- Use assistive technology at school
- Get started with assistive technology
- Management plan
- Community of support
- Monitor and review
- Loss, repairs and maintenance
- What to do when a student changes schools
- Complete a transfer form
- What to do when a student leaves school
- Get help
- Learn more
Use assistive technology at school
Using assistive technology to best effect in the classroom takes a management plan, a community of support and a process of ongoing monitoring and review.
Schools need to set up a process for regularly checking the technology works as it should and for managing loss, repairs and maintenance.
You also need to develop a process for what to do with the technology when a student changes or leaves school.
Get started with assistive technology
As soon as a student is allocated a piece of assistive technology, you (on behalf of the school) should:
- take full ownership of the technology
- list the technology on the school’s asset register so that it is covered by the school's insurance
- organise for school software like MS Office and any antivirus software to be loaded onto the technology and for the technology to be linked to the school’s networks
- keep a record of relevant serial and asset numbers, warranties and proof of purchase (and share these with the Ministry, where needed)
- ensure the technology is used appropriately
- file items related to technology maintenance and use (eg, any original software, manuals etc)
- create a management plan (if required).
Management plan
Sometimes an assistive technology management plan is a useful tool to share information about how a student’s assistive technology should be looked after, stored, carried from place to place and any necessary maintenance required (eg, keeping batteries charged).
It will also clarify if the assistive technology can be taken home. Technology can be taken home with the principal’s permission (that is because the technology is owned by the school and covered by the school's insurance).
A management plan template is available to download and use.
Community of support
A community of support, in this context, is the group of people who will make sure a student's technology continues to work well and is used to support the student’s learning.
Usually, the group is made up of the student's teacher, teacher aide, family or whānau members and any relevant special education or technology specialists.
Each person should have a different role and be responsible for different things. For example:
- the teacher will be responsible for designing learning tasks and the way technology is used to support learning
- a teacher aide, a student's peers and parents may help with operating the technology (in the technical sense)
- the school's information technology (IT) specialists or Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) may be responsible for trouble shooting, repair and maintenance.
Monitor and review
Setting up a process for monitoring and reviewing the way a student is using their assistive technology to complete learning tasks and access the curriculum is another key responsibility - and one best carried out by the classroom teacher or Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
It is the teacher's role (in collaboration with other members of a student’s community of support) to monitor and record student achievement and to adjust the student's learning goals and associated tasks as the student progresses.
Other members of a student’s support community need to review the assistive technology itself to make sure it is working and still meeting the student’s needs as expected.
This should occur within six months of the student's first use of the technology and continue on a regular basis after that.
A review form to guide you through the process is available to download and use.
Loss, repairs and maintenance
Schools are responsible for regularly checking the technology works as it should.
This means:
- keeping warranty and insurance details on file
- applying to the Ministry for funding to cover any costly repairs or to replace technology that is obsolete or broken (using the replacement and repair form)
- applying to the Ministry for funding to cover technology that is lost, stolen or damaged (using the replacement and repair form).
Download an insurance and repairs information sheet to learn more.
What to do when a student changes schools
Students with assistive technology who are changing schools, should take their technology with them.
Whenever possible, the transition to the new school should be planned and information about the technology's purpose and use shared with the new school.
Ask for permission from the student’s family and whānau before sharing information.
With permission, share information using some or all of the following tools.
- A written report and copy of the assistive technology application.
- A meeting involving people from both the student's former school and new school.
- A video or multimedia presentation showing the student or their team explaining why the assistive technology is needed and how it is used
- An e-portfolio with specific examples of the technology's use and purpose.
Visit the Inclusive Education Online Knowledge Centre for more ideas and resources on what to do when a student changes schools.
Complete a transfer form
As part of the process, schools also need to complete a transfer form (on the student's behalf) to formally transfer the technology (and the ownership, care and maintenance responsibilities) to the new school and remove it from your asset register.
A transfer form to guide you through the process is available to download and use.
What to do when a student leaves school
When a student is leaving school, contact your local Ministry office to arrange the next step.
Your next step may be one of three options depending on the situation:
- returning the student’s assistive technology to the Ministry (to reallocate to another student)
- gifting it to the student (for technology valued at less than $5,000 only)
- transferring it to the Ministry of Health (for technology valued at more than $5,000).
Talk to a local district technology coordinator before transferring assistive technology to the Ministry of Health.
Get help
For more information about any of these topics, contact your local Ministry office .