A National Snapshot of Assistive Technology for Students With Disabilities

Assistive technology (AT)—included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act since 1990—supports students with disabilities. Yet, research repeatedly suggests an underutilization of AT. This study represents a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 focused on understanding issues of AT for secondary (i.e., high school) students with disabilities. The study presents the self-reported and educator-reported rates of AT receipt by secondary students with disabilities, both aggregated and disaggregated by disability group. The results suggest low rates of self-reported and educator-reported AT access and/or use for secondary students with disabilities but higher rates of AT for secondary students with more low-incidence disabilities than students with more high-incidence disabilities.