The Patrick County Public Schools Assistive Technology (AT) Team ensures that students with disabilities have access to the tools and supports necessary to access their educational environment and make meaningful progress toward their IEP goals. The team evaluates students to determine whether assistive technology devices or services are needed and recommends appropriate tools ranging from low-tech supports to high-tech solutions.
Key functions include conducting AT evaluations, collaborating with IEP teams to identify and document appropriate AT supports, providing training to students, families, and school staff on the use and implementation of recommended tools, and monitoring the effectiveness of AT devices and services over time.
In alignment with Virginia's recently enacted AAC legislation (HB 1AE / SB legislation), the team carries particular responsibility around Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Virginia law now requires that IEP teams consider AAC for any student with a communication disability, and that no student be denied access to an AAC device or trial on the basis that they have not yet demonstrated prerequisite skills. Patrick County's AT Team ensures compliance with this presumption of competence standard by supporting robust AAC evaluations, device trials, and implementation across all settings.
The team supports a wide range of student needs including AAC and communication supports, reading and writing tools, mobility aids, and accommodations for students with sensory or physical disabilities. Their work ensures that AT is not only identified but meaningfully integrated into daily instruction and the broader IEP process, consistent with both federal IDEA requirements and Virginia's expanded obligations under current state law.
If you have questions, please contact Andy Bowlin, Director of Special Education 276-693-1051 or [email protected].