QIAT

http://qiatgrowsup.pbwiki.com/

http://natri.uky.edu/assoc_projects/qiat/

The QIAT Consortium http://www.qiat.org/ (September 24, 2006) Page1 of 2
Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology
The mission of QIAT is to guide the provision of quality AT services to improve educational achievement of students with disabilities.
QIAT activities for improvement of assistive technology services include:

• Developing descriptive indicators of effective practices
• Developing tools to evaluate services for continuous improvement
• Creating resources to guide planning and implementation
• Identifying and sharing information and resources
• Providing opportunities for communication and collaboration

The descriptors of effective assistive technology practices were created to help schooldistricts evaluate and improve or develop their services. They consist of the specificindicators which are descriptive statements, descriptions of common errors that mayoccur, and self-evaluation matrices. They can be found at http://www.qiat.org/.

Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology address:
• Consideration of the need for assistive technology during the IEP meeting
• Assessment of the need for assistive technology• Including assistive technology in the IEP
• Implementing the use of assistive technology
• Evaluating the effectiveness of assistive technology use
• Transitioning with assistive technology
• Administrative support for assistive technology services
• Professional development and training in assistive technology

A brief history of QIAT:
• Quality indicators are a grass roots effort that began in 1998.
• A core group of 14 individuals began the work and since that time hundreds of service providers and consumers have had input into the wording through activities at national conferences and working meetings every year that include interested individuals from across the country.
• A email list was begun in 1999 and now includes over 1000 members. It is accessed through http://www.qiat.org/.
• The indicators were validated by Joy Zabala’s doctoral research in 2004.
• Current work revolves around identifying and developing resources that can help school districts improve their assistive technology services.
• The core group is the Quality Indicators Leadership Team which has national representation from multiple disciplines. See http://www.qiat.org/ for a list.

Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology are being used:
• Arizona, Minnesota and Texas are using the Quality Indicators as a state wide assessment tool to evaluate and guide statewide systems change.
• Florida and Arkansas are using Quality Indicators as an assessment tool to evaluate The QIAT Consortium http://www.qiat.org/ (September 24, 2006) Page2 of 2and guide change on a regional basis.
• Oregon is using the Quality Indicators as the basis for developing district level AT teams.
• Georgia is using Quality Indicators in both teacher and administrator training.
• Iowa has used Quality Indicators as the stimulus to develop a modified set of quality indicators to guide systems change.
• Numerous districts across the country are using Quality Indicators to assess their AT services and move forward.