Assistive Technology (AT): What and When

Students having autism are precocious computer users but fledgling communicators. While they are whizzes with cell phones and iPods they are unable to tell their teacher ”I already did that assignment.” Children with autism appear to follow, for the most part, what they hear but they have difficulty responding. For some reason they are unable to organize what they want to say, retrieve the needed words and then speak. Assistive technological (AT) devices can help.

As a child communicates his brain develops and he establishes habits of being and thinking. During this time of development, the more language the better. AT devices can speed up a child's ability to communicate and in so doing improve his intellectual development too.

But what AT devices should be used and how? How do we determine this? Fortunately help is available through the use of Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) forms. In particular these are the WATI forms that I would use:
o WATI Assistive Technology Consideration Guide
o Referral/Question Identification Guide
o Pertinent WATI Student Information Guides
o Environmental Observation Guide
o Environmental Observation Summary
o WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Guide
o WATI Assistive Technology Trial Use Summary

These forms are available from Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI)

The WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Technology Checklist, sixth on the above list, will always be in a state of flux as more and more technology is developed.