Assistive Technology in Connecticut IEPs: How to Get the Tools Your Child Needs

Your child struggles to write by hand. Or they can't decode text fluently enough to get through a reading assignment independently. Or they communicate in ways that aren't fully understood by their teachers. In each of these situations, there may be a technology tool — assistive technology — that could make a meaningful difference in how your child accesses their education.

Under federal law, every IEP team in Connecticut must consider whether your child needs assistive technology devices and services. Many parents don't know this consideration is required, and many districts don't volunteer it. Understanding what AT is, what schools are obligated to do, and how to push for an evaluation and appropriate tools is an important part of special education advocacy.

What Assistive Technology Is (and Isn't)

Under IDEA, "assistive technology device" means any item, piece of equipment, or product system — whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized — that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

This is a broad definition. AT is not limited to expensive high-tech tools. It ranges from low-tech (slanted writing surfaces, pencil grips, graphic organizers) to mid-tech (audio recorders, basic text-to-speech apps) to high-tech (speech-generating devices, sophisticated AAC apps, complex screen readers). Tools that students use every day — like using text-to-speech on an iPad to access digital textbooks — can be AT when they're part of an IEP.

What counts as AT in the school context depends on whether the tool increases, maintains, or improves the child's functional capabilities in their educational environment.

The "Consideration" Requirement

IDEA requires that every IEP team "consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services." This is a mandatory consideration, not an optional one. It must happen at every IEP meeting.

"Consider" does not mean the team must provide AT — it means the team must actually discuss whether AT is needed and document that discussion. If the IEP meeting notes don't reflect any discussion of AT, the district may have failed to meet this procedural requirement.

In practice, consideration often happens as a checkbox rather than a genuine discussion. The form says "AT was considered: No AT needed" and the topic is closed in thirty seconds. If you want substantive consideration, raise AT proactively and ask the team to explain specifically why each type of AT that might be relevant to your child's needs was considered and why it was or wasn't recommended.

Common Assistive Technology for Connecticut Students

For students with reading disabilities (dyslexia, processing disorders):

• Text-to-speech tools (Read&Write, NaturalReader, built-in iOS/Android accessibility features)
• Audiobook platforms (Learning Ally, Bookshare — Bookshare provides free memberships to students with qualifying disabilities)
• Word prediction software
• Digitized text versions of textbooks and assignments

For students with written expression difficulties:

• Speech-to-text tools (Google Voice Typing, Dragon Naturally Speaking)
• Word prediction software
• Graphic organizer apps
• Keyboard access to reduce handwriting demands

For students with autism and communication challenges:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and apps (Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP)
• Visual schedules and timers (apps or physical tools)
• Social story apps

For students with physical disabilities:

• Alternative keyboards and mice
• Switch access devices
• Eye-gaze technology

For students with attention difficulties:

• FM systems or personal listening devices
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Organizational apps and tools

Requesting an Assistive Technology Evaluation

If you believe your child may benefit from AT but the IEP doesn't include it — or if the team's "consideration" has been superficial — you can formally request an assistive technology evaluation.

An AT evaluation is a systematic assessment of a student's needs in their specific educational environment, considering what tasks the student struggles with, what tools might address those barriers, and how the student responds to trialing different options. A thorough AT evaluation is conducted by someone with specific expertise in assistive technology — an AT specialist — not just the classroom teacher.

To request an AT evaluation:

• Submit the request in writing, addressed to the special education director
• State specifically what tasks or participation barriers your child is experiencing
• Request that the evaluation be conducted by someone with AT expertise

The AT evaluation can be part of a comprehensive special education re-evaluation or can stand alone. Once requested in writing, the district must respond and obtain your consent before proceeding.

If you disagree with the district's AT evaluation (or if the district refuses to evaluate), you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense, which can include AT-specific assessment. For more on IEEs, see the post on Connecticut independent educational evaluations.

Getting AT Into the IEP

If an AT evaluation recommends specific tools, those tools and services should appear in the IEP. The IEP should specify:

• What AT devices the student will use
• In what settings and for what tasks
• Who is responsible for training the student (and the staff) to use the device
• Any AT-related services (training, troubleshooting, software maintenance)

AT services — training, implementation support, customization — are as important as the devices themselves. A tool that sits on a shelf because no one was trained to use it effectively doesn't help anyone.

When the District Says No

Typical pushback from Connecticut districts:

"We already provide that through general technology." If the general education classroom has iPads that all students use, the district may say AT isn't needed. But if your child needs specific settings, specific apps, or training to use those tools in disability-specific ways that other students don't require, that is AT. The fact that the hardware is general doesn't mean the tool can't be AT.

"That's too expensive." Cost is not a basis for denying AT that is required for FAPE. The same rule applies as with any special education service: the district's budget constraints don't override a student's right to an appropriate education.

"Let's see if they need it." "Wait and see" is not an AT evaluation. If the student is currently struggling with academic tasks that AT could address, a proper evaluation should determine whether AT is needed now.

If AT is denied and you believe it is necessary for your child to access their education, document the specific educational tasks your child cannot perform without the tool. This documentation supports a complaint to the CSDE or a due process claim if necessary.

AT and the School-to-Home Question

A commonly disputed point: can your child use school-provided AT at home? IDEA says yes — if the IEP team determines the student needs to use the AT at home to receive FAPE, the school must provide it for home use. If your child has a text-to-speech tool on a school device but can't use it to complete homework at home, raise this at the PPT meeting.

Assistive technology is not a luxury. For students whose disabilities affect their ability to access the written word, communicate, or participate in academic tasks, it can be the difference between accessing education and being shut out of it. Connecticut law requires that this question be genuinely addressed at every IEP meeting — and Connecticut parents have every right to insist on that.

For a complete guide to Connecticut IEP advocacy — including how to request AT evaluations, respond to district denials, and build an effective PPT strategy — get the complete Connecticut IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook.

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