Date
18 November 2024

Getting and using Ministry of Education funded assistive technologies

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Considering Ministry of Education funded assistive technology (AT)’

How to apply for Ministry of Education funded AT

How to apply for Ministry of Education funded AT

An introduction on how to apply for Ministry of Education funded assistive technology in New Zealand.

Accessing local Ministry assistive technology co-ordinators

Accessing local Ministry assistive technology co-ordinators

Contact your local Ministry office for support.

Assistive technology co-ordinators provide advice, guidance, and support at all stages of the application process. This includes access to:

  • advice and guidance for learners with additional learning needs
  • information on eligibility
  • support and coaching on initiating the AT process and how to apply the SETT framework
  • specialised equipment, which may not be available in schools to trial
  • peer reviews of assistive technology applications (pre- and post-trial).

Collaborating with learners and their whānau

Collaborating with learners and their whānau

Identifying which AT would be a good fit for a learner requires a team approach.

Establish a team with the knowledge and skills to support the process, including:

  • the learner
  • family and whānau
  • class teacher
  • in-school learning support team
  • teacher aide
  • outside Learning Support services (for example, RTLB, SLT, OT, BLENNZ).

Using the Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tools (SETT) process

Using the Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tools (SETT) process

The Ministry of Education uses the SETT framework to guide the school teams as they select the AT that is best suited for the learner.

The SETT framework

  • Student – describe the student’s strengths and learning needs
  • Environment – describe the learning environment (including the student’s existing support and the technology used at their school)
  • Tasks – develop learning targets and describe what the student needs to do to achieve them
  • Tools – select the appropriate technology and trial it to make sure it is a good fit.

Select and download the Assistive technology information sheet – Assessment framework.

Source: Using the SETT framework to level the learning field for students with disabilities (opens in a new tab/window)

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Considering Ministry of Education funded assistive technology (AT)”:

Return to the guide “Technology tools for learning”

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