by Carrie Elliot, MA, CCC-SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist); NWACS Board Member

The process for getting Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) looks a little different based on where you pursue it. With this post, my goal is to help explain the process of getting AAC through the public school system. Before we can dive into that though, it’s important to understand the Special Education process of public schools. 

The way that students get Assistive Technology (which includes AAC) in the schools is through the Special Education system. Children who have been found Eligible for Special Education will have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) , all students are entitled to the supports and/or services they need to make progress and receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). That means, it is a school district’s responsibility to provide all students what they need to access their education. It sounds simple, but obviously, it can end up getting pretty complicated! 

There are also differences in how states and local school districts choose to interpret this Federal law. It reminds me of the game of telephone. One person whispers something in someone’s ear, it gets passed around the circle, and by the time it comes back to the original person, the message has changed.

Now that we can see the legal basis for special education, let’s dive into how it actually works.

1. The first thing that needs to happen is someone needs to notice that there is a challenge that a student is facing with accessing the general education curriculum. This challenge could be academic, social, behavioral, or otherwise.

2. If that challenge can’t be addressed with interventions that are readily available to the general education team, a team member, often a teacher, would then need to refer that student for a Special Education Evaluation to determine Eligibility.

   1. Oftentimes, referrals or requests come from teachers, BUT as a parent or guardian you have the legal right to request an evaluation!

   2. AND per the Child Find Mandate (part of IDEA), schools have a legal responsibility to find students eligible for special education.

3. If the referral team has sufficient evidence, an evaluation for Special Education Eligibility will take place.

4. A school psychologist is often the team leader for special education evaluations. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine if a student qualifies for special education services and in what eligibility category.

5. If a student qualifies, then an Individualized Education Program (IEP) Meeting will take place.

Simplified, this process looks like: 

Most teams write a draft of an IEP and send it out before the meeting takes place. These documents are usually really long! Generally speaking, all IEP’s have the same sections, with some naming differences from state to state. The purpose of the IEP is to document what challenges have been identified, what supports and services will be put in place to address those challenges, and what specifically will be worked on during the next 12 months.

An IEP lasts 12 months, meaning that the team reconvenes every 12 months to discuss progress and update goals. Eligibility lasts for 3 years. After 3 years, a student will be re-evaluated to see if they continue to be eligible and if the eligibility category still applies.

This process is…. A LOT! Why does this matter? Because…. at EVERY. SINGLE. IEP. Assistive. Technology. Is. Considered. 

Every IEP team must consider 5 Special Factors, sometimes called “Considerations,” at every IEP meeting. These 5 special factors are specifically laid out in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — remember this one from the beginning of this post? One of these Special Factors (Considerations) is …. you guessed it…. Assistive Technology (including AAC)! 

Stay tuned for another blog post on Assistive Technology Consideration in the IEP.