Activating Children through Technology. Final Report

This final report describes accomplishments and activities of the 3-year Activating Children Through Technology (ACTT) Outreach program at Western Illinois University, which focused on the integration of assistive technology into early childhood services for children (ages birth to 8) with disabilities. Objectives included: awareness activities; replication; product development, revision, and dissemination; training; consultation including cooperative work on a diagnostic team; assisting states; and local, regional, and national cooperative activities. The program, which trains trainers or direct service delivery staff, provided services responsive to the federal emphasis on assistive technology services. It developed three replicable components: ages birth to three, three to five, and severe disabilities. The program received 3,955 requests for technological services, trained 79 site personnel for model replication, and conducted 25 technology workshops. Project products included eight training modules, software programs which support curricular objectives, videotapes of current technology applications used by children, and equipment modification schematics. The final report addresses the project's goals and objectives, theoretical and conceptual framework, project sites and activities, problems and solutions, evaluation findings, impact, and future activities. (Contains 70 references.) (DB)