The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children ages 3 through 21 the right to a free and appropriate public education. This is to be carried out in the least restrictive environment. Emphasis is placed on the child accessing a mainstream classroom where she can spend the most time interacting with her non-disabled peers. If assistive technology and related services will make a more mainstream room a successful placement, then it is necessary to include that in a child's individual education plan.
The philosophy behind IDEA is that a child should access the mainstream curriculum to the maximum level in which he is able to participate. IDEA's goal is to facilitate maximum integration into the mainstream classroom, so the question of whether assistive technology boosts the child's grades is not the central question; the question is whether it facilitates more time spent in the regular classroom setting.
The team that creates a child's individual education plan will decide if assistive technology will help create the least restrictive environment for the student. The school district must have a multidisciplinary team that tests for assistive technology needs. If the child's parents do not agree with the school's assessment, they have a right to ask for an independent evaluation and the district will pay for it, if the parents prove that the district's evaluations were inadequate.
When assistive technology is warranted, the school district must provide an appropriate program, service or device for the student. For example, a school cannot provide a simple word processing program for a child who needs word prediction software in order to better access the curriculum. However, the school district is not bound to use any one program, either.
If assistive technology is warranted as part of a student's free and appropriate education, it must be provided at no cost to the student or her family. This includes maintenance and replacement for normal wear and tear. Furthermore, the school district cannot compel a family to use insurance or Medicaid to pay for the assistive technology.