SITE MAP | Last updated 6.15.09

Services for School Districts

AT:LAST staff provides school districts with a multifaceted approach to ensure that appropriate AT is in the classroom and being used effectively for students with disabilities.

Our first step is to work collaboratively with school districts and AT Teams to evaluate and make recommendations for hardware and software for students with disabilities. After appropriate AT tools are recommended, our purchasing department will negotiate a discount for those recommended products. Our AT Specialists are then available for implementation training and consultations for students, staff and parents to get the recommended AT tools in place and working properly.

This unique continuum from:

(1) Appropriate AT identification to;
(2) Discounted purchasing to;
(3) Successful integration;

affords school districts a fabulous opportunity to support their students assistive technology needs.

What Can the MD AT Co-op do for Your School District?

• Get You Discounted AT Products:
  • The Co-op negotiates directly with and conducts semi-annual bids with over 90 manufacturers and vendors of AT to get the best price for YOU.
  • The Co-op allows participants to put items from multiple manufacturers on a single purchase order for efficiency and economy. [Discounted Purchasing]
    
    
• Get You Current AT Information:
  • The Co-op brings nationally renown speakers to Maryland for quality professional development activities, many of which carry MSDE and other professional CEU’s. (Training Section)
  • The Co-op displays/ distributes manufacturers catalogs/ demo disks, etc. at training events open to the public [Training Section]
    
    
• Get You Grant Money for AT
  • The Co-op assists local school systems to write and implement grants to improve the achievement of students with disabilities through the use of AT. [Grant Assistance]
    

Informational Themes

• Are you interested in assistive technology trainings?
• Would you like to know more about our discounted purchasing?
• Are you interested in collaborating on a grant opportunity?
• Would you like an AT Specialist to come to your district?
• Curious about what the MD AT Co-op can do for your district?

Assistive Technology Training Opportunities

AT:LAST is committed to providing individuals with disabilities and people working with them the essential training needed to utilize assistive technology in all environments including home, school and work.

We provide the training necessary to:

• Develop awareness of the continuum of products available and their potential to support individuals with special needs;
• Learn best practices for assessment and the feature match between needs and AT;
• Learn how to effectively implement the use of AT to maximize it's benefits, especially within the school environment.

Current Training Calendar Offered by AT:LAST

In addition to the schedule listed online, our staff can present these trainings in your school or district. Our support is flexible and can be tailored to meet the needs of a specific program or student. Preview our Training To-Go Catalog for specific training offerings.

If you don't see what you're looking for, call us and we can customize an assistive technology workshop for you, or email one of our AT Specialists, Christina Schindler or Diana Jurist.

Location: All workshops are presented at AT:LAST's AT Learning Center
7050 Oakland Mills Road, Suite 160, Columbia, MD 21046

Please visit Mapquest for customized directions to out AT Learning Center.

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Discounted Purchasing

In addition to our lower prices, we also offer the value-added services of:

• Allowing schools to combine orders to many different companies on a single purchase order;
• Assisting them to assure they have provided all the necessary info for their order to be filled by the manufacturer and;
• Pursuing discounts on additional products for which they have a need makes participation in our cooperative purchasing service very worthwhile.

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Grant Collaboration

AT:LAST staff is available to help develop and write grant proposals. Please contact us for more information.

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Assistive Technology Specialists Now Available for Consultations

AT:LAST has two Assistive Technology Specialists to spearhead our training events and begin more on-site technical assistance visits. If you are interested in speaking with our AT Specialists to see how they can support your staff and students, please email Diana Jurist or Christina Schindler directly. You can also reach them at 410-381-2667.

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