Special Education • ACCESS Team

The ACCESS Team for Anderson Community Schools is a group consisting of Speech Therapists, an Occupational Therapist, a Physical Therapist, the Visually Impaired consultant, the Orthopedically Impaired consultant, and a Special Education Administrator. The team was developed to support teachers needing assistance in meeting the extraordinary Special Education student's physical, academic or communication needs through evaluation and recommendations for adaptations, modifications and assistive technology.

The ACCESS team also is responsible for maintaining a resource library of resource literature, a variety of low to high tech devices and developmental toys, communication aids, software and adaptive equipment that can be checked out by Special Education teachers for their students' use. Evaluation by the team is not required to use the resources, however heavy demand and limited quantities of some items may require movement of equipment from time to time within the school year by ACCESS team members in order to share between students and programs. If you find a particular adapted toy, software title, switch or device especially useful, you might consider seeking funding for purchase through your school building, parent club, or grant writing efforts so your class can have one of its own. Core curriculum money can also be used.

Use of assistive technology happens daily in school and can range from things as simple as taping writing paper to desks for stability, using a pencil grip, or providing carbon paper so a classmate can take notes and have a copy for a friend, to using specialized keyboards or switches and software to access computers, reading with the assistance of electronic magnifiers, or sitting at adapted chairs or desks that provide additional support. The teacher knows what activities a student needs to be able to perform in the classroom, observes and identifies the ability level of the student, and through creative thinking (and the collective input of other building staff members) adapts, modifies or otherwise intervenes when most obstacles arise. The ACCESS Team assists by evaluating those students whose problems require additional support and consideration after a teacher, building staff, and related services personnel have collaborated, and those interventions and adaptations that have been used are not meeting the needs of a student. The evaluation will produce recommendations for the teacher that may include adaptations, modifications, and/or the use of low tech or higher tech equipment or alternative communication methods. The teachers and building staff that work with the student are ultimately responsible for carrying out the recommendations of the ACCESS Team and evaluating the effectiveness of those suggestions. The ACCESS Team hopes to be an effective resource for classroom teachers and support staff through the collective efforts of team members who may have had more exposure to various communication devices and other assistive technology.

All ACCESS Team members carry full student caseloads of their own within their respective disciplines in addition to serving on the team. An appropriate ACCESS Team referral begins when:

• A student having significant physical, academic or communication difficulties has needs that have not been met despite the classroom teacher's adaptations and modifications.
• Suggestions from related services personnel serving that child, and other school staff members have been unsuccessful or minimally successful in meeting a student's needs.
• Equipment borrowed from the ACCESS Team resource library based on suggestions from the speech, occupational or physical therapist, visually impaired consultant, or orthopedically impaired consultant does not seem to meet the needs of the student.
• The teacher documents trials of at least three interventions/adaptations/ modifications that address each area of concern for a student prior to an ACCESS team referral. Detailed documentation assists ACCESS Team members to be better prepared for evaluation and more helpful in suggestions and recommendations for students.

Having worked through the above steps, the potential need for an ACCESS Team referral can be discussed at a case conference committee meeting. If a referral is determined to be necessary, complete the ACCESS Team referral form at that meeting and submit the paperwork as directed on the form. If you have questions about the ACCESS Team or possible referrals, email scunning@acsc.net. She will forward questions to the appropriate personnel.

Anderson Community School Corporation

Special Education • ACCESS Team Referral Form

Student name:                                                                                               Case Conference Date:
Parent Name:                                                                                                School:
Address:                                                                                                        Teacher of Record:
Phone:                                                                                                           Program/Grade:
Diagnosis/Health Information:                                                                                                           

Special Education and Related Services this student is currently receiving:

Description of Concerns:

Barriers to student's educational participation:

Questions you need addressed by an ACCESS Team evaluation:

What IEP Goals & Objectives cannot be met without assistive technology support (attach pertinent goal sheet/s)?

Please use the back of this form and describe at least three interventions/adaptations you have tried, the number of weeks used, and details of the outcome.

Additional pertinent information:

Please attach one copy of the referral form to the case conference paperwork sent to Special Education. Attach the original referral form with copies of pertinent goal sheets and send to "S. Cunningham/ACCESS" in the Special Education office.