The SETT Framework:
Critical Areas to Consider When Making
Informed Assistive Technology Decisions
by
Joy Zabala
As the language of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, P.L. 101-476) regarding assistive
technology becomes widely known, much attention is being focused on
school districts and the procedures and practices which school
personnel use in arriving at decisions regarding the provision of
assistive technology devices and services. Which students need
assistive technology? What kind of technology is needed? Who is
involved in making these decisions? What sort of data should be
gathered to aid in the decision-making process? Much discussion has
been generated about each of these questions. Though there are few
quick and easy answers to any of there questions, the first three
are generally addressed in some way by a combination of federal law
and best practices in fields related to assistive technology. The
answer to the fourth question is evolving and is the subject of this
discussion.
Which students need assistive
technology?...those who need assistive technology in order to
receive a free, appropriate public education. (The first "Big
Question" in Assistive Technology today, however, is "what
constitutes need?". The definition of assitive technology is
all-inclusive and its limitations have yet to be determined in the
courts.)
What kind of technology is needed?.. this
must be determined on a case by case basis related directly to what
is needed for a student to receive FAPE. (This is the second of the
"Big Questions" in Assistive Technology and is equally undefined by
legal action.)
Who is involved in making these
decisions?... the student's IEP team, with recommendations from
members of a flexible multidisciplinary team which includes the
student, family members and/or caregivers, and appropriate
educational and related services professionals. This team may also
include other people who are significantly involved in the students
education and well-being such as medical staff and peers. What sort
of data should the multidisciplinary team gather to aid in the
decision-making process?... information about the Student, the
Environment, the Tasks, and the Tools.
For some time people dedicated to meeting
the educational and life goals of students with disabilities have
been working to identify and provide assistive technology devices
with features which match the student's needs and abilities. Good
practitioners have gathered extensive data about the student and
about assistive technology tools having features which address the
student's needs and abilities in the areas of input, process, and
output. When this data was gathered and decisions made, devices were
acquired, and people were trained on operational techniques, and,
with promising frequency, strategies for effective use of the
device. Every expectation has been that this would lead to positive
changes for students; however, what is frequently seen in the field
is assitive technology devices which are underutilized or abandoned,
and, therefore, not fostering the growth in communication,
participation, and productivity that has been hoped for. Why is this
happening?
Though the needs and abilities of the
student and the features of devices appear to be well-matched, tools
are frequently selected with insufficient up-front attention to the
environment(s) in which the student is expected to use the assistive
technology tools, and to the tasks in which the student is expected
to participate within the identified environment(s). It is difficult
to choose appropriate tools if there is not a clear awareness of
where and how they are to be used!
Clearly, it would be unwise for anyone to
choose a tool at a hardware store without first considering the task
which was to be accomplished with that tool. Without prior planning
and reflection, a wonderful saw might be selected and taken home
with great pleasure, only to have its owner become quickly
disillusioned to find that the saw is of little value when hanging
pictures and assembling shelves... two tasks of great importance the
purchaser. The most wonderful saw, even one customized to its user's
specific body-type, strength, and sawing aptitude is not likely to
help with those tasks. Prior attention to what tasks were to be
accomplished with the tool would have aided greatly in appropriate
tool selection!
When considering assistive technology, the
environment and the tasks must be considered before tools are
selected. To support this belief, the SETT Framework has been
developed to aid in gathering and organizing data which can be used
to make appropriate assistive technology decisions. The SETT
Framework considers, first, the Student, the Environment(s) and the
Tasks required for active participation in the activities of the
environment, and, finally, the Tools needed for the student to
address the tasks.
It is important to realize that this outline
of questions to consider in each area of the SETT Framework has been
developed only as a guideline and a place to start. Teams gathering
and acting upon this data may wish to seek answers to numerous
additional questions. In virtually every case, the questions will
relate to one of the areas of the SETT Framework.
The Student
- What does the Student need to do?
- What are the Student's special needs?
- What are the Student's current abilities?
The Environment
- What materials and equipment are
currently available in the environment?
- What is the physical arrangement?
- Are there special concerns?
- What is the instructional arrangement?
- Are there likely to be changes?
- What supports are available to the
student?
- What resources are available to the
people supporting the student?
The Tasks
- What activities take place in the
environment?
- What activities support the student's
curriculum?
- What are the critical elements of the
activities?
- How might the activities be modified to
accommodate the student's special needs?
- How might technology support the
student's active participation in those activities?
The Tools
- What no tech, low tech, and high tech
options should be considered when developing a system for a
student with these needs and abilities doing these tasks in these
environments?
- What strategies might be used to invite
increased student performance?
- How might these tools be tried out with
the student in the customary environments in which they will be
used?
How might one gather the information needed
to use the SETT Framework as an aid for effective decision-making?
The most commonly used method is the hands-on evaluation in which
one or more of the professionals involved in the process take the
student through a series of planned exercises or tasks in order to
evaluate the student's ability to perform them. This method also may
include trying out tools to see which ones the student is able to
access physically and cognitively. Though this is a valuable part of
the assessment process when used in the student's natural
environments, it is important to remember that to view assessment as
an event which happens once and is then finished is now generally
held to be in error.
Current best practices indicate that
assessment and intervention are continuous on-going processes and
that the initial hands-on evaluation is merely among the first
steps. When completing a SETT Framework, several other methods of
gathering data are critical. They include: observations of the
student involved in the ordinary tasks presented by the natural
settings in which the student operates; discussions with the
significant people who share those settings with the student; and,
possibly, a review of other strategies and tools that have been
tried with the student.
There are several useful assessment tools
available which ask very specific questions about the student's
needs and abilities. There are also some environmental inventories
available. It would be wise to make use of one or more of them as a
guide to seeking and recording the information, always keeping in
mind that information gained in observations and discussions is
equally valuable.
As the data mounts in the on-going
assessment process care must be taken that the sheer volume and
specificity of the data not obscure the major issues which need to
be considered. Organizing the various bits of data under the major
SETT headings provides a workable way to see which areas are
thoroughly explored and which areas require more work.
The SETT Framework supports a thorough yet
simple approach to assistive technology assessment and intervention.
When data is gathered and organized with simplicity, a team's
ability to effectively generate a range of tools which may be tried
with the student is greatly enhanced. It is much more likely that
the selected system of tools will enhance the student's abilities to
address the tasks in which he/she is expected to build competency,
thus making the tool more valuable. Equally, it is more likely that
the people supporting the student will see the relevancy of the
technology as the student grows in competence, confidence, and
independence, and thus, be more active in encouraging and supporting
the student's achievement through its use.
Using the SETT Framework as a guide, it is
possible, from the start, to address and overcome many of the
obstacles which lead to device abandonment. When the Environment and
the Tasks are fully explored and considered, the lament "Well, the
device is here, now what do I do with it?" should never be heard.
Instead, students, parents, and professionals should all rejoice at
the increased opportunities for success which come with assistive
technology which is well matched to the student's needs and
abilities to perform the natural tasks which are part of living and
learning in this world.
Current Contact Information:
Joy
Zabala, M.Ed., ATP
Assistive Technology & Leadership
PO Box 3130
Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
(979) 415-4555
email: joy@joyzabala.com
