to grow. A full time Assistive Technology Teacher was hired in January of 1996. This teacher was responsible for doing all evaluations, setup, training, and student support as well as maintaining and updating equipment. 10 students from 5 districts made up the original caseload; there are presently 40 students receiving direct services, 25 who are seen on an "as-needed" basis only, and 10 evaluations pending.

A half-time Assistive Technology teacher was hired in September of 1997. Another full time person will be added in September of 1999 as we now service all of the districts, cross-contract with the neighboring BOCES and with an adult agency as well. Services include:

  • evaluation of technology tools with individuals and their educational teams
  • setup of equipment
  • training
  • direct and indirect service to individuals
  • workshops
  • teacher training

Setting up a local program enabled us to reach students in their own environments and allowed us to take more time in recommending appropriate tools for each individual with the likelihood of more input from team members and more ownership. The Alliance for Technology Access has been instrumental in success of this program; the original Assistive Technology Teacher was trained at the ATA center, Techspress. Continued support has come in loans of equipment, advice and direction, vendor support, and ongoing AT education through conferences and a daily conversation through the ATA listserve in which technology questions and answers are offered. In an isolated, rural region, this brainstorming is invaluable.


Barriers

  • Misconceptions: Parents, teachers, and administrators alike have misconceptions about what the technology can and will do for a child. Some believe that it is a crutch and is doing the work for the child. Others believe that a child with a disability who uses it will be "cured".
  • Technology is a tool, rather than a goal. Many times the computer or the technology has waited for the arrival of the AT Teacher before it is used. Educating the team that the technology is the tool rather than the outcome is critical. For example: "Justin will write three complete sentences, including correct punctuation and capitalization with Write:OutLoud" ensures that the child has the tool in place and is using it to meet educational objectives.
  • "You can lead a teacher to technology but you can't make her use it..." Teachers still are not using classroom computers as teaching tools. In most classrooms, the computer is used as a reward system and is off more than it is on because it is "too distracting."
  • Mindset: in our area, if you have a visible disability, the general mindset is that you'll be riding on the big blue buses headed for day treatment or the workshop after you leave the public schools.
  • Money: this is the major barrier for our districts. Districts tend to look at purchases on an annual basis rather than at long range success for individuals. A computer system is an enormous expense for any of our districts. Convincing a Board of Education that a 6th grader needs a computer and that the skills acquired at a young age will serve that individual later in life is a difficult concept when state aid and other budgetary concerns are a reality. Working with districts to find money is one of the puzzle pieces to success.
  • Geography: covering 19 school districts means direct contact is limited to once a week or less per individual. This becomes worse when winter weather is a factor. If the technology is only being used when the AT teacher is on site, the student loses.

Steps to Success

  • Commitment to the kids: as educators, parents, technologists, friends, therapists or whatever role we play, the individuals we work with are reason and focus of our being involved with the Assistive Technology program.
  • Administrative support: much of the success of this program has been due to the vision of the director of our Innovative Programs. In the early stages, budgets were creatively manipulated in order to find funding for equipment and for the first AT Teacher position. As the program has evolved this has continued.
  • Team building: In our program, the entire team is involved from the beginning of the process of selecting the technology and strategies are used to make sure that involvement continues. If the team is not invested in the technology, it will not be used and the student will not benefit. The best evaluations are the ones where the OT says, "well, we need to worry about his posture so let's support his feet." or the classroom teacher says "Is there a way to make the computer talk to him because I notice that he understands things better when he hears them."
  • Support from home: without exception, every school that currently uses our services started doing so because a parent insisted that technology should be considered for his or her child. In addition, the technology sometimes is used at home. Consistency in access, platform and software is a must.
  • Creative financing: in a poor socio-economic region where budgets are cut annually and technology is the first to go, and where the special education budget is always questioned we try to be as judicious in making recommendations as possible. If the school is using a PC platform, and a computer is recommended for a student, a computer that matches that platform is recommended. In some cases, software or hardware for access is the only adaptation needed if a computer is available for the child to access.
  • Know the law: Understand the laws, especially IDEA and P.L. 94-142 and the rights and protections offered to students and individuals with disabilities. This enables even the most reluctant of school districts to provide needed services and equipment. In addition, within some of these laws are the mechanics of funding high-cost items. Considerable time is spent looking at funding AT for students through 94-142 and 89-313 monies. In 50% of the schools served by our programs, administration has said they have not bothered to apply for the 89-313 monies because it is too much paperwork and you don't get much money out of it. Providing help in doing this paperwork has resulted in some good equipment purchases in a timely fashion
  • Work with outside agencies, which have purchased computers, hardware, or software for students. Know the workings of VESID or vocational rehabilitation organization, ARC, and other regional centers and agencies directing funds for agencies such as OMRDD. Become familiar with Independent Living Centers and with programs offered locally.
  • Write grants: much of our equipment was funded initially through demonstration grants. At the end of the life of the grant we were able to keep the equipment. We continue to write grants as well for demonstration projects with varying success.
  • Use technology for everyone: the more people who see and use the technology, the better. In one 4th grade classroom, they received a new bundle of CD's. The teacher lamented that she would never be able to get into those because she just didn't have time. By splitting the class into groups, teaching them proper use of CD's, and assigning a CD to each group, each student team was responsible for reviewing the disk and at the end of two weeks to do a 5 minute "show and tell" highlighting features to classmates. Often the students who use the AT services are able to lead the way in this because their comfort level with a computer is greater. Teaming students allows many different levels of learning to take place. It is really powerful to look into a classroom and not be able to pick out the students with disabilities because they are working at the same tasks as peers.

Evolution for Continued Success

The model is evolutionary based on the needs of the individuals served. As the 1998-99 school year progresses, the emphasis has turned to teacher training within the component school districts.

Rationale: If teachers are aware of the tools that exist at their fingertips, have the opportunity not only to help select the technology but also to have the time to try it and use it, they will be more likely to use it. If they understand what a student is using and why, they are more likely to make sure it is being used. If they understand law and funding sources the team becomes stronger in advocating for a student.

Providing training on site means that teachers do not have to travel, are in their own environments, their own tools are used, training is entirely hands-on, and often the students they work with are involved in the training. As the teachers work through the training they are required to develop lessons and instruction using the tools and become invested in using these under supervision. Gradually this supervision is reduced and teachers have become very invested and independent in making sure the tools are used.

Finally, AT is applied in the schools by the school teaching staff on a regular basis. This leads to a stronger support overall of each student and is not reliant upon a sporadic visit by the AT provider. The AT teacher is then able to provide services and training as needed and waiting periods for evaluations are shorter.


Summary

Our AT program is evolutionary in nature and the evolution is determined by the needs of the individuals we serve.

Each student is different and unique and we need to have the means to allow the student to grow through the technology.

With the barriers still in place, we manage to have a very successful program. With Alliance support, and with growing awareness of the power of AT by the districts and agencies, we are making it happen in a deprived rural setting.