The Assistive Technology for Education Support Team (ATfEST)

Keyboard and assistive technology

About us and what we do

Assessing and teaching assistive technology skills to SEND pupils, such as keyboard skills, speech to text technology and magnification to aid access to the curriculum and promote inclusion.

Accessing our support

Referral for keyboard and assistive technology assessment and/or teaching is typically made by specialist teachers within the Specialist Teaching Service. 

 

Fab support from the ATfEST Keyboard and Assistive Technology Practitioner every fortnight working with the pupil, to develop his touch typing and confidence. Always happy to talk and share info and details about the sessions as well as being interested in what has been going on in school

Person:Parent of a primary aged child
 

How we work

We deliver individual learning programmes for SEND pupils within an educational setting and devise appropriate strategies for effective support by school staff. We liaise closely with both STS professionals and those in an educational setting, attend pupil-centred reviews and document pupil progress.

Provision includes: 

  • touch-typing – letters, numbers, punctuation and character symbols – including those for languages, maths and science
  • word processing skills – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced eDCC certification (part of The Prince’s Trust)
  • screen navigation skills for use with electronic resources
  • assistive technology skills for use with speech and magnification software – JAWS, Supernova
  • five-finger typing tuition

We offer

  • Training and advice to both teachers and support staff as to what is required for a student to learn keyboard skills effectively if taken on to caseload following an initial assessment.
  • Training for support staff through recommended attendance at lessons alongside the child or young person. This is to enable the member of staff to continue to practise the lesson content with the child or young person.
  • Opportunities for support staff to learn skills to aid for example, the production of resources whilst also sharing knowledge with the other Teaching Assistants who support.
 

The pupil has learnt so much, it supports his story writing, spelling and dictation in classwork, English and maths, he can type them out and loves adding extra’s learnt in the lessons

Person:Class teacher