Assistive Technology IEP Decisions: How Schools Choose What a Student Gets

Federal rules do not hand schools a product list. They set a process for considering, providing and allowing devices.

Por Glauber em 20 de October de 2026

What Counts as Assistive Technology Under IDEA

Devices

The federal regulation at 34 CFR 300.5 defines an assistive technology device broadly. It is any item, piece of equipment or product system that increases, maintains or improves the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. It can be bought off the shelf, modified or customized. Because the definition is about function rather than a product category, a simple pencil grip and a complex communication system can both qualify, depending on what the child needs.

The same regulation draws one boundary: surgically implanted medical devices, and their replacement, are not part of the definition.

Services

A device alone rarely solves anything, and the rules reflect that. Under 34 CFR 300.6, an assistive technology service is any service that directly helps a child select, acquire or use a device. The regulation lists several pieces: evaluating the child’s needs, including observation in the child’s customary environments; purchasing or leasing; selecting, adjusting, repairing or replacing devices; coordinating the technology with other therapies and plans; and training for the child, the family and the professionals involved.

How the IEP Team Makes the Decision

The decision point sits in 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v), which lists assistive technology among the special factors an IEP team must consider. In plain terms, the team has to ask whether this particular child needs assistive technology devices and services.

Because the regulation does not prescribe products, the answer is built from the individual child. The evaluation described in the service definition is where much of the evidence comes from, including observation where the child learns and lives. The team then records what it decides in the IEP, which turns a recommendation into something the school is accountable for delivering.

What Schools Must Provide

Once the team determines that a device or service is required, 34 CFR 300.105 says public schools must ensure it is made available as part of the child’s special education, related services or supplementary aids and services. The regulation allows for devices, services or both, depending on what the child needs.

The regulation also addresses where the tool can go. On a case-by-case basis, a school-purchased device must be available for use in the child’s home or in other settings if the IEP team decides the child needs it there to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). A student who needs a text-to-speech tool to complete homework, for example, may need it after the school day ends, and the team is the body that makes that call.

Quick Self-Check

Think about the last IEP meeting you attended, or the next one you expect. Was assistive technology discussed as its own question, with a clear yes or no recorded, or did it only come up when someone mentioned a gadget? If you cannot recall the team stating a decision, that is worth raising, because the regulation expects the team to consider it deliberately rather than by accident.

Accessibility Obligations Beyond the IEP

The IEP is not the only legal channel. According to a 2011 report in Campus Technology, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice had signaled in 2010 and 2011 that requiring classroom technology that students with disabilities cannot use may amount to discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, unless those students receive the same benefits in an equally effective and equally integrated way. That account comes from a news report, and the original letters were not reviewed for this article, so check the current guidance before relying on it.

On the web side, the Department of Justice’s ADA Title II rule requires state and local governments, including public schools, to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. As of its page on the rule, the deadlines are April 26, 2027 for entities serving a population of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts, dates adjusted by a 2026 Interim Final Rule. The DOJ page states that there is no exception for course content. Confirm the dates with the Department of Justice before planning around them.

Where Outside Support Comes From

Families sometimes want to try a tool before the IEP team commits to it. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 funds state assistive technology programs. According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), which has administered the program since the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act moved it from the Department of Education, the statute provides for 56 formula grants to states, the District of Columbia and territories. The ACL describes typical activities as device demonstration and loan, device reuse, training and technical assistance.

For related reading on this site, see our look at inclusive special education technologies, and for the family side of school communication, our piece on technology and parental engagement.

Assistive technology in the IEP comes down to a process rather than a product. The team must consider the need, the school must provide what the team finds necessary, and the services around a device, such as evaluation and training, count as part of the obligation. If you are a parent, ask for the consideration to be documented. If you are an educator, treat the evaluation in the child’s real environments as the foundation of the decision. In both cases, the regulations give you the vocabulary to ask for specifics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the school have to buy the device the IEP team chooses?

Under 34 CFR 300.105, public schools must ensure that assistive technology devices and services, or both, are made available when required as part of special education, related services or supplementary aids and services.

Can my child use a school device at home?

On a case-by-case basis, yes, if the IEP team determines the child needs to use the device at home or in other settings to receive FAPE. That determination is made by the team, so raise it at the meeting.

Is there a list of approved assistive technology?

No official list was found. The law does not prescribe products, and the choice is individual to the child.

Does assistive technology include surgically implanted devices?

No. The federal definition excludes surgically implanted medical devices and their replacement.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial advice. Terms and conditions change, so confirm the details with the official provider before making a decision.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-18

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