Four Models of Assistive Technology Consideration: How Do They Compare to Recommended Educational Assessment Practices?

Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, University of Oklahoma, College of Education, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73072. Web site: http:jset.unlv.edu.

Y

14

Educational Assessment; Educational Technology; Assistive Technology; Special Education; Models; Comparative Analysis

0162-6434

Although the concept of assistive technology has been around for some time in the fields of study for rehabilitation, communication as it relates to speech and language (Bryant & Bryant, 2003; Church & Glennen, 1992) and medicine (Porter, Haynie, Bierle, Caldwell, & Palfrey, 2001), assistive technology pedagogy is relatively new to the field of special education. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance to school teams in the assistive technology consideration process by comparing and evaluating selected models of the assistive technology consideration process with respect to recommended practices in educational assessment. This article represents a beginning exploration and adaptation of a yardstick for comparing models that was proposed originally by Watts and O'Brian. In their article describing models for considering assistive technology for students with disabilities, the authors introduce the notion of cross-referencing the literature in educational assessment processes with literature in the field of assistive technology consideration process.

ERIC

2006

EJ729598