Web Posted on: November 18, 1998
CSUN's Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP)
Harry J. Murphy, Ed. D.
Founder and Director
Center on Disabilities
California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330 - 8340
818 677 2578 PHONE
818 677 4929 FAX
harry.murphy@csun.edu
www.csun.edu/cod/
Introduction
In response to a need from the field for training in the area of assistive technology, the Center on Disabilities, in conjunction with the university's College of Extended Learning, developed a 100-hour course, "Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program" (ATACP) in early 1997. The ATACP was designed by Kirk Behnke, ATACP Training Coordinator of the Center on Disabilities. It has been delivered to 169 participants to date from XX states, XX U. S. Territories and XX foreign countries.
For our 1999 classes, the 100-hour course has been newly redesigned in this fashion: 52 hours of instruction are on-line, 40 hours are to be delivered live in six locations across the United States, and an additional 8 hours are credited toward a required, written, Certificate Project.
The ATACP offers the convenience of obtaining a certificate from the College of Extended Learning plus 10 Continuing Education Units (CEU's) through only one week of live instruction.
The ATACP is portable and can be delivered in whole or in part anywhere in this country or abroad. The ATACP was successfully offered in Ireland in 1998.
ATACP is Offered in Six Locations in 1999
The ATACP course will be offered in six locations in 1999:
- Beautiful Lake Tahoe, NV June 7 - 11
- Houston, TX June 21- 2 5
- Los Angeles Area July 12 - 16
- Orange County, CA Area July 19 - 23
- Chicago Area July 26 - 30
- Washington, DC August 9 - 13
In addition, a seventh, contracted workshop with the Tennessee Department of Education for special education teachers in that state will be offered in May in Nashville. This workshop is open to teachers in Tennessee only.
The Center on Disabilities welcomes invitations to conduct workshops similar to the one being offered in Tennessee. Please contact the Center for details.
Certificate Objectives
The ATACP is designed to provide a practical approach to the applications of assistive technology in meeting the needs of individuals with various disabilities in many settings. Participants identify a wide range of applications for assistive Technology in the home, school, workplace, and community environments; learn about existing and new assistive technologies for people with disabilities to include, but not limited to, augmentative and alternative communication, environmental controls, seating and positioning, mobility devices, computer access technology, and technology for people who may have learning, physical, cognitive and/or sensory disabilities; address individual needs through a collaborative team approach; identify resources that are available to support assistive technology devices and services; address leadership challenges regarding assistive technology implementation, and will implement this training into practice upon completion of the program.
The ATACP Curriculum
The curriculum covers seven areas:
1. Introduction to Assistive Technologies
- Consumer empowerment
- Informational resources
- Customer service
- Potential of AT to improve education, vocation, and independent living
- Current trends in Assistive Technology service delivery
2. Assistive Technology Applications
- Ethical and professional considerations
- Scope of Assistive Technology: from simple to complex
- Matching people with technology and device feature matching
- Home/school/work modifications
- Integration of AT systems
- Computer access: input, processing and output
- Successful technology intervention and services
3. Guiding the Process
- Identification of team members and their roles and responsibilities
- Incorporating a collaborative team in building IEPs, IFSPs, and IWRPs
- Integrating assistive technology into an educational, transitional or work plan
- Team building and follow through
4. Leadership Challenges
- Building leadership qualities
- Understanding diversity and cultures
- New and emerging technologies
- Incorporating assistive technology training techniques
5. Focus on Specialized Areas
- Seating, Positioning and Mobility
- Learning Disabilities
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Devices for People with Sensory Disabilities
6. Funding and Policy issues
Pending and current legislation on assistive technology issues Comprehensive look at major funding agencies:
- Education, Medical Assistance, and Rehabilitation
- Understanding the funding and policy implications for better access to AT
7. Certificate Project
A practical independent or group project is required in order to earn a certificate. Participants are encouraged to develop a Certificate Project to meet the needs of an individual with a disability and/or their organization. Projects are developed and approved in consultation with the ATACP Training Coordinator and other ATACP faculty. A written report is due within 90 days after training is completed.
Parts of ATACP On-Line
Because parts of the course will be offered on-line, those who are interested in taking this course obviously must have access to the World Wide Web. Participants must be interviewed by the ATACP Training Coordinator before they are accepted into the program. Once accepted, participants are given a password that will allow them to access information on-line. On-line participation is through Hypernews, an interactive software which encourages participants to enter into electronic dialogue about issues that are presented electronically.
The ATACP Network
The Center on Disabilities hosts a closed list serve for ATACP graduates. ATACP'ers are encouraged to raise questions, provide solutions, and suggest resources to assist ATACP peers. Job announcements in the area of AT are also posted on this listserv.
Cost
The cost of the 100-hour ATACP experience is $1,995 per person. Participants who successfully complete the program earn a certificate from the College of Extended Learning, 10 CEU's, and are eligible for the ATACP list serve.
Comments from Graduates
"It was a wonderful opportunity to increase and broaden my knowledge of assistive technology equipment, issues, and processes. I obtained the latest information on current trends and processes of service delivery and received hands-on experience with low-tech to high-tech applications for mobility, communication, and environmental access in the home, workplace, and school settings. In addition, the networking was incredible. I made connections that will continue throughout my career, and friendships that will last longer than that." Caren Hill, Specialist in Physical Disabilities, Yolo County, California
"I heartily support your work through the ATACP class. As a human factors professional working in a very large corporation, I needed information about making workplaces, computers, and public sites accessible to people with every type of disability imaginable. No one person can know or keep up with all of the technological information available to make these accommodations or the current developments in this area. A class like the ATACP provides a good framework for organizing information and provides the resources needed to locate information when it is needed. As a result of the ATACP course, I feel much more confident that I am able to meet the needs of all our employees." Lila Laux, Ph.D., Member of the Technical Staff, US West Information Technologies, Denver, Colorado.
"You did an outstanding job of providing us with resource and reference materials. I read part or all of the 100 reference articles." Dick Stein, Coordinator, Computer Learning Center, Cerebral Palsy Center for the East Bay, Oakland, California
For Additional Information
Kirk Behnke
Training Coordinator
California State University, Northridge
Center on Disabilities
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8340
(818) 677-2578 voice/TTY/message
(818) 677-4929 fax
E-Mail: ltm@csun.edu
http://www.csun.edu/cod/