NEAT AT Champions Program

New England Assistive Technology (NEAT) is thrilled to host the second year of its unique assistive technology (AT) capacity-building program, “AT Champions.” This project has been generously sponsored by the State Department of Education (SDE) Bureau of Special Education. Initially launched as a pilot project during the 2022–2023 school year, this program will now be repeated and revamped.

SDE and NEAT believe that educators and professionals must be given the knowledge, resources, and time to make appropriate AT considerations for their students and clients. Plus, students should be provided with opportunities to mentor one another in inclusive ways to empower individual growth and foster youth leadership skills.

The AT Champions Program offers a unique blend of both learning components, providing a distinctive, collaborative experience for all. During an introductory course and an optional advanced course, NEAT will lead professional development exclusively for selected CT educators to build their assistive technology and augmentative & alternative communication (AAC) capabilities. Professionals (“AT Champions”) will develop their skills, confidence, and personal capacity for considering and implementing AT strategies and tools with their students.

Courses will feature a combination of live discussions, educational sessions, and archived AT demo videos, as well as invaluable assignments and collaborative projects. Learning Toolkits that contain a variety of assistive technology items will be loaned to AT Champions for the duration of a course semester to give them opportunities for hands-on learning.

Educators participating in the AT Champions Program will grow their confidence and expertise in AT/AAC while joining a unique learning network of fellow Champions. Students (“Peer Mentors/Junior Champions”) who demonstrate leadership qualities will also be able to gain experience in learning new technologies while supporting their peers who use AT through an “AT Buddy” component.

This program truly embeds AT across the classroom and surrounds students in a universally designed environment. To learn more, visit assistivetechnology.oakhillct.org/at-champions/.

Comments shared by AT Champions showcase the positive impact this experience has had on their lives and careers: