Michigan IEP Assistive Technology: What Schools Must Provide and How to Request It

Assistive technology is one of the most frequently under-provided IEP services in Michigan schools — not because the law doesn't require it, but because most parents don't know how to ask for it. Every IEP team in Michigan must consider AT for every student with a disability. That's not a discretionary conversation; it's a legal requirement. Here's what it means and how to use it.

The Legal Requirement to Consider Assistive Technology

Under IDEA and MARSE, the IEP team must consider whether a student requires assistive technology devices and services as part of developing the student's IEP. This consideration must happen at every IEP meeting — initial, annual review, and any meeting that involves a significant change.

The word "consider" here has legal teeth. It doesn't mean glancing at a checkbox at the end of the meeting. It means the team must examine whether any of the student's documented needs — in academics, communication, daily living, or other functional areas — could be better addressed with assistive technology. If the answer is yes, the AT must be specified in the IEP as a supplementary aid, service, or related service.

Michigan law follows the federal definitions from IDEA. An assistive technology device is any item, piece of equipment, or product system — commercial, modified, or customized — that helps a student with a disability increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities. This includes high-tech tools (speech-generating devices, screen readers, adaptive software) and low-tech tools (weighted pencils, visual schedules, slant boards, color overlays).

An assistive technology service is any service that directly assists the student in selecting, acquiring, or using an AT device. This includes evaluations, training for the student and staff, coordination with other services, and maintenance of the device. Providing a device without training is legally insufficient.

What Types of Assistive Technology Apply in Michigan IEPs

The range of AT that can be addressed in a Michigan IEP is broader than most parents imagine. Common categories include:

For reading and literacy:

• Text-to-speech software (Learning Ally, Snap&Read, Read&Write)
• Audiobooks (Learning Ally, Bookshare — which is free for qualifying students)
• Dyslexia-friendly fonts and digital overlays
• Audio versions of textbooks
• Scanning technology that converts printed materials to digital text

For writing:

• Word prediction software (Co:Writer, Ginger)
• Speech-to-text tools (Dragon Naturally Speaking, built-in voice dictation)
• Graphic organizers and planning software
• Word banks for students with expressive language deficits
• Alternative pencil grips and adaptive writing tools

For communication:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices — ranging from simple picture exchange systems to high-tech speech-generating devices like Tobii Dynavox
• Communication apps (Proloquo2Go, TouchChat)
• Visual schedules and PECS systems

For math:

• Talking calculators
• Virtual manipulatives
• Math apps with text-to-speech output

For organization and executive function:

• Digital reminders and timers
• Task management apps
• Visual schedule displays

For physical access:

• Alternative keyboards and switches
• Eye-gaze technology
• Mounting systems for devices

The specific device or tool doesn't have to be district-provided from a pre-approved list. The IEP team selects what the student needs based on their functional profile — not what the district already has.

How to Request an Assistive Technology Evaluation

If you believe your child's needs could be better addressed with AT and the school hasn't proactively addressed it, request an AT evaluation in writing. The request should:

• Specify the functional areas where you believe AT would help (reading, writing, communication, etc.)
• Reference the IEP's requirement to consider AT under IDEA and MARSE
• Ask the team to conduct a formal AT evaluation before or at the next IEP meeting

A formal AT evaluation goes beyond the IEP team discussion. It involves an AT specialist — often someone from the Intermediate School District — observing the student, interviewing teachers and parents, and assessing specific tools against the student's needs in their natural environment. The result is a written report with specific recommendations.

Say this in writing or at a meeting:

"I'd like to request a formal assistive technology evaluation as part of our IEP process. I believe my child's reading and writing difficulties may be significantly reduced with appropriate AT, and I'd like a specialist to assess which tools would be most effective in their specific classroom contexts."

The evaluation request becomes a formal part of the record. If the district declines without adequate justification, that decision must be documented in Prior Written Notice — and it's contestable.

What the District Must Provide — and Must Not Charge You For

When AT is written into the IEP, the device and services must be provided at no cost to the family. This includes:

• The device itself
• Any necessary software or apps
• Training for the student on how to use the device
• Training for teachers and staff on implementing the device in instruction and testing
• Maintenance and technical support

Districts sometimes suggest that a family purchase a device privately (like an iPad) and that the school will install the software. This arrangement can work, but it shouldn't be proposed as a way to shift costs to families who cannot afford it. If the IEP specifies the technology, the district is responsible for providing it.

One important issue: when AT devices are provided by the district, they generally remain property of the district. The student uses them at school. If the student needs the device to complete homework or access curriculum at home, that at-home use should be explicitly stated in the IEP — otherwise the district may not send it home.

When the District Says AT Isn't Needed

The most common excuse is "we tried it and it didn't work" or "the student doesn't want to use it." Neither is a valid basis for removing AT from an IEP without data.

If a student isn't using a tool effectively, the question isn't whether to remove the tool — it's whether the student received adequate training and whether the tool was implemented consistently by staff. Under MARSE, AT services include training for both the student and the educators. An AAC device that staff don't know how to prompt is a device that won't work, and that failure is a services failure, not a student failure.

If the district proposes to remove AT from the IEP:

"I'd like to understand what data is being used to determine this device is no longer necessary. Can the team provide documentation of the student's AT usage, training logs, and progress data that support this change? I'll also be requesting Prior Written Notice of this proposed modification."

For families who have been told AT "isn't appropriate" for their child, the Michigan IEP & 504 Blueprint includes guidance on requesting formal AT evaluations, the SETT framework for documenting need, and how to push back on denials using the required AT consideration standard.

Borrowing Technology Before Committing

Michigan families have access to some AT loan programs through Intermediate School Districts and the Michigan Assistive Technology Program (MATP). These programs allow students and families to borrow devices for a trial period before committing to a specific solution. The Michigan AT Loan Program through MATP can be accessed through the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

If you're not sure which AT solution is right for your child, requesting a trial period is reasonable. Ask the AT evaluator or specialist to include a trial recommendation in their assessment report, with a specific plan for how progress and effectiveness will be measured during the trial.

AT is one of the most underutilized IEP tools in Michigan schools — not because students don't need it, but because teams often don't consider it systematically, don't train staff adequately, and don't communicate its availability to parents. Asking explicitly and requesting a formal evaluation is how you change that for your child.

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