The Rest of the Story

Sometime when we look at success story like Jim’s, we see only a student who is capable, able, and a proficient user of the technology that he requires. We don’t perceive the long and challenging collaborative work that it takes to arrive at this point and, eventually, progress beyond it. Because Jim has a physical disability that is nearly imperceptible to the untrained eye, there have been times in his life when it was harder to get the supports and services that he needed to make the educational progress expected of him than it would have been if he had a more visible disability.. In this analysis we will revisit some of the steps and stops on the way to success.

At the age of three, Jim entered the early childhood (EC) education program for students with disabilities in the school near his home. Because Jim had a medical condition and because his early development showed signs of physical fatigue and fine motor issues during activities that are precursors to writing – such as coloring and cutting – there was strong reason to believe that without special supports and services Jim’s motor abilities would put him at risk for failure in areas related to written productivity. Thus, Jim qualified for services as a student with “orthopedic impairments” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The individualized educational program (IEP) developed for Jim by his school staff and his parents included not only early childhood classes but also occupational therapy (OT) support. The primary goals for OT were related to strengthening exercises for Jim’s hands. These goals continued through throughout Jim’s EC and elementary school years. Jim IEP also included a series of pencil grips – simple Assistive Technology devices – that enabled Jim to do the majority of the short writing tasks that were required through the early elementary years. As Jim progressed into the later elementary years, the accommodations of extended time and shortened assignments were added to his IEP. Jim continued to complete as much of each written assignment as possible in class. He then finished the assignments on his home computer, stapled them together with the handwritten parts and turned them in the next day as he had arranged with his teachers.

With these accommodations, Jim was able to be a very successful student through 5th grade; no additional Assistive Technology or accommodations were required.