Currently, there are no AODA education standards. However, two AODA standards development committees have drafted recommendations of guidelines that AODA education standards should include. One committee has recommended guidelines for the kindergarten to grade twelve (K-12) education system. In this article, we outline recommended processes to ensure training in assistive technology.
The committee’s mandate from the Ontario government requires recommendations focused on the publicly-funded K-12 school system. However, students and educators with disabilities also face barriers in other school settings, including:
- Private schools
- Pre-school programs, such as early literacy programs
Therefore, all these settings should comply with the forthcoming K-12 education standards.
Processes to Ensure Training in Assistive Technology
School boards should have processes to ensure that their staff, students, and educators receive training in assistive technology. Therefore, the Ministry of Education should develop professional development programs to train educators and school board staff. These programs should prepare staff and educators to teach their students to use various forms of assistive technology. For example, these professional development programs should include:
- Case studies
- Training modules
- Resource documents
To develop high-quality programs, the Ministry should consult with:
- Experts in assistive technology
- Students with disabilities
- Trustee associations
- Teacher federations
- The Ontario College of Teachers
- Faculties of education
In addition, the Ministry should provide further resources for school board staff on using assistive technology in ways that align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
All this training should equip school boards to meet the needs of every student using assistive technology. For instance, if a student needs speech recognition software, staff and educators in that student’s school board should have the knowledge to teach that student about the specific software they are learning to use. Similarly, if a student needs an augmentative or alternative communication device, staff should be prepared to teach the student how to use the device.
Furthermore, school boards should have ways to measure the progress of students who are learning to use this technology. The Ministry should establish methods to measure student progress, based on guidelines from:
- Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services (QIAT)
- The Student, Environment, Tasks, and Tools (SETT) framework
Measuring student progress will verify that the training their teachers have received results in adequate instruction of students. Finally, students’ progress in mastering assistive technology should be noted on their individual education plans (IEPs).