Let’s look at some of the stories of wildflowers we have gathered along the way. Inclusive Environments: Tier 1 tools created more inclusive en- vironments for all students, not just those with IEPs or 504 plans. When students are given choices in their learning, we move to a more inclusive educational design. Let’s look at an example. Zoie was a student who did not like to stand out or feel dif- ferent. Due to this, she was very hesitant to try eye-gaze or voice control. Introducing Tier 1 tools to her entire 4th-grade classroom made all the difference. She saw how her peers thought voice typing was incredibly cool and felt comfortable trying voice con- trol on an iPad. She needed a shift in the classroom culture to use assistive technology. That shift happened during one 40-minute technology lesson. Every student was given access to speech-to- text and text-to-speech. Once every student had access to those tools, using assistive technology felt “normal.” Increased Use: Staff began independently integrating AT into their classrooms. With training and built-in support, more staff were considering how they could modify tools to fit the needs of their students. A great example is when Zoie’s teacher requested a different type of headset for Zoie. He wanted to make sure Zoie had a re- liable headset with a good microphone that would specifically pick up her voice and not her peers. As voice control would be Zoie’s main access method for digital materials, she needed a good headset, and her general education teacher thought about that. He was considering AT implementation. He saw how voice typing worked for all his students and wanted to help eliminate barriers for Zoie. Increased Access: Let’s take a look at another student exam- ple to see how using a tiered approach made a difference and increased their access. From the moment we walked into the shop at Westwood High School, we were impressed. The teacher agreed to have the Assistive Technology Department present a problem to his Robotics Club to see if they could come up with a solution. The students immediately got to work, asking questions and sketch- ing out ideas. Before we knew it, they had made 3D-printed keyguards for our latest communication devices. Just like that, hundreds of students were able to access communication more reliably. Fast forward six months, we were working with David, a stu- dent who had so much to say but was limited by his fine motor skills when he used his communication device. We tried our best to customize a stylus for him, but it simply was not good enough. There was nothing sold commercially that had the features we were looking for. We weren’t surprised that his classes were able to create a sty- lus, but we were completely blown away when we first saw the pictures of all of their creations. David’s new challenge was that he had his pick of over 20 customized handgrips- each design
was unique and creative. Improved Confidence: Another benefit of using a tiered sup- port was that student confidence increased. When students gain independence and can participate alongside their peers, it can increase their confidence. Stella (fictitious name) was characterized as a shy student by her classroom teacher. That was shocking to her parents, who knew her to be outgoing. Junior high was a new setting, and Stella was struggling. She had a reading disability, and her school work was becoming increasingly difficult. The compensa- tory strategies she relied on in elementary school, like listening carefully to her teachers, paying attention to her peers, and ask- ing her teachers to read things out loud for her, weren’t cutting it now that she was getting older. She was starting to feel like she wasn’t “good” at school. Stella’s IEP team realized that she need- ed AT tools to increase her independence. She was provided with a free text-to-speech tool for her computer, and it made all the difference. Decoding grade-level text was still challenging at times, but it didn’t prevent her from participating in class with in- dependence. Stella’s attitude about herself as a learner changed. Stella’s team didn’t collaborate with the AT department. They didn’t need to. They were familiar with text-to-speech and knew they could try it with her. Stella represents a growing number of students in our district who are enjoying increased indepen- dence and confidence as IEP teams become more comfortable and aware of assistive technology. A JOURNEY WORTH TAKING Applying a tiered approach to assistive technology has been a challenging but rewarding journey. By addressing obstacles with research-based strategies and celebrating the “wildflowers” that emerged along the way, we are fostering a district-wide culture of accessibility and inclusion. While there is still work to be done, the path we’ve paved demonstrates that a structured, tiered ap- proach can transform how schools deliver assistive technology, ensuring that every student has the tools they need to succeed.
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