Let's Participate! - Assistive Technology for Young Children

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By: Erin Phillips, EC-SEAT Scholar

Screenshot from Let's Participate Website
While doing research in preparation for my final graduate exams, I came across an organizational project that I feel deserves to be highlighted and recognized. This project, known as Let’s Participate! Project, acknowledges the importance of Assistive Technology in an early childhood educational setting. It informs the public on how beneficial AT can be in regards to a child’s ability to participate. Let’s Participate! is supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Special Education Programs and as outlined on their webpage, is designed to “assist IDEA Part C and Part B preschool programs in implementing and sustaining promising practices in the effective use of assistive technology (AT) by infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities and, as a result, improve their functional outcomes (USDOE/OSEP, 2013).

Currently, this project is only occurring in the state of Massachusetts, but I strongly believe other states can benefit from this project model. Once again quoting directly from their webpage, this project works to 
“provide early intervention service providers, preschool teachers and aides, families, and caregivers with both on-site and web-based training on the ways in which AT can support the participation of young children with disabilities in daily routines so that they benefit from the learning opportunities inherent in such activities” (USDOE/OSEP, 2013).
This project can do wonders for families and children, and can help families and professionals understand the importance of assistive technology and help them know how to best select the devices and equipment that will best support the child’s needs. The Let’s Participate! Project provides a wide range of supports, education, and professional development in regards to assistive technology for young children and all states should strive to create a program similar to one of this nature. Their webpage, which the link can be found below, offers more information in regards to the project, assistive technology, training related to AT, and more. I encourage anyone who serves in the field of early childhood education to visit the page, because as I have observed, it has a lot of information and resources available to more than just those who reside in the state of Massachusetts.

                            http://www.letsparticipate.org



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