Assistive Technology in a West Virginia IEP: What the School Must Provide

Your child struggles to write by hand due to a motor disability. Or they need text-to-speech software to access grade-level reading material. Or they use an AAC device to communicate. Whatever the specific need, if your child has an IEP in West Virginia, the school is legally required to consider whether assistive technology is necessary — and in many cases, to provide it at no cost to your family.

Most parents don't know this consideration is mandatory. Most districts don't bring it up unless you ask. Here is what you need to know.

The Legal Requirement: Consideration Is Not Optional

Under IDEA and West Virginia Policy 2419, every IEP team must consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services as part of the IEP development process. This isn't optional. It isn't contingent on a formal evaluation. It must happen at every IEP meeting where the team is developing or reviewing the program.

An assistive technology device is 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 ranges from low-tech (pencil grips, adapted scissors, communication boards) to mid-tech (audiobooks, amplification systems) to high-tech (AAC devices, text-to-speech software, screen readers, eye-gaze communication systems).

Assistive technology services include the evaluation of the child's AT needs, purchasing or leasing AT devices, coordinating with other services, training the child and family in how to use AT, and technical support for staff.

If the IEP team determines that assistive technology is required for the child to receive FAPE, the district must provide it at no cost to the family. The district cannot tell you to buy the device yourself and then seek reimbursement — if it's in the IEP, the school pays for it.

The WVDE's 2025 Assistive Technology Guidance

In November 2025, the West Virginia Department of Education released a comprehensive Assistive Technology Guidance Document for West Virginia Schools. This document significantly strengthens the state's position on AT consideration and provision.

Key points from the guidance:

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and AT are distinct. General classroom technology provided to all students (like Chromebooks) is not a substitute for individualized AT devices required by a specific student's IEP. If your child needs specialized speech-to-text software, the district cannot point to a shared Chromebook as fulfilling that obligation.
• AT consideration must be documented. If the IEP team considers AT and determines it is not needed, that determination should be documented. If parents disagree, they can request a formal AT evaluation.
• AT must be available for home use if the student needs it there. If the child needs the AT device to complete homework or practice skills at home, the district must allow the device to be sent home. This is a point districts frequently resist — know that the law supports home access when educationally necessary.
• School personnel must receive training. If an AT device is written into the IEP, staff who work with the student must be trained to support its use. Untrained staff who don't know how to use a student's AAC device are not providing the AT service — they are failing to implement the IEP.

How to Request an Assistive Technology Evaluation

If you believe your child needs AT support that isn't currently being provided, the most direct path is to request a formal assistive technology evaluation in writing. Address the request to the special education director.

Your letter should:

• State that you are requesting an AT evaluation as a related service under IDEA and Policy 2419
• Describe your child's specific functional challenges (difficulty with written expression, inability to access printed text independently, limited verbal communication, etc.)
• Reference any existing evaluation data (OT reports, speech-language assessments, psychoeducational testing) that documents the functional limitations
• Request a response within a reasonable timeframe (10 school days is consistent with other evaluation-related requests in West Virginia)

West Virginia has a WVDE Office of Special Education that coordinates statewide AT support and resources. The state also has access to the West Virginia Assistive Technology System (WVATS), which provides AT demonstrations, device loans, and consulting services. If your district lacks internal AT expertise, request that they involve WVATS in the evaluation process.

Once a formal AT evaluation is completed, the evaluator's recommendations must be considered by the IEP team. The team is not required to adopt every recommendation, but they must document their reasoning if they decline to follow specific recommendations from an evaluation they commissioned.

The West Virginia IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a template for AT evaluation requests and guidance on how to challenge an IEP team's decision not to provide recommended AT devices.

Common AT Devices West Virginia Schools Must Consider

The range of assistive technology is broad. Here are the categories most commonly relevant to WV students with IEPs:

For students with learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, processing disorders):

• Text-to-speech software (Read&Write, Kurzweil, NaturalReader)
• Speech-to-text/voice recognition (Dragon Naturally Speaking, built-in OS tools)
• Word prediction software
• Audiobooks and digital text (Bookshare, Learning Ally)
• Graphic organizer apps

For students with motor or physical disabilities:

• Alternative keyboards (ergonomic, enlarged, or one-handed)
• Trackballs, joysticks, or head-controlled mice
• Pencil grips and slant boards
• Voice-activated device control

For students with autism or communication disorders:

• AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices
• PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) boards
• Visual schedule and transition apps

For students with visual impairments:

• Screen readers
• Braille displays and notetakers
• Magnification software

For students with hearing impairments:

• FM/DM amplification systems
• Sound field systems
• Captioning services

When the School Says It's Too Expensive

Districts sometimes balk at providing high-cost AT devices (AAC devices, for example, can cost $6,000 to $8,000). Budget constraints are not a legal justification for denying AT that is required for FAPE. Courts have consistently held that IDEA's FAPE requirement is not limited by a district's financial resources.

If the district refuses to provide a recommended AT device based on cost, demand a Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining the basis for the refusal. The PWN must identify the data and reasoning behind the decision. A refusal letter that says "too expensive" without demonstrating that the student's needs can be met through less costly alternatives is legally vulnerable.

You can also request mediation through the WVDE if the district refuses to provide AT that an evaluation shows is necessary. If mediation fails, a state complaint or due process hearing are both viable options — and AT denials are an area where parents frequently prevail.

Protecting AT Access During State Testing

One more practical point: if your child's IEP includes an AT device, they are entitled to use it during state assessments. West Virginia's WVGSA accommodation codes include R11 (Assistive Technology for Response), which authorizes alternate response hardware during testing. Your child's IEP must document the approved testing accommodations, and those accommodations must be entered in WVEIS before the testing window opens.

If the school excludes your child's AT device from state testing without written documentation and a legitimate explanation, that is an IEP compliance issue. The West Virginia IEP & 504 Blueprint covers testing accommodations in detail and explains how to identify and respond to accommodation compliance failures.

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