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I have to agree that in addition to funding being a large issue there is also the issue of effective implementation. There won't be an easy answer to assisting every student with technology, for one because it is not always necessary and two because each students abilities and needs will be different.

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I like your thought provoking question. The laws that are set in place are outdated, while I am unsure about what exactly should be changed, I think integrating newer technology into the laws would be a good idea. I agree with something Rubi mentioned in her post. Parents and educators can become more aware of what these laws allow for in their schools. With more awareness, the laws could be used more in their schools.

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Even with laws in place for implementing assistive technology, being able to afford and provide to many students is not always possible. Teachers and parents will also need to be trained on the use of the assistive technology. Time and money seems to play a factor in many of our schools.

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I think that the laws we currently have in place are good. What we need is for parents and educators to be better informed about these laws, and be better trained. Maybe free or low-cost courses could be offered at local school districts to educate parents and teachers about these laws and about AT and services that are available.

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Besides having more funding, I though another issue is how to implement the current laws effectively. The laws have already provided the guideline to assure assistive technology assist students with disabilities effectively. IDEA 2004 defined assistive technology in two parts that are AT devices and AT services. The definition gives us detailed guidelines for how to implement the AT devices. However, not all the school can implement AC devices according to the guideline effectively. There are many reasons, such as training, funding, cooperation, and etc. Therefore, implementing the laws effectively can also protect the students with disabilities better.

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I completely agree with everyone else about funding. I think that before we can continue the progress with assistive technology, funding will need to be provided for schools. I don't think schools will do as much if they do not get more funding. Another way to continue progress with AT is working with teachers or families. We need to make sure educators know how to work with students and their AT assistance. Also, families should be able to help as well with their kids AT.

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Sadly, like everyone else mentioned; funding plays a big role in pertaining access to assistive technology. Schools and organziations should continue striving to collect suffiecient funding for programs that focus on assistive technology and the education of students wth special needs.

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I completely agree with you that students with special needs need better protection, but I think rather than from the law, it needs to come from implementation of the laws that are already there. By implementation, I mean that all related personnel should be trained in the different kinds of AT that are available. This way, more people understand what is available and how to use these resources to help students improve their learning. It takes a village to raise a child, so in effect, the entire village should understand the concept of AT and how to use what is available to the community.

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Elizabeth, Rebecca, Mark, and Brittany I completely agree that funding is a big issue. I like how almost everyone addressed the issue of discrepancies between funding in low SES schools and high SES schools. I personally wonder how best to address this issue. Do we allot a certain amount per student with special needs, provide each school with a set budget strictly reserved for special education, or pull funding from other school programs? I see a flaw in all of these ideas. I think it will be challenging for lawmakers to determine the appropriate way to address this need but however complicated it may be it still needs to be resolved. Alina and Alyssa I too believe that we need to better educate our teachers, school districts, and lawmakers about AT. I believe a majority of people are still in the dark as to what kind of tools are available and how they can get them. I for one did not know all the different types of AT there is and I feel as if I am understanding the abbreviated version of what is all out there. I like the idea of having workshops and I think this could greatly benefit all that are involved with students with special needs and feel that it should be a requirement for all teachers. The more we know as educators the better we can help our students and inform others.

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I think one current change is to give more funding to schools that need to create a better program for students. All the schools doe not have the same level and so all the students are not getting the education they need.I think more staff to be trained would be helpful that way there is a go to person.

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I think that one of the most important rules to change are funding rules. I think that there is too drastic of a change between different SES schools and that is not fair to the students. We need to find laws that will allow for more funding to go into the schools that really need it. Children who are in lower SES school districts educations tend to not even be comparable to an affluent area's school and that is not right.

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To answer your questions about changes being made to funding, I think we need to make major changes to the issues of funding across the country. Just because these laws are in place does not always mean that the tools some students need are being provided. In many schools in poorer areas these students go without because they are told they don’t need them. This ultimately hurts the school when test scores come back showing that the school isn’t meeting the standards which then reduces the funding going to these schools until they are closed down. Everything is connected in education so why should the funding and money go to the schools in the communities that are already doing well?

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I think that school districts and/or state legislatures  should implement the costs of assistive technology in their annual budgets. That way you avoid some school districts saying inappropriate statements such as "We can't afford this or that." I personally feel that districts should  be held more accountable for not being able ed to provide students with AT devices that they may need. I think that whenever a case involves AT that the administrators as well as the teachers who are involved with the student should be trained with the device, as well as the parents if the child is allowed to take the device home. As far as medical technology I think that there was nothing wrong with the definition and the fact that schools are not responsible for medical devices.

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Kelsey,
You are making a great point! At the same time, I do not think that it is the law that needs to be modified. It seems to me like there should be more training provided to lawmakers, school districts and teachers about the modern AT tools and their implementation. Just like IDEA'04 defines AT as assistive technology device and assistive technology services. The same way law makers need to be trained before they will actually write another law.

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Kelsey, great question about modifying current AT laws. Even with these laws in place, some schools and districts still struggle to get the resources necessary for students with special needs to succeed in class. One area that I can see making improvements in is the education and knowledge about these AT laws for families. It is so important for students to have advocates, and these advocates can truly make change if they know what is rightfully entitled to their children. Most families probably don't know the AT laws inside and out, and may struggle to learn the necessary information. Especially since family involvement is so important to the success of students, I think that offering families accessible workshops so they can gain knowledge about education laws could be very beneficial for  students, families, and schools.

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My question includes what kind of changes do you think should be made to funding? How can we make access to these items more readily available? Do we need to train our staff better on the types of assistive technology is available? Should we better define the term of medically assistive technology? These are just a few issues that I think need to be better addressed legally to not only protect our students but also our school districts.