The Department of Public Instruction has provided leadership and funding for a statewide systems change grant project known as the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) through an IDEA discretionary grant. The primary goal of this initiative has been to assist Wisconsin school districts with building their capacity to provide assistive technology devices and services to children and youth with disabilities. Numerous resources were developed under this project. The following materials are available free of charge.
Assessing Students Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT)
ASNAT is designed to help education al teams assess a students need for assistive technology. ASNAT provides a wealth of information about assistive technology. The first chapter explains the assessment procedure and forms that the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) has developed to support school teams as they engage in the assessment process. Subsequent chapters provide detailed information on specific categories of AT.
ASNAT 4th Edition, 2008 - ASNAT Manual, 5th Edition, Updated July 2, 2009
Creating Communication Environments Overview
This PowerPoint is an overview of the CCE training. It can be used as a review for teams who have already participated in the full training or as an introduction for teams who are interested in participating in the year long process. - PowerPoint
WATI Assessment Package
The WATI Assistive Technology assessment package is a process based systematic approach to providing a functional assessment of the students need for assistive technology in their customary environment. This is not a test protocol. This assessment package includes the WATI Assessment forms including the Consideration guide, Student Information Guide, Environmental Observation Guide, Decision Making Guide, AT Checklist, and Trial Use Guide.
WATI Assessment Package - Forms Only as Form-fillable in MS Word
School Profile of Assistive Technology Services
The School Profile of Assistive Technology Service is a self assessment tool for school districts. The information it provides is the key to effectively developing or improving assistive technology services. It asks the user to consider 23 different components of effective AT service delivery and provides five descriptors of each component. The user rates their current services from (1) Needs Improvement to (5) Highly Satisfactory utilizing the descriptors for guidance and then records responses on a response sheet which provides a profile of the strengths and weaknesses of the building or district being considered.
D.E.S.K. (Designing Environments for Successful Kids)
This manual provides examples of simple, inexpensive, easy to use strategies and tools to promote student success in a variety of environments from home to early childhood through secondary school. In considering each environment, the manual focuses on the tasks that children are typically attempting to do in those environments. This manual is written in a non-technical format.
Hey! Can I Try That?
This 20-page workbook is designed to introduce assistive technology to teens. It provides simple text with worksheets they can complete to help them be more active participants in the selection and use of AT.
Hey Can I Try That - En Espanol
The Teacher Transition Resource Portfolio and the Student Transition Portfolio
These are a two part portfolio system to assist students as early as middle school in managing materials they need to transition from high school to a post school education or work setting. The Teacher Transition Resource Portfolio contains a copy of all student forms and resource materials. It is set up so teachers can continually add and organize resources to help their students across the years. The Student Transition Portfolio helps organize job or school information, letters of reference, work histories and other documents. Integrated across the portfolio are questions and resources for considering AT as a tool to support transition and personal goals.
WATI Teacher AT Transition Portfolio
WATI Student AT Transition Portfolio
Resource Guide for Teachers and Administrators about Assistive Technology
This 24 page manual explains assistive technology and its use in simple, easy to understand terms. It provides dozens of websites and other resources for additional information.
Recipes for AT Success
WATIs Assistive Technology Leadership community was asked to share their successes and they are compiled here in Recipes for AT Success. The manual, in digital format, is organized into activity areas that are vital for creating change in the educational environment. These categories include; administrative/district level activities, teacher/adult level activities, student level activities, and other activities. Our hope is that this resource will assist you in providing appropriate AT tools and services to support instruction for students in need.
Recipes for AT Success Manual
How Do You Know It? How Can You Show It? Manual
This easy to read manual explains a variety of ways to collect and use data to make decisions about assistive technology. It utilizes numerous examples of questions that arise about assistive technology to illustrate how teams can collect and use data to make good decisions that are both appropriate and defensible.
How Do You Know It? How Can You Show It?
Five Hungry Mice Storybooks
These storybooks present the identical story in two formats-black and white and color. Black and white and color formats will allow you to assess the impact the presence of color has on the childs ability to attend or to read the story.
Five Hungry Mice Storybooks: In Black and White - In Color
Assistive Technology Tools and Strategies Assessment Manual for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), 2000
This set of sequential AT assessment guides will lead you through a process of information gathering and decision making related to the selection and use of AT tools and strategies for students with ASD. The Student Information Guide is a tool used to gather information about a student with ASD. The information is directly related to choosing assistive technology which might prove useful. It is completed based on past experience, file review, interview, and/or direct assessment of the child.
The Environmental Observation Guide is an information gathering tool. It is used while observing, to gather information from the various environments in which the child is expected to function. The AT Planning Guide is a team decision making guide. It will lead the team through the process of making a decision about AT tools and strategies based on the information you gathered.
Assistive Technology Tools and Strategies Resource Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Student Information Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Environmental Observation Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Assistive Technology Planning Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Appendix A - Activities to Develop Sensory Integration