Assistive Technology in New Brunswick Schools: What Your Child's PLP Should Include

Assistive technology is one of the most powerful and most underutilized tools in New Brunswick special education. For students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, motor impairments, or communication needs, the right tool can mean the difference between full participation in a lesson and sitting out entirely. Yet parents routinely discover that their child's Personalized Learning Plan says nothing specific about assistive technology, or lists a device that was never actually provided.

This post explains what NB schools are expected to provide, how to get specific tools named in the PLP, and when to escalate if the school claims it can't fund what your child needs.

Assistive Technology as an Accommodation, Not an Afterthought

Under Policy 322, New Brunswick schools are required to support students with exceptionalities through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and a common learning environment. Assistive technology is a core component of UDL implementation — not an optional add-on.

For students on an Accommodated PLP, assistive technology tools are frequently the primary mechanism that makes grade-level curriculum accessible. A student with severe dyslexia who has text-to-speech software and a speech-to-text tool can access the same curriculum content as peers. Without those tools, the teacher may feel compelled to recommend an Adjusted PLP — which modifies the curriculum itself and has long-term consequences for graduation pathways.

This means: if your child needs a specific assistive technology tool to access grade-level curriculum, that tool is a reasonable accommodation under both Policy 322 and the Human Rights Act's duty to accommodate. It should be named specifically in the PLP, not referenced vaguely as "technology supports."

What Assistive Technology Is Available in NB Schools

New Brunswick schools have access to a range of assistive technology through school budgets, district technology programs, and specialized services. Common tools include:

Text-to-speech (TTS) software Tools like Kurzweil 3000 and Read&Write allow students with reading difficulties to have digital text read aloud while following along. These are widely used in NB schools for students with dyslexia, low vision, or processing disorders. If your child's reading is significantly below grade level, TTS should be considered before recommending a modified curriculum.

Speech-to-text (STT) software Dragon Naturally Speaking and Google's built-in dictation tools allow students with writing difficulties, fine motor challenges, or dysgraphia to compose written work verbally. This is an accommodation — it doesn't change what the student needs to demonstrate knowing, only how they demonstrate it.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) For non-verbal or minimally verbal students — including many students on the autism spectrum — AAC devices and apps (such as Proloquo2Go, LAMP, or robust communication systems) are the means through which students participate in learning. AAC is not a luxury; it is a communication right. The Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation in Fredericton provides specialized AAC assessment and device funding for students with complex communication needs.

Word prediction and writing support software Tools like Co:Writer or built-in operating system supports help students with spelling difficulties, dyslexia, or expressive language disorders compose written work more independently.

Screen magnification and accessibility features Built-in OS accessibility features (iOS, Windows, ChromeOS) include magnification, contrast adjustment, and captions. These are zero-cost to the school and should be activated as baseline accommodations before any specialist equipment is discussed.

FM/DM systems (hearing assistive technology) For students with hearing loss or auditory processing disorders, frequency modulation or digital modulation systems deliver the teacher's voice directly to a hearing aid or receiver, reducing background noise interference. These require coordination with the student's audiologist.

Alternative keyboards and input devices Students with motor impairments may need alternative keyboards, trackball mice, joysticks, switch access, or eye-gaze systems. The Occupational Therapist assigned to your child's school can assess for appropriate input devices.

Getting Assistive Technology Named in the PLP

The PLP must explicitly list current supports in place, including any assistive technology. Vague language like "access to technology as needed" is not sufficient — it doesn't create accountability for whether the technology is actually provided or used.

When preparing for a PLP meeting, come with specific requests:

• Name the specific tool: "Read&Write Gold text-to-speech software on [child's name]'s assigned device"
• Specify when and how it will be used: "for all written assignments, reading comprehension tasks, and assessments"
• Request a trained adult to support the student in learning to use the tool
• Include a review checkpoint: "effectiveness of TTS tool to be assessed at the 60-day PLP review"

If the school says the budget doesn't cover a specific piece of software or hardware, push back. The district has a duty to accommodate up to the point of undue hardship. Claiming budget constraints does not automatically satisfy "undue hardship" — the legal threshold is extremely high. Request written documentation of why the specific accommodation is claimed to be cost-prohibitive.

For complex AAC needs, request a referral to the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. The Centre serves the entire province and provides specialist assessment, device trials, and funding pathways for students with severe communication needs. This is a publicly funded service accessible through the school's ESS team or a physician referral.

The Learning Disabilities Association of NB and Assistive Technology

The Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick (LDANB) provides guidance on assistive technology for students with dyslexia and specific learning disabilities. Their K–12 framework specifically addresses the use of technology accommodations for students with reading and writing difficulties.

If your child's school is resistant to implementing text-to-speech accommodations for a student with a documented dyslexia diagnosis, the LDANB's published frameworks provide useful supporting documentation for your advocacy position.

When Technology Accommodations Are Denied

If the school has acknowledged your child's need for a specific assistive technology tool and has failed to provide it within a reasonable timeframe, document the gap in writing. Send an email to the principal and resource teacher confirming that:

• You have requested [specific technology] as a PLP accommodation
• The technology has not been provided as of [date]
• You are requesting a written explanation for the delay and a committed provision date

If the tool is legitimately needed for the student to access curriculum and the school can't demonstrate undue hardship from providing it, this is a failure of the duty to accommodate under the NB Human Rights Act. Depending on severity, this can support a complaint to the NB Human Rights Commission.

For students whose assistive technology needs are complex or whose school district is particularly under-resourced, external specialist assessments from the Stan Cassidy Centre or a private occupational therapist can produce formal recommendations that the ESS team is legally required to consider.

The New Brunswick IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes a section on building accommodation requests that are specific, enforceable, and grounded in the duty to accommodate — including how to document denials and escalate when technology that should be standard is being withheld.

Assistive Technology and High School Graduation

For older students, assistive technology intersects directly with provincial assessment requirements. Under Policy 316B (which applies to students graduating from 2026 onward), the English Language Proficiency Assessment is a graduation requirement. Students with documented disabilities can receive specific accommodations on this assessment — but those accommodations must be documented in the PLP and consistently used throughout the school year before being requested for a major assessment. Schools sometimes try to restrict assistive technology to "classroom use only" — make sure the PLP explicitly states that tools like TTS are to be used for all assessments, not just routine classwork.

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