ITS TechTalk - Fall 2003

• Assistive Technology and the IEP | Staff News

• Assistive Technology Certificates

• Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Assistive Technology and the IEP

by Bill Reeder

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) mandated that an IEP Team should determine annually if assistive technology (AT) is required* to meet the instructional needs of a student with disabilities. The law also indicates that the decision if a specific student requires AT or not should be made by knowledgeable person or persons. Fairfax County Public Schools has identified the Integrated Technology Services (ITS) section of the Department of Special Services to act as this knowledgeable AT entity.

Here are some suggestions when including technology in an IEP for a student who has been determined to require assistive technology and is currently receiving support through ITS:

• Indicate on IEP page 4A (Curriculum/Classroom Accommodations and Modifications) if a student is currently being provided ongoing AT support through Integrated Technology Services (ITS) by checking “Other” in the “Other” section and noting: “Assistive Technology support.”
• Using IEP page 5, indicate that a student is using specific AT in the “Present Level” section of any “Area of Need” that is appropriate (e.g., “Bill is currently using a DynaMyte communication device to respond to teacher’s questions, to actively participate in classroom discussions, to present and complete some assignments, and to communicate with his peers”).

If a student with disabilities is not currently receiving AT support from ITS and the IEP Team wants to determine if assistive technology may be required:

• Indicate on IEP page 4A (Curriculum/Classroom Accommodations and Modifications) by checking “Other” in the “Other” section and noting: “An ITS case manager will be contacted to consider an ITS referral.”

It is never appropriate to indicate specific assistive technology as an accommodation or to include within goals or objectives. Assistive Technology is one of many potential tools to accomplish a specific goal or objective related to a deficit area. The range of AT that a student is currently using should be indicated on page 5 in the Present Level section.

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ITS Staff News

by Bill Reeder

ITS welcomes three new staff members (and former TOPS Teachers) as we begin this new school year. Shelly Lawrence joins us from Armstrong ES and Lauri Hilburger from Lees Corner ES. They will both have an elementary caseload. Meaghan Tracy from Westfield High School will have a secondary caseload. Meaghan and Shelly will be based at Dunn Loring Center and Lauri is at our ITS Rocky Run Middle School site.

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Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Questions and Answers: Part 1

(We’re Not in Kansas Anymore!)

by Jim Phifer

During the past year, many FCPS special education teachers have had to make the move from Macintosh or Windows 98 to Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Although Mac operating systems and Windows operating systems have a lot in common, they also have a lot of differences.

In each Tech Talk issue this year, I will answer a few common questions about Win2K (Windows 2000 Professional) and WinXP (Windows XP Professional). At your school, your school-based technology specialist (SBTS) and technology support specialist (TSSpec) are the best place to start when you have a technical question. Also, feel free to email me if you have a question and I will either answer it or try to steer you in the right direction to find the answer.

Here are the first few questions.

Why do I have to log in every time I go to use a Win2K or WinXP computer?

A one word answer: security. These newer operating systems provide significantly greater security. Each user must officially log in. In most cases, the ID and password are "authenticated" by a school or county server before access is granted. Also, each user may be granted different levels of access. This type of security is very important to help protect against unauthorized use of a computer, server, or network and also to ward off attacks by hackers, viruses, worms, etc.

When I get to the desktop on WinXP, it looks different than Win98. There are no icons for My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places, etc. Why is that?

WinXP has a new look. The desktop, the Start menu, and the Control Panel look a little different. There are ways to make your computer look more like Win98, but in general I don’t recommend it. It won’t take long to get the hang of the new "XP way." However, if something is really bugging you, see your SBTS for help.

I'm unable to install software on my computer. It says I don't have the "rights." What's the problem?

In Win98 and Mac OS, all users have equal rights (unless some extra security program has been installed). In Win2K and WinXP, users with different access levels have different rights. For example, only those with Administrator privileges can install software on WinXP. Those with Restricted privileges cannot. This is very helpful in preventing just anyone from installing software (which can sometimes cause conflicts or other problems). If you are not sure what access level you have, contact your SBTS.

More questions next time. If you have suggestions, please email them to me (Jim Phifer).

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