This self-directed course will provide you with an overview of how specialized and common technologies can be used to support students who have participation, communication, and learning challenges in the classroom setting.
Course Info
Welcome to Assistive Technology in the Classroom.
This course will explore the many types of specialized and common technologies that can be used to support students who have participation, communication, and learning challenges in the classroom setting.
As this is an overview, the goal of this course is to introduce various vision, physical and intellectual access, and communication technologies while helping participants discover how to match student need to the best possible technology solution. By completing this course, you should have a good, overall understanding of the range of specialized and common technology features and how the selection of any technology solution begins with student need.
We hope you enjoy exploring how technology can support student access to their educational programs in the classroom setting!
Getting Started
This course has been developed and updated by SET-BC consultants and is delivered asynchronously online. Participants can complete the course at their own pace, either individually or as a school or district cohort. If you have any questions or difficulties while completing the various modules, please contact us at servicedelivery@setbc.org for assistance.
Each module in the course includes a narrated content presentation with supporting activities and resource materials. The activities and resource materials allow participants to engage more fully with the course content and to reflect on how their learning relates to their own educational practice.
Design and FAQ
This self-directed course is divided into seven modules. These include:
- Module 1: Course Introduction – Introduction to the course content
- Module 2: Overview of Assistive Technology – General overview including definition of assistive technology, main genres with examples of students using various technologies
- Module 3: Effective Assistive Technology Implementation – Components of an effective AT implementation plan, barriers that prevent implementation, and conditions that foster implementation
- Module 4: Assistive Technology to Support Learning – Current educational trends that utilize common and assistive technologies, examples of technology that can support intellectual access to the curriculum
- Module 5: Assistive Technology to Support Participation – Issues support students with physical access or sensory (visual) impairments and examples of technologies that support physical and sensory access to the curriculum
- Module 6: Assistive Technology to Support Communication – Considerations when supporting students with communication disorders in the classroom
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the course or experience any technical difficulties, please contact us at:
We will respond to your email as quickly as possible.
Module 1 - Course Introduction
This is an introduction to the course format, content, interactivity and assessment tools.

Please Note – In this video, the presenter mentions that there are seven modules. This updated course contains just six modules.
Module 2 - Overview of Assistive Technology
This module provides a general overview including a definition of assistive technology and the main genres with examples of students using various technologies.

Module 3 - Effective Assistive Technology Implementation
This module reviews the components of an effective AT implementation plan, barriers that prevent implementation, conditions that foster implementation, and the role of the EA in AT implementation.

Module 4 - Assistive Technology to Support Learning
We discuss current educational trends that utilize general and assistive technologies, as well as examples of technology that support cognitive access to the curriculum (e.g. literacy and numeracy development).

Module 5 - Assistive Technology to Support Participation
This module looks at issues of supporting students with physical access or sensory (visual) impairments and examples of technologies that support physical and sensory access to the curriculum.

Module 6 - Assistive Technology to Support Communication
In this module, we look at considerations when supporting students with communication disorders and examples of technologies that support students with communication disorders in the classroom.

- Assistive Technology in the Classroom Module 6 Summary Activity
- Assistive Technology in the Classroom Module 6 Handout
- Brad and Jeffrey – The Power of Communication
- Terron – The Ad-Vantage of Writing
- Ways to Use a Single Message Switch Communicator
- Elementary student uses LAMP Words for LIfe app on iPad with his toe