Live Webinar Date:05/20/2026.

TITLE: Building a Streamlined AT Assessment System in K-12 Schools (Part 1: Foundations and Identification)

Presenter: Sharvari Dixit, OTR/L, ATP, Empower AT Services

Abstract: School-based Assistive Technology (AT) processes often break down before assessment even begins. Educators may be unsure what AT is, when it is appropriate, or how to describe student needs in a way that leads to a meaningful referral. This webinar introduces the foundational concepts needed to build a functional, defensible AT process in K–12 schools.

Participants will examine why AT systems are often fragmented, how IDEA and the IEP process shape AT consideration, and why structured identification and referral practices are essential. The session will distinguish universal supports, targeted supports, and AT; discuss common referral triggers and referral pitfalls; and emphasize the importance of defining functional access barriers before moving into assessment. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to guide teams toward appropriate AT consideration and how strong problem definition leads to more focused, efficient, and educationally relevant AT assessments.

This is part one of a four-part webinar series. RESNA plans to offer the remaining parts of the series, but the schedule has not yet been set. Participants may contact the instructor for more information.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Explain why AT identification and referral processes in K–12 schools are often inconsistent or ineffective and describe the need for a streamlined school-based AT Assessment workflow.
Distinguish between universal supports, targeted supports, and Assistive Technology when considering student access to instruction and participation.
Identify functional indicators that suggest an AT referral may be appropriate in a school setting.
Describe how to define an AT-related problem in functional, task-based terms rather than diagnostic or vague language.
Apply structured referral and consideration tools to improve the quality of IEP team decision-making before formal AT assessment begins.

Pricing: Free for RESNA members; $45 for non-members

CEUs: Completion of this webinar and all components earns 0.1 IACET CEUs.

Live Webinar Date:06/17/2026.

TITLE: Building a Streamlined AT Assessment System in K-12 Schools (Part 2: Functional AT Assessment: Tools, Templates & Data Collection)

Presenter: Sharvari Dixit, OTR/L, ATP, Empower AT Services

Abstract:

Effective assistive technology assessment in K–12 schools requires a systematic, evidence-based process for gathering and interpreting functional data. This session focuses on the assessment engine of the AT process — how practitioners observe students in context, gather meaningful data through records and team input, and use formative assessment tools to make defensible, educationally relevant AT decisions. Participants will explore practitioner-developed tools designed to support IEP teams at the point of referral, build skills in structured classroom observation using a narrative framework that distinguishes access barriers from behavioral concerns, and learn to interpret formative reading and writing assessment data in ways that directly inform AT decision-making. A running case study grounds every concept in a real student profile, illustrating how the full assessment process unfolds from referral to hypothesis.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

 Define functional AT assessment and distinguish it from diagnostic evaluation

2. Describe the purpose and use of the AT Referral Form and AT Consideration Checklist

3. Identify access barriers through structured classroom observation

4. Conduct purposeful data gathering using records, team input, and formative tools

5. Interpret formative reading and writing assessment results to inform AT decisions

Pricing: Free for RESNA members; $45 for non-members

CEUs: Completion of this webinar and all components earns 0.1 IACET CEUs.

Live Webinar Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Title: Part 3: Feature Matching and AT Trials

Abstract: Gathering assessment data is only the beginning of the AT process. The real clinical work happens in what comes next: translating functional data into defensible tool recommendations through systematic feature matching and structured trials. This session focuses on the decision-making engine of AT practice — how practitioners move from a documented access barrier to a trialed, evidence-supported recommendation. Participants will learn to apply a hypothesis-driven feature matching framework. They will also learn to design and document AT trials that produce defensible data, and to interpret trial results — including negative outcomes — as meaningful clinical information. Using a running case study, the session walks through feature matching and tool walkthroughs for reading access, written output, and writing organization. This work culminates in a complete feature-based recommendation statement that is ready to be translated into IEP language in Part 4. The tools referenced throughout this session — including Read&Write, OrbitNote, and Mindomo — are examples drawn from the presenter's direct clinical experience in K–12 settings. They are used to illustrate specific AT features in practice and do not constitute endorsement or promotion of any product.

Speaker: Sharvari Dixit, OTR/L, ATP, Empower AT Services

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1.Define feature matching and explain why it begins with the access barrier rather than the tool

2. Design a structured AT trial — including task selection, the feature being tested, conditions, and data to be collected — that produces defensible, documentable evidence

3. Interpret both positive and negative trial results as clinical evidence

4. Apply a hypothesis-driven framework to match specific tool features to documented
student barriers

5. Construct a feature-based recommendation statement that connects assessment data to
expected functional outcomes

Pricing: Non-Members: $45.00

Free for members! 

Completion of this webinar and all required components earns 0.1 IACET CEU.

Live Webinar Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Title: Part 4: From Recommendation to Reality - IEP Language, Services & Sustainable AT Systems

Abstract: By the time assessment data and trial evidence are in hand, the clinical work is only half finished. This session addresses the second half: converting a feature-based recommendation into IEP-ready language, determining appropriate AT service minutes, and building an implementation plan that survives contact with a real classroom. Participants will learn to write recommendation language that ties a documented barrier to a specific assistive feature and functional outcome, determine service minutes based on the complexity of support needed rather than the number of tools recommended, and plan for monitoring and follow-up that keeps AT responsive as demands change. The session also addresses why well-matched AT plans often break down after they leave the IEP meeting - examining shared responsibility across the IEP team, student engagement and voice, and common barriers to implementation. Using five composite case studies spanning different grade levels, disability categories, and service settings - including the session's running case study - participants will practice applying these principles across varied real-world scenarios. Tools referenced throughout are drawn from the presenter's direct clinical experience in K–12 settings and do not constitute endorsement or promotion of any product. 

Speaker: Sharvari Dixit, OTR/L, ATP, Empower AT Services

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Translate feature-based assessment findings into IEP-ready recommendation language that connects a documented barrier to a specific assistive feature and functional outcome 

2. Determine appropriate AT service minutes based on the complexity of support needs rather than the number of tools recommended 

3. Develop an implementation and monitoring plan that specifies roles, training needs, and follow-up procedures 

4. Identify common reasons well-matched AT plans break down after the IEP meeting, and apply strategies that build shared responsibility across the team 5. Apply feature-based recommendation, service planning, and collaboration principles across varied student profiles through case-based practice

Target Audience Assistive Technology specialists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, and related service providers working in K–12 settings. 

Pricing: Non-Members: $45.00

Free for members! 

Completion of this webinar and all required components earns 0.1 IACET CEU.