Living in the State of Stuck

After reading chapter 8 from the book "Living in the State of Stuck" I experienced many emotions. First, I felt very guilty. Thinking back to the students with whom I worked with over the years, I realised just how badly we missed the mark when it came to pairing students up with effective, authentic assistive technology. Too often I have seen students abandon their assistive technology devices because it wasn't suited to their needs. Computers have been left behind, or the student goes days without using the speaking and writing programs that we, as teachers, feel they would be excited to use. I also realised my part in this "pairing assistive technology dilemma". I had thought that students would enjoy using the technology available to them, as I enjoy using the computer. However, I now realise that the assistive technology we provide these students use is often their only way of communicating, and they are required to use it all of the time, whereas I use my computer only when I need to (for work purposes) or want to.
By the time they are of school age, these students have usually developed their own way of communicating at home with their family and peers. The students with whom I work are high school age, and by the time they reach high school they have already developed their own way of communicating with others. Therefore it is imperative that they have access to technology that further supports their need rather then change the way in which they communicate. To do this, teachers, support workers and families need to be aware of the technology and services available to them. This, in my opinion, is the downfall of our school system at the moment. There are many types of devices available, all with a different focus, assisting students with varying cognitive levels, and communication needs. However, having a comprehensive list of technology available does not help if those involved in the implementation are not aware of them. Our school board has 2 individuals who work in the Assistive Technology department, two people is not enough to service this need in our board.
This brings me to another concern. Students with special needs, those requiring assistive technology services, are often the last to receive such supports. These students require constant advocacy from their teachers and guardians in order for them to obtain the services they require. I believe that these students should be receiving more support from our school board, there should be more people (or perhaps training available to teachers) to complete a comprehensive needs assessment for each student, and then provide them the time to try various devices in order to find the one that best suits their needs. Instead, teachers are required find a device that best suits the needs of the student, however teachers are not adequately informed of the devices and services available, so there is an obvious disconnect here. Our inclusion policy states that students are to receive any and all necessary services to allow them complete inclusion in school. However without the proper assistive technology, this can not happen; another disconnect with our system. In my opinion, there needs to be a drastic re-organisation of this system, to ensure each and every student receives the education they are entitled to.