I can almost hear the wheels on the school bus going round and round…..
The beginning of the new school year is right around the corner. Parents and students are busy purchasing school supplies, clothing, sports gear, vehicles for new student drivers, locker furnishings, etc.etc.etc. If a student doesn’t have the proper supplies, or doesn’t attain the appropriate gear or pay the necessary fees, he/she will have barriers to independence, learning and safety. School administrators, teachers and staff are busy purchasing reams of paper, new curriculum, custodial supplies, libraries, inspirational classroom decor and teaching tools, etc.etc.etc. If a school doesn’t have the proper supplies, tools, and services, it can be a barrier to students’ independence, learning and safety, as well.
IPAT has a free Back to School Tool that parents, students and schools should consider during this preparatory time. Let’s get set up for success!
IPAT has an agreement with ND Vocational Rehabilitation to provide assistive technology services to ND students age 14-21 with disabilities, who are transitioning to different environments. Consider our services offered as school supplies, without the price tags attached.
If a student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) Team decides that assistive technology options should be considered because the student has barriers to school performance or training, and it is written into the IEP, then IPAT’s funded services can begin.
IPAT can and will:
- Analyze all student’s background data, in identifying student’s task(s) to be accomplished
- Match the student’s needs with AT device features
- Visit school with several devices with those features, for student to try in their school environments
- Train student, staff, and parents
- Establish trial use of equipment (IPAT has a loan library of devices as option)
- Assist with funding sources when device(s) are written into IEP (ND school districts/units can easily join our AT4ALL Website to acquire AT)
- Develop further training plans and follow-up timeline
Enjoy the rest of your summer days. Remember IPAT, in your back to school readiness plan!