Tracy Lapreziosa  0:08  
Welcome back to Assistive Technology and Special Education Law. This is the seventh and final episode. In Summary, What Can We Do? If this is your first time joining us, don't forget to catch up with other episodes in the series. 

Rosa McAllister  0:24  
I know for many of you, you're in a position now where either you are a teacher or a teacher's aide, or are learning to be a teacher, or switching to be a teacher, or trying to figure out what your role in all of this is. And for many of you're probably wondering, so what does this mean for me though, I'm a low guy on the totem pole, I can't do anything. And as we've been talking about in so many of our discussions online and in class, and on Skype and everything else, what is our role in all of this? So I'm just gonna ask Judy, just another minute? Any thoughts on that? 

Judy Gran  0:58  
It really is hard when you're the low person on the totem pole, and when you don't control the resources, and you don't make the decisions. But I think, I think, to surface these issues in whatever discussions you happen to be in with the school district. If you see that a student really needs assistive technology, I think it's something that - that anyone who has that observation needs to bring to the attention of the people in authority in the school district, to be able to do something about that.

Judy Gran  1:41  
And as I said, I think I think one of the strongest arguments in favor of that is what could be the consequences for the school district if it ignores a need that is fairly obvious.  And I think I'm struck over and over again in the cases - that the hearing officers in the courts are saying this need was so apparent. How could anybody have ignored this? And yeah, people do because-  because people tend to if assistive technology is not being used a lot in that school district, it is easy to, to, to feel limited by what you have available. 

Judy Gran  2:29  
But that isn't the way a hearing officer or a court is likely to see it. They're likely to focus more on the students needs, and what could have been done. So I guess, thinking it - yourself into that frame of reference, and then talking about it to the people in authority. I know it's - it is very difficult when, when you don't have authority, but I hope, I hope you all can try. 

Rosa McAllister  2:58  
Thank you and I think as we've been talking about this, this applies, certainly in this discussion regarding students of all different ages who are connected in some way still with the educational system such as this we've been talking about with our parents and grandparents, and helping people become aware of what is out there, that maybe we don't know all the answers. But we know a little bit of information. We can push other people to find out more, we can all help one another to advocate, seek out, find out what is possible. And the reality is that in a lot of these situations that Judy talked about, as well as a lot of situations we all know, they're not huge pieces of equipment, or huge adaptations, accommodation, sometimes it's pretty simple stuff. Sometimes it includes some pretty detailed work. But a lot of times there's some simple adaptations. It's just the forethought, its concern, the idea of what can we do to try to help and I think we all can do that. So thank you all. End of this discussion for now.

Tracy Lapreziosa  3:58  
This concludes today's episode of Assistive Technology and Special Education Law. Thank you for listening. We hope the information provided was helpful. Don't forget to stop by our website and take advantage of all we have to offer. If you want to be kept informed of upcoming events, subscribe to our channel for up to date information on future programs. Click on the link provided in the description if you wish to receive emails about our upcoming events and offerings. 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai