AIM+4+Families

** Great TECHNOaim resources for families **

The **Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) ** is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. We offer a range of information and services on the subject of assistive and instructional technologies. Whether you're an organization, a parent, an educator, or an interested friend, we hope you'll find information that supports you in your efforts to bring the highest quality education to children with disabilities. > __[|**www.fctd.info**]__  is a source full of assistive/instructional technology resources of interest to families of children with disabilities. The website offers access to monthly newsletters, online discussions moderated by nationally recognized experts, a database of FCTD members which is comprised of more than 3,500 disability organizations, a resource review database with hundreds of reviews of AT resources and more. .
 * The FCTD web site

=== **For information about technology 4 Families you can visit the PACER Tech blog. Click the link below**. === [|PACER.org/stc]

To receive monthly PACER STC news updates click [|here].

When a learner is struggling in any the area of life and nothing seems to help, both parents and professionals often turn to technology as a solution. Using what is called assistive technology (AT), a toddler can color with an adapted crayon, a teenager can use word prediction software to become a successful writer, and an adult can use speech-to-text technology to be gainfully employed. While it is clear that some children with disabilities can benefit from AT, parents need to be proactive about seeking services for their child and become familiar with the law that ensures AT services are provided by public schools. **An age of technology** Technology is rapidly advancing, sometimes on a daily basis. New technology changes not only how we learn and engage with the world, but how we function in daily life. Consider Aimee Mullins, an athlete who set world records running on prosthetic legs at the 1996 Paralympics. Her high-tech limbs help her reach the potential she has to be a runner, a model, and an actress. Consider Bridget Thomson, who became the first student in Minnesota to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) using speech-to-text as an accommodation. Speech-to-text technology helped Bridget reach her potential.
 * ==PACER TECH News== ||> **June 2011** ||
 * = || [[image:http://www.pacer.org/stc/list/images/technotesheader2010.jpg caption="Tech Notes"]] ||
 * Tech Notes || ||
 * == Assistive Technology May Help Your Child Succeed==
 * == Assistive Technology May Help Your Child Succeed==
 * == Assistive Technology May Help Your Child Succeed==

Sometimes students use AT even though it is not included their IEPs, a large percentage of students who would benefit from AT are not receiving services. That's why it's important for parents to be proactive and to make sure AT services are considered for their children.

**AT and the law** While AT is a relatively young field, the laws that govern it are not new. Schools must consider the use of AT at least annually for every student who has an IEP and may benefit from it. Assistive technology includes the devices, software, and services a student needs to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which is guaranteed by a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). AT should also be considered to help a student be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE), also ensured by IDEA.

Learn more about AT and the IEP by viewing one of PACER's archived webinars [|The Consideration of AT in the IEP] ||

Education groups applaud new ed-tech legislation
Jun 14th, 2011 and filed under [|News]. A new bill advocates for wider technology access and use in education. Educational technology stakeholders are applauding the U.S. Senate’s introduction of a bill called the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act and note that, if passed, the legislation will work to bolster technology literacy and will increase access to educational opportunities through online learning.

“The ATTAIN Act recognizes that technology literacy is an essential skill our children need to be college and career ready and prepared to navigate and succeed in the competitive 21st-century environment,” said 11 leading education and ed-tech organizations in a joint statement. The bill was introduced by Sens. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The measure directs federal funds to train teachers, purchase educational technology hardware and software, and support student technological literacy. It authorizes up to $1 billion in annual funding for educational technology and teacher training nationwide.

The act would distribute funding based on the entire amount of funding available. If the appropriation is less than $300 million in a given year, the U.S. Department of Education would award competitive grants to consortia of state educational agencies to maximize the impact of available funds. ||

PACER is the Minnesota Parent Training and Information Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Program