Assistive technology (AT) can be one of the most powerful tools a student has, but most families never get a clear explanation of how it actually works. Here is what every NYC parent should know.
1. You don’t need an IEP or 504 Plan to ask for AT, but you probably want one
You don’t need a formal IEP or 504 Plan to have AT, or even to request an AT evaluation. Anyone can ask.
But if you want your child to have AT officially, requesting an evaluation is the right first step. If your child needs AT because of a disability, it is in their best interest to have it documented through an IEP or 504 Plan. Documentation is what makes the support consistent and enforceable from year to year.
2. Your child may already have free AT tools, even without an IEP
Did you know your child can have AT without an IEP? Two tools on the yes— PREMIUM level, Read&Write and OrbitNote have been available for free to every NYC public school student since the 2025-26 school year. There is even a dedicated website showing the relationship between this AT company and NYC Public Schools!
Some schools simply haven’t gotten the memo yet. That’s frustrating, but it’s not too late.
- Ask your school (Principal or someone called a SPOC) to activate it for your school so that your child can access it.
- If they say they can’t, call your superintendent’s office and politely ask for the support the school needs to get it done
- Remember, schools are busy. Even if your school doesn’t realize help is available, you can point them in the right direction. Pro tip: Be politely persistent.
One more thing: none of this is heavy AI. These tools are built to support students, not do the work for them. Kids who need specialized instruction still need that instruction. AT is not a substitute for teaching. There is a time and a place for its use! ex. You can use it to type for a spelling test but not to SPELL for the spelling test.
3. You have the right to a timely evaluation, and the DOE must honor the 60 day timeline
Your child has the right to an AT evaluation, to receive that evaluation in writing, and all efforts should be made to ensure that the IEP meeting is set up to discuss that evaluation that should be done within the 60-day timeline. No matter what, the district must finish the evaluation within 60 days.
If that timeline isn’t met, it doesn’t mean NYC’s Center for Assistive Technology (CAT Team) doesn’t care. Demand for this evaluation is very high, and the only way the team gets more resources is when families speak up. So complain, loudly and to everyone: Go ahead and do it all at the same time especially if you have been waiting way too long. Try these people.
- Your principal and anyone at your school in charge of 504s and special education. Find your principal’s email here.
- Your superintendent (Find their email here). If you have an IEP then also find the Admin of Special Education’s email and contact them too.
- The Special Education Inbox (when you don’t know where or when or who… and even if you do, email this office. Go ahead and be politely persistent here: SpecialEducation@schools.nyc.gov)
- P311- Call this number and 718-935-2007 and say there is a violation due to the deadline being missed or looks like being missed because there isn’t even an evaluation appointment. Be stern and get yourself a TICKET NUMBER.
- Your local city council member – ask to speak to constituent relations and they will get in touch with the DOE’s “government relations” people and then the government relations people will then call whoever needs to be called. It’s not super fast but it’s one more way.
- catteam@schools.nyc.gov: This is the general inbox for the DOE’s Center for Assistive Technology. Believe it or not, this office is not huge. They need to be larger and they are trying their best. I really like them and advocates do not say that easily!!! For real! Know this: if you don’t have an evaluation scheduled with them, someone in the pipeline of things may not have done the right thing ie. a “referral form” or some other questionnaire wasn’t filled out. It happens. Find out what is happening and ensure that gets done. BTW, you can have copies of all of that. Ask the school psychologist in charge of your child’s IEP. They have access.
If your child has an IESP or attends a charter school, start with the administrator responsible for your IEP or IESP. You can still loop in the Special Education Inbox, the CAT Team inbox, and the chair of the CSE.
The basic message: make some noise. Be politely persistent. Everyone is trying to get through the day but that 60 day thing is not a choice. It must be done.
4. Parents can attend the entire AT evaluation, and your child’s teachers should too
You have the right to be present for the whole evaluation. You can watch how the evaluators conduct it and you can listen as teachers talk about how the curriculum is currently delivered so you can understand how AT might help. This is one way to actualize your rights as a member of the IEP team. You can share your input when the time is right. My advice: watch and listen most of the way through, then speak up at the end. Only interrupt to correct information.
Your child’s teachers input are greatly important. They deliver the curriculum every day, and their presence at the evaluation is essential, especially if your child struggles in a particular subject. Sometimes a teacher wants to attend but isn’t given permission to but you can do something about that!
If teachers do not commit to showing up, you have two options: complain (aka advocate), or use their absence as grounds to request an independent AT evaluation at public expense once the initial evaluation is complete. My take is this: I would much rather you get a great DOE CAT team evaluation in most cases. Most of the evaluators I have met have been stellar. Only in the case of an AT evaluation would I really want to do some hard advocacy to have actionable recommendations come from them. They have the power to really keep coming back to make this right. You can be a partner in this process but you should really learn what a good DOE AT evaluation can look like. The more you try, the more you can learn. Ask questions.
5. A good evaluation is just the beginning. Implementation needs to be spelled out
Technology is complicated, every child is different, and no curriculum or teacher style is one-size-fits-all. That means exactly how your child will use their AT needs to be written into the IEP in detail.
True inclusion means the curriculum is ready for your child to use AT at the same time as their classmates, not on a delay and not because my child made a pdf with his iPad after everyone started on their worksheet. Sometimes that means more work for the teacher, and sometimes it just means working differently. Either way, it’s your child’s right. It needs to get spelled out and if your teacher needs more training, help, more time, more tech, you should advocate for your child’s teacher.
Ask the IEP team to include an AT implementation chart. The more specific the directions, the better.
6. If having tech might cause other problems like distraction, raise it early
If your child’s disability could make it hard to actually access or use the AT, bring that up with the school right away. If AT is still the better option compared to typical reading, writing, or other tasks that usually don’t involve tech, then accommodations need to be built in to support that access. Tech is support to increase independence but if your child needs teacher support in some way then it has to be addressed. The goal is independence and productivity to learn. If you don’t use tech then how will that productivity be achieved at a rate that is appropriate. That is the question to answer.
The goal isn’t to trade one problem for another, but it’s also not a reason to give up before you’ve tried. Flag the concern early so the team can plan around it.
7. New staff need training too, and you can ask for it
Just because your child has AT now doesn’t mean every new teacher or therapist on their team knows how to support it. You can ask your school to schedule training for you, your child, and your child’s team. This is the link that they use to request it.
If the school says the staff doesn’t need training, at minimum ask for a meeting where they explain what they understand about your child’s AT needs and how they plan to implement it. That is a completely reasonable ask.
8. Before graduation, get an updated evaluation for what comes next
If your child is a senior in high school and relies on AT, request an updated evaluation before they graduate. A current evaluation is exactly what a college disability services office or an employer’s HR department needs to put the right accommodations in place.
Don’t skip this step. It’s one of the most useful things you can do to prepare your child for postsecondary life!
* Remember F.B.A.W.L.S.: AT doesn’t replace therapy or instruction. It never should but think of it like glasses. If you need glasses then put it on and see how learning can be done Faster, Better, And With Less Stress (FBAWLS) with A.T. If your child with a disability can make appropriate progress with that, then let’s get it for them now!